Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
Encyclopedia
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (the B.P.R.D. or BPRD) is a fiction
al organization in the comic book
work of Mike Mignola
, charged with protecting America and the world from the occult
, paranormal
and supernatural
. It maintains the services of several supernatural persons, including Hellboy
. The B.P.R.D. originally appeared in the Hellboy comics but has also been featured in many stories under the B.P.R.D. title.
to combat various occult
threats uncovered in operations against Nazi
Germany
. It initially had strong links to the USAAF
and was based at a military airbase in New Mexico
, but later relocated to a custom built facility in Fairfield
, Connecticut
. It maintains strong links to various branches of the United States Armed Forces
to this day. It is a private organization that receives funding from several major governments (mostly the United States
and United Kingdom
, although other countries including Canada
, Japan
, France
, and Italy
have been mentioned).
Professor Bruttenholm served as director until the late 1950s when he stepped down to return to field work. The current Director is Dr. Thomas Manning
. Under Manning several "advanced skills agents" were added to the agency including Liz Sherman
and Abe Sapien
.
The BPRD is a well known and respected organization that has excellent relations with most international governments and United States government agencies
, with the exceptions of China
and the CIA. The Bureau was the United States' only defense against an onslaught of frog creatures (originally featured in Seed of Destruction). Though the 'frogs' began operating on the East Coast, they spread west on both sides of the US-Canadian border. To cut costs, the Bureau moved from its traditional headquarters in Connecticut to an abandoned research facility in Colorado
. This facility was last used to house Nazi scientists who defected to America after World War II
. As such, the facility contains vast quantities of secret files that the BPRD has yet to explore.
The frog monster invasion reached its peak during the events of The Black Flame during which a Neo-Nazi
madman adopted the persona of the World War II era supervillain the Black Flame and insinuated himself as the leader of the frogs. Together they raised the gigantic Katha-Hem (one of the Ogdru Hem
, the 369 spawn of the Ogdru Jahad
) which ran rampant across the American heartland until Liz Sherman used an ancient artifact to amplify her pyrokinetic powers a thousandfold. After Katha-Hem was destroyed, the frog monsters dragged the Black Flame into a vast pit and the invasion appeared to come to an end.
A series of incidents - The Warning, The Black Goddess, and King of Fear - saw the Bureau threatened by both an alliance of the frogs, the Black Flame, and the Hyperborean underworld, united to bring about an apocalypse and the birth of a new human race; and also the villain Memnan Saa, who abducted Liz in an attempt to use her powers to conquer the Earth so he could prevent the apocalypse. This crisis saw half of Munich
destroyed, the Bureau on the outs with the American military, and Abe Sapien revealed to be an example of the next stage of the frog's evolution. Finally, Liz Sherman exhausted all of her powers in destroying the underworld alliance. This inadvertently caused massive volcanic disasters across the world, devastating Malaysia and causing the destruction of Borneo
(wiping out the nations of Indonesia
and Brunei
), and also causing the rise of a large, immobile monster in California, spewing out a gas across America and Mexico that mutates people. In the wake of this new crisis, the United Nations Security Council
drafted the Bureau to work directly for them, with "blank cheque" funding.
A vision of the future shown in King of Fear showed the apocalypse had triumphed over this larger, heavier armed BPRD.
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(4 issues, March–June 1994), Wake the Devil
(5 issues, June–October 1996). Hellboy parts company with the agency at the end of Conqueror Worm, with the first solo BPRD series, Hollow Earth, set some little time afterward; from this point onward, the BPRD and Hellboy series exist concurrently but separately.
Hellboy is mentioned several times in the BPRD series and often appears in flashback; the BPRD are rarely mentioned in the Hellboy books, with the notable exception of the epilogue to Darkness Calls, which features most of the notable BPRD cast receiving a letter from Hellboy bringing them up to speed on recent events. In most of the Hellboy stories set prior to Conqueror Worm, Hellboy is still working with the BPRD, although besides Abe none of the main BPRD cast have featured in these earlier stories.
as trade paperbacks
:
film Hellboy
and its 2008
sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army, both directed by Guillermo del Toro
, where it differs from the agency in the comics.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al organization in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
work of Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola
Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
, charged with protecting America and the world from the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
, paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
and supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
. It maintains the services of several supernatural persons, including Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
. The B.P.R.D. originally appeared in the Hellboy comics but has also been featured in many stories under the B.P.R.D. title.
Fictional organization history
The BPRD was founded in late 1944 by Professor Trevor BruttenholmTrevor Bruttenholm
Professor Trevor Bruttenholm is a fictional character in the Hellboy comic book universe, created by Mike Mignola and John Byrne. His first appearance was in the comic book Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, issue #1 .-Fictional character biography:...
to combat various occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
threats uncovered in operations against Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It initially had strong links to the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and was based at a military airbase in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, but later relocated to a custom built facility in Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It maintains strong links to various branches of the United States Armed Forces
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
to this day. It is a private organization that receives funding from several major governments (mostly the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, although other countries including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
have been mentioned).
Professor Bruttenholm served as director until the late 1950s when he stepped down to return to field work. The current Director is Dr. Thomas Manning
Tom Manning
Tom Manning is a fictional character from the Dark Horse Comics universe. He is director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.Manning has classically been portrayed as a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat who refuses to trust the paranormal members of his agency, even though their presence is...
. Under Manning several "advanced skills agents" were added to the agency including Liz Sherman
Liz Sherman
Elizabeth 'Liz' Sherman is a fictional character appearing in the Hellboy comic book series created by Mike Mignola.-Fictional character history:...
and Abe Sapien
Abe Sapien
Abraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
.
The BPRD is a well known and respected organization that has excellent relations with most international governments and United States government agencies
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
, with the exceptions of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and the CIA. The Bureau was the United States' only defense against an onslaught of frog creatures (originally featured in Seed of Destruction). Though the 'frogs' began operating on the East Coast, they spread west on both sides of the US-Canadian border. To cut costs, the Bureau moved from its traditional headquarters in Connecticut to an abandoned research facility in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. This facility was last used to house Nazi scientists who defected to America after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As such, the facility contains vast quantities of secret files that the BPRD has yet to explore.
The frog monster invasion reached its peak during the events of The Black Flame during which a Neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
madman adopted the persona of the World War II era supervillain the Black Flame and insinuated himself as the leader of the frogs. Together they raised the gigantic Katha-Hem (one of the Ogdru Hem
Ogdru Hem
The Ogdru Hem are fictional creatures in the Hellboy universe. After awakening, the demonic Ogdru Jahad gave birth to the 369 Ogdru Hem. The Ogdru Hem are essentially weaker versions of their parents, but even so they wield unimaginable power...
, the 369 spawn of the Ogdru Jahad
Ogdru Jahad
The Ogdru Jahad are fictional characters in Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic. They are the Dragon of Revelation, and are destined to bring about the end of the world. Though the Ogdru Jahad are the ultimate antagonists in the series, they are not themselves active, their release from imprisonment...
) which ran rampant across the American heartland until Liz Sherman used an ancient artifact to amplify her pyrokinetic powers a thousandfold. After Katha-Hem was destroyed, the frog monsters dragged the Black Flame into a vast pit and the invasion appeared to come to an end.
A series of incidents - The Warning, The Black Goddess, and King of Fear - saw the Bureau threatened by both an alliance of the frogs, the Black Flame, and the Hyperborean underworld, united to bring about an apocalypse and the birth of a new human race; and also the villain Memnan Saa, who abducted Liz in an attempt to use her powers to conquer the Earth so he could prevent the apocalypse. This crisis saw half of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
destroyed, the Bureau on the outs with the American military, and Abe Sapien revealed to be an example of the next stage of the frog's evolution. Finally, Liz Sherman exhausted all of her powers in destroying the underworld alliance. This inadvertently caused massive volcanic disasters across the world, devastating Malaysia and causing the destruction of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
(wiping out the nations of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
), and also causing the rise of a large, immobile monster in California, spewing out a gas across America and Mexico that mutates people. In the wake of this new crisis, the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
drafted the Bureau to work directly for them, with "blank cheque" funding.
A vision of the future shown in King of Fear showed the apocalypse had triumphed over this larger, heavier armed BPRD.
'Enhanced talents' agents
- HellboyHellboyHellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
, heroic paranormal upper level demon (deceased) - Abe SapienAbe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
, amphibious man (incapacitated) - Liz ShermanLiz ShermanElizabeth 'Liz' Sherman is a fictional character appearing in the Hellboy comic book series created by Mike Mignola.-Fictional character history:...
, pyrokineticPyrokinesisPyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
(resigned) - RogerRoger (Hellboy)Roger the Homunculus is a fictional character featured in the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. He is an unusually large homunculus, a humanoid being said to be created by means of alchemy....
, homunculusHomunculusHomunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
(deceased) - Johann Krauss, ectoplasmic physical medium (physically deceased)
- Captain Ben DaimioBen DaimioBen Daimio is a fictional character in the Dark Horse Comics universe. He works for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.-Fictional character biography:...
, were-jaguarOlmec were-jaguarThe were-jaguar was both an Olmec motif and a supernatural entity, perhaps a deity.The were-jaguar motif is characterized by almond-shaped eyes, a downturned open mouth, and a cleft head. It appears widely in the Olmec archaeological record, and in many cases, under the principle of pars pro toto,... - Sidney Leach, psychically detects and manipulates metal
- Panya, ageless mummyMummyA mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
- Mr. Garret Omatta, field agent, psychic
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Human agents
- Dr. Tom ManningTom ManningTom Manning is a fictional character from the Dark Horse Comics universe. He is director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.Manning has classically been portrayed as a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat who refuses to trust the paranormal members of his agency, even though their presence is...
, director - Dr. Kate CorriganKate CorriganKate Corrigan is a fictional character from the Dark Horse Comics universe, featured in the comic book series Hellboy and BPRD written by Mike Mignola, et al. Her appearance is based on Mignola's wife, Christine.-History:...
, liaison to enhanced talents agents - Professor Trevor BruttenholmTrevor BruttenholmProfessor Trevor Bruttenholm is a fictional character in the Hellboy comic book universe, created by Mike Mignola and John Byrne. His first appearance was in the comic book Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, issue #1 .-Fictional character biography:...
, former director (deceased) - Dr. Howard Eaton, occult specialist, assistant to Prof. Butternholm (deceased)
- Dr. O'Donnell, occult specialist
- Andrew Devon, field agent
- Bud Waller, field agent (deceased)
- Mr. Clark, field agent (deceased)
- Agent Van Fleet, field agent, former Navy Seal (deceased)
- Agent Hampton, field agent (deceased)
- Agent Pratt, field agent (deceased)
|}
Comics
The agency was created for the Hellboy comic book series by Mike Mignola and appears in most issues of that series, including the first two mini-series Seed of DestructionHellboy: Seed of Destruction
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction is the first Hellboy comic book mini-series, published by Dark Horse Comics. It was conceived and illustrated by Mike Mignola and scripted by John Byrne.This was, in part, the basis for the first Hellboy motion picture....
(4 issues, March–June 1994), Wake the Devil
Hellboy: Wake the Devil
Hellboy: Wake the Devil is a five-issue comic book mini-series in the Hellboy franchise, conceived and illustrated by Mike Mignola and published by Dark Horse Comics...
(5 issues, June–October 1996). Hellboy parts company with the agency at the end of Conqueror Worm, with the first solo BPRD series, Hollow Earth, set some little time afterward; from this point onward, the BPRD and Hellboy series exist concurrently but separately.
Hellboy is mentioned several times in the BPRD series and often appears in flashback; the BPRD are rarely mentioned in the Hellboy books, with the notable exception of the epilogue to Darkness Calls, which features most of the notable BPRD cast receiving a letter from Hellboy bringing them up to speed on recent events. In most of the Hellboy stories set prior to Conqueror Worm, Hellboy is still working with the BPRD, although besides Abe none of the main BPRD cast have featured in these earlier stories.
Collected editions
Most of the B.P.R.D. comics have been collected by Dark HorseDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
as trade paperbacks
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth and Other StoriesB.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth and Other StoriesB.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth and Other Stories is the first trade paperback collection in the B.P.R.D. series created by Mike Mignola which collects the first three-issue mini-series along with various other back-up features.-Hollow Earth:The first B.P.R.D...
(by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, et al., ISBN 1-56971-862-8) - B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Other StoriesB.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Other StoriesB.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Other Stories is the second trade paperback collection in the Dark Horse Comics B.P.R.D. series created by Mike Mignola which collects the series of four one-shot comic books written by a variety of guest writers and artists and published bi-monthly to alternate...
(by Brian Augustyn, Geoff Johns, Mike Mignola, et al., ISBN 1-59307-132-9) - B.P.R.D.: Plague of FrogsB.P.R.D.: Plague of FrogsB.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs is a five-issue B.P.R.D. comic book mini-series, written by Mike Mignola, with art by Guy Davis and published by Dark Horse Comics.-Creation:...
(collects A Plague of Frogs 5-issue limited series, ISBN 1-59307-288-0) - B.P.R.D.: The Dead (collects The Dead 5-issue limited series, 2005, ISBN 1-59307-380-1)
- B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame (collects The Black Flame 6-issue limited series, July 2006, ISBN 1-59307-550-2)
- B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine (collects The Universal Machine 5-issue limited series, January 2007, ISBN 1-59307-710-6)
- B.P.R.D.: Garden of SoulsB.P.R.D.: Garden of SoulsB.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls is a five-issue B.P.R.D. comic book mini-series, written by Mike Mignola, with art by Guy Davis and published by Dark Horse Comics.-Issue #1:The first issue featured a cover by Guy Davis....
(collects Garden of Souls 5-issue limited series, January 2008, ISBN 1-59307-882-X) - B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground (collects Killing Ground 5-issue limited series, May 2008, ISBN 1-59307-956-7)
- B.P.R.D.: 1946 (collects 1946 5-issue limited series, November 2008, ISBN 1-59582-191-0)
- B.P.R.D.: The Warning (collects The Warning 5-issue limited series, April 29, 2009, ISBN 1-59582-304-2)
- B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess (collects The Black Goddess 5 issue limited series, October 21, 2009, ISBN 1-59582-411-1)
- B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs (by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Karl Moline, Guy Davis, Peter Snejbjerg, et al., April 28, 2010, ISBN 1-59582-480-4)
- B.P.R.D.: 1947 (collects 1947, July 21, 2010, ISBN 1-59582-478-2)
- B.P.R.D.: King of Fear (collects The King of Fear 5 issue limited series, December 2010, ISBN 1-59582-564-3)
- B.P.R.D.: New World (collects New World August 2011, ISBN 1595827072)
- B.P.R.D.: Gods and Monsters (collects Gods and Monsters, February 2012, ISBN 1595828222)
- B.P.R.D.: Russia (Forthcoming)
Films
The Bureau appeared in the 20042004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
film Hellboy
Hellboy (film)
Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
and its 2008
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army, both directed by Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, where it differs from the agency in the comics.
- In the movie it is a secret United States Government agencyGovernment agencyA government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
, created by Roosevelt to combat Hitler's growing mastery of the occult, and strongly affiliated with the FBI. Professor Broom claims that the BPRD fought the Occult Wars that ended in 1958 with the death of Adolf Hitler. - Several personnel are federal agents, including ManningTom ManningTom Manning is a fictional character from the Dark Horse Comics universe. He is director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.Manning has classically been portrayed as a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat who refuses to trust the paranormal members of his agency, even though their presence is...
and new character Special AgentSpecial agentSpecial agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
John Myers whilst the Director is still Professor Bruttenholm, who refers to the bureau as "the ones who bump back", in reference to "things that go bump in the night". - The BPRD uses the motto "In Absentia Luci, Tenebrae Vincunt", LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "In the Absence of Light, Darkness Prevails"—though this motto is grammatically incorrect—Luci should read "Lucis" for the desired meaning. - In Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the Bureau's existence is confirmed when Hellboy reveals himself to the media.
- The film reveals there is a German branch where Johann was stationed until he became the new director of the US branch.
- It is hinted that the base may be related to military base Area 51Area 51Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
: the number 51 appears on the walls.
Television
The B.P.R.D. Declassified was a TV special that aired on the FX Network in 2004.Roleplaying game
The B.P.R.D. appeared in the Hellboy Sourcebook and Role Playing Game.In popular culture
- In the film Blade IIBlade IIBlade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
, BladeBlade (comics)Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
's young assistant, Scud, wears a shirt bearing the B.P.R.D. logo. Guillermo del ToroGuillermo del ToroGuillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, who directed Blade II, is a fan of Hellboy, and later he directed the movie adaptation and its sequel. - In the GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
music video Dirty HarryDirty Harry (song)"Dirty Harry" is a song from Gorillaz' second album Demon Days. It was the third single from the album, released 21 November 2005. It peaked at #6 in the UK. It was also released as a promo and onto iTunes earlier that year. An early version of "Dirty Harry" titled "I Need a Gun" was included on...
, a B.P.R.D. bumper sticker is displayed on 2D's military helmet. - In the comic shop in The Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
, the B.P.R.D. comic is prominently and repeatedly featured. - In the show Hawaii 5-0 a B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: New World poster is on the wall of Dr. Max Bergman's (actor: Masi Oka) apartment.