If you knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that there were creatures beyond the normal, into the paranormal, what would you do? Would you start an organization to defend the world from the bizarre? Would you make strange bed fellows in your recruitment, taking in odd beings to aide in your effort? The B.P.R.D. is one such organization, ready to explore the occult and defend against the threats it may bring. So what is the B.P.R.D. and what does it stand for? Let’s find out!
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense was founded in 1944, when it was discovered that Hitler was using occult means to try and win World War 2. Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, a researcher into the supernatural would lead the organization, often going on field missions with soldiers and masked heroes to deal with Nazi magical experiments. One such case involved the summoning of a demon, while the B.P.R.D. couldn’t stop it, what they were able to do was raise it right. Bruttenholm would become the adoptive father of Hellboy, a demon who is the harbinger of the apocalypse, if he wants to be. This would become the first but not last, supernatural being to join the ranks of the team.
Hellboy would become the face of the B.P.R.D. and was able to take on some of the heavy hitters of the supernatural realm. While Bruttenholm lead the team for its first few decades, he would eventually step down to resume field work of his own. As time marched on, new faces would join. Some were humans gifted or cursed with powers like psychics or shapeshifters. Such as Liz Sherman, pyrokinetic, Johann Kraus, medium, or Ben Daimo, werepanther. Others were no longer human or were never human, members like, Abe Sapien, ichthyo sapien (fishman) and Roger, a homunculus working with the agency became a home for many creatures who didn’t fit in anywhere else.
While the organization began as an American government agency, it was soon seen to be a global asset, gaining funding and jurisdiction across the planet. Where once people lived in feat of the creatures that go bump in the night, the B.P.R.D. became heroes of a sort, riding into towns and cities in paranormal distress. Hellboy leading the charge most often, with his giant right hand and his massive gun in the other. Strange monsters may threaten innocent lives but the B.P.R.D. made sure to threaten and understand those strange monsters right back.
As time went on, agents would come and go, some by choice, others by death. Bruttenholm would die from the first attack from the beginning of a long and deadly threat to the B.P.R.D. and the world at large. Hellboy stayed on until the early 2000s, tired of all the death of friends and others leaving the organization as well. Just because their flagship agent left and their founder deceased, the team lived on. Abe Sapien took on more missions, even leading some, Daimo become a field team leader. Not only did the agency provide a home, but sometimes assignments could lead to answers about themselves, such as Abe Sapien learning of his origins as once being a human being before magic got involved. Isn’t that always the way?
The B.P.R.D. has helped stop many an end of the world scenario from happening, but there does seem to be a limit to how many of those one can avert. In recent years, nearly every agent that isn’t a human with no form of supernatural power or origin, has left the organization for one reason or another. The end times feel extremely nigh, the heroes with strange powers are scattered, some believed to have betrayed the B.P.R.D. Things are looking mighty bleak.
There you have it! The B.P.R.D. have been a major part of the world of Hellboy, once his home and now its own series with several spin-offs. It’s appeared on the big screen multiple times and even in animation on the small screen. Will the B.P.R.D. be able to rally in the end times? We can only hope. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Hellboy
B.P.R.D.
Dr.
Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
