World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator

For the Comic Buyer's Guide version, see World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator (CBG).

This untitled story was a promotional piece for the upcoming Hellboy series.

Publication History

This four-page story was the first published Hellboy story. It was originally published in San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 (Aug '93) in black and white. It was reprinted in color in Hellboy – Volume 1: Seed of Destruction, October 1994. The story was recolored by Dave Stewart for the San Diego Comic-Con International 2018 Souvenir Book, which commemorated the 25th Anniversary of Hellboy's first appearance.

Synopsis

Hellboy travels to an abandoned town somewhere in the Midwest, one in a string of towns that have had all their residents disappear. Upon arrival, he notices a sign in the shape of a boot with an Egyptian scarab, and a swastika. He also encounters a lonely dog. The dog grows to immense size, and Hellboy realizes that it is Anubis, Egyptian god of mummification. Hellboy is able to defeat the beast, but is blown away, when Anubis lands on a flammable pump.

Story Chronology

According to Hellboy: The Companion, this story takes place in June 1993, Mesquite Creek, Arizona.

Content

Characters

• B.P.R.D.
  • Hellboy
• Egyptian Gods
  • Anubis

Noteworthy artifacts

• Sign in the shape of a boot with an Egyptian scarab, and a Nazi swastika

Trivia

Being the first Hellboy story, this means that Anubis is the first Hellboy villain.