| Grigori Efimovich Rasputin | |
|---|---|
Rasputin by Mike Mignola. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
| Created by | Mike Mignola |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Nazis |
| Notable aliases | Rasputin |
| Abilities | Near-immortal Versed in black magic and occult rituals |
Grigori Efimovich Rasputin is a fictional supervillain in the comic book series Hellboy. The character was created by Mike Mignola and John Byrne, based on the real life Russian mystic of the same name.
In 2009, Grigori Rasputin was ranked as IGN's 83rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.[1]
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After being assassinated by Prince Felix Yusopov on December 16th, 1916, Rasputin was revived and contacted by the Ogdru Jahad. They enlisted him as their mortal agent in the world. Soon after, Rasputin was contacted by the Nazis to begin development on an occult method for ending the war. From this, Project Ragna Rok was born. The Nazis sought to use Rasputin to defeat the Allies, but Rasputin knew this would never happen. He merely intended to use the Nazi’s resources as long as he could to achieve his own goals: to trigger the apocalypse which would jumpstart a new Eden.
Rasputin first appeared in a cradle the Beast of the Apocalypse for the Nazis during World War II. When the summoning accidentally placed the creature (Hellboy) in the hands of the Allies, Rasputin retreated to the Arctic Circle.
He returned in 1994 with Sadu-Hem, a monstrous spawn of the Ogdru Jahad, in tow. Rasputin's goal was to use Hellboy's stone right hand to free the Ogdru Jahad from their crystal prisons and permit them to raze the earth. However, Rasputin's plans were foiled by the timely intervention of Hellboy's associates from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien. Rasputin was killed and Sadu-Hem was burned to death.
Rasputin re-appeared as a ghost while his 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. Haupstein did so, dying in the process, but her blood allowed the goddess Hecate to use the iron maiden as a permanent and indestructible body. Hecate's mortal form, like that of Rasputin himself, had been destroyed.
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 World Tree, where the Baba Yaga took what was left of his soul and placed it in an acorn.
When the BPRD investigated the disappearance of a regenerated Sadu Hem from a Bureau facility in New Jersey, they found a doomsday cult led by an acolyte of Rasputin. The acolyte, who had exhibited a chest wound the day that Rasputin was speared to death, fulfilled Rasputin's prophecy regarding his murderer. Abe Sapien, the agent that slew Rasputin, was himself speared to death by the acolyte. Sapien, however, was soon revived and both the acolyte and Sadu Hem were killed.
Rasputin's appearance in this story was limited to a photograph in a shrine.
Towards the end of the series, as Hellboy is trying to fight his way out of the Baba Yaga's world, the villainess puts as much of her power as she can into her slave Koschei the Deathless to kill Hellboy. As she runs out of her own power, she states she has one more try, and wants to use the spirit of Rasputin, (still in the acorn) to power Koschei. But her servant, Koku, throws the acorn away stating 'oh, not that... not him' in a manner of keeping Rasputin's Soul at peace. Hellboy hears Rasputin's name mentioned and only states 'Don't even get me started on that guy!'
He appears before Hellboy while Hellboy is battling Sammael the Hellhound and Hellboy appears to recognize his voice, advising that his mission is to help Hellboy realize his true calling, to destroy the Earth by summoning the Ogdru Jahad. During the climax of the film, Rasputin nearly succeeds in freeing the Ogdru Jahad, but Hellboy rejects him and stabs Rasputin with one of his own severed horns. Rasputin's 'god', a tentacled monster bursts from his body and grows to gigantic size squashing Rasputin in the process.
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