Bruno Heller
"Gotham" showrunner Bruno Heller, pictured at the Fox show's series premiere on Sept. 15, 2014 in New York City, said Dr. Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong) will "make a man" out of Penguin when the series returns in February. Getty

When "Gotham" Season 2 returns to Fox in February things are going to get weird. Theo Galavan (James Frain) might be out of the picture for now, but a new villain, Dr. Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong), will begin to create madness in Gotham City. Strange will also push familiar villains like Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) to different levels.

In an interview with TV Guide, showrunner Bruno Heller said Penguin's rise back up to the top of crime in Gotham City might not be so easy after all. Losing his mother may have brought out a new darkness in Penguin, but Strange could also bring out even more evil in the character.

"Dr. Hugo Strange has a profound effect on Penguin," Heller teased. "He makes a new man of him in many ways."

Sounds like Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and the rest of the GCPD are going to still have their hands full in terms of dealing with new villains. Here are four things to know about Hugo Strange before he arrives at Arkham Asylum on "Gotham" Season 2:

1. One Of The Earliest Batman Villains

Hugo Strange was one of the first villains Batman came across when the comics started out. He originally appeared in 1940s Detective Comics #36. He was a threat to the Dark Knight before the Joker and Catwoman and he was also the first bad guy to figure out that Bruce Wayne was Batman.

2. A Madman Who's A Genius

While Strange might not be as much of a physical threat to Batman, the doctor's brain is his greatest weapon. He uses his high intelligence to turn people into monsters and is trained in psychology, chemistry, and biology.

3. Breeds Supervillains

It has been revealed that Strange is going to conduct secret experiments on people at a secret facility known as Indian Hill. In an interview with TV Guide in November 2015, McKenzie said Strange is a part of Batman's mythology and also presents a possible opportunity for past villains to re-emerge.

"His laboratory is really the breeding ground for the supervillains, as people who are already predisposed to crime of some nature become enhanced through his experimentation," McKenzie said.

4. Has Teamed Up With Other Villains Before

In the comics, Strange has been linked to popular Batman villains like Scarecrow and Catwoman. Bruce Wayne even pointed to Strange's work in Batman #665 for the creation of Bane, the bad guy who was featured in Christopher Nolan's final Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises."

"Gotham" Season 2 returns Feb. 29 on Fox at 8 p.m. EST.

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