Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
Encyclopedia
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
.
to the (fictional) village of East Bromwich in the English Midlands
. The army group (accompanied by a Nazi-fighting superhero
named The Torch of Liberty) is under the guidance of three paranormal officials, one of whom is a young Trevor Bruttenholm
. According to the group psychic, one Lady Cynthia Eden-Jones, a terrible event is to take place in a local ruined church; a doomsday project orchestrated by the Nazis, which could herald the end of the world
.
However, the actual rite is taking place at Tarmagant Island, a small island off the coast of Scotland
. The Nazis have set up an array of strange machines around a stone circle
, in the center of which stands the fabled Russian psychic Grigori Rasputin
. The wizard, armed with a pair of powerful gauntlets, attempts to summon the Ogdru Jahad
from their prisons to the earth; although unseen, the beasts are referred to as "knowing no care" and "heralds of pestilence", marking them out as amoral, dangerous entities.
Although the Ogdru Jahad are not summoned, a boy-like, red-skinned demon
appears at the Church in East Bromwich, and is soon dubbed "Hellboy
" by Professor Bruttenholm. Whilst the leader of the Nazi operation, Klaus Werner von Krupt, is dismayed at Rasputin's apparent lack of success, the mad monk knows otherwise and proclaims he has set into motion the world's ending.
The scene then changes to 1994, at the headquarters of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
in New York
. A much older Bruttenholm is recounting the incident of Hellboy's "birth", when the demon himself enters the office. It is revealed that Bruttenholm has been missing for two years, having disappeared after a polar
expedition
. He tells Hellboy the story of his recent disappearance, informing him of his trip to the Arctic circle
with "the two Cavendish boys", and a man named Sven Olafssen, who is a "renowned Arctic explorer". The quartet entered a cave at the top of the world, which bore a strange Lovecraftian statue of a tentacled creature, and a human meditating at its feet. When Bruttenholm touched the relic, it seemed to come alive, and he can barely remember the events that followed. Before he can continue, he is interrupted by a plague of frogs, and runs from the office, giving his adopted son the final words of "Save yourself!".
Before Hellboy can react, Bruttenholm is killed by a huge amphibioid
monster, leaving him with hole-like markings around his dried-out corpse. The creature attempts to kill Hellboy, but he proves too strong for the frog-monster and is able to shoot it as it attempts to escape. After killing the creature, Hellboy telephones the B.P.R.D Director Tom Manning
, informing him of Bruttenholm's death. As Manning arranges things with his fellow officials, the scene changes to the interior of an old Victorian
house, whilst a dark, shadowed figure discusses Bruttenholm's death with a stately old woman. As the comic ends, a frog
is seen in her teacup...
and Abe Sapien
. Lady Emma Cavendish, the woman who owns the house, is recognisable as the woman from the end of the previous chapter. She explains that she is the final heir of Cavendish Hall, her sons having apparently died on their expedition with Bruttenholm. She also notes that her sons had not been the first males of the Cavendish line to try and find the cave; every group of males for nine generations has died trying to find it. The practice began with a sailor named Elihu Cavendish, a gentleman and whaler
who had travelled the world and heard exotic stories in numerous ports. He had made it his life's goal to find the temple
at the north pole; and with his failure, every male of the following generations tried to accomplish his feat. Lady Cavendish confides in the trio her sadness at being the last living member of her family, and hopes that when she dies Cavendish Hall will sink into the lake below.
The butler then escorts the trio to their separate rooms. With Lady Cavendish alone, the shadowy figure returns and informs her he will reunite her with her sons, telling them to emerge with the line "Children, come and kiss your mother goodnight..."
Deciding to begin their investigation, Abe removes his costume and dives out of the window, hoping to find something in the watery depths below the house. Hellboy then calls Liz on an internal line, and they discuss how the butler looked exactly like Sven Olafssen; the Arctic explorer who had supposedly died during the expedition with Bruttenholm and the Cavendish brothers. A group of frogs suddenly appear in Liz's room, and when she mentions this to Hellboy, he yells at her to get out of the room immediately, running towards her room himself.
Hellboy arrives at the room to find Liz gone; however, Olafssen is in the hall, feigning ignorance as to where she has vanished. When Hellboy threatens the explorer into talking, he transforms into a frog-monster, and the two fight through the house. After apparently killing the second monster, Hellboy returns to the sitting room and finds Lady Cavendish dead, covered in markings similar to those which adorned Bruttenholm's dead body. He regrets not having done something to protect her, but the dark individual seen earlier emerges and reveals himself to be Rasputin. Reunited with Hellboy, he tells him that it was he who had summoned him from the void, and also that it is Hellboy's destiny to help him destroy the world. Before he can retreat, a set of large tentacles smash through the floorboards and drag Hellboy to the cavernous depths below the house.
temple - Rasputin begins lecturing Hellboy on the nature of the Ogdru Jahad, and their desire to be free from their prison. Hellboy quickly becomes impatient and shoots Rasputin in the head; but the monk quickly heals
and utters a curse
which sends Hellboy flying through the air. This worries the demon, as this means his cadre of charms, amulets, relics etc. are no use against Rasputin's power. The wizard warns Hellboy that he brought him into the world, and he can just as easily take him out of it. The Olafssen frog monster then returns, and begins battling anew with Hellboy.
Meanwhile, Abe has ventured through the waterways which connect the cellars and caverns of Cavendish Hall to the lake. In the subterranean caves, he comes across the two Cavendish brothers, who have themselves become frog-monsters; however, they are not as violent as Olafssen, and are instead seen embracing the corpse of their mother, who they killed under Rasputin's orders. Venturing further, Abe discovers the body of Elihu Cavendish, kept on a throne
-like chair and bearing a harpoon
in his hand.
Back in the temple, Rasputin reveals his connection with the Ogdru Jahad. Having been killed by a group of nobles in 1916 and his body flung into the River Neva, Rasputin was brought back to life by the Ogdru Jahad and he left Russia
, seeking solace in an Italian
village, gathering reputation as prophet
of the apocalypse. He was soon visited by Heinrich Himmler
, who took him to Germany
to head one of Hitler's various desperate "Doomsday Projects". Although Rasputin knew Hitler was doomed to failure, he also knew he could use the money, scientific minds and technological resources of the Third Reich to broaden his ambitions. He aligned himself with Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
, Ilsa Haupstein, Leopold Kurtz and others, designing a machine that would bring the Ogdru Jahad to earth and burn it to cinders.
When the project failed and the group disbanded, Rasputin headed northwards, receiving a vision from Sadu Hem - the statue-creature found by Bruttenholm, which is now in the temple beneath Cavendish Hall. The monk went into a deep meditation and saw the Ogdru Jahad in the abyss. After being re-awoken by Bruttenholm's touch, he accessed the Professor's memories and by lucky chance discovered of Hellboy's existence. Using his renewed powers, he mind-controlled the expeditionary group to place Sadu Hem on board a ship and take him to America
, the creature feeding upon everyone on board. He also allowed a maddened Bruttenholm to return to New York, knowing this would be excellent bait to lure Hellboy into a trap.
Rasputin then reveals he had Olafssen capture Liz, and now plans to channel her powers through himself and into Sadu Hem, who will in turn use this energy to unlock the crystal
cocoon
s of the Ogdru Jahad. He now no longer needs Hellboy, and proclaims that hell on earth is approaching.
race is seen observing the events, fearing that "the Seven" will devour the universe
once they have blackened the earth. Hellboy continues to battle with Olafssen, before finding a concussion grenade and forcing it down his throat, apologizing to whatever little human sense remains in the creature.
Rasputin rejoices in his nearing victory, reciting the same spell he had used fifty years ago in his attempt to summon the creature. However, before he completes the spell, he is speared through the chest by Abe, who is under the possession of a vengeful Elihu Cavendish. With the monk's concentration broken, Liz's fire-power becomes uncontrollable, frying Sadu Hem and causing the cavern to collapse. Abe awakens from Cavendish's control and leaps forward to save Liz, before greeting Hellboy and then carrying Liz out a nearby staircase.
A furious Rasputin then attempts to kill Hellboy, but the majority of his power spent, he is unable to do so. He tries to blackmail
the demon, telling him that if he kills him, he will never know his true purpose. Hellboy smashes Rasputin's skull with his giant right hand, and runs up the staircase himself, before leaving the hall and watching it sink into the lake. Abe and Liz try to quiz him on what happened in the cave, as well as the identity of the wizard, but Hellboy is reluctant to inform them.
As Hellboy recalls the monk's last words, the scene changes to an abandoned castle
in Norway
, which bears the ruins of an old, esoteric Nazi laboratory
. The figures of Kroenen
, Ilsa and Kurtz - Rasputin's old disciples - are seen frozen into the wall in a thick sheet of ice. However, a nearby device blinks into life, and the ice begins to crack...
, which has been reissued and published as a limited edition hardcover. The collection also includes the first two Hellboy short stories from San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 and Comics Buyer's Guide #1070 and a gallery of pinups from Simon Bisley
, Mike Allred, Art Adams
, Frank Miller
, Fred Blanchard and Gary Gianni
.
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...
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...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark 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...
. It was conceived and illustrated by 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...
and scripted by John Byrne.
This was, in part, the basis for the first Hellboy motion picture
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...
.
Part One
The comic opens in 1944, with a report from a U.S Army official named George Whitman, who has been ordered to lead a team of commandosCommandos
Commandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
to the (fictional) village of East Bromwich in the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. The army group (accompanied by a Nazi-fighting superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
named The Torch of Liberty) is under the guidance of three paranormal officials, one of whom is a young Trevor Bruttenholm
Trevor 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:...
. According to the group psychic, one Lady Cynthia Eden-Jones, a terrible event is to take place in a local ruined church; a doomsday project orchestrated by the Nazis, which could herald the end of the world
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
.
However, the actual rite is taking place at Tarmagant Island, a small island off the coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The Nazis have set up an array of strange machines around a stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
, in the center of which stands the fabled Russian psychic Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
. The wizard, armed with a pair of powerful gauntlets, attempts to summon 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...
from their prisons to the earth; although unseen, the beasts are referred to as "knowing no care" and "heralds of pestilence", marking them out as amoral, dangerous entities.
Although the Ogdru Jahad are not summoned, a boy-like, red-skinned demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
appears at the Church in East Bromwich, and is soon dubbed "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...
" by Professor Bruttenholm. Whilst the leader of the Nazi operation, Klaus Werner von Krupt, is dismayed at Rasputin's apparent lack of success, the mad monk knows otherwise and proclaims he has set into motion the world's ending.
The scene then changes to 1994, at the headquarters of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is a fictional 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...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A much older Bruttenholm is recounting the incident of Hellboy's "birth", when the demon himself enters the office. It is revealed that Bruttenholm has been missing for two years, having disappeared after a polar
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
. He tells Hellboy the story of his recent disappearance, informing him of his trip to the Arctic circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
with "the two Cavendish boys", and a man named Sven Olafssen, who is a "renowned Arctic explorer". The quartet entered a cave at the top of the world, which bore a strange Lovecraftian statue of a tentacled creature, and a human meditating at its feet. When Bruttenholm touched the relic, it seemed to come alive, and he can barely remember the events that followed. Before he can continue, he is interrupted by a plague of frogs, and runs from the office, giving his adopted son the final words of "Save yourself!".
Before Hellboy can react, Bruttenholm is killed by a huge amphibioid
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
monster, leaving him with hole-like markings around his dried-out corpse. The creature attempts to kill Hellboy, but he proves too strong for the frog-monster and is able to shoot it as it attempts to escape. After killing the creature, Hellboy telephones the B.P.R.D Director Tom 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...
, informing him of Bruttenholm's death. As Manning arranges things with his fellow officials, the scene changes to the interior of an old Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house, whilst a dark, shadowed figure discusses Bruttenholm's death with a stately old woman. As the comic ends, a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
is seen in her teacup...
Part Two
Having discovered some clues pertaining to the death of the Professor, Hellboy journeys to an old house named Cavendish Hall, along with his colleagues Liz ShermanLiz 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...
. Lady Emma Cavendish, the woman who owns the house, is recognisable as the woman from the end of the previous chapter. She explains that she is the final heir of Cavendish Hall, her sons having apparently died on their expedition with Bruttenholm. She also notes that her sons had not been the first males of the Cavendish line to try and find the cave; every group of males for nine generations has died trying to find it. The practice began with a sailor named Elihu Cavendish, a gentleman and whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
who had travelled the world and heard exotic stories in numerous ports. He had made it his life's goal to find the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
at the north pole; and with his failure, every male of the following generations tried to accomplish his feat. Lady Cavendish confides in the trio her sadness at being the last living member of her family, and hopes that when she dies Cavendish Hall will sink into the lake below.
The butler then escorts the trio to their separate rooms. With Lady Cavendish alone, the shadowy figure returns and informs her he will reunite her with her sons, telling them to emerge with the line "Children, come and kiss your mother goodnight..."
Deciding to begin their investigation, Abe removes his costume and dives out of the window, hoping to find something in the watery depths below the house. Hellboy then calls Liz on an internal line, and they discuss how the butler looked exactly like Sven Olafssen; the Arctic explorer who had supposedly died during the expedition with Bruttenholm and the Cavendish brothers. A group of frogs suddenly appear in Liz's room, and when she mentions this to Hellboy, he yells at her to get out of the room immediately, running towards her room himself.
Hellboy arrives at the room to find Liz gone; however, Olafssen is in the hall, feigning ignorance as to where she has vanished. When Hellboy threatens the explorer into talking, he transforms into a frog-monster, and the two fight through the house. After apparently killing the second monster, Hellboy returns to the sitting room and finds Lady Cavendish dead, covered in markings similar to those which adorned Bruttenholm's dead body. He regrets not having done something to protect her, but the dark individual seen earlier emerges and reveals himself to be Rasputin. Reunited with Hellboy, he tells him that it was he who had summoned him from the void, and also that it is Hellboy's destiny to help him destroy the world. Before he can retreat, a set of large tentacles smash through the floorboards and drag Hellboy to the cavernous depths below the house.
Part Three
In the darkness beneath Cavendish Hall - which is revealed to be an AztecAztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
temple - Rasputin begins lecturing Hellboy on the nature of the Ogdru Jahad, and their desire to be free from their prison. Hellboy quickly becomes impatient and shoots Rasputin in the head; but the monk quickly heals
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
and utters a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
which sends Hellboy flying through the air. This worries the demon, as this means his cadre of charms, amulets, relics etc. are no use against Rasputin's power. The wizard warns Hellboy that he brought him into the world, and he can just as easily take him out of it. The Olafssen frog monster then returns, and begins battling anew with Hellboy.
Meanwhile, Abe has ventured through the waterways which connect the cellars and caverns of Cavendish Hall to the lake. In the subterranean caves, he comes across the two Cavendish brothers, who have themselves become frog-monsters; however, they are not as violent as Olafssen, and are instead seen embracing the corpse of their mother, who they killed under Rasputin's orders. Venturing further, Abe discovers the body of Elihu Cavendish, kept on a throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
-like chair and bearing a harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
in his hand.
Back in the temple, Rasputin reveals his connection with the Ogdru Jahad. Having been killed by a group of nobles in 1916 and his body flung into the River Neva, Rasputin was brought back to life by the Ogdru Jahad and he left Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, seeking solace in an Italian
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...
village, gathering reputation as prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of the apocalypse. He was soon visited by Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, who took him to 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...
to head one of Hitler's various desperate "Doomsday Projects". Although Rasputin knew Hitler was doomed to failure, he also knew he could use the money, scientific minds and technological resources of the Third Reich to broaden his ambitions. He aligned himself with Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a fictional character in the Hellboy comic book series, created by Mike Mignola.In the comics, Kroenen was a relatively unremarkable Nazi SS scientist, whose most distinguishing characteristic was that he always wore a gas mask and protective bodysuit, which Mignola...
, Ilsa Haupstein, Leopold Kurtz and others, designing a machine that would bring the Ogdru Jahad to earth and burn it to cinders.
When the project failed and the group disbanded, Rasputin headed northwards, receiving a vision from Sadu Hem - the statue-creature found by Bruttenholm, which is now in the temple beneath Cavendish Hall. The monk went into a deep meditation and saw the Ogdru Jahad in the abyss. After being re-awoken by Bruttenholm's touch, he accessed the Professor's memories and by lucky chance discovered of Hellboy's existence. Using his renewed powers, he mind-controlled the expeditionary group to place Sadu Hem on board a ship and take him to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the creature feeding upon everyone on board. He also allowed a maddened Bruttenholm to return to New York, knowing this would be excellent bait to lure Hellboy into a trap.
Rasputin then reveals he had Olafssen capture Liz, and now plans to channel her powers through himself and into Sadu Hem, who will in turn use this energy to unlock the crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
cocoon
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
s of the Ogdru Jahad. He now no longer needs Hellboy, and proclaims that hell on earth is approaching.
Part Four
As Liz's power flows into Sadu Hem, the Ogdru Jahad are seen rumbling in their prisons. An unknown alienExtraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
race is seen observing the events, fearing that "the Seven" will devour the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
once they have blackened the earth. Hellboy continues to battle with Olafssen, before finding a concussion grenade and forcing it down his throat, apologizing to whatever little human sense remains in the creature.
Rasputin rejoices in his nearing victory, reciting the same spell he had used fifty years ago in his attempt to summon the creature. However, before he completes the spell, he is speared through the chest by Abe, who is under the possession of a vengeful Elihu Cavendish. With the monk's concentration broken, Liz's fire-power becomes uncontrollable, frying Sadu Hem and causing the cavern to collapse. Abe awakens from Cavendish's control and leaps forward to save Liz, before greeting Hellboy and then carrying Liz out a nearby staircase.
A furious Rasputin then attempts to kill Hellboy, but the majority of his power spent, he is unable to do so. He tries to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
the demon, telling him that if he kills him, he will never know his true purpose. Hellboy smashes Rasputin's skull with his giant right hand, and runs up the staircase himself, before leaving the hall and watching it sink into the lake. Abe and Liz try to quiz him on what happened in the cave, as well as the identity of the wizard, but Hellboy is reluctant to inform them.
As Hellboy recalls the monk's last words, the scene changes to an abandoned castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, which bears the ruins of an old, esoteric Nazi laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
. The figures of Kroenen
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a fictional character in the Hellboy comic book series, created by Mike Mignola.In the comics, Kroenen was a relatively unremarkable Nazi SS scientist, whose most distinguishing characteristic was that he always wore a gas mask and protective bodysuit, which Mignola...
, Ilsa and Kurtz - Rasputin's old disciples - are seen frozen into the wall in a thick sheet of ice. However, a nearby device blinks into life, and the ice begins to crack...
Collected editions
It was collected as the first Hellboy trade paperbackTrade 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...
, which has been reissued and published as a limited edition hardcover. The collection also includes the first two Hellboy short stories from San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 and Comics Buyer's Guide #1070 and a gallery of pinups from Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
, Mike Allred, Art Adams
Art Adams
Arthur "Art" Adams is an American comic book artist and writer. He first broke into the American comic book industry with the 1985 Marvel Comics miniseries Longshot...
, Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
, Fred Blanchard and Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni is an American comics artist best known for the syndicated newspaper comic Prince Valiant.-Biography:Gianni graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1976...
.
- Seed of Destruction (Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark 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...
, TPBTrade 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...
, 128 pages, 1994, ISBN 1-56971-316-2, 2004, ISBN 1-59307-094-2, hardcover, 1995, ISBN 1-56971-051-1)
Awards
- 19951995 in comics-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
:- Won "Best Graphic Album: Reprint" Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
- Won "Best Writer/Artist" Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
, for Mike Mignola
- Won "Best Graphic Album: Reprint" Eisner Award
External links
- Dark Horse profile of issue #1
- Review of the trade, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
- The Hellboy Archive