Fear Itself
Don't Read This was created by I Drink Mercury, it can be read on Webtoon
WARNING
This blog will discuss themes of mental health and anxiety. Viewer digression is advised
Don't read this blog……… just kidding! Wait please don't go-
Welcome back to the blog. Today we're looking at the main antagonist of the webcomic Don't Read This. I hope you enjoy!
I also have an announcement to make. The reason I've been able to churn out blogs so quickly this year is because I've built up a backlog while developing the cancelled Axe Cop blog. After this blog, I'm gonna take some time to really develop my next milestone blog. I wanna make sure it's as polished and awesome as it can be. Research is actually nearly done so it may release sooner than expected! If you wanna know who the mystery character is, be sure to join my blog's Discord server! I announce the characters early there along with updates I make to previous blogs.
Background
“To try is the biggest mistake one can make.”
There is no story here.
All that can be seen is a white, armless figure in an empty black void who wants to be left alone.
Is this really how things should be?
Don't Read This is an interactive webcomic where the collective choices of the audience dictate the actions of the imaginary friend of the armless figure. They are your Little Buddy, a solitary soul in the vast Nothingness. They've made many imaginary friends in the past to talk to out of loneliness, but you are the first to seemingly have a will of your own.
While the endless Nothingness is comforting and safe, there's a wide world beyond it. There is an expansive field with trees, a lake, and even a town. You try to convince Little Buddy to roam outside their walls, but they won't budge. The opposite of Nothingness, existence, is uncertain and scary, and both you and the outside world frighten them. They've been in this place for so long, that they lost all sense of time, and eventually memories.
Eager to befriend them, you manage to convince Little Buddy to look outside with you. They're anxious, but having their first friend around makes the stress of stepping out of their comfort zone doable… if only for a short time.
There's another reason why Little Buddy is so hesitant to leave the void. Something is out there, a malicious cyclops able to shapeshift into whatever terrifies Little Buddy the most. It took both of your friend's arms, and if they show their face outside again, they'll lose even more. This shadowy entity may start out with the same armless build as your buddy, but every body part it takes appears on its own figure.
It silently watches you and your Little Buddy, taking various forms like a tree and a sign. Just as Little Buddy is starting to feel at ease, even excited to explore the open world, the creature strikes. It mortifies Little Buddy into running away and stealing one of their legs, but in that moment it learns that you can interact with and fight it.
Even though Little Buddy remains in danger, things are different because you're here now. Not only can you hurt it, but you can give your Little Buddy the courage to stand up to it. You sparked the desire in them to exist and have a colorful life, no matter what terrors they face.
With every victory it reclaims a limb. The entity bests Little Buddy on other occasions, robbing them of nearly everything at one point. There have been times that Fear has scared Little Buddy so thoroughly that they fled back into Nothingness. It was inaccessible until time passed long enough for them to completely forget about you.
The entity remains too powerful to easily deal with, and tending to Little Buddy's care matters above all else. However, at a certain point in the story, you finally get to confront the cyclops and learn what their deal exactly is.
This entity…… is Fear, and I don't mean that in a metaphorical or theoretical way. It IS Fear itself, or at least a single unit of it. Fear exists in everyone's minds, and the one that's been a thorn in your side is only the one version of the larger concept personal to Little Buddy.
This entire story is set in Little Buddy's mind. The more they explore and interact with the land outside the void, the more it jogs their memories. Little Buddy used to have a life outside their void, they used to exist. After unexplained events, things changed. Stress accumulated and they started avoiding everything, even what brought them joy. Now all they have is the world in their mind, and Fear wants to take that away from them too.
Fear doesn't view Little Buddy as their enemy, in fact it values them a lot. It's simply acting out their purpose: to keep Little Buddy in Nothingness forever. This way they'd be too scared to change, forever keeping up their reclusive habits in the real world. Doing nothing is safer compared to the existing world.
Fear silently delights in carrying out its job in spooking Little Buddy. Whenever they have the energy to fight back, Fear wastes no time taunting and belittling their efforts, increasing their anxiety until they have a panic attack. It tries to hammer in their head that they aren't fit to exist. It's better if they just give up and live their life isolated in the Nothingness. If they can't learn that, Fear has no qualms taking everything away from them.
This may be seen as harmful, but Fear believes it's the only reason Little Buddy is still alive. Every time Little Buddy in the real world faced something uncertain in life, it would appear to deter them from potentially putting their life at risk—no matter how trivial. With each appearance they gained more power over your friend's mind until they became too afraid to interact with the supposedly dangerous outside world.
Fear doesn't consider you an enemy either; you're only a threat when you're actively an obstacle in their mission. While your goals completely oppose their own, you both are more similar than you'd realize. You and Fear both formed in Little Buddy's world when the need arose, just responding to different needs. It doesn't know what your true purpose is beyond the need for socialization, which makes Fear fascinated by you.
Maybe you came to be to stop Little Buddy's mind from dissolving from the lack of interaction with people and the world. Even so, you make chaotic and curious choices that don't benefit your friend.
Fear is aware of its villainous role in this story, which it has no issues with. No matter how cordial you and Fear are with each other it'll never see eye to eye with you when it comes to Little Buddy. It's impossible to convince it to abandon its purpose, this is simply what Fear is.
Even so, the cyclops isn't above working with you in some capacity. For all this time being stuck in a cycle of fear, it's been hoping something would happen that would break the cycle, allowing it to rest. Maybe you are what Fear has been waiting for, maybe not. Fear may be the natural enemy to you and Little Buddy, but in the end Fear is a mechanism to protect us. Perhaps in the end it just wants Little Buddy to fully get over their fears.
There are slumps when Fear still takes a win against Little Buddy, but at this point they've had it with Fear. It took what was left of their life and identity away from them, and regardless of what terrors it brings, they're driven by regret to take back their life. The true incident that led to Little Buddy's fear and isolation is still a mystery, but this cycle won't remain the same.
Experience and Skill
Fear is used to being the strongest presence in Little Buddy's mind.
Up until their latest imaginary friend manifested, Little Buddy has been completely helpless against it. It doesn't take much to spook Little Buddy, so it's been holding back up until the first fight at the lake. Even with the reader's attempts to aid, Fear easily anticipates and thwarts all their efforts.
Fear is truly ferocious when it isn't holding back, having no issues growing to giant sizes and kicking Little Buddy around like a ragdoll. Even when Fear is reduced to one leg, don't underestimate it. It still has large-scale shapeshifting powers.
While Fear isn't capable of leaving permanent impacts to the imaginary world, it really left its mark through being able to reside in every little aspect of the space. Being able to hide in plain sight everywhere makes Fear a particularly sneaky and crafty opponent.
Fear is used to being the strongest presence in Little Buddy's mind.
Up until their latest imaginary friend manifested, Little Buddy has been completely helpless against it. It doesn't take much to spook Little Buddy, so it's been holding back up until the first fight at the lake. Even with the reader's attempts to aid, Fear easily anticipates and thwarts all their efforts.
Fear is truly ferocious when it isn't holding back, having no issues growing to giant sizes and kicking Little Buddy around like a ragdoll. Even when Fear is reduced to one leg, don't underestimate it. It still has large-scale shapeshifting powers.
While Fear isn't capable of leaving permanent impacts to the imaginary world, it really left its mark through being able to reside in every little aspect of the space. Being able to hide in plain sight everywhere makes Fear a particularly sneaky and crafty opponent.
Equipment
Eye Mouth
If you thought the eye was a glaring weak point, you’re mistaken. That's actually its mouth.
If you thought the eye was a glaring weak point, you’re mistaken. That's actually its mouth.
Fishing Rod
Morphing from this scribbled out fisher into itself, Fear fished out a sea monster version of itself to startle Little Buddy.
Morphing from this scribbled out fisher into itself, Fear fished out a sea monster version of itself to startle Little Buddy.
Sword
Fear hasn't used it this combat, only presenting it while going through numerous transformations.
Fear hasn't used it this combat, only presenting it while going through numerous transformations.
Knife
The sword transformed into a knife when morphing into this crime scene outline.
The sword transformed into a knife when morphing into this crime scene outline.
Mirror
This mirror contains a glimpse into the real world. Looking at it can make one uncomfortable, as they’re made aware of their own identity. It’s the only bit of color in the webcomic so far.
When Fear looks into it, it doesn’t see a reflection. The same goes for the Imaginary Friend. If Little Buddy were to look at it, they’d see their real self. This mirror is a representation of the real mirror located in Nothingness. The original mirror shattered but Little Buddy was able to gaze into its scraps and regain all forgotten memories of their Imaginary Friend and Fear. We still don’t know what Little Buddy really looks like.
This mirror contains a glimpse into the real world. Looking at it can make one uncomfortable, as they’re made aware of their own identity. It’s the only bit of color in the webcomic so far.
When Fear looks into it, it doesn’t see a reflection. The same goes for the Imaginary Friend. If Little Buddy were to look at it, they’d see their real self. This mirror is a representation of the real mirror located in Nothingness. The original mirror shattered but Little Buddy was able to gaze into its scraps and regain all forgotten memories of their Imaginary Friend and Fear. We still don’t know what Little Buddy really looks like.
Abilities
Shapeshifting
Fear can turn into anything, no matter how lifelike, fantastical, or abstract. Whatever the individual fears, it becomes them. It can even transform into less tangible elements like fire and water.
Fear can turn into anything, no matter how lifelike, fantastical, or abstract. Whatever the individual fears, it becomes them. It can even transform into less tangible elements like fire and water.
Plant Manipulation
I speak for the trees and the trees say stop trying to exist. Fear can turn into plants, or even just body parts into foliage.
I speak for the trees and the trees say stop trying to exist. Fear can turn into plants, or even just body parts into foliage.
Stealth Mastery
Fear is everywhere in this world, so Little Buddy can never predict where it will pop out from. It's always silently observing from who knows where, can can appear next to them whenever it feels like.
Fear is everywhere in this world, so Little Buddy can never predict where it will pop out from. It's always silently observing from who knows where, can can appear next to them whenever it feels like.
Fear Manipulation
As mentioned before, Fear turn into anything that causes discomfort and capitalizes on that to instill horror in its subject. Whenever Little Buddy is too consumed by fear, they struggle to fight back and control their imagination.
As mentioned before, Fear turn into anything that causes discomfort and capitalizes on that to instill horror in its subject. Whenever Little Buddy is too consumed by fear, they struggle to fight back and control their imagination.
Size Manipulation
Fear can become notably massive. It transformed into multiple clouds at once and an entire town. It can turn quite small too, like when it became a swarm of wasps.
Fear can become notably massive. It transformed into multiple clouds at once and an entire town. It can turn quite small too, like when it became a swarm of wasps.
Teleportation
Sometimes Fear's shadowy fades away, other times it's an instant *poof*, and sometime it just melts away leaving behind its goopy residue. Yuck.
Sometimes Fear's shadowy fades away, other times it's an instant *poof*, and sometime it just melts away leaving behind its goopy residue. Yuck.
Animal Manipulation
See that? That's all wasps. Fear can simply turn into a wasp, but it can also become a sentient wasp nest that controls all of its inhabitants. These wasps didn't look like how Fear appears when taking the form of one, so it's just able to control these critters on top of turning into a swarm.
See that? That's all wasps. Fear can simply turn into a wasp, but it can also become a sentient wasp nest that controls all of its inhabitants. These wasps didn't look like how Fear appears when taking the form of one, so it's just able to control these critters on top of turning into a swarm.
Darkness Manipulation
Yeah, that checks out
Yeah, that checks out
Tendril Manipulation
Fear can sprout lotsa tendrils to wrap around its victims, which are based on Little Buddy’s past trauma of being caught in seaweed underwater.
Fear can sprout lotsa tendrils to wrap around its victims, which are based on Little Buddy’s past trauma of being caught in seaweed underwater.
Non-Physical Interaction
Fear is capable of damaging and killing Little Buddy's imaginary friends. Their pals are non-existent imaginary beings that can't touch anything that physically exists. It should be noted that when the Imaginary Friend tries to interact with Little Buddy while they're unconscious, their hand passes through them. Little Buddy needs to be awake and aware to imagine physical interactions with them.
Fear is capable of damaging and killing Little Buddy's imaginary friends. Their pals are non-existent imaginary beings that can't touch anything that physically exists. It should be noted that when the Imaginary Friend tries to interact with Little Buddy while they're unconscious, their hand passes through them. Little Buddy needs to be awake and aware to imagine physical interactions with them.
Absorption
Fear steals Little Buddy’s limbs and fuses into its own body. The limbs don’t have to correlate with their placement, seeing as they’re all nubs. Legs can become arms and arms can become legs. Fear grows in power with each stolen body part, and it has already claimed more than their arms by the start of the webcomic.
Fear steals Little Buddy’s limbs and fuses into its own body. The limbs don’t have to correlate with their placement, seeing as they’re all nubs. Legs can become arms and arms can become legs. Fear grows in power with each stolen body part, and it has already claimed more than their arms by the start of the webcomic.
Body Control
Beyond Fear's shapeshifting, it has great control over their body. It can tear itself in half or split into many orbs to avoid attacks, turn any amount of their body into less tangible elements, contort and stretch itself, alter its own proportions to make them alarmingly realistic, and has a habit of turning its eye into a toothy maw.
It can get pretty layered too, like when Fear lunged towards the Imaginary Friend so its pupil was right in front of them, then its pupil turned into a demon and then a bunch of other stuff. It likely functioned similar to the start of Don't Read This when it zoomed into Little Buddy's eye, showing another Little Buddy inside it, and the scene continuing on from in there.
Beyond Fear's shapeshifting, it has great control over their body. It can tear itself in half or split into many orbs to avoid attacks, turn any amount of their body into less tangible elements, contort and stretch itself, alter its own proportions to make them alarmingly realistic, and has a habit of turning its eye into a toothy maw.
It can get pretty layered too, like when Fear lunged towards the Imaginary Friend so its pupil was right in front of them, then its pupil turned into a demon and then a bunch of other stuff. It likely functioned similar to the start of Don't Read This when it zoomed into Little Buddy's eye, showing another Little Buddy inside it, and the scene continuing on from in there.
Fire Manipulation
Fear can just turn their body into a living flame.
Fear can just turn their body into a living flame.
Dream and Memory Manipulation
What happens if you dream within a dream? It's best to bury that question when Fear is in your mind. Despite this being a mental world, Fear has trapped Little Buddy inside a drawn out nightmare.
In the dream, anything is possible. The entity has demonstrated a few abilities that aren't shown anywhere else, but I wouldn't put it past Fear that it's capable of these outside of dreams. For now I'll just go over everything that happens in them.
Fear ate Little Buddy, sending them into a water-filled void where their subconsciousness was more accessible. It contained bubbles that led to different memories. Little Buddy had to stay focused to enter a bubble to access the lost memory to find out how their fear began and how to confront it. This risked reliving past trauma, which can be a lot to handle when unprepared.
This ramped up to being suffocated by a crowd of memory bubbles, which condensed together into a black hole that spaghettified Little Buddy. The black hole sucked Little Buddy into another void that contained a mirror, which altered their appearance on the outside. Said space also contained a video camera that stored some of Little Buddy’s bad dreams and memories. Fear would often take form in some of these scenes.
The video player didn't stop playing these scenes and Little Buddy struggled to move away when watching them. Fear inhabited the camera too, jumping out to grab Little Buddy before the dream ended.
It's also important to note that Fear can pull objects out of dreams into the imaginary world.
What happens if you dream within a dream? It's best to bury that question when Fear is in your mind. Despite this being a mental world, Fear has trapped Little Buddy inside a drawn out nightmare.
In the dream, anything is possible. The entity has demonstrated a few abilities that aren't shown anywhere else, but I wouldn't put it past Fear that it's capable of these outside of dreams. For now I'll just go over everything that happens in them.
Fear ate Little Buddy, sending them into a water-filled void where their subconsciousness was more accessible. It contained bubbles that led to different memories. Little Buddy had to stay focused to enter a bubble to access the lost memory to find out how their fear began and how to confront it. This risked reliving past trauma, which can be a lot to handle when unprepared.
This ramped up to being suffocated by a crowd of memory bubbles, which condensed together into a black hole that spaghettified Little Buddy. The black hole sucked Little Buddy into another void that contained a mirror, which altered their appearance on the outside. Said space also contained a video camera that stored some of Little Buddy’s bad dreams and memories. Fear would often take form in some of these scenes.
The video player didn't stop playing these scenes and Little Buddy struggled to move away when watching them. Fear inhabited the camera too, jumping out to grab Little Buddy before the dream ended.
It's also important to note that Fear can pull objects out of dreams into the imaginary world.
Surface Scaling
In a memory when Little Buddy first met Fear, it showed the entity sticking to a cliffside.
In a memory when Little Buddy first met Fear, it showed the entity sticking to a cliffside.
Duplication
There doesn't seem to be a limit to how many times Fear can make copies of itself. It took the form of an entire crowd on multiple occasions and took the form of the residents in the town to gang up on Little Buddy.
There doesn't seem to be a limit to how many times Fear can make copies of itself. It took the form of an entire crowd on multiple occasions and took the form of the residents in the town to gang up on Little Buddy.
Water Manipulation
Thalassophobia is a common phobia Fear can easily exploit. It can turn into large bodies of water like waves or the entire lake. It can assimilate its body into surfaces of water, or even appear in its reflection.
Thalassophobia is a common phobia Fear can easily exploit. It can turn into large bodies of water like waves or the entire lake. It can assimilate its body into surfaces of water, or even appear in its reflection.
Flight
It can fly now? It can fly now.
It can fly now? It can fly now.
Immortality (Types 1, 5, and 8)
I'll start with its reliant immortality. Fear is a part of its host's consciousness, so its existence comes from and is relative to Little Buddy—the one in the real world. If they die, Fear ceases to be…… or at least this unit of Fear. Little Buddy is far from the only person who deals with this emotion, so Fear exists in everyone. Each unit is unique to its host, taking different forms.
Fear's deathless immortality leads into the next ability so I'll keep it brief. The entity is a lot like the Imaginary Friend in that its existence is imaginary, so it can't traditionally be killed.
I'll start with its reliant immortality. Fear is a part of its host's consciousness, so its existence comes from and is relative to Little Buddy—the one in the real world. If they die, Fear ceases to be…… or at least this unit of Fear. Little Buddy is far from the only person who deals with this emotion, so Fear exists in everyone. Each unit is unique to its host, taking different forms.
Fear's deathless immortality leads into the next ability so I'll keep it brief. The entity is a lot like the Imaginary Friend in that its existence is imaginary, so it can't traditionally be killed.
Abstract Existence (Types 1 and 2)
This is FEAR we're talking about. It embodies the very emotion of fear, and the death of this unit means nothing when so many other versions of it inhabit other minds.
However, what really makes Fear's existence abstract how it's imaginary. Although Fear can reside in any part of the mental world, nothing it does remains permanent due to their non-physical existence.
When throwing picking an apple from a tree and throwing it away, the apple returns to its spot as if Fear never physically touched it. In another example, Fear gave an apple to the Imaginary Friend, which faded out of existence in their hands and reappeared in the tree—not because of them but due to Fear. In Fear's own words, it's more like the apple was always there, even if the entity already moved it.
This is FEAR we're talking about. It embodies the very emotion of fear, and the death of this unit means nothing when so many other versions of it inhabit other minds.
However, what really makes Fear's existence abstract how it's imaginary. Although Fear can reside in any part of the mental world, nothing it does remains permanent due to their non-physical existence.
When throwing picking an apple from a tree and throwing it away, the apple returns to its spot as if Fear never physically touched it. In another example, Fear gave an apple to the Imaginary Friend, which faded out of existence in their hands and reappeared in the tree—not because of them but due to Fear. In Fear's own words, it's more like the apple was always there, even if the entity already moved it.
Creation
It can make any object out of thin air.
It can make any object out of thin air.
Life Manipulation
Through physical contact, Fear turned this apple alive after enveloping its goop around the fruit.
Through physical contact, Fear turned this apple alive after enveloping its goop around the fruit.
Omnipresence
4th Wall Awareness
You think you're safe behind that screen, don't you? That may be true, but Fear is still aware of the fictitious nature of the series, like awareness of the episode format and keeping track of what happens in them. They taunt Little Buddy by saying the consciousnesses of their Imaginary Friend only stick around because of the entertainment value of reading Don’t Read This. If they think Little Buddy staying in the void forever is boring, they can just read something else.
Of course there's also this gem of Fear threatening to beat up the Imaginary Friend 30 for chapters straight to make the audience give up reading the webcomic.
You think you're safe behind that screen, don't you? That may be true, but Fear is still aware of the fictitious nature of the series, like awareness of the episode format and keeping track of what happens in them. They taunt Little Buddy by saying the consciousnesses of their Imaginary Friend only stick around because of the entertainment value of reading Don’t Read This. If they think Little Buddy staying in the void forever is boring, they can just read something else.
Of course there's also this gem of Fear threatening to beat up the Imaginary Friend 30 for chapters straight to make the audience give up reading the webcomic.
Berserk Mode
When Fear is royally pissed, that's when you know it really isn't holding back. It becomes so enraged that its form becomes looser and scribblier.
When Fear is royally pissed, that's when you know it really isn't holding back. It becomes so enraged that its form becomes looser and scribblier.
Wind Manipulation
As all of its clones merged together, the mass starts vacuuming Little Buddy towards itself with harsh winds.
As all of its clones merged together, the mass starts vacuuming Little Buddy towards itself with harsh winds.
Resistances
- Fire resistance: Setting it on fire did nothing. In fact Fear just turned into fire afterwards
- Fire resistance: Setting it on fire did nothing. In fact Fear just turned into fire afterwards
Techniques
N/A
The Imaginary World
Although a mental world that doesn't completely reflect reality, the world outside Nothingness is often referred as the physical world since it reflects existence.
Nothingness isn't entirely an endless void, as it has a ground and wall. The door to Nothingness functions like Little Buddy and Fear in that it isn't a physical object, so non-physical beings like them are only able to open it.
There's no accurate way of measuring time both in Nothingness and the physical world, as it's inconsistent. It can flick between day and night without warning, sometimes multiple suns and moons can appear at the same time. These suns and moons can appear in the hundreds, chasing each other in the sky at the speed of sound. Their path becomes messy and the celestial bodies crash into each other and scatter throughout the sky.
The world also seemingly changes based on Little Buddy's state of mind. The signpost pointing towards the lake, town, and nowhere was wooden and damaged, eventually falling over after rapid aging. Now it’s inexplicably replaced by a sturdier sign made of metal, along with the nowhere sign missing.
Some things in the physical world are exaggerated based on Little Buddy’s phobias. A crack in the ground may appear to be a gaping bridge to cross. Little Buddy’s able to see it for what it really is when they calm down.
Although a mental world that doesn't completely reflect reality, the world outside Nothingness is often referred as the physical world since it reflects existence.
Nothingness isn't entirely an endless void, as it has a ground and wall. The door to Nothingness functions like Little Buddy and Fear in that it isn't a physical object, so non-physical beings like them are only able to open it.
There's no accurate way of measuring time both in Nothingness and the physical world, as it's inconsistent. It can flick between day and night without warning, sometimes multiple suns and moons can appear at the same time. These suns and moons can appear in the hundreds, chasing each other in the sky at the speed of sound. Their path becomes messy and the celestial bodies crash into each other and scatter throughout the sky.
The world also seemingly changes based on Little Buddy's state of mind. The signpost pointing towards the lake, town, and nowhere was wooden and damaged, eventually falling over after rapid aging. Now it’s inexplicably replaced by a sturdier sign made of metal, along with the nowhere sign missing.
Some things in the physical world are exaggerated based on Little Buddy’s phobias. A crack in the ground may appear to be a gaping bridge to cross. Little Buddy’s able to see it for what it really is when they calm down.
Feats
Overall
- Robbed Little Buddy of their arms before we showed up
- Absorbed Little Buddy’s leg after terrorizing them with wasps
- Stole Little Buddy’s last remaining leg at the lake
- Terrified Little Buddy so much that they fled to nothingness for so long that they totally forgot their Imaginary Friend and created a new one in their stead named John
- Killed all of Little Buddy’s previous imaginary friends, along with their newest one John
Strength
- Can turn into a town, able to fight as all buildings that make it up
- Peppered Little Buddy’s leg with wasps to repeatedly sting it, before absorbing their leg into their own body
- Pushed the Imaginary Friend far away from the lake with a headbutt
- Threw Little Buddy even further away
- The stronger it is, the more impact it has on the real Little Buddy’s mind
- Ripped John in half
- Grew giant and kicked Little Buddy into the lake
- Kicked Little Buddy across the lake
Speed
- Quickly teleported to the opposite side of a bridge
- Frequently teleports away to unknown distances
- Dodges Little Buddy kicking it
Durability
Weaknesses
- Overconfident, likes to play with its food and is used to holding back
- When Little Buddy rationalizes their fears, Fear can’t do much to them. For example, Fear turned into the tree Little Buddy set on fire and threatened them by turning into a living flame. Once they realize they’re far from where the fire actually is, no matter how close Fear was the entity couldn’t touch them
- Has the weaknesses of whatever they turn into, like being affected by rain after turning into fire
- It's a nonexistent being like the Imaginary Friend, so regardless of what they do to the mental world it reverts to how it once was, as if the interaction never happened in the first place. If it picks an apple and throw it away from a tree, the apple will just return to where it was.
- Had its ass handed by Little Buddy without limbs
- Its absorption isn’t instant and can be broken out of. That can even be exploited to absorb stolen limbs from Fear
Matchup Potential
Fear vs Omori (Don't Read This vs OMORI)
(thumbnail by Vibe Check)
Vibe Check
Before I go on I understand peoples' issues with series like OMORI on Death Battle, and Don't Read This falls into the same ballpark. You're completely valid for feeling that way. Still, I can't help but draw similarities between these both.
If you're at all familiar with Omori, you've likely made already noted the comparisons, along with one key detail. Fear serves the same purpose of Omori as an unhealthy mental shield for the protagonist. Omori and Fear claim to protect them, even if it hurts and isolates them in the process. Omori seeks to keep Sunny from reaching the truth being his trauma and Fear's purpose is to keep Little Buddy's secluded and fear-governed lifestyle so they're safe.
…… All the while, Fear's design heavily resembles Something, the representation of Sunny's trauma.
That alone already makes this fascinating to me compared to most of Omori's other matchups I've seen.
This matchup would be simple to set up, since units of Fear already occupy the minds of everyone. Fear and Omori have similar wants for Sunny, but given Fear is more open to Sunny learning the truth Omori would view them as a threat and initiate the fight.
The battle itself would be cool, as Omori is fighting someone that can turn into anything. Watching Omori refuse to succumb and escalate in the severity of his attacks would make for an intense fight.
I really like the idea of Omori locking Fear in Black Space, and in a reference to the beginning of the webcomic, the camera zooms out to show White Space was part of Fear’s eye—sorta like a “Darkseid is.” visual—and pulls Omori out while towering over him.
I could see this as a sprite fight with extensive hand-drawn and mixed media usage. The black and white art style of Don’t Read This pairs well with White Space and Black Space, and Omori’s scribbly and mixed media attacks would really stand out.
Whoever wins, Sunny steps up to face them in his mind by the end of the fight. Comparing everything between both, Omori likely has what it takes to defeat Fear. Fear is hard to permanently kill, but it is susceptible to Omori’s emotional manipulation and its attempts to scare him wouldn’t work.
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