Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
He was supposed to usher in the end of the world…until the day he ate pancakes: Hellboy
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Appearances in Heroclix: Hellboy & BPRD Action Pack, Indy
First Appearance: San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 (August 1993)
Team Affiliations: B.P.R.D.
Powers: Superhuman strength, agility, endurance, stamina, durability, and longevity, Accelerated healing, Right Hand of Doom, Innate capability to comprehend magical languages, Immunity to fire and lightning
Created by: Mike Mignola
On October 5, 1617, Sarah Hughes lays on her deathbed and attempts to repent for her life as a witch and consort of the archduke, Azzael. Before she can, however, Azzal arrives and takes her body to hell, burning it away and giving “birth” to Hellboy. He cuts off the young half-demon boy’s right hand off and attaches the Right Hand of Doom. Azzael sends the young child away before the princes of Hell can arrive to strip him of his powers and encase him in ice.
Little is known of what happens between this and the end of World War II when Grigori Rasputin summons the infant Hellboy to an island off the coast of Scotland. The arrival of an army task force working with Trevor Bruttenholm sends the Nazi forces in disarray and the Allies discover the young boy. They take him back to an Air Force base in New Mexico where he is raised by Professor Trevor Buttenholm as a “normal” Catholic child. As a result of this encounter, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is formed and operates out of this same base.
Once he physically matures, Hellboy becomes one of the primary field agents for the BPRD. He spends decades encountering all manner of odd and occult creatures until one day, Professor Buttenholm goes missing after an Arctic expedition. Helboy visits just in time to see the Professor collapse as demonic frogs burst from his corpse. This brings Hellboy back into conflict with the thought dead Rasputin who is determined to unleash elder gods and begin the apocalypse with Hellboy’s help.
This series of events leads Hellboy down a path of trying to discover his true origins. He soon learns that he had two half siblings that went on to become a nun and priest, both haunting Bromwich Church and trying to protect the ghost of their mother. Still seeking more knowledge about his past, Hellboy discovers a resurrected Nazi vampire. This also leads to Hellboy having his first conflict with the goddess Hecate. Hellboy destroys Hecate’s body only for Rasputin to supply her with an Iron Maiden like form to control. Hecate is able to swallow Hellboy and attempts to coerce him into beginning the apocalypse. Hellboy refuses once again.
Hellboy and Abe track down the warlock Igor Bromhead who, along the demon Ualac capture Hellboy and restrains him with his “true name” Anung Un Rama. Ualac takes Hellboy’s infernal Crown of the Apocalypse in order to grow stronger. Unfortunatley, this also allows Hellboy to break free of their spell and Hellboy is able to kill Ualac’s mortal form before the archduke Astaroth drags the demon back to Hell. All of these escapades lead to Hellboy formally resigning from the BPRD.
Hellboy commits to investigating his origins full time and ends up on a mystical island with a resurrected mystic. This results in Hellboy learning the full truth of the creation of the Right Hand of Doom and Ogdru Jahad. Six years later, Hellboy returns to England where the witches attempt to recruit him as their king. Refusing, they send him to the dimension of Baba Yaga where she sends her champion Koschei to kill him. Hellboy is able to defeat the champion and returns to England. Hellboy soon encounters the spirit of Morgana le Fay who reveals that through his mother, Hellboy is actually the last living heir of Arthur Pendragon and rightful king of England. This allows him to wield Excalibur, which becomes a flaming blade in his hands, and summons an army of undead British lords. He makes a bargain with Baba Yaga for her aid and faces the witch queen Nimue in a battle for the fate of the world. Though Hellboy is able to defeat Nimue, he is also killed and sent down to Hell.
While in Hell, Hellboy encounters much of his demonic family and kills most of them. He eventually returns to Earth to battle Rasputin once again but he is unable to prevent Ragnarok resulting in the destruction of most of humanity. In desperation, Hellboy and Hecate fuse together to create new life on Earth.
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