Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
| Karl Ruprecht Kroenen | |
|---|---|
Kroenen by Mike Mignola.
|
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
| Created by | Mike Mignola |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Third Reich |
| Notable aliases | Kroenen |
| Abilities |
Near-immortality Superhuman agility, stamina, and durability Expert in hand-to-hand combat and swordfighting |
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a fictional character in the Hellboy comic book series, created by Mike Mignola.
In the comics, Kroenen was a relatively unremarkable Nazi SS scientist, whose most distinguishing characteristic was that he always wore a gas mask and protective bodysuit, which Mignola attributes to a disfiguring accident of some kind.
Director Guillermo del Toro created a significantly expanded biography for the character, to appear as a villain in the 2004 film adaptation.
A German scientist working for the Nazis, and a member of the Thule Society, Dr. Kroenen became one of the top scientists for Project Ragna Rok, and a close disciple of Grigori Rasputin, along with Ilsa Haupstein and Leopold Kurtz. He was present with Rasputin at the secret ritual in Scotland that brought Hellboy to the world.
Kroenen, Haupstein, and Kurtz were frozen inside a secret Nazi base, until they were resuscitated by industrialist Roderick Zinco, acting on Rasputin's orders. Kroenen resumed work on several of his former projects, including making an "Apocalypse Army" by combining corpses with robotics. He also convinced Zinco to retrieve the head of his colleague, Herman von Klempt, from South America. Kroenen retained an affection for his colleague, though Rasputin had rejected Klempt as unsuitable for Ragna Rok. When Klempt's head was re-animated, he tried to convince Kroenen to abandon Rasputin's plan to awaken the Ogdru Jahad - and instead to use the Army to retrieve Klempt's work in South America. Overhearing, Kurtz became furious and attacked Klempt's head, screaming, "Rasputin is master!" In a panic, Kroenen seized a knife and killed Kurtz. When their plan failed, an enraged Rasputin struck Zinco, who was blinded. Wandering around, Zinco accidentally pressed a self-destruct button in the base, destroying it completely and taking Kroenen with it.
...
Wikipedia