On October 9, 1944, during a battle between a brave battalion of Allied forces and Hitler's agents of chaos, the world was nearly destroyed, consumed by the flames of Hell. The Allied battalion had a secret weapon, Trevor Bruttenholm, "Broom," an expert in the mysteries of the occult who headed up the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).

Just as the Allies claimed victory, an infernal rift broke open in the ground, and Broom was delighted to discover a horned red devil baby among the brimstone. It smiled at him and he smiled back. The Allied soldiers, the BPRD and the world had a new friend - Hellboy. "He was born a demon - we must do our best to make him a man," declared Bruttenholm. Under Professor Broom's tutelage, Hellboy has become the world's greatest paranormal detective, and an invaluable member of the BPRD.