(Detective Comics I #471) - Professor Hugo Strange survived his encounter with Batman, but didn’t want a rematch, so he’d spent a number of years in Europe. He was successful overseas, but eventually he craved a challenge and decided to return to Gotham, seeking worthy sport in a confrontation with Batman. He created the identity of Dr. Todhunter and opened the Graytowers clinic, which catered to Gotham City’s rich and famous, and was known for being very discreet. He imprisoned his wealthy clients, and turned them into Monster Men. He kept a few of them as Monster Men to patrol Graytowers rooftop, and Forced the rest to obey his whims in exchange for receiving a temporary antidote. Each of his patients was ordered to bring one new wealthy Gothamite to his clinic. His client Jerry Robinson recommended Graytowers to Bruce Wayne. Bruce had suffered radiation burns while fighting Dr. Phosphorus as Batman, and sought treatment with Dr. Todhunter. Todhunter had his nurse Magda took Bruce to one of their private rooms. Magda wore perfume that drugged Bruce, and he passed out suffering a hallucinogenic nightmare about his parents’ murder. He woke up to find himself locked in his room, and when an orderly responded to his cries he refused to believe he was Bruce Wayne, and said he wasn’t in a clinic, he was in an insane asylum. Bruce’s girlfriend Silver St. Clair went to surprise Bruce at Graytowers, but was told he couldn’t take visitors. Bruce opened the secret compartment in his briefcase and changed into Batman, using acid vials from his utility belt to remove the bars on his cell’s window. He confronted Todhunter, who revealed himself as Professor Hugo Strange. Batman floored Strange with a punch, and Strange laughed and began ranting, saying evil was an end in and of itself for him, and no man was safe while he was alive. A green mamba hidden in Strange’s office bit Batman, rendering him comatose. When Strange revived him Batman was horrified to realize Strange had removed his mask and knew he was Bruce Wayne.

(Detective Comics I #472) - Strange and his Monster Men abducted Alfred from the Wayne Foundation, and kept him in the same cell as Bruce. Magda kept Bruce sedated while Strange took up the identities of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, excited at the thrill of occupying his life. He planned on raiding Wayne Industries and selling Batman’s secret identity. “Bruce” sold off millions in stocks, causing a stock market panic, but no one dared question him, especially since Strange had a number of Bruce’s financier’s under his sway after their time in Graytowers. Silver St. Cloud visited “Bruce” saying his recent business moves made him look erratic, and asking why he hadn’t called her lately. “Bruce” said he was breaking up with her, so she slapped him and stormed out of his office. She had a suspicion something happened to Bruce in Graytowers, and visited the clinic, but Magda slammed the door on her and alerted Strange that she was raising suspicions and needed to be taken care of. Silver heard Bruce talk extensively about his ward Dick Grayson, and called him up at Hudson University, telling him her suspicions that something was wrong with Bruce. Dick knew she was right, but had to blow her off to safeguard his secret identity as Robin. He changed into Robin and rode his motorcycle to Gotham to investigate Graytowers, while Magda sicced Hugo Strange’s Monster Men on Silver. Strange arranged an auction for Batman’s secret identity, with a $10,000 buy-in. Joker, Penguin and Boss Thorne responded, and Strange planned to hold the auction the next night. Strange intended to kill Bruce Wayne before the auction, knowing that keeping him alive was too dangerous to his plans. Boss Thorne’s men shot the Monster Men that were escorting Strange with tranquilizer darts, and brought him to city hall, demanding to know Batman’s identity and saying he didn’t intend on paying for it. Robin broke into Graytowers and fought off the Monster Men. Magda tried to inject Bruce with Monster Man serum and Alfred protected his master. During the struggle Magda injected herself, transforming into a Monster Man. Robin incapacitated her and swore revenge on Strange for what he’d done to Bruce. Thorne’s men savagely beat Strange, but he’d made up his mind not to reveal Batman’s secret. He said he’d earned that knowledge and would never give it away because Batman was the one man he saw as a worthy foe. Strange said Thorne would have to defeat Batman himself, as he had, to learn his identity. Thorne did not understand Strange’s loyalty to his nemesis, and his men beat strange until he was seemingly dead.

Comments: Created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger.

The Monster Men had a cameo in Batman I #682.

The Monster Men's appearance in Detective Comics I #471, 472 was reprinted in Shadow of the Batman #2.

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