Dark Knight Trilogy

29. Abbey Mills Pumping Station

Chicago, IL

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Fear is expected, and in fact provoked, as you enter the depths of Arkham Asylum's laboratory. A fitting replica for the Arkham Asylum's dirty work in Batman Begins, Abbey Mills Pumping Station was designed to carry sewage away from the center of the city of London. It's elaborate Byzantine design anointed the building the "Cathedral of Sewage" and, like Arkham Asylum, concealed the workings within. Only the interior was used in the film, a dramatic backdrop for where maniacal schemes become reality.

Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathon Crane, is known to Batman fans as his alter ego, Scarecrow, one of Batman's most deranged villains. Regarded in the comics as being wounded by his classmates' bullying, Crane, being limited in stature, learned to instead weaken a person's mind. Dr. Crane uses his education in psycho-pharmacology combined with psychological tactics to reveal the fears of his adversaries. Incited by his own fear of bats, Dr. Crane pushed the limits with his latest concoction, the fear toxin or fear gas. This toxin induced involuntary and sometimes irrational fears into a victim's mind, bringing their phobias to life, and eventually driving them insane.

Dr. Crane chose to reveal the hidden laboratory to Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins after her threatening remarks on his suspicious diagnoses. Her introduction to the antique mill was that of shock as she witnessed the distribution of the chemical into Gotham's water supply. After giving Rachel a dose of fear toxin, Dr. Crane received a taste of his own medicine. Taking advantage of the dim lit mill, casting shadows on the overhangs and corners, The Batman easily dispatched the frightened men working for Dr. Crane and overtook the doctor himself. To enhance the effect of the toxin and that of his alter ego, Dr. Crane devised a scarecrow-like gas mask that doubled as a rebreather. Found stripped of his only protection against his own toxin, Dr. Crane began to transfer his fear of bats to a phobia of The Batman after being dosed with the fear gas. The Batman quickly learned Scarecrow was just a pawn in Ra's al Ghul's plan to ultimately destroy Gotham in it's own chaos.

Ra's al Ghul supplied Dr. Crane with a blue poppy flower, found only near Ra's al Ghul's residence, to develop the toxin. Furthering the development was crime lord Falcone, who supplied the remaining ingredients. With the help of Lucius Fox, Batman was able to create an antidote that he swiftly delivered to Rachel, and eventually all of Gotham. Scarecrow's laboratory may have been shut down, but he is the only villain to appear in all three of Nolan's Batman movies, each appearance sinking him further into insanity.

Please note that access to this site is gained only through special pre-booked tours.