One of Batman’s oldest, most cunning villains had just been unceremoniously killed in a way the Dark Knight would never resort to…
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Batman’s famous “no killing” code (and general aversion to firearms) is the main reason he’s accumulated such a deep bench of villains over the last 90 years. When you refuse to kill your enemies, they tend to pile up. However, one of his oldest recurring foes just got taken off the board… in a hail of gunfire, no less.
Warning! Spoilers lie ahead for Batman #10 by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez, which hit shelves earlier this month… You have been warned, batfan.
In the latest issue of DC’s primary Batman comic, criminal mastermind Hugo Strange learned a hard lesson about betrayal. According to Bleeding Cool, Strange, first introduced way back in 1940’s Detective Comics #36, was gunned down by the ruthless Minotaur and his covert syndicate, Torus, as payback for betraying Tozuki-San (keep up, batnerd).
Strange declared war on Tozuki Petrochemicals, Torus’s chemical supplier, by setting his Monster Men on assassins he had hired from Tozuki-San. This backstabbing was seen as an attack on the whole organization, leading to Strange’s shocking, but not entirely undeserved, demise.
Hugo Strange Predates Batman Villains Like the Joker, Catwoman, and Two-Face…
What makes Strange’s death particularly noteworthy is that he was Batman’s oldest recurring villain. Typically portrayed as a brilliant but insane psychologist and scientist, Strange uses his expertise in hypnosis, chemistry, and genetic engineering in his schemes. But it seems even he couldn’t out-think a hail of bullets. Perhaps it’s a fitting end that such an old villain dies in a way Batman would never utilize: with guns.
Plus, Hugo is pretty popular! Fans have recently been fancasting Dave Bautista for the role in the DCU movies…
What do you think about Dave Bautista as Hugo Strange? pic.twitter.com/hV45F7r8WV
— Creepy.org (@creepydotorg) September 15, 2024
Of course, sentimental fans bummed by Hugo’s death shouldn’t fret too much.
Yes, we saw Hugo get riddled with bullets, seemingly terrified as he ran for his life. Still, this is the world of comics, where death is more of a temporary inconvenience. Hell, even Jason Todd, the second Robin, infamously beaten to a pulp (with a crowbar!) by the Joker, “got better.” He returned as the fan-favorite Red Hood many years after meeting his end. We’ve also seen villains like the Joker “die” countless times, only to be retconned back into the Caped Crusader’s adventures.
So, even if Fraction and Jimenez decide to leave Hugo dead and buried, another creative team is all put sure to resurrect him.
Regardless, Hugo’s death can be seen in all of its glory in Batman #10, on comic shop shelves everywhere.