The Visitor
| Alias | Michael Mathers |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Species | Alien |
| Relatives | Ruby (wife) |
| Created by | Mike Mignola |
| First comic appearance | Conqueror Worm |
The Visitor (also known as Michael Mathers) was an extraterrestrial assassin sent to Earth to kill Hellboy, the one who would bring about the end of the universe.
History
World War II
In December 23, 1944, the day Rasputin and his followers breach the gates of Hell to bring forth the Beast of the Apocalypse, the Visitor had infiltrated the ranks of the U.S. Army unit that halted the plans of the Nazis. He witnessed Hellboy being spared by the human soldiers at the convincing of Professor Trevor Bruttenholm. Seeing the humans spare the otherworldly child, he was unable to carry out his orders.
He reported to his superior telling he refused to kill a child, insisting he was an innocent and could be held at no fault for the circumstances of his birth. The Visitor believed there was still a chance for redemption in Hellboy and thus he decided to remain on Earth, forfeiting the possibility of return in order to observe the development of the child.
Observation
The Visitor continued to watch Hellboy from afar, observing his childhood and his years as an agent of the B.P.R.D. On one occasion in 1954, when the Osiris Club contacted Hellboy in slaying the Saint Leonard Worm, the Visitor followed him. He observed the unsuspecting Hellboy face the dragon as well as the dragon nearly strangling Hellboy against a statue, but he intervened to save Hellboy's life by using his Prism to cause the statue to shatter and one of the pieces to impale the dragon's head. After Hellboy left, he was shocked to see that Hellboy's blood had caused lilies to grow, making the Visitor wonder that perhaps Hellboy was not destined as a force of destruction but as a force of good.
In 1958, the Visitor had taken residence in Oakville, Tennessee, posing as a homeless man. He was being harassed by a gang of hooligans until a waitress named Ruby came to his aid. After driving the young men away she befriended the stranger and offered him a meal.
In 1961, a day before Christmas, the Visitor tailed Hellboy and his partner, Victor Koestler. He observed them fight a possessed Santa Claus in Fairfield, Connecticut. Professor Trevor Bruttenholm nearby noticed the stranger and urged him to retreat from the fight, but the Professor realized that he looked familiar. The Visitor cryptically informed the professor how to defeat the possessed man through the amulet. When all was said and done the Visitor had vanished from the streets. He appeared again outside the B.P.R.D office while observing the agents' holiday party from afar.[1]
By 1964, now going by the name "Michael Mathers", the Visitor had married Ruby and was living with her in Bridgeport, Connecticut. By this time Ruby was aware of her husband's origins and his mission. The Visitor was frequently tracking Hellboy's progress in tackling paranormal threats, however this was not his only mission. The Visitor was also intercepting the summoning of Ogdru Hem spirits. The Visitor was able to use his Prism to banish the spirits, thus diffusing these situations so that Hellboy would not have to deal with them.[2]
In 1993, Ruby was now an old woman who was suffering from dementia, and the Visitor, wishing to give her some peace of mind, took the form of her deceased mother. He held her in his arms as she passed peacefully.
Death
In 2000, the Visitor would meet Hellboy at Hunte Castle in Austria and reveal his existence as the silent observer who had watched him all his life since he came to Earth. Before encountering Hellboy, he was captured by Rasputin's followers in Austria, held prisoner, and was shot multiple times yet was still able to maintain enough strength. He told Hellboy his role as his silent watcher, and was proud that he had the ability to choose his destiny. Before dying he parted with his Prism in order to give Hellboy the means to imprison the Ogdru Hem known as the Conqueror Worm.[3]
Powers & Abilities
The Visitor was a covert operative who was skilled in infiltration, as shown by his disguising himself as a U.S. soldier via his glamouring abilities in order to appear human. He managed to stay hidden from the eyes of local law enforcement for decades, and even from the eyes of powerful occult groups such as the Osiris Club. In addition he was armed with an artifact called the Prism, which was gifted to him by his people to kill Hellboy. However it also enabled him to combat supernatural threats such as the Ogdru Hem and easily dispatch them in the process.