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“
Shut it down? By the end of tonight, I will be a hero, just like you... BATMAN!
„
~ Hugo Strange's most famous quote.
“
How does it feel, Wayne, to stand on the very stone that ran with your parents' blood? Do you feel sad? Full of rage? Or does that outfit help bury your feelings? Hiding your true self. You're truly an extraordinary specimen. I look forward to breaking you.
„
~ Professor Strange to Batman.
“
I have powerful friends, Batman. This is just the beginning. You cannot stop me, soon I will command forces beyond your comprehension. I have achieved what the great Batman could never do. Gotham will forever thank Hugo... Strange?
„
~ Hugo Strange before being stabbed by Ra's al Ghul.
Professor Hugo Strange is one of the two main antagonists (alongside Joker) of the 2011 superhero videogame Batman: Arkham City, the second installment in the Arkhamverse.
He is a former psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison who experimented on his patients, before becoming the warden of the supermax prison Arkham City, supposedly with the intent of "saving" Gotham. It is later revealed that Strange is actually a secret servant of the eco-terrorist supervillain, Ra's Al Ghul and that his real intention was to create a legacy superior to that of Batman himself. As such, Strange plotted to prove himself as Ra's worthy successor by eradicating all criminal life in Gotham City, and then the entire world, in unjustifiable ways.
Several years ago, using his skill of psychology, Hugo Strange figured out Batman's secret identity and, after a failed attempt to sell it to the highest bidder, contacted the League of Assassins and their leader, Ra's al Ghul, who decided to test Strange to see if he was worthy to become his successor. Being supplied with near unlimited resources from the League, Strange began his plan to wipe out all criminals in Gotham to prove his worth, studying and spying on inmates at Arkham Asylum.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Although Hugo Strange does not appear in the game, he is later revealed to be active and manipulating the Mad Hatter at the time. Because he has been trapped underground away from inmates since he disgusts Warden Quincy Sharp, he becomes friends with Strange who uses his psychological skills on him. After getting this information, he experiments on many inmates to perfect the mind control but this just renders them insane to the point of ferality. To hide his crimes, Strange judges them beyond saving and has the Lunatic Inmates imprisoned in the most secure wing of the Penitentiary.
Pre-Arkham City
Sometime after the takeover of the Asylum, Hugo Strange makes a deal with Sharp that he will help with his political campaign if Sharp can cordon off a part of the city for his plans in return and not question about it. Strange uses the League of Assassins' resources to make certain that Sharp becomes Mayor of Gotham City, allowing him to enact his plans with ease. After Sharp became the new Mayor of Gotham City, he cuts off a part of the city for the inmates to roam around and appoints Strange to take care and keep an eye on the city. In the meantime, Strange uses the mind control that he learned from the Hatter to brainwash many thugs and criminals to form a paramilitary organisation known as TYGER to act as his personal army.
As a result of the TITAN Riot, Arkham Asylum is destroyed so Sharp has all inmates of Arkham and Blackgate Prison transferred into the prison. Inside the prison, they are left to kill each other since TYGER is only there to make sure that they can't leave but otherwise don't care what the gangs do. While in charge of the city, Strange begins studying Batman who he knows is Ra's favourite for his successor. After Arkham City is completed, Strange arrests everyone that is working for him (the Political Prisoners) and everyone who holds any idea of his secrets, on false or flimsy charges to cover up the loose ends and leaves them to rot in the city, even arresting Sharp because he outlived his usefulness. Strange then begins manipulating the events in Arkham City, while also studying the inmates, holding meetings with Two-Face, Penguin, Joker and Mr. Freeze, supplying them (mostly Joker and Penguin who are the two major criminals in Arkham City) with weapons, as well as the Lunatic Inmates from Arkham Asylum to act as target practice.
After the cold villain outlives his usefulness, he betrays Mr. Freeze, giving his wife to the Joker and giving him to the Penguin for him to add to his trophy collection. He also forces Catwoman into complying by threatening to have his guards shoot her adopted daughter, Holly. He gives her the location of Two-Face's loot before telling Two-Face what she was up to. However, Strange met his match in the Joker, who blackmails him into kidnapping doctors for him. Strange hires Deadshot to start murdering several political prisoners so he himself would die during Protocol 10. Following Black Mask managing to escape, Strange sends the TYGER Guards into the streets of Gotham to hunt him down and drag him back while also ordering security to be increased, by having gun turrets placed around the walls.
Batman: Arkham City
Strange eventually has Bruce Wayne kidnapped and thrown into Arkham City before telling him he knew who he really is and trapping him in Arkham City. He also sends a squadron of guards to Wayne Manor so he can cement his victory but they are defeated by Nightwing and Robin. Strange keeps on mentioning to his security force that Protocol 10 will start in ten hours which it turns out is meant to bomb Arkham City and kill all the inmates.
Although Batman manages to break into Wonder Tower, Strange is convinced he has won and proudly declares his victory over the speakers to Batman. Even so Batman succeeds in defeating all of his TYGER Guards, resists Strange's attempts to break him with psychology, and confronts him. Strange tries one last time to break his opponent, but Batman beats him up and manages to shut down Protocol Ten after only the first phase is complete. Strange begins to boast that this is only the beginning and soon he will control forces beyond comprehension, before he is literally backstabbed by Ra's Al Ghul because he has become a complete failure. Ra's dismisses Strange, telling him that all he has proven is that Batman was better than he. Dying and deciding to take both of them with him, Strange activates Protocol 11, which is to self-destruct Wonder Tower. Doing so, Wonder Tower explodes, killing Strange in the process, but Batman and Ra's manage to escape with their lives (but not long in Ra's case).
Legacy
As a result of Strange's death, TYGER quickly collapsed and the GCPD shortly thereafter stormed Arkham City and shut it down whilst arresting everyone. However, Hugo Strange's mass murder of prisoners during Protocol 10 violated thier constitutional rights and the GCPD were forced to release all of the prisoners. Furthermore, Sharp was arrested for his assistance in his plans and started to suffer hallucinations of him given how Strange implemented a killswitch inside his mind, driving Sharp to hang himself at his cell.
Quotes
Arkham City
“
I feel I should thank you. Capturing Bruce Wayne is so much easier than Batman. And now that we have you, Protocol Ten is ready to begin. It will be my legacy, a monument to your failure and if you try to stop me, I guarantee everyone will know your secret.
„
~ Hugo Strange's first words to Bruce Wayne.
“
How does it feel, Wayne? To stand on the very stones that ran with your parents' blood. Do you feel sad? Full of rage? Or does that outfit help bury your feelings. Hiding your true self. Oh, you are a truly extraordinary specimen. I look forward to breaking you.
„
~ Hugo Strange's audio tape left in Crime Alley.
“
Stop right there, Batman. We need to talk and I know you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if your actions caused this poor man to die. I have a question for you: before my arrival, this city was drowning under a tide of filth. Have you ever considered that this is all your fault? Your presence creates these animals. Like germs, they spread. You created the environment that allowed the germ to mutate, to become stronger. Look at the Joker. Would he even exist if not for you? It must be depressing. All your sacrifices and yet, you are the one to blame. Oh, this is beautiful. We have at long last defeated the great Batman! Soon, I will take my rightful place at my Master's side. We will rule over this world. So thank you, Batman, for all your help. Now...KILL HIM!
„
~ Hugo Strange's message to Batman during the latter's attempt to stop Protocol 10.
“
A pointless effort, Dark Knight. You cannot stop the inevitable. I will rain down fire and brimstone on these animals.
„
~ Hugo Strange after Batman defeated his men.
“
What do you think you are doing, Wayne? You cannot stop me, I have won. Within the hour, every single piece of criminal scum will burn, and then I will turn my attention to your allies. I will march to Wayne Manor, I will drag your faithful butler through the streets of Gotham and I will make him tell the world how you have failed. My Arkham City experiment is a success and you...you will kneel before me, begging for your life...
Batman Arkham City - Hugo Strange & Ra's al Ghul - Cutscene PS3
Trivia
Strange envelops all of the seven deadly sins:
Pride: He is, for all intents and purposes, a god-complexed megalomaniac. He smugly calls himself untouchable, always judges others for their faults but never himself, is genuinely shocked when Ra's kills him for being a failure, etc.
Envy: He greatly resents Batman for being a far better hero than he ever was or will be. Even the Riddler, who himself is also rather jealous of Batman, calls Strange out on it in the interview tapes.
Wrath: He kills hundreds of people, hoping to "rain fire and brimstone" down on all his foes.
Sloth: Despite his in-game profile listing him as "trained to physical perfection", Strange in actuality proves to be an utter weakling up close and gets easily beaten up by Batman when cornered. After spending the whole game sending others to his own dirty work, too.
Gluttony: In Knight's "Wonder Tower" story, Strange requested access to Ra's al Ghul's (highly addictive) Lazarus Pit, likely to make himself immortal.
Greed: He exploits the mental wellbeing of others, sends his own staff and others to die horrible deaths, all to further his research on the criminal mind for total self-gain.
Lust: For power, blood and attention. He takes great pleasure in going sadistic lengths just to feel superior and usurp Batman's legacy as Gotham's beloved savior, and in one of the "game over" scenes he says he's going to enjoy dissecting Catwoman's brain, possibly while she's still alive and conscious.
His attempt to sell Batman's secret identity to the highest bidder is likely a reference to how his DC Animated Universe counterpart tried to do that in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne". This may have been intentional as Paul Dini, one of that show's co-creators, wrote Batman: Arkham City.