Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense
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The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense or the B.P.R.D. is an organization in the Dark Horse Comics universe charged with protecting America and the world from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. It maintains and utilises the services of several supernatural persons. It was originally featured in the Hellboy comics and has been expanded in a series of comic miniseries and one-shots.
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The Agency
The B.P.R.D. was founded in late 1945 by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm to combat various occult threats uncovered in operations against Nazi Germany. It initially had strong links to the USAAF and was based at a military airbase in New Mexico, but later relocated to a custom built facility in Fairfield, Connecticut. It maintains strong links to various branches of the United States Armed Forces to this day. It is a private organization that receives funding from several major governments (mostly the United States and United Kingdom, although other countries like Canada, Japan, France, and Italy have been mentioned).
Professor Bruttenholm served as Director until the late 1950s when he stepped down to return to field work. The current Director is Dr. Thomas Manning.
The B.P.R.D. is a well known and respected organization that has excellent relations with most national Governments and United States Government Agencies, with the exceptions of China and the CIA. Currently it is the United States' only defense against an onslaught of frog creatures (originally featured in 'Hellboy - Seed of Destruction'). Though the 'frogs' originally began operating on the East coast, they are spreading west on both sides of the US-Canadian border. To cut costs, the Bureau has moved from its traditional headquarters in Connecticut to an abandoned research facility in Colorado. This facility was last used to house Nazi scientists who defected to America after World War II. As such, the facility contains vast amounts of secret files that the B.R.P.D. has yet to explore.
Recently Director Manning has been shown to be worried about staff shortages: Hellboy has left to seek his origins, and Abe Sapien has been plagued by revelatory dreams of cthulhoid fishmen, which is leading him to do the same. To counter this, Manning has brought in Capt. Ben Daimio, who became interested in the occult after apparently dying and coming back to life during an unspecified mission.
The Movie B.P.R.D.
The B.P.R.D. portrayed in the 2004 film 'Hellboy' has a number of major differences to the agency shown in the comics. In the movie it is a secret United States Government Agency strongly affiliated with the FBI - several personnel are FBI Agents including Manning and new character Special Agent John Myers. The Director is still Professor Bruttenholm and it is based in a hidden underground facility in New Jersey. The movie version uses the motto "We Bump Back", in reference to "things that go bump in the night". It is also hinted that the base may be related to the legendary military base Area 51: The Number "51" appears on the wall when Myers rides an elevator into the facility.
Tag Line
- "In Absentia Luci, Tenebrae Vincu", Latin for "In the Absence of Light, Darkness Prevails"
Alternative Title
In some comics (such as Hellboy: Almost Collossus and Hellboy: The Wolves of St August and the series) and some official merchandise, the organisation is named Bureau For Paranormal Research and Defense.
Personnel
- Hellboy
- Abe Sapien
- Liz Sherman
- Professor Trevor Bruttenholm (pronounced Broom) (deceased)
- Roger the Homunculus
- Johann Kraus the Ectoplasmic Physical Medium
- Dr Tom Manning
- Dr Kate Corrigan
- Captain Ben Daimio (undead, still technically deceased)
- Mr. Sidney Leach
- Mr. Bud Waller (deceased)
- Mr. Clark (deceased)
- Agent Apon
- Agent Ipswich
- Irving Gremlinski (agent in small comedy short included in Weird Tales I
- FBI Special Agent John Myers (movie version only)
The Miniseries & One-shots
- B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth
- B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice
- B.P.R.D.: Dark Waters
- B.P.R.D.: Night Train
- B.P.R.D.: There's Something Under My Bed
- B.P.R.D.: A Plague of Frogs
- B.P.R.D.: The Dead
- B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame
- B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine
References
Graphic Novels
- Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
- Hellboy: Wake the Devil
- Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
- Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom
- Hellboy: Conqueror Worm
- Hellboy: Weird Tales Vol. 1
- Hellboy: Weird Tales Vol. 2
- B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth and Others
- B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Others
- B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs
- B.P.R.D.: The Dead
Others
- Hellboy (motion picture, 2004)
- Hellboy Sourcebook and Role Playing Game