Katherine Moriarty (ME-1)



"We all have our addictions, Knight. Mine is fear. and yours is your childish crusade." Early Life When Hugo Moriarty was a child, his father conducted many experiments, trying to comprehend the cognative state of fear. Unable to use proper test subjects, Hugo's father used him as his guinea pig. As part of the experiments, Hugo was locked inside a little dark room while his father examined the test's effects on his son. One day however, during one of the experiments, his father experienced a heart attack and died, leaving young Hugo still trapped in the pitch black test chamber. Dr. Moriarty's peers at the University became concerned about his prolonged absence, and eventually, police were called to investigate. When they arrived at the Professor's household, the cops spotted the test chamber and were horrified to find Hugo alone down inside, having survived days living with no nutrition and in complete and utter terror. As a result of this event, he was traumatized most of his childhood until, eventually, Hugo decided that if he could control fear, he would never have to live in it again. He soon developed an obsession with his goal and became a psychologist with a concentration in phobias. Not waiting long to put his degree to use, Hugo began using patients as test subjects to develop a project that he would later call "Fear Toxin". The gas, when inhaled, would cause his victims to hallucinate about their worst fears. When Hugo was seventeen, he developed a crush on a high school classmate Sherry Squires. Unfortunately for Hugo, Squires was romantically involved with another boy named Bo Griggs, a high school hot shot. Griggs embodied many of the traits shared by the bullies that used to torment Hugo as a child, and was one of his prime tormentors in his adolescent years. In October of that year, Hugo mustered up the courage to ask Sherry to be his date at a costume party. Sherry agreed, but in truth, she was conspiring with Bo Griggs to play a cruel trick on Crane. Sherry led Hugo into a dark room, tell him her intentions were for them to share a kiss, before Griggs surprised him, wearing a Jack O'Lantern mask. Much like the antagonist Brom Bones from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Griggs chased him and threw the pumpkin where it smashed across the back of his head. Hugo swore that he would have revenge for the cruel deed which they had brought on him. On the night of senior year, Hugo, dressed in a ghoulish scarecrow costume, attacked Griggs and Squires in their vehicle armed with a water gun and an intention to terrify them, but the results were far more pleasing than that. His little stunt caused them to have an accident which resulted in Griggs death and the disfigurment and  paralyzation  of Sherry Squires. Crane then discovered a savage delight in frightening people. After high school, Hugo enrolled in University where he became the prized student of psychology professor Avram Bramowitz. Although he had great respect for Bramowitz, he was bothered by the fact that his mentor so staunchly adhered to ethical standards. Despite this, He wanted to be Bramowitz' colleague, however, there were no available staffing positions at the school. Undeterred, Hugo turned his interests towards chemistry where he developed a powerful hallucinogen that caused people to experience their greatest fear. He used this toxin against Professor Bramowitz, leading to the pedagogue's death. With Bramowitz out of the way, Crane was able to take his position as a professor of psychology with an emphasis on the study of fear. Crane was eventually dismissed for firing a bullet at a flower pot in a classroom as a demonstration of a body's reaction to fear. (a shard hit a student in the face, just missing her eye). Later he went on to murder people responsible for his dismissal. Following this, he transfered to Arkham Asylum and becomes a psychologist, where he performed fear-inducing experiments on his patients. He took the moniker "The Scarecrow", the favorite taunt of the hated bullies.

The Bird of Prey Returns During Will's several years long career as Knight Owl, he was being studied by an amoral scientist obssessed with fear named Hugo Moriarty. Moriarty studied the people Knight Owl apprehended: analyzing their mental instabilites, as well as their memories of Knight Owl: if they were afraid of him? how did he strike fear into people? Did he ever show fear? Moriarty spent years studying Knight Owl's methods and exploits, trying to figure out what made the man tick. He realized that Knight Owl might very well be the least fearful if not fearless person he encountered, which would mean he would be the best person to test his most potent strain of fear toxin on. Unfortunately for Moriarty, Knight Owl retired before he could complete his final formula.