Hugo Strange
Encyclopedia
Professor Hugo Strange is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics
, as an adversary of Batman
. He first appeared in Detective Comics
#36 (February 1940), and is one of Batman
's first recurring villains, preceding the Joker and Catwoman
by several months. He is also one of Batman's first villains to realize that Batman is Bruce Wayne.
. He wakes up in Strange's lair. The furious Professor actually hangs Batman from his wrists and lashes him with a whip, until Batman breaks the ropes with pure strength of muscle, gasses the room, and tackles Strange, who is jailed but plans to escape. In his second appearance he escapes from the "city asylum" with a gang of crooks, then breaks out "five insane patients" and uses them as test subjects, turning them into hulking 15 ft zombie
s by administering a powerful artificial growth hormone
that acted on the pituitary gland
; a side effect caused the victim to become a mindless brute. They wear bulletproof clothing, and he released them to cause chaos in the city while his men committed robberies. Strange administers it to Batman after the Giants capture him, saying it will work in 18 hrs, but despite being knocked out for over 17 hrs, the Caped Crusader saves himself by creating a drug that prevented any abnormal secretions from the pituitary gland with minutes to spare, after tricking two of the monsters into killing each other. He is then able to kill all the other monsters, the last one is sent falling from a tall building, and though he apparently kills Strange, he suspects he is not dead. In Detective Comics #46 Strange starts spreading a fear-inducing powder around the city until a punch from the Batman sends Strange falling to his apparent death.
He returned in the 1970s during the "Strange Apparitions" story arc
. Having survived his earlier "death," Strange is running a private hospital for Gotham City
's wealthiest citizens — where he holds them to ransom their fortunes and changes them into monsters. When Bruce Wayne checks into the hospital to recover discreetly from radiation
burns he sustained while fighting Doctor Phosphorus
, Strange finds out that Wayne is Batman
and proceeds to wreak havoc on his personal life incognito. Strange then attempts to auction the identity of Batman to City Council Boss Rupert Thorne
, The Penguin, and The Joker. Thorne has Strange kidnapped and beaten to reveal Batman's identity but Strange apparently dies. Strange's ghost comes back to haunt Thorne, driving the council boss mad. Thorne, in his mad state, confesses his long career of corruption and is sent to prison.
As revealed in Batman #356 (Feb. 1983) Strange had indeed survived the beating from Thorne's men, by using yoga methods to slow his heartbeat to an undetectable level. Strange created the 'ghost' that haunted Thorne which drove him to confess to the authorities. Subsequently Strange attempts to weaken Bruce Wayne through the use of drugs and robots, before usurping him in the role of Batman. After failing Strange apparently dies once more when he blows up a replica Wayne Manor.
version of Strange also survives the fall he himself experienced; however, he is left paralyzed
. After years of physical therapy, he regains enough movement to write out the surgical techniques needed to repair the damage to his body - and bribes a surgeon to perform the operation. However, the surgeon lacks Strange's skill, leaving him physically deformed (the surgeon dies for his failure). Strange uses one of his devices to capture Starman's cosmic rod, to use its power to attack everyone and everything Batman holds dear. He generates a storm in Gotham to obtain the device, which creates a dimension
al doorway to Earth-One
, bringing that universe's
Batman over to Earth-Two and allows him and that world's Robin
to join with the original Batwoman
in defeating Strange. Strange realizes that he is in fact angry at his own wasted life and deformed body. Strange then uses the Cosmic Rod to commit suicide
. (The Brave and the Bold #182, January 1982)
continuity, Strange was reintroduced in the "Prey
" arc as a psychiatrist
enlisted to help a police taskforce capture Batman. While brilliant at his work, he was portrayed as being equally psychotic; Strange was so obsessed over Batman that he took to dressing up like him in private. Strange ends up escalating the scales against Batman by brainwashing a police officer to become a violent vigilante, framing Batman for kidnapping the Mayor's daughter, and deducing Batman's true identity as Bruce Wayne. In the end though, Batman managed to foil Strange's plot and forced him to doubt his own conclusion about his true identity, before he could share it with anyone else.
According to Commissioner James Gordon
, Strange was "abandoned as a child, grew up in state homes. A bright kid, but he apparently had a hell of a temper. Nobody knows how he put himself through college and medical school." He was raised in an orphanage on the lower East Side of Gotham, not far from the infamous "Crime Alley", in the heart of a part of Gotham known as "Hell's Crucible". Strange became professor of Psychiatry at Gotham State University, but had his tenure suspended due to his increasingly bizarre theories in genetic engineering
. At some point, he is approached by an Indian man named Sanjay, who seeks Strange's aid in curing his sick brother. Strange agrees to help, and Sanjay works loyally by his side from that point onward. Borrowing money from gangster Sal Maroni
, who is in the employ of Gotham's criminal kingpin Carmine Falcone
, Strange sets up a lab. He then bribes a corrupt orderly to give him incurably insane inmates from Arkham Asylum
- who have been institutionalized so long that they will not be missed.
Strange's experiments have literally monstrous results, with his test subjects turning into gigantic, mindless "Monster Men", possessing superhuman strength and cannibalistic instincts. Strange uses these Monster Men to raise the money he needs to pay back his Mafia connections. Batman becomes involved after discovering some of the gruesome remains of the Monster's Men's cannibalistic rampages. When Strange sets his creations free at an illegal poker game, helping himself to the victims' money after the slaughter, his Mafia connections begin to grow suspicious. Batman tracks Strange down, but is captured by Sanjay and thrown to the Monster Men as an intended meal. Batman not only holds off the creatures, but uses them in part of an inventive escape. Strange is enthralled by Batman, believing that he has found a genetically perfect man. He creates one final Monster Man using a drop of Batman's blood, and while his creation still has many of the flaws of its "brothers", it lacks most of the grotesque disfigurements that had plagued Strange's earlier work. However, Strange is forced to destroy his lab in order to evade capture. Soon after, he turns the Monster Men loose, including Sanjay's brother (who had been mutated in a failed attempt to cure him), at Falcone's estate, where Strange's Mafia connections are staying. Strange wants a fresh start, and realizes that the Mafia is still a link to his experiments. In the battle that follows, all of the Monster Men are killed, along with Sanjay (who was attempting to avenge his brother). Strange escapes amid the chaos, and succeeds in eradicating all links between himself and his experiments. Confident that he can not be linked to them, he begins to appear on TV as a psychological expert on the Batman.
It is possible that the events of Doug Moench
and Paul Gulacy's
"Prey" story arc take place at this point. Partly due to Hugo Strange's appearance on TV as a psychological expert, Captain Gordon is ordered to put together a Task Force to capture Batman, with Strange working as a consultant to try to discover Batman's identity. As the investigation continues, however, Strange grows increasingly monomaniacal in his obsession with Batman. His greatest desire is to become Batman. To that end, he has attempts to kill the Caped Crusader, and then take his place. Strange eventually concludes that Bruce Wayne is most likely Batman, brainwashes the head of the police Task Force into becoming a lethal vigilante to turn public sentiment against Batman, and kidnaps the mayor's daughter. He is ultimately caught, shot twice and dumped into a river; it was then assumed he had died.
However, in Doug Moench
's "Terror" storyline, Strange mysteriously comes back. He decides to work with another of Batman's enemies, the Scarecrow
, and use him as a tool to help him capture Batman. Scarecrow turns on Strange, however, impaling him on a weather vane and throwing him in the cellar of his own mansion. The Scarecrow then uses Strange's mansion as a trap for Batman. Batman catches Scarecrow, but loses sight of Strange.
Both "Prey" and "Terror" are set during Batman's early years. In the modern timeline, he returns in a four-part arc that ran through Gotham Knights
#8-11. He is posing as a psychiatrist doing standard stress evaluations at Wayne Enterprises
. While Bruce Wayne is on the couch, Strange drugs him with a powerful hallucinogen
in order to coax Wayne into admitting that he is Batman. Batman escapes and triggers a post-hypnotic
suggestion in himself, forcing him to completely repress the Batman aspect of his mind until Robin and Nightwing
can thwart Strange. Believing that his theory that Bruce Wayne is Batman has been disproved, and that he may have actually killed Batman, Strange had a mental breakdown and is taken to Arkham Asylum
.
. Catwoman joins Strange's gang, then allows its members to "find out" that she intends to betray them, faking her death when they attempt to eliminate her. Although she defeats and imprisons most of the gang, and even convinces Strange to leave the East Side alone, Strange still mocks her by pointing out that he had faked his own death far more often than she had.
In Batman #665, Batman tells Tim Drake that a huge man dressed like a combination of Bane
and Batman had beaten him up, and he suspects the imposter had used "Hugo Strange's Monster Serum and Daily Venom shots" to gain his size and strength.
Later, he is part of the series Gotham Underground
, associating with other Gotham villains such as the Mad Hatter, Doctor Death
, and Two Face. Strange and the others are rounded up by the Suicide Squad
.
Strange takes part in the limited series Salvation Run
. He is amongst the villains imprisoned on another planet.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, as an adversary of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. He first appeared in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#36 (February 1940), and is one of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's first recurring villains, preceding the Joker and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
by several months. He is also one of Batman's first villains to realize that Batman is Bruce Wayne.
Pre-Crisis
Hugo Strange first appears as a scientist who uses a stolen "concentrated lightning" machine to generate a dense fog every night, allowing his gang to rob banks unseen, though he knows Batman poses a threat to him. Batman has been alerted to Strange due to a man murdered by a member of Strange's gang. He has heard of him prior to the story, and knows he is a master criminal. The crooks are apprehended. Strange is furious and vows to set a trap for Batman at the next target on the list. When the Batman arrives, over a dozen men are waiting for him. Despite a valiant fight, he succumbs to a whack on the head with a blackjackBaton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
. He wakes up in Strange's lair. The furious Professor actually hangs Batman from his wrists and lashes him with a whip, until Batman breaks the ropes with pure strength of muscle, gasses the room, and tackles Strange, who is jailed but plans to escape. In his second appearance he escapes from the "city asylum" with a gang of crooks, then breaks out "five insane patients" and uses them as test subjects, turning them into hulking 15 ft zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s by administering a powerful artificial growth hormone
Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior...
that acted on the pituitary gland
Pituitary gland
In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...
; a side effect caused the victim to become a mindless brute. They wear bulletproof clothing, and he released them to cause chaos in the city while his men committed robberies. Strange administers it to Batman after the Giants capture him, saying it will work in 18 hrs, but despite being knocked out for over 17 hrs, the Caped Crusader saves himself by creating a drug that prevented any abnormal secretions from the pituitary gland with minutes to spare, after tricking two of the monsters into killing each other. He is then able to kill all the other monsters, the last one is sent falling from a tall building, and though he apparently kills Strange, he suspects he is not dead. In Detective Comics #46 Strange starts spreading a fear-inducing powder around the city until a punch from the Batman sends Strange falling to his apparent death.
He returned in the 1970s during the "Strange Apparitions" story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
. Having survived his earlier "death," Strange is running a private hospital for Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
's wealthiest citizens — where he holds them to ransom their fortunes and changes them into monsters. When Bruce Wayne checks into the hospital to recover discreetly from radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
burns he sustained while fighting Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus is a fictional character who has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Primarily an enemy of Batman, the supervillain exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
, Strange finds out that Wayne is Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and proceeds to wreak havoc on his personal life incognito. Strange then attempts to auction the identity of Batman to City Council Boss Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is a fictional character, a crime boss and enemy of Batman in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Englehart and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #469.-Fictional character biography:...
, The Penguin, and The Joker. Thorne has Strange kidnapped and beaten to reveal Batman's identity but Strange apparently dies. Strange's ghost comes back to haunt Thorne, driving the council boss mad. Thorne, in his mad state, confesses his long career of corruption and is sent to prison.
As revealed in Batman #356 (Feb. 1983) Strange had indeed survived the beating from Thorne's men, by using yoga methods to slow his heartbeat to an undetectable level. Strange created the 'ghost' that haunted Thorne which drove him to confess to the authorities. Subsequently Strange attempts to weaken Bruce Wayne through the use of drugs and robots, before usurping him in the role of Batman. After failing Strange apparently dies once more when he blows up a replica Wayne Manor.
Earth-Two
The Earth-TwoEarth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
version of Strange also survives the fall he himself experienced; however, he is left paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
. After years of physical therapy, he regains enough movement to write out the surgical techniques needed to repair the damage to his body - and bribes a surgeon to perform the operation. However, the surgeon lacks Strange's skill, leaving him physically deformed (the surgeon dies for his failure). Strange uses one of his devices to capture Starman's cosmic rod, to use its power to attack everyone and everything Batman holds dear. He generates a storm in Gotham to obtain the device, which creates a dimension
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...
al doorway to Earth-One
Earth-One
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics...
, bringing that universe's
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
Batman over to Earth-Two and allows him and that world's Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
to join with the original Batwoman
Batwoman
Batwoman is the name of several fictional characters, female counterparts to the superhero Batman. The original version was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. Her alter ego is Kathy Kane. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media beginning in Detective...
in defeating Strange. Strange realizes that he is in fact angry at his own wasted life and deformed body. Strange then uses the Cosmic Rod to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. (The Brave and the Bold #182, January 1982)
Post-Crisis
In the Post-CrisisCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
continuity, Strange was reintroduced in the "Prey
Batman: Prey
"Prey" is a Batman comic book story arc written by Doug Moench, with art by Paul Gulacy and Terry Austin. It was originally published in five parts by DC Comics from September 1990 through February 1991 for Legends of the Dark Knight, issues 11 through 15, and later compiled as a trade...
" arc as a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
enlisted to help a police taskforce capture Batman. While brilliant at his work, he was portrayed as being equally psychotic; Strange was so obsessed over Batman that he took to dressing up like him in private. Strange ends up escalating the scales against Batman by brainwashing a police officer to become a violent vigilante, framing Batman for kidnapping the Mayor's daughter, and deducing Batman's true identity as Bruce Wayne. In the end though, Batman managed to foil Strange's plot and forced him to doubt his own conclusion about his true identity, before he could share it with anyone else.
According to Commissioner James Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, Strange was "abandoned as a child, grew up in state homes. A bright kid, but he apparently had a hell of a temper. Nobody knows how he put himself through college and medical school." He was raised in an orphanage on the lower East Side of Gotham, not far from the infamous "Crime Alley", in the heart of a part of Gotham known as "Hell's Crucible". Strange became professor of Psychiatry at Gotham State University, but had his tenure suspended due to his increasingly bizarre theories in genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
. At some point, he is approached by an Indian man named Sanjay, who seeks Strange's aid in curing his sick brother. Strange agrees to help, and Sanjay works loyally by his side from that point onward. Borrowing money from gangster Sal Maroni
Sal Maroni
Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as one of Batman's first enemies, and among the toughest gangsters in Gotham City...
, who is in the employ of Gotham's criminal kingpin Carmine Falcone
Carmine Falcone
Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is a fictional character in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe, who made his debut in the four part story Batman: Year One written by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli in 1987.- Publication history :...
, Strange sets up a lab. He then bribes a corrupt orderly to give him incurably insane inmates from Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
- who have been institutionalized so long that they will not be missed.
Strange's experiments have literally monstrous results, with his test subjects turning into gigantic, mindless "Monster Men", possessing superhuman strength and cannibalistic instincts. Strange uses these Monster Men to raise the money he needs to pay back his Mafia connections. Batman becomes involved after discovering some of the gruesome remains of the Monster's Men's cannibalistic rampages. When Strange sets his creations free at an illegal poker game, helping himself to the victims' money after the slaughter, his Mafia connections begin to grow suspicious. Batman tracks Strange down, but is captured by Sanjay and thrown to the Monster Men as an intended meal. Batman not only holds off the creatures, but uses them in part of an inventive escape. Strange is enthralled by Batman, believing that he has found a genetically perfect man. He creates one final Monster Man using a drop of Batman's blood, and while his creation still has many of the flaws of its "brothers", it lacks most of the grotesque disfigurements that had plagued Strange's earlier work. However, Strange is forced to destroy his lab in order to evade capture. Soon after, he turns the Monster Men loose, including Sanjay's brother (who had been mutated in a failed attempt to cure him), at Falcone's estate, where Strange's Mafia connections are staying. Strange wants a fresh start, and realizes that the Mafia is still a link to his experiments. In the battle that follows, all of the Monster Men are killed, along with Sanjay (who was attempting to avenge his brother). Strange escapes amid the chaos, and succeeds in eradicating all links between himself and his experiments. Confident that he can not be linked to them, he begins to appear on TV as a psychological expert on the Batman.
It is possible that the events of Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
and Paul Gulacy's
Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, with writer Don McGregor.-Early life and career:Paul Gulacy began...
"Prey" story arc take place at this point. Partly due to Hugo Strange's appearance on TV as a psychological expert, Captain Gordon is ordered to put together a Task Force to capture Batman, with Strange working as a consultant to try to discover Batman's identity. As the investigation continues, however, Strange grows increasingly monomaniacal in his obsession with Batman. His greatest desire is to become Batman. To that end, he has attempts to kill the Caped Crusader, and then take his place. Strange eventually concludes that Bruce Wayne is most likely Batman, brainwashes the head of the police Task Force into becoming a lethal vigilante to turn public sentiment against Batman, and kidnaps the mayor's daughter. He is ultimately caught, shot twice and dumped into a river; it was then assumed he had died.
However, in Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
's "Terror" storyline, Strange mysteriously comes back. He decides to work with another of Batman's enemies, the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, and use him as a tool to help him capture Batman. Scarecrow turns on Strange, however, impaling him on a weather vane and throwing him in the cellar of his own mansion. The Scarecrow then uses Strange's mansion as a trap for Batman. Batman catches Scarecrow, but loses sight of Strange.
Both "Prey" and "Terror" are set during Batman's early years. In the modern timeline, he returns in a four-part arc that ran through Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights
The Gotham Knights Rugby Football Club is a division III men's club in the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union. Their home pitch is on Randall's Island, between the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx...
#8-11. He is posing as a psychiatrist doing standard stress evaluations at Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...
. While Bruce Wayne is on the couch, Strange drugs him with a powerful hallucinogen
Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants
This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. These classes of psychoactive drugs have in common that they can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness...
in order to coax Wayne into admitting that he is Batman. Batman escapes and triggers a post-hypnotic
Hypnotic
Hypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia...
suggestion in himself, forcing him to completely repress the Batman aspect of his mind until Robin and Nightwing
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
can thwart Strange. Believing that his theory that Bruce Wayne is Batman has been disproved, and that he may have actually killed Batman, Strange had a mental breakdown and is taken to Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
.
Recent adventures
Following that, Strange reappears as the head of a gang of super-criminals attempting to take control of Gotham's East Side, then controlled by CatwomanCatwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
. Catwoman joins Strange's gang, then allows its members to "find out" that she intends to betray them, faking her death when they attempt to eliminate her. Although she defeats and imprisons most of the gang, and even convinces Strange to leave the East Side alone, Strange still mocks her by pointing out that he had faked his own death far more often than she had.
In Batman #665, Batman tells Tim Drake that a huge man dressed like a combination of Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
and Batman had beaten him up, and he suspects the imposter had used "Hugo Strange's Monster Serum and Daily Venom shots" to gain his size and strength.
Later, he is part of the series Gotham Underground
Gotham Underground
Gotham Underground is a nine-issue limited series from DC Comics, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Jim Califiore.The series looked at the repercussions of Countdown to Final Crisis and focuses on the Batman Family banding together to prevent a gang war to find out who will occupy the territory...
, associating with other Gotham villains such as the Mad Hatter, Doctor Death
Doctor Death (comics)
Doctor Death is a fictional character, a comic book mad scientist and supervillain appearing in publications by DC Comics. The character was created by either Gardner Fox or Bob Kane as an enemy of the superhero Batman, and first appeared in Detective Comics #29, released July 1939...
, and Two Face. Strange and the others are rounded up by the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
.
Strange takes part in the limited series Salvation Run
Salvation Run
Salvation Run is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie in to the company's major event series Final Crisis in 2008.-Premise:The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by George R. R...
. He is amongst the villains imprisoned on another planet.
Television
- Hugo Strange is introduced in the Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
episode "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" (a remake of the auction that took place in the Strange Apparitions story arc with some minor differences) voiced by Ray BuktenicaRay BuktenicaRay Buktenica is an American film and television character actor. He has played numerous roles, primarily on television since 1972. He is best known for playing the character Benny, the boyfriend and later fiance of Brenda on the hit-1970s sitcom Rhoda and Jerry Berkson, Patti Lupone's boss on...
. Hugo Strange is a psychiatrist running a rest hospital that he uses to blackmail Gotham's elite with secrets he finds out with a machine that reads minds. Bruce Wayne goes to the hospital and undergoes the "treatment," which allows Strange to discover his secret identity. He auctionAuctionAn auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
s off this information to a trio of Gotham's top crime bosses: the Joker, Two-FaceTwo-FaceTwo-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
, and the PenguinPenguin (comics)Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
. Two-Face had personally known Bruce Wayne ever since childhood, and later accuses Strange of fraud when Batman switches the tape with one he had created that portrayed Strange as fabricating the secret identity. Strange tries to save his skin by simply telling the villains that Bruce Wayne is Batman, but they simply scoffed at the idea, thinking he was lying. Two-Face comments that if Bruce Wayne was Batman, he was the King of England. The trio then tries to kill him by throwing him out of an airplane. Batman saves him at the last minute however, and had Robin show up at the crime scene disguised as Bruce Wayne to discredit Strange's claims of knowing the Dark Knight's secret identity. Hugo Strange is then taken into police custody. Strange had no later appearance on the show.
- In Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, Strange returns as a member of Project CadmusProject CadmusProject Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
. His appearance is brief however: seated at the Cadmus table in "The Doomsday Sanction" with no lines. Producer/writer Dwayne McDuffieDwayne McDuffieDwayne Glenn McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television, known for creating the animated television series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the pioneering minority-owned-and-operated comic-book company Milestone...
confirmed that Strange's appearance was intended to set up a later use of the character, presumably in "Question Authority", where a tortureTortureTorture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
scene serves to have Cadmus need to pull information from the Question'sQuestion (comics)The Question is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by DC Comics. The original was created by writer-artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Blue Beetle #1...
mind. However, due to the production of The BatmanThe Batman (TV series)The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
and the inclusion of Hugo Strange on that series, Warner Brothers withheld most Batman characters from the later episodes of "Justice League Unlimited." With Strange unavailable, he was replaced in Cadmus by Dr. Moon. It is possible that it is he who provides Amanda WallerAmanda WallerDr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
with Batman's real identity.
- Hugo Strange appears in The BatmanThe Batman (TV series)The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
, voiced by the late Frank GorshinFrank GorshinFrank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
(who played the Riddler in the 1960s BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
TV show) and later by Richard GreenRichard Green (actor)Richard Green is an American actor/director/musician with an international career in voice over and film. He had a prominent role as the Magician, in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and produced I Don't Know Jack, about the life and mysterious death of Eraserhead star Jack Nance...
. In this series, Strange - the Chief psychologist at Arkham Asylum - appears briefly in the episode "Meltdown", and as the primary villain in "Strange Minds". He is portrayed as being far more fascinated with the deranged criminals at Arkham and how their minds work than actually finding a cure for their madness, on more than one occasion provoking them to cause more mayhem. In this interpretation, he is a master chemistChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and programmer, and skilled at roboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
. In "Fistful of Felt", Strange cures the VentriloquistVentriloquist (comics)The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
of his multiple personality disorder, only to turn him again into a criminal. Despite his insistence that it was test to see if he's truly cured, Batman tells him he'll be watching him. In the episode "Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind", he does in fact design a robotic villain called D.A.V.E. to hunt down Batman. He pulls a gun out at Batman, thus sealing his reputation as a villain. He's currently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, having been ironically dubbed insane by his former colleagues. In "Strange New World", Hugo Strange (from his cell in Arkham) infects Batman and Robin with a toxin claiming it to be an antidoteAntidoteAn antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek αντιδιδοναι antididonai, "given against"....
. Under the drug's influence, the Dynamic Duo hallucinate that they are being pursued by zombieZombieZombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s. Strange claims that he has distributed a chemical throughout town, making everyone into zombies that obey his every command. This is later revealed to be a lie, concocted in order to trick Batman into spreading the real chemical. Robin is cured about halfway through the episode. Batman realizes the truth at the last moment, and allows BatgirlBatgirlBatgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
to cure him. Even later in the same season, Strange appears as one of the many supervillains held hostage by the vigilante Rumor. As Rumor moves to the machine he would use to execute all criminals at once, Strange asks him about his motivation. Rumor replies that he wants to kill them all in retaliation for an attack by the Joker that crippled his boss. Strange laughs, and tells him that the scheme is in fact motivated by his guilt over his failure to protect his boss rather than any sense of altruism or desire to protect Gotham from the captured villains. Strange later appears in the series finale "Lost Heroes", working with The Joining, helping them to capture the Justice LeagueJustice LeagueThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and extract their powers, in return for ultimate knowledge of the universe. When Strange's work was complete, The Joining kept their promise, but the massive amount of information (delivered directly into his brain) overloaded his cerebral cortex, leaving him catatonic. Being that this is the final episode, it is unknown whether he will ever be cured if it is even possible.
- Hugo Strange makes a cameo in Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "The Knights of Tomorrow." He is briefly seen being defeated by BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and CatwomanCatwomanCatwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
in a flashback with a montage of Batman's villains.
- Hugo Strange appears in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
episode "Terrors" voiced by Adrian PasdarAdrian PasdarAdrian Kayvan Pasdar is an American actor, voice artist, and film director. He is known for playing Jim Profit on the TV series Profit, for his roles in Near Dark, Carlito's Way, Mysterious Ways and as Nathan Petrelli on Heroes. Additionally, he directed the feature film Cement...
. In this version, Hugo Strange is the psychiatrist of Belle ReveBelle ReveBelle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
working under Warden Amanda WallerAmanda WallerDr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
. During IcicleIcicle (comics)Icicle is the name of two fictional DC Comics supervillains.-Dr. Joar Mahkent:When noted European physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent arrived in America with his latest scientific discovery, spectators at dockside were astonished to witness the luxury liner upon which Mahkent was traveling suddenly frozen...
Sr.'s breakout attempt, Strange and Waller are trapped in a cell by the escaped inmates. After the breakout is thwarted by SuperboySuperboy (Kon-El)Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
and Miss MartianMiss MartianMiss Martian is a superhero in the . Miss Martian was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel and first appeared in Teen Titans #37 . Miss Martian is named "Megan Morse" after Marvel Comics associate editor Ben Morse's wife, Megan...
, all of the prisoners (save for the RiddlerRiddlerThe Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
) are rounded up and returned to their cells. Hugo Strange ends up becoming the new warden of the prison, and in the closing moments of the episode it is revealed that he had been working with Icicle the entire time as part of a plot to take control of the prison on behalf of the Light (Project CadmusProject CadmusProject Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
' Board of Directors). In "Humanity," Hugo Strange was seen viewing a surveillance of the team interrogating Professor IvoProfessor IvoProfessor Anthony Ivo is a fictional character, a mad scientist in the DC universe and is the creator of the androids Amazo, Kid Amazo, Tomorrow Woman and Composite Superman in his retconned origin.-Fictional character biography:...
on where T.O. MorrowT. O. MorrowT.O. Morrow is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. The original T. O. Morrow debuted in The Flash vol. 1 #143 and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino. The modern T. O. Morrow first appeared in The Flash vol...
's hideout is.
Video games
- Hugo Strange is a featured villain and playable character in the minigame "Villain Hunt" on the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of Lego Batman: The Video GameLego Batman: The Video GameLego Batman: The Videogame is a action-adventure video game, created for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Mac OS X and Wii. The game is based on the comic book character Batman and the Lego Batman toy line...
. - While Hugo Strange does not appear in Batman: Arkham AsylumBatman: Arkham AsylumBatman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, as a major part of the Batman Universe, he is referenced once. A high-security storage area for the asylum's most sensitive archives can be accessed towards the end of the game, where several old records on file about the character are visible. Scanning this paperwork will unlock a special biography and patient report focusing on Strange's criminal career.
- Hugo Strange appears as the main antagonist in Batman: Arkham City voiced by Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
. According to RocksteadyRocksteady studiosRocksteady Studios is a British video game developer based in Kentish Town in London. The studio's titles include Urban Chaos: Riot Response, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.-History:...
, this will be the first time Batman has faced Strange in this continuity. Hugo Strange surfaces as a mysterious psychiatrist with a shady past involving unethical experiments on his former patients. He has also deduced Batman's secret identity, having analyzed him from afar. Strange is eventually placed in charge of running Mayor Quincy Sharp's "Arkham City" project, a sprawling, open-air, prison district where incarcerated inmates are not kept in cells but allowed to wreak havoc on the streets. The only rule enforced in Arkham City is that detainees held there may not attempt escape to the outside world, a law ruthlessly upheld by highly-trained mercenaries working for a rogue private military companyPrivate military companyA private military company or provides military and security services. These combatants are commonly known as mercenaries, though modern-day PMCs refer to their staff as security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and refer to themselves as private military...
, Tyger Security. Strange is very secretive about his work in Arkham, and rumors soon build up that he is up to something horrible behind those isolated walls. Consequently, Hugo has demonstrated a willingness to kidnap anyone attempting to find out the truth, such as reporter Jack RyderCreeper (comics)The Creeper is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Showcase #73 .-Publication history:...
. Subsequent publicity information reveals that he has been manipulating the unstable Mayor Sharp from the beginning to set up Arkham City as part of his own plans for Gotham and Batman. This manipulation has allowed Strange to dominate local politics through Sharp, while he simultaneously forges a place in the criminal underworld through a series of careful alliances with Arkham's most powerful denizens. It is eventually revealed that he is also working with Ra's al GhulRa's al GhulRa's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
, sharing a vision for "Protocol 10": A chilling attempt to wipe out the entire inmate population of Arkham and accordingly, 'saving' Gotham from its criminal element. Despite opposition from Tyger troops, Batman is eventually able to breach Strange's headquarters during the game's storyline. Protocol 10 is deactivated, while Ra's attempts to execute Hugo for his failures. Seemingly on the verge of death, Strange activates a self-destruct sequence for his command tower; the character is presumed deceased after the ensuing explosion.
Toys
- DC DirectDC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
is producing a Batman action figureAction figureAn action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
with an interchangeable Hugo Strange head.
Miscellaneous
- The Animated Series version of Hugo is featured in Issues 34 through 36 of The Batman AdventuresThe Batman AdventuresThe Batman Adventures was a DC Comics comic book series featuring Batman. It is different from other Batman titles in that it is set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series as opposed to the regular DC Universe.-Overview:...
(the last issues), in which it was shown that Rupert ThorneRupert ThorneRupert Thorne is a fictional character, a crime boss and enemy of Batman in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Englehart and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #469.-Fictional character biography:...
had attempted to bribe Strange into rebuilding his blackmail machine for him, and when Hugo refused, Thorne had Hugo's son Daniel killed on New Year's Eve. Hugo was traumatized to the point of conducting memory experiments involving diamonds to remove his memory of the murder, and afterwards he continued removing more memories which caused him to slowly go insane. After remembering his son's murder, that is the only thing he can remember and he proceeds to see everyone around him as either his son, Thorne or the gunman that killed him, and makes his way to Thorne's office in his mentally fragile state. Strange beat the gunman to death and was in turn nearly shot by Thorne's men before Batman intervened. - Hugo Strange from The Batman is also featured in the spin-off comic book series. After his arrest and incarceration in Arkham after the D.A.V.E. fiasco, he convinces a mentally-ill Clayface to release him and promises to cure him. Hugo later orders him to steal components from Wayne Enterprises, causing a confrontation with Batman. Hugo later reveals that he did not plan to cure Clayface, but to mentally control him, and turns him into a giant monster. After Clayface is defeated, he tries to kill Hugo, but is stopped by Batman.
- Hugo Strange is featured in issue 10 of the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
comic series. He turns Batman into a giant monster, causing Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
and Atom to find a way to stop the Monster-Batman from destroying Gotham City, find a way to return him to normal, and defeat Hugo Strange.