Hugo Strange (Gotham)

"People are afraid of progress, Ms. Peabody, and yet somehow we keep progressing."

- Professor Strange Professor Hugo Strange is the main antagonist in the Wrath of the Villains arc of the second season in the TV series Gotham. He made his debut appearance in the 12th episode Mr. Freeze. This is the first live-action incarnation of the Batman villain Hugo Strange and he is portrayed by B. D. Wong, who also plays Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park film series.

Professor Strange is the Chief of Psychiatry at Arkham Asylum and is also running experimentation on people in the underground research facility Indian Hill for Wayne Enterprises. There, he searches for a way to reanimate deceased humans and is eventually successful when he resurrects Theo Galavan. After realising that reanimated humans need a new identity in order to successfully 'live', Strange transforms Galavan into the vengeful fighter Azrael. Using this breakthrough in his research, Strange plans to revive many more of the villains delivered to his lab.

It is also revealed he was the one who had hired an assassin to kill Thomas and Martha Wayne in order to cover up his experiments, which makes him the Bigger Bad and overall true main antagonist of the series.

Past
Hugo Strange was a friend of Thomas Wayne and the two were on the same cricket team.

When Thomas Wayne founded Pinewood Farms, intending it to be a facility to help people, he appointed his old friend Hugo Strange as its director. Strange uses the trust Thomas had in him to use the facility for inhuman experiments on people. During his time there, he experimented on Karen Jennings, a woman with a deformed arm. Although Karen was promised that the program would not only fix her arm, but make it better, the experiments turned Karen's arm into a even more deformed one, looking like a vulture's talons. When Thomas Wayne eventually found out what was happening at Pinewood Farms, he shut it down.

Ten years later, Thomas Wayne suspected that a facility similar to Pinewood was opened again. Wayne met with Karen, warning her. Strange eventually found out that Wayne was investigating the new facility. To make sure his involvement would not get public, he contacted The Lady, a broker for assassins, under the alias 'The Philosopher' and through her hired Matches Malone to kill Thomas Wayne. Malone killed Thomas and his wife Martha as well but spared their son Bruce.

Rise of the Villains
During the Rise of the Villains story arc, many dead or severely injured villains are delivered to Strange's lab. This includes Fish Mooney, Jerome Valeska, Theo Galavan, Barbara Kean and Bridgit Pike.

As Chief of Psychiatry at Arkham Asylum Strange has developed the habit of meeting every inhabitant personally. After Oswald Cobblepot has been sent to Arkham Asylum he is sent to Strange who is currently in a session with another inmate. After the session ends, Strange delicers the lunatic to the waiting Arkham personal, claiming that the inmate should remember to "See no evil, do no evil". The inmate is then returned to his cell and Strange meets with Cobblepot.

After the session with Strange, Cobblepot is returned to his cell. On the way there, he sees that the inmate Strange saw earlier has decided to follow Strange's advice by gouging out his own eyes.

After the session, Strange enters a secret elevator in the facility which brings him to the Indian Hill facility. There, he meets his assistant Miss Peabody, who tells him that Bridgit Pike is not reacting well to the experiments. She further shows him a newspaper article of Mr. Freeze. Reading the article, Strange is impressed that Fries succeded in cryogenic experiments, something Strange himself was not capable of.

Arkham Attacked
One of Fries' victims is delivered to Indian Hill and Strange tries to extract Fries' formula from the man's tissue. He is however unsuccessful. While exiting the room, Strange is told by Peabody that the GCPD wants to transfer Nora Fries to Arkham Medical Wing. After being told that Nora is terminally ill Strange deduces that Fries will come to Arkham to break her out. He then tells Peabody to prepare for Fries' arrival. When Gordon, Bullock and the SWAT bring in Nora, Strange welcomes them and introduces them to Peabody. On their way through the Asylum they witness Penguin, who has been affected by Miss Peabody's therapy. While the police sets up the Asylum's entrance for Fries' arrival, Strange watches security camera feed and sees an argument between Penguin and Gordon in which Penguin accuses Gordon of shooting Galavan. When Fries attacks the asylum Strange traps Bullock and the SWAT by locking certain doors to them, with only Gordon escaping. He then watches Fries venturing through the facility, at one point contacting him via loudspeaker. He introduces himself to Fries as a great admirer and offers him a way out of his situation. Knowing that Fries cannot escape with his wife, he tells Fries that the keys to a vehicle lie on a nearby chair. He then proposes a deal to Fries, allowing him to escape in exchange for one cartridge of his cryonic formula. Fries accepts and leaves one of his grenades which Strange sends Peabody to collect.

After Fries has escaped with Leslie Thomkins and Nora, Strange contacts Bullock and apologizes for the inconvenience, claiming that the cold froze the door's wires. He then opens the doors and allows the SWAT and Bullock to leave.

Creation of Mr. Freeze
After Nora's death, Fries tries to commit suicide with one of his cryogenic capsules. His body is found by Jim Gordon and brought to Arkham Asylum. Strange later calls Jim Gordon, telling him that they were not able to revive Victor. However, it is revealed that he in fact managed to save Fries. When Fries wakes up, he finds himself in a cooled down room. Through the cell's window he is contacted by Strange who tells him that he has been brought to Indian Hill and that, while Fries officially lies in the morgue of Arkham, Strange's team managed to save him by using his own formula. However, Strange also reveals that Fries' cellular structure was changed in the process and that he can only survive in temperatures below freezing. Strange assures Fries that they made some changes to his suit to allow him to walk freely. Before leaving, Strange tells Fries that they will starting on a new project the next day and that he should think of his "death" as a new beginning.

Releasing Oswald Cobblepot
In the next days, Strange turns his focus on Cobblepot. Under his instructions, Ms. Peabody uses a neural headset which uses the fear formula Gerald Crane made on Cobblepot, hoping that if they can cure a patient like Penguin, they can cure anyone.

As the "treatment" continues, Oswald is getting more and more docile. Strange plans to initiate the "ice cream experiment" where Cobblepot is the only one with ice cream on his food tray. Impulsive inmate Aaron Helzinger sits in front of Oswald and sees the icecream. Although Oswald is willing to give Aaron some, Helzinger violently grabs Oswald and starts beating him. Oswald remains docile, much to Strange's approval.To ultimately find out whether Cobblepot is cured or if he'll return to his murderous ways, Strange decides to put Oswald to one final test. He arranges for Oswald to be put back in the treatment room. Arriving, Oswald sees that he's not the only one there. He finds Aaron strapped to the treatment chair, blindfolded, and a table with a knife and water nearby. Oswald picks up the knife first, with Hugo and Ms. Peabody watching him through a hidden window. Oswald removes the blindfold from Aaron and instead of killing him for revenge, he uses the knife to cut his straps, passing Hugo's test.

Approving of the progress Oswald made, Strange invites Cobblepot into his office. He reveals that Oswald passed all mandated tests and by the laws of Gotham City is a free man. He then hands Oswald a document declaring him sane. While Cobblepot leaves Arkham Asylum, Peabody asks Strange whether he is sure about Cobblepot's rehabilitation. Strange tells her that he doesn't really think so and that Cobblepot's release is merely an experiment. When Peabody continues to ask, Strange reveals that he has deeper plans for Cobblepot that he can't share with Peabody for her own safety. Peabody coldly states that the plans can't be more secret than the laboratory in the basement and tells him that whatever he plans for Cobblepot be on his head.

Plans for Barbara
Eventually, Barbara Kean wakes from her coma. Realising this, a nurse runs off to alert Strange. After her awakening, she is brought into with other prisoners, supervised by Stange. Strange listens to Barbara confessing the murders of her parents and the attempted murder of Leslie and Jim. She claims that she doesn't feel insane but only sad and seems completely docile. After all prisoners are gone, Peabody approaches Stange. Although Peabody thinks that Barbara is only putting up an act, Strange is less convinced about it. Strange later convinces Barbara that she is sane and releases her into the city, another one of his pawns. Watching Keane drive off, Strange is told by Peabody that his reputation will suffer should he continue release lunatics from the asylum. Strange claims that he is not interested in his reputation and that while he does not know what Barbara will do, the results will surely be interesting.

Creating Azrael
"Bewitchment! False memories put into your head, I am your father and your lord. And he who has another birth, brought forth from the cold grass of death, shall rise again and serve my order. I say this and it becomes and I will give him the name of... (Theo: Azrael!) Yes!"

- Strange creates Azrael

While supervising experiments on an unconscious Victor Fries, Strange is told by Miss Peabody that someone at Wayne Enterprises is investigating Pinewood Farms. Watching the file on Karen Jennings, Strange chuckles and wonders if the ones who search for her know what Strange turned her into. To protect his secret, Strange sends two henchmen to Pinewood Farms but they are killed by Alfred Pennyworth and Karen. The police arrives and arrests both. Although Barnes lets Alfred go, Karen is brought to Blackgate Prison. To have Karen identify the "Philosopher" by showing her the files of all scientists who worked at Pinewoods, Gordon, Alfred and Bruce plan to break her out of Blackgate. When Strange is told by Peabody that Karen has been brought to Blackgate, he decides that Karen needs to be terminated. Peabody offers to send a team but Strange stops her, claiming that this would be the ideal way for Mr. Freeze to test his new suit.

Although Fries succesfully disposes of Karen, Bruce Wayne eventually finds out about the identity of the philosopher with help from Lucius Fox. After realising that Strange is the philosopher, Bruce is visibly upset that his parents were murdered by an old friend that they trusted.

Back at Arkham, Strange and Peabody are alarmed when a siren warns them about an incident at Indian Hill. Rushing to the elevator, the two witness their Patient 44 killing the scientists in the experiment chamber. Strange is overjoyed to have finally succeeded with his ambition of bringing deceased people back to life. Although Peabody plans to gas the subject, Strange stops her, fascinated with the strength and fighting skills displayed by Patient 44 who is revealed to be Theo Galavan. Peabody and Strange listen to Theo proclaiming religious phrases. They hear Galavan exclaiming the name 'Azrael', a name Strange seems to like.

Although Theo has returned from the dead, his psyche has suffered enormously. Strange and Peabody watch Theo in his cell, displaying paranoia as well as rage. Depite Theo's meltdown, Strange is fascinated with his new subject. Also, Strange recognizes that everything Theo babbles comes from the book 'The Will and Order of Saint Dumas'. He realises that Theo's brain is trying to create a new self after coming back from the dead but before he can react further he is informed that Jim Gordon is waiting in his office. Strange heads back up to Arkham, where Gordon asks for information on Pinewood Farms. Strange confirms that he had been working at the facility but claims to have merely been a simple researcher with no knowledge on experiments. Gordon answers that he finds that hard to believe and instead thinks that Strange was the one who led Pinewood Farms. Before he can continue, Strange interrupts him by asking why Gordon is here as the whole city has turned his back on him. As Gordon is no longer a police officer, Strange states that he is unable to demand answers. Once more, Strange asks why Gordon has come. Gordon tells him that he is working on behalf of a client and Strange correctly deduces that said client is Bruce Wayne. Strange then analyses Gordon's behavior and comes to the conclusion that Gordon is doing what he is doing not for a client but for himself. Uncomfortable with Strange's psychological evaluation, Gordon changes the subject and reveals that he saw Victor Fries despite Strange claiming that he died. Gordon reveals a envelope which he claims contains a court order to exhume Fries' body. Strange tells him that Fries was cremated. Gordon thanks Strange as he is now sure that Strange lied and is behind everything. Gordon leaves the office and Gordon opens the envelope and, much to his fury, finds the envelope empty. After Gordon has gone, Strange discusses with Peabody how they should handle the situation. They are overheard by Nygma who interrupts the discussion. Nygma immediately realises that the conversation about Gordon has something to do with the release of Cobbleopt and Barbara Kean. He offers Strange help in taking down Gordon but Strange refuses. Before Strange can walk of, Nygma reveals that he could be an asset as he can manipulate people, demonstrating it on various inmates including Helzinger. Listening to Nygma's explanations Strange eventually realises how he can solve his problem with Galavan. He storms off, leaving a baffled Nygma behind. Back at Indian Hill, an ecstatic Strange reveals to Peabody that all they need to do is give Galavan another identity. Much to the horror of Peabody, Strange enters Theo's cell and is immediately attacked by Galavan. Strange tells Galavan that he is his father and that demons took him to the lands of death. Theo is not convinced, remembering things of his past including that he has a sister and the face-off with Gordon at the tower. Strange tells him that these memories are false. By quoting the book of Dumas, Strange eventually convinces Theo who recognizes Strange as 'Lord Dumas', offering him his service.

Strange then brainwashes Theo into completely adepting the identity of Azrael. He then decides to test whether the procedure has been a success. He has Aaron Helzinger brought into Theo's cell and provides Theo with a case containing the 'Sword of Sin'. He tells Theo that Helzinger is a demon and that the case contains everything Theo needs to destroy him. Despite his expectations, Theo simply uses the case to knock out Helzinger. Satisfied enough with the outcome, Strange sends Azrael into Gotham to kill Gordon.

While Azrael is gone, Strange decides that he wants to create more new identities from books into his patients heads. While revealing this to Peabody, he quotes from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, implying that the next villain he creates might be the Mad Hatter. Strange starts to laugh, amusedly stating that the book will do nicely.

Season 2

 * "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: A Dead Man Feels No Cold"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: This Ball of Mud and Meanness"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Into the Woods"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Pinewood"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Azrael"

Trivia

 * Professor Strange was first mentioned in the mid-season finale episode "Rise of the Villains: Worse Than a Crime", before making his debut in "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze".
 * Wong said about Strange: "We know that he's interested in reanimation. Why he's interested in that or what he's going to do with that ability isn't really clear, even to me [...] It does mean, if he's ever successful in reanimating someone, that all bets are off for anyone that's ever died."
 * He could be considered the bigger bad of the show as he had Thomas and Martha Wayne killed, which kick started off the events of the show and the events that followed.