Hellboy

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Hellboy is a fictional character brought to life by writer-artist Mike Mignola. He first burst onto the scene in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (Aug. 1993), and has since made numerous appearances in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots, and intercompany crossovers. Hellboy's popularity led to two live-action feature films in 2004 and 2008 starring Ron Perlman in the title role, as well as two straight-to-DVD animated films, and two video games – Asylum Seeker and The Science of Evil. A benevolent demon with a true name that translates to "and upon his brow is set a crown of flame" (Anung Un Rama), Hellboy was summoned from Hell to Earth as an infant demon on December 23, 1944 by Nazi occultists (giving birth to his intense hatred for them). He was discovered by the Allied Forces; among them, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who founded the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). Over time Hellboy grew into a large, red-skinned man with a tail, horns (which he files off, leaving behind the signature circular stumps on his forehead), cloven hooves for feet, and an oversized right hand made of stone. He is often described as smelling of dry-roasted peanuts. Although a bit gruff, Hellboy shows none of the malevolence typically associated with demons, and has a strong sense of humor. This is attributed to his upbringing under Professor Bruttenholm, who raised him as a normal boy. Hellboy works for the BPRD, an international non-governmental agency, and battles dark forces including Nazis and Baba Yaga in a series of tales that draw from folklore, pulp magazines, vintage adventure, Lovecraftian horror, and horror fiction. In earlier stories, he is hailed as the "World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator."