Bring on the Bad Guys: Professor Hugo Strange

Real name: Hugo Strange
A.K.A.: Dr. Victor Absonus
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#36(February1940)
Abilities: Mad scientist
Weapons: Fear powder, Monster Men, etc.
Quotes: "You cowardly fool!"
Worst Act: See the aforementioned fear powder and Monster Men
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils/inks)


Now here we have the first of the Golden Age foes to make a comeback. Hugo Strange was the star of a trilogy of stories, each of them featuring the good doctor unleashing a mad threat upon the citizens of Gotham (fog, Monster Men, and fear powder; the last one a bit before the Scarecrow too).

At the end of several stories Strange fell seemingly to his death, but he always returned until the last one (#46).

That would be it for the doctor until he was brought back in the 1970's. Surviving his fall, he still practices mad science until he discovers Batman's secret identity. He tries to auction it off, but corrupt politician Rupert Thorne tries to beat it out of him. Strange seemingly dies, but then his ghost begins to haunt Thorne...or does he?

The Earth-2 line had a slightly different take, explaining that Strange was left hopelessly mangled from his fall in #46 and now wants revenge on Batman and everything he holds dear.

From there Strange's biggest storyline would be the Post-Crisis Doug Moench penned yarn "Prey" which featured a slightly different take. Instead of a traditional mad scientist, Moench made Strange a mad psychiatrist with a fixation on Batman. Like in the 1970's stories Strange figures out Bruce Wayne's secret, although subsequent stories would go back to the well, with Strange figuring out the secret and Batman tricking him at the last minute, sometimes with Strange apparently dying.

He's made his comeback in the new 52 and DC Rebirth, so it doesn't appear that he's going anyway anytime soon, at least until he gets near the edge of any tall structures.