Hellboy

Hellboy is a ficticious character from the comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. He first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (1993), written and drawn by Mike Mignola. Since then, Hellboy has been featured in several miniseries, as well as a crossover series focused on the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, which he is a member of.

Hellboy is a demon-like creature that fights against dark forces in the world, for the U.S. government. His many adventures have been chronicled in various forms of media such as the aforementioned comic series, animated films, novels, and the famous live-action films.

History

Hellboy's true demon name is revealed to be Anung un Rama, and was brought to our world as a baby by an occult Nazi group. He was discovered and rescued by the Allied Forces, along with Professor Trevor Bruttenholm. Bruttenholm eventually became Hellboy's adopted father and founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). The professor raised Hellboy as a Catholic, gave him his nickname, and taught him good morals to save him from the evil that might soon consume him. Hellboy goes on to become, what many say, the "World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator".

Powers and Physical Abilities

His most obvious and defining features physically are his horns (which he files to fit in with everyone else), his red skin, his demon-like tale, and his over-sized right hand made of stone, called the "Right Hand of Doom".

Along with his resistance to fire and super-human strength, Hellboy has a high resistance to physical injury due to his accelerated healing factor, similar to Wolverine of X-Men fame. His body repairs any damaged tissue as well as generates new blood. Although this gives him a seemingly unstoppable demeanor, he can still be injured with conventional weaponry.

Weapons

He doesn't only rely on his natural physical abilities. In every adventure, Hellboy is well equipped with a variety of items and weapons to be used against supernatural forces of evil. He carries horseshoes, herbs, and other holy relics. Most notable is his affinity for grenades and big guns. He is known to carry an oversized revolver he calls the "Good Samaritan". This particular weapon uses special bullets, designed by Hellboy himself, that incorporates garlic, silver, and holy water for use against a multitude of enemies. The "Samaritan" is known to be made from melted church bells and fragments of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified.

Helboy wielded the legendary sword Excalibur for a time as well, having pulled it from the stone. This is due to being descended from King Arthur on his mother's side, and made him the truthful ruler of England - a title he refused..

The Movies

In 2004, writer and director Guillermo del Toro made the film adaptation of Hellboy. The film saw Ron Perlman playing the role of Hellboy, John Hurt as Professor Bruttenholm, and Doug Jones as Abe Sapien (with vocals dubbed in by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce). The film earned positive reviews and good box office numbers.

The sequel to the first Hellboy live-action film was released in 2008. Entitled Hellboy II: The Golden Army, this film saw Perlman and Jones reprising their roles (with Jones providing his own vocals this time), as well as a new character, Johann Kraus, voiced by Seth McFarlane. Unlike the first film that was made under Columbia Pictures (they decided not to continue the franchise), this sequel was made under Universal Pictures instead.