Grigori Rasputin (Hellboy)
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Grigori Rasputin | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
First appearance | Hellboy: Seed of Destruction (1994) |
Created by | Mike Mignola John Bryne |
In-story information | |
Full name | Grigori Efimovich Rasputin |
Team affiliations | Nazis |
Notable aliases | Rasputin, The Mad Monk |
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin is a fictional supervillain in the comic book series Hellboy. The character was created by Mike Mignola and John Byrne, and was based on the real life Russian mystic of the same name. Rasputin serves as the second archenemy of Hellboy after the Ogdru Jahad.
Fictional biography
In 1895, questioning his powers and purpose, Rasputin is visited by the witch
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
During World War II, Rasputin conducted a ritual to summon the means to bring the Ogdru Jahad to Earth and permit them to raze the earth. But the summoning accidentally placed the creature to carry out the deed, later named Hellboy, in the hands of the Allies. Having already known that the war is lost and Hitler's eventual death, Rasputin tells those among Project Ragna Rok he sees as loyal to seek refuge in their base at Norway while he traveled to the Arctic Circle at the beckoning of Sadu-Hem, a monstrous spawn of the Ogdru Jahad. There, Rasputin entered a meditative state. Rasputin resurfaced in 1994 when awakened by an expedition group, using them to reach the Cavendish estate. Rasputin lured Hellboy to the manor have him free the Ogdru Jahad from their crystal prisons, deciding to siphon power from Liz Sherman to use Sadu-Hem to free its creator. But with the timely intervention of Abe Sapien impaling him while under the influence of the ghost of Elihu Cavendish, ends up Rasputin being reduced to a skeleton as Liz's flames incinerate Sadu-Hem. Though Rasputin attempts to convince Hellboy to spare him, he ends up being physically destroyed.
Hellboy: Wake the Devil
Rasputin re-appeared as a ghost while his revived pawns attempted to restore the vampire Vladimir Giurescu to life. Rasputin directed Ilsa Haupstein, a loyal member of Project Ragna Rok, to abandon her efforts to revive Giurescu and instead place herself within an enchanted iron maiden under the notion that she would be infused into the relic so she can endure the Ogdru Jahad when they burn the world. Leaving Ilsa, unaware that she died spiritually and only become a vessel for the goddess Hecate after her previous physical form was destroyed by Hellboy, Rasputin targets Abe Sapien and prophecies that Abe will suffer the same death as he did. After the unintended destruction of Project Ragna Rok's base, Rasputin pays a visit to Baba Yaga at Yggdrasil. While offered to stay with her, Rasputin says that he'll go on and continue to try to make himself a god.
Hellboy: Conqueror Worm and Darkness Calls
Rasputin appeared lastly in his ghostly form as a counsel to Inger von Klempt. He persuaded her that she was to be the first of a final race of men, but she was executed by Lobster Johnson and the end of the world was averted with the destruction of the Conqueror Worm. Afterward, Rasputin attempts to command Hecate into doing his bidding, and they begin bickering about the Apocalypse and Hellboy. Hecate then destroys Rasputin's ghostly form, with his remnants retreating to the roots of the Yggdrasil, where Baba Yaga gathered what remained of his soul and placed it in an acorn. Despite no longer having a presence in world events, Rasputin's prophecy for Abe comes to light in the BPRD side story Plague of Frogs through a doomsday cult led by an acolyte of the Ogdru Jahad named Humbert who became a host for a regenerated Sadu-Hem and fulfilled Abe's near death experience.
Later, as Hellboy is trying to fight his way out of the Baba Yaga's world, the witch puts as much of her power as she can into her slave
BPRD
In Plague of Frogs Abe Sapien was stabbed by Humbert, a cult leader who was responsible for creating an army of frog monsters which would ultimately lead to the awakening of the Ogdru Hem. It is theorized that Rasputin was somehow influencing Humbert, taking revenge for his death. Later, in The Devil You Know, Rasputin was resurrected as the newest avatar of the Ogdru Jahad. After reanimating every Ogdru Hem on the planet, he snapped Abe's spine, swatted Liz aside like a fly, and tore off Hellboy's right hand. Before he could use it, however, Hellboy snapped his neck, before collapsing and dying of blood loss. The Ogdru Hem later eradicated most of humanity before Hellboys severed hand was used to stop them. Humanity fled underground, while the surface was repopulated by Icthyo Sapiens which emerged from Abe's corpse.
In other media
Film
- Actor Kroenen in an Arctic temple, the director's cut revealing that he was rendered eyeless before being provided with Ocular prosthesisafter Hellboy's initial fight with Sammael. Needing to prepare for an upcoming eclipse that would allow him to bring the Ogdru Jahad, Rasputin orchestrates various events throughout the movie to have Hellboy realize his true calling in summoning the entities. But Hellboy rejects Rasputin and stabs him with one of his own severed horns, causing Rasputin's "god" to emerge, crushing Rasputin and Ilsa in the process.
- In the sequel, Kroenen, telling Zinco he has one final mission to perform for him.[1]
- In the sequel,
- Markos Rounthwaite portrays Rasputin in the 2019 film reboot, only appearing in flashbacks where he oversaw Project Ragnarok before being killed by Lobster Johnson.