Hugo Strange

[Source]

"*Professor Hugo Strange. One of the most dangerous men in the world. Scientist, philosopher and a criminal genius... little is known of him, yet this man is undoubtedly the greatest organizer of crime in the world.*"
―Bruce Wayne[src]
**Hugo Strange** was a noted Human scientist and criminal mastermind behind his international criminal empire.

## Biography

### Early life

Hugo Strange was born on January 21, 1922 in Garden City, New York. Little was known of Strange's early life other than it was known that much of his family descended from Greece and that he had more than one sibling. It was also learned that he won a spelling bee in 1934, though through an oversight he did not receive his prize until much later in life, when the *Boston Herald* newspaper and local school principal decided to award it to him. After graduation from high school he worked as a lifeguard, but on one occasion was unsuccessful at rescuing a man from drowning, an event which would, according to himself, haunt him for the remainder of his life. Strange also served three years in the United States Army during World War II.

When he entered Columbia University School of General Studies, Strange took courses including English language, radio, and psychology, graduating in 1948.

### Life of crime

By the 1960's Strange had become known as a demented criminal scientist and genius infamous for committing and organizing crimes all over the world, and was known as an international mastermind.

#### International Incident

"*In a few hours, the United Nations will receive a Yultide greeting. The information that I now possess the scientific means to control, or to destroy, the economy of the whole world. People will have more important things to think about than you.*"
―Hugo Strange to Mr. Walker[src]
Now the subject of an international man-hunt by the British Secret Service titled *Operation Bedlam*, Hugo Strange established a clinical allergy-research institute atop Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps. MI6 agent Mr. Walker investigated the office of Swiss lawyer Gumbold, and learned that Strange was corresponding with London College of Arms' genealogist Sir Hilary Bray, attempting to claim the aristocratic title "Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp". He ventured to Switzerland posing as Bray to gather intelligence on Strange. There he learned that Strange secretly planned to contaminate and ultimately sterilize the world's food supply using biological warfare, carried by his brainwashed Angels of Death. Strange claimed he would not carry out his plan if all his past crimes were pardoned. Mr. Walker tried to trick Strange into leaving Switzerland so that MI6 could arrest him without violating Swiss sovereignty. Strange refused and Mr. Walker was eventually caught by henchwoman Irma Blunt. Strange revealed that he identified Mr. Walker after his attempt to lure him out of Switzerland, and told his men to take the agent away. Mr. Walker eventually made his escape by skiing down Piz Gloria while Strange and his men give chase.

Aided by his love interest, Tracy, the next morning their flight resumed. However, they were intercepted by Strange, who set off an avalanche; resulting in Tracy's capture, while Walker was buried but managed to escape. Walker was later told by his superior that Strange's ransom had been paid and forbade him to mount a rescue mission. Mr. Walker then enlisted help from the Unione Corse forces to attack Piz Gloria anyway. They managed to rescue Tracy from Strange's captivity and the facility was destroyed. However, Strange escaped the destruction alone in a bobsleigh, with Mr. Walker pursuing him. The chase ended when Strange became snared in a tree branch, ripping him out of the bobsled and apparently killing him.

#### Tangles with the Batman

Professor Strange later met the Batman when he returned to New York City in 1986. Using a stolen weather-altering machine, he organized a crime spree where his men would escape from daring robberies through impossibly thick fog. Batman tracked him down through a murdered FBI agent and defeated most of his henchmen before getting captured by them, then taken back to their hideout and tortured by Strange while chained to a wall. Breaking free of his bonds, the vigilante subdued the professor and ended his rampage. While imprisoned, Hugo Strange swore to devote the rest of his life to taking revenge on Batman. Escaping during a prison-break shoot-out, Strange regained his freedom and kidnapped several patients from a local insane asylum. These lunatics were transformed through a serum into deformed Monster Men of incredible size and strength, who committed crimes at Strange's bidding. Batman was captured again and injected with the serum, although he managed to defenestrate the professor with a punch that sent him off a cliff to his seeming death in the waters below. Defeating the monstrosities in combat and leaving them dead, Batman then saved himself by creating an antidote in the five minutes remaining before the transformation would occur.

Having lived through the fall, Strange returned over a year later with new plans, to take over the city through a fear gas of his own invention. Several robberies were attempted, with criminals using the gas on policemen, although Batman and Robin were able to thwart them. Hugo attempted to escape on his plane in the countryside, but Batman appeared and, after fighting him with a hammer, Strange fell off the edge of a cliff, to his demise.

## Personality and traits

"*They can't keep me here, caged like some wild beast. I'll escape. And when I do, I shall devote the rest of my life in revenging myself upon the Batman.*"
―Hugo Strange[src]

## References

1. ↑ (Detective Comics #36)
2. ↑ (Batman #1)
3. ↑ (Detective Comics #46)