The Comprehensive Guide to Hellboy's BPRD
Discover the origins of the BPRD and delve into the diverse team of individuals that fought alongside Hellboy Uncover the secrets behind this extraordinary organization in Hellboy: The BPRD, Explained
Highlights
Hellboy's debut in 1993 did not include the B.P.R.D., which is an important organization in the Hellboy universe and was introduced in 1994.
The B.P.R.D., a top-secret organization established by the U.S. government amidst World War II, has the mission of managing supernatural phenomena. Comprised of human and paranormal operatives, it serves as the first line of defense against cataclysmic perils in the Hell on Earth Cycle.
The character Hellboy was created by writer and artist Mike Mignola, making his first appearance in the 1993 comic San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. Since then, Hellboy has been featured in numerous comics, movies, and video games. The popular franchise introduced notable characters like Abe Sapien and Professor Broom through the three feature films. However, it wasn't until the 1994 story Hellboy: Seed of Destruction that the organization B.P.R.D. was introduced.
The B.P.R.D., short for Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, plays a crucial role in the Hellboy universe. Its significance grows even further after Hellboy's departure from the organization in the 2001 story Conqueror Worm. This led to the B.P.R.D. receiving its own series, which focuses on various agents including Abe Sapien, a humanoid creature with green skin, and Liz Sherman, a human with the ability to manipulate fire. So, what exactly is the B.P.R.D.?
Who Created the B.P.R.D.?
Nazi Germany delved deep into the realm of the supernatural towards the end of World War II, prompting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to seek assistance from an advisor of England's Paranormal Society. Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, an expert in the mystical realm, collaborated with the United States military to thwart Hitler's Project Ragnarok, a scheme that could have secured victory for the Axis powers. During the course of this operation, a hybrid creature, part human and part devil, emerged from a portal and gravitated towards Trevor. The Professor named him "Hellboy" and raised him as his own son, ultimately enlisting him as an agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development, utilizing his supernatural abilities to their advantage.
Hellboy and Bruttenholm worked together closely for numerous years in the B.P.R.D., with the Professor serving as the organization's director until the late 1950s when he decided to focus more on fieldwork. However, in 1992, Bruttenholm mysteriously vanished, only to reappear two years later and meet his demise at the hands of the Mad Monk Grigori Rasputin, a Russian mystic determined to initiate the apocalypse.
What is the B.P.R.D.?
John Hurt portrayed the Professor in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy and Hellboy: The Golden Army. The character underwent some changes under the director's vision, notably, the decision to forego stepping down as Director in the 1950s. Nevertheless, this alteration was primarily motivated by the movie's contemporary backdrop. Mike Mignola, the creator of the comics, lauded Hurt's performance, affirming that it was akin to witnessing the character leap out of the very pages of his own creation. In the 2019 Hellboy reboot, Ian McShane assumed the role of Bruttenholm, crafting a grittier persona that lacked any inclination to empathize with Hellboy's existential queries about his place in the world.
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development was established by the U.S. government during World War II, in response to the discovery of supernatural forces present worldwide. This highly classified agency is only known to a select few government entities around the world, with the general public remaining largely unaware. Initially, Hellboy served as the organization's sole non-human operative until the retirement of Director Professor Bruttenholm, when Dr. Thomas Manning assumed the position.
Liz Sherman became the first agent with special abilities to join the B.P.R.D. team in 1974. The agency later discovered Abe Sapien, an amphibious creature, hidden in the basement of St. Trinidad Hospital. Instead of dissecting him, Hellboy intervened, making Abe a field agent and rescuing him from a terrible fate. Over time, the B.P.R.D. assembled a diverse group of human and paranormal agents, ready to confront any apocalyptic challenges from the spiritual realm.
A series of events unfolded, pitting the B.P.R.D. against a horde of mutated frogs and a neo-Nazi faction. These events led to the destruction of Munich, Germany, and the B.P.R.D. faced disgrace in the eyes of the American military. However, when a gigantic, immobile creature in California emitted a gas that caused mutations across America, the B.P.R.D. proved to be the only force capable of combating it. In response, the United Nations Security Council recognized the B.P.R.D. as an ally and generously provided them with unlimited funding.
The B.P.R.D. serves as the frontline defense against the chaos of an apocalyptic Earth during the Hell on Earth Cycle. Monsters, resurrected villains, Lovecraftian gods, and selfless agents all contribute to the mayhem. The various film adaptations of the B.P.R.D. differ slightly from the original comics, with differences in the agency's creator and their connection to the FBI. The 2019 film suggests that the B.P.R.D. resides in the secretive Area 51 military base in Nevada, while the comics initially place them in Connecticut before relocating to an abandoned research facility in Colorado.
