▁fellow ▁city ▁council ors ▁to ▁declare ▁Bat man ▁an ▁out law . ▁He ▁attempts ▁to ▁gain ▁complete ▁control ▁of ▁Goth am ▁City ▁by ▁becoming ▁Mayor . ▁ ▁Thor ne ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁crim inals ▁( the ▁other ▁two ▁are ▁the ▁P engu in ▁and ▁the ▁J oker ) ▁who ▁make ▁a ▁bid ▁at ▁a ▁secret ▁au ction ▁for ▁Bat man ' s ▁identity ▁held ▁by ▁Professor ▁Hugo ▁Str ange . ▁He ▁capt ures ▁and ▁tort ures ▁Str ange ▁to ▁make ▁him ▁div ul ge ▁it . ▁Str ange ▁res ists , ▁however , ▁and ▁apparently ▁dies ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁Even ▁though ▁he ▁has ▁the ▁body ▁dis posed ▁of , ▁Thor ne ▁is ▁ha unted ▁by ▁strange ▁vis ions ▁and ▁sounds ▁of ▁Str ange . ▁ ▁After ▁failing ▁in ▁his ▁campaign ▁against ▁Bat man ▁and ▁sp ending ▁some ▁time ▁in ▁hiding , ▁he ▁secret ly ▁returns ▁to ▁Goth am . ▁He ▁gets ▁the ▁cor rupt ▁Hamilton ▁Hill ▁elected ▁as ▁mayor , ▁and ▁then ▁has ▁his ▁pu ppet ▁fire ▁Police ▁Commission er ▁James ▁Gordon ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Peter ▁Paul ing , ▁who ▁is ▁on ▁Thor ne ' s ▁pay roll . ▁Thor ne ▁finally ▁ident ifies ▁Bruce ▁Wayne ▁as ▁Bat man ▁after ▁acqu iring ▁photos ▁of ▁him ▁changing ▁cost ume ▁from ▁rep orter ▁V icki ▁V ale . ▁Thor ne ▁then ▁h ires ▁Dead shot ▁to ▁kill ▁Wayne . ▁Dead shot ▁is ▁un success ful , ▁however . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Thor ne ▁is ▁still ▁ha unted ▁by ▁the ▁g host ▁of ▁Hugo ▁Str