The Nature of the Beast
| Writer | Mike Mignola |
|---|---|
| Art | Mike Mignola |
| Colorist | Dave Stewart |
| Lettering | Pat Brosseau |
| Editor | Scott Allie |
| Published by | Dark Horse Presents #151 |
| Publication date | February 2000 |
| Collected edition | Hellboy – Volume 4: The Right Hand of Doom |
| Collected in | Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories – Volume 1 |
In The Nature of the Beast, Hellboy is sent to slay a dragon.
Publication History
"The Nature of the Beast" was published in black and white, as part of the Dark Horse Presents #151, in February 2000. The story was reprinted in color in Hellboy – Volume 4: The Right Hand of Doom.
Synopsis
Hellboy travels to England in 1954. Trevor Bruttenholm has sent him to the Osiris Club, and they ask him to slay a dragon. They tell him the story of the Saint Leonard Worm, a dragon slain by a monk fourteen hundred years ago. The dragon had returned and it was on Hellboy to kill it. Hellboy enters Leonard's wood, and approaches a clearing with a statue of the monk. The dragon attacks Hellboy, and constricts him up against the statue. The dragon crushes Hellboy and the statue. The top of the statue breaks off, and the stone sword falls, killing the dragon.
Meanwhile, the Osiris Club had been watching Hellboy through a crystal ball. They comment that the experiment was inconclusive, and that they will have to continue to watch Hellboy to learn "his true nature."
Connections to Other Stories
This story is referenced in Conqueror Worm #2 and The Wild Hunt #1.
Content
Characters
- B.P.R.D.
- Hellboy
- Trevor Bruttenholm (Mentioned)
- Osiris Club Members
- Saint Leonard (Flashback)
- Saint Leonard Wyrm
Locations
- England
- Osiris Club meeting place
- Saint Leonard Wood
Noteworthy Artifacts
- Lilies that grow from blood
- Earl of Warwick's Spear
- Saint Leonard's statue