Know Your Marvel Monsters: THE SCARECROW

First Appearance: Strange Tales #81 (1961)
(click on the cover image for a larger view)

Occupation: Social justice advocate

Height: 100 feet

Abilities: Sentience and speech; Impressive lumbering skills; Ability to grow to giant size; Building-demolishing strength.

History: When an atomic explosion's "Delta Rays" struck a farmer's field, their radiation caused a scarecrow posted in the field to come to life. Growing to immense size, the Scarecrow plodded its way through town to the office of Jarvis Cragstone, a greedy banker who'd foreclosed on the farmer's land. Once the creature intimidated Cragstone into returning the farmer's money, the slowly-shrinking scarecrow shambled back to the homeless farmer, secretly left him the sack of money, and returned to its lifeless state.

The animated Scarecrow plods toward town in Strange Tales #81. Note how the creature's rampage nearly caused Bobby to lose his precious comic books!

Noteable Quotes: "I am your nemesis, mortal! Look upon me and tremble! Feel the awesome power of the Strawman!"

Turn-Ons: Delta Rays • Farmer Albert Smith and his wife Martha • John Mellencamp's 1985 hit song "Rain on the Scarecrow"

Turn-Offs: Crows • The Man • Matches

Comments

[Captain Average]

I would have enjoyed this one if it had been just a little more obscure.heh.Random thoughts as follows:
1.Was the road to town a brick one perhaps?
2."Occupation:Social justice advocate"...or vigilante?BUM BUM BUMMM
3."Impressive lumbering"? Isn't that just poor walking?
4.Was the foreclosure legal? And why would the scarecrow help a farmer who stuck a pole up his backside?
5.Forgotten turn-off-hungry livestock.

Thank you and good evening.

[Hube]

Once again Mark, thanks!! My spit-up coffee is now cleaned off my monitor! ;-)

[Mark Engblom]

Glad you guys liked finding out more about the Scarecrow. These old stories are a scream. It's hard to reconcile the "by-the-numbers" feel of these old monster stories with the mindblowing superhero stuff the same creative teams would be producing only a few years later.

Oh, and Hube...just send me the bill for a new monitor.