They can't keep me here, caged like some wild beast! I'll escape... and when I do, I shall devote the rest of my life in revenging myself upon the Batman! 
Detective Comics #36 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1940. It was published on December 30, 1939.
Synopsis for "Batman Meets Professor Hugo Strange"
The Batman arrives too late to stop a drive-by shooting. Before the victim perishes, he mutters the words "fog" and "strange". Batman later learns that the victim was a G-man and that he was referencing the notorious scientific criminal, Professor Hugo Strange.
Meanwhile, Strange has kidnapped electrical engineer Henry Jenkins, and forces him to design a device that will generate a perpetual fog wherever he requires it. With the fog in place, Strange's men can commit crimes with added stealth and evade police capture.
Batman eventually tracks Hugo Strange down and battles his men. He rescues Henry Jenkins and destroys the fog generator. Hugo Strange is captured and taken to jail, but makes a vow to get revenge on Batman.
Appearing in "Batman Meets Professor Hugo Strange"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gotham City Police Depertment
- Commissioner Gordon
- Officer Clancy
Antagonists:
- Hugo Strange (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- John Davis (Only appearance; dies)
- Henry Jenkins
Locations:
- Gotham City
- GCPD Headquarters
- Wayne Manor
- Sterling Silver Company
- State Penitentiary
Items:
- Utility Belt
- Knockout Gas Pellet
- Knockout Gas Pellet
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "The Rantor"
An enemy spy, with dynamite strapped to his own back, attempts to sink a freight ship, and Bart Regan attempts to stop him.
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "The Rantor"
Featured Characters:
- Bart Regan, Spy
Supporting Characters:
- Bart's Boss
Antagonists:
- Spy Boss
- Hunchback (Single appearance)
- other Foreign Agent
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Tortana, a sword-rattling nation in Europe
- Storga, an invaded nation in Europe
- New York City
- Harbor Piers
- Rigby Importing House (saboteur hideout)
- Washington, D.C.
- U.S. Spy Headquarters
Vehicles:
- Durma, Passenger Liner from Storga (bombed)
- Rantor, Passenger Liner from Storga
Synopsis for Buck Marshall: "Claim of Satan"
Buck Marshall stops the hanging of a wrongly condemned convict. With close cooperation from both the sheriff and the convict, Buck puts over a hoax which dupes the real murderers into incriminating themselves.
Appearing in Buck Marshall: "Claim of Satan"
Featured Characters:
- Buck Marshall, Range Detective (Final appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Sheriff
Antagonists:
- Welsh, gang boss (Single appearance)
- Lafe Briggs, trapper (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Joe Shaefer, trapper (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Jim Tracy, prospector (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Ned Gavin, prospector (Single appearance) (Dies in flashback)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Sage City
- Spawn Creek
- Tracy/Gavin Mining Claim
- Black Rock Canyon
Synopsis for Steve Malone: "Rocky Roman"
Acting on a tip, and accompanied by reporter Hawkey Hawley, District Attorney Steve Malone tracks down wanted murderer Rocky Roman. After a rooftop shoot-out and a fistfight, Roman ends up in police custody.
Appearing in Steve Malone: "Rocky Roman"
Featured Characters:
- Steve Malone, District Attorney
Antagonists:
- Rocky Roman, fugitive (Single appearance)
- Joe, accomplice (Single appearance)
- Ruth Roman (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- "Hawkey" Hawley (See Notes.)
Locations:
- small downtown restaurant
- slum district
- cheap rooming house
- series of rooftops
Synopsis for Speed Saunders: "The Spider"
Speed Saunders busts a famous jewel thief, the Spider, who turns out to be a woman, masquerading as a man.
Appearing in Speed Saunders: "The Spider"
Featured Characters:
- Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Spider (Durand) (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Countess Ruskovsky (Single appearance)
- Serge Ruskovsky, emerald collector (Single appearance)
- Roberta Rogers
Locations:
- New York City
- Durand's Nite Club
- Police Chief's Office
- Motor Vehicle Bureau
- Royal Arms Hotel
- Suburbia
Synopsis for Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Purple Mesa"
Cosmo goes out west, to catch some rustlers. He is terrible at cowboying, but he catches his quarry.
Appearing in Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Purple Mesa"
Featured Characters:
- Cosmo, as "Pieter van Doorn"
Antagonists:
- Jim Lawson, rancher (Single appearance)
- five rustlers
Other Characters:
- Miss Ethel Ridgewood
- Mr. Ridgewood, rancher
- Gus Batson, ranch hand (Dies)
Locations:
- eastern U.S. city
- Arizona
- Purple Mesa Ranch
- Purple Mesa Ranch
Synopsis for Bruce Nelson: "A Weekend Party at the Mountain Lodge"
Bruce Nelson investigates a murder at a ski lodge. A sports writer has murdered a gossip columnist and framed a millionaire playboy, but Nelson examines the evidence, makes the right deductions, and tricks the killer into incriminating himself, and knocks him out with a thrown vase.
Appearing in Bruce Nelson: "A Weekend Party at the Mountain Lodge"
Featured Characters:
- Bruce Nelson (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Ted Grayson, sports writer (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Sam Waller, gossip columnist (Only appearance; dies)
- Sandra King, famous skater (Single appearance)
- Keith Lord, millionaire playboy (Single appearance)
- Lee Fung, cook (Single appearance)
Locations:
- White Mountains
- Keith Lord's Mountain Lodge
- Barryton, nearest town
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "The Lan Chee Tong"
Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan are hired by Ken Fu, head of the Lan Chee Tong, to travel to China and retrieve an item. They are not told what the item is. They agree to this, and guided by Moy Ting, a Chinese woman, they sail to Asia. Whatever they are looking for, it is also sought by a rival group, led by Chong, who manages to capture Slam. Chong tortures Slam, fruitlessly seeking the location of the item, until Moy Ting rescues him.
Slam and Shorty and Moy Ting begin a long trip across China, stealthily followed at some distance by Chong. Eventually they arrive at a remote temple, and Moy Ting reveals that the item to retrieve is an idol. Chong shows up and tries to steal the idol for himself, but in the process activates a trap which kills him. Slam retrieves the idol, and they bring it back to Ken Fu and his Lan Chee Tong.
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "The Lan Chee Tong"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Chong (Only appearance; dies)
- his Tong
- Mongolian Bandits
Other Characters:
- Ken Fu (Single appearance)
- Lan Chee Tong
- Moy Ting (Single appearance)
Locations:
- United States of America
- China
- Shanghai
- Blue Ox Tavern
- deserts and steppes
- Remote Ancient Temple
- Shanghai
Notes
- Published monthly by Detective Comics, Inc.
- This issue's Batman story is the first appearance of Hugo Strange. Hugo Strange will return in Batman #1.
- Strange has already escaped from State Prison at the beginning of this story, so this fog-cover burglary-wave is at least the second major crime scheme of his career.
- "Professor Hugo Strange" is reprinted in Batman Archives, Volume 1 and 'Batman Chronicles Vol 1'.
- First issue for inking by Jerry Robinson.
- Starting this issue, Batman has three scalloped fins on the forearms of each of his gloves. Batman's complete costume will maintain this look for several years.
- Batman gets knocked unconscious, with a blackjack.
- Last issue for Bruce Nelson by Tom Hickey.
- Last issue for Buck Marshall by Homer Fleming.
- The Cosmo story is set in October.
- Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan sleep in the same bed.
- Speed Saunders smokes cigarettes.
- Steve Malone:
- The reporter's name is spelled "Hawkey" in page 1 panel 2, Malone's blurb, but spelled "Hawley" in the caption just under that.
- For a District Attorney, Mr. Malone doesn't seem to have a lot of regard for Due Process, especially about Search Warrants.
- Malone gets head-konked unconscious, with a wine bottle. Later he gets grazed by a bullet, on the cheek.
- Also appearing in this issue of Detective Comics were:
- Detective Stamp Page: "Stamps for Census Taking" (text article)
- "A Climax in Opera" (text story) by Richard Martin
- "Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines!" (full page ad for the current issues of Action, Adventure, All-American, Detective, Flash, and More Fun Comics)
Trivia
- This issue's cover art depicts a scene from the Batman story in the previous issue.
