A rich world of fantastical characters and creatures exist in Hellboy's universe based on real world myths and legends, but characters based on actual existent real world individuals are much rarer. One such rarity does have a major role, though, one whose own life story is bizarre enough to appear in a comic book fantasy: Grigori Rasputin, Hellboy's first villain and the man who brought him into the world. With the backstory of the real Russian mystic who was brutally and repeatedly assassinated in 1916, the Hellboy version of Rasputin has him returned to life by the apocalyptic monsters the Ogdru Jahad in order to summon the demon Anung un Rama and use him to unleash them on the world. Rasputin only really provides a threat in the very first story arc, Seed of Destruction, which ends in his death after which point his failure made him an almost tragic figure amongst greater threats, but his actions kick start the entire narrative. He was obviously a memorable enough character to appear as the main antagonist in Del Toro's first Hellboy movie.
20. Carla Giarocco
Recent BPRD story lines have sidelined the super-powered, supernatural freaks for various reasons, leaving a bunch of regular, very human field agents to pick up the slack just at the point where, as the comic's title now states, Hell on Earth breaks out. Agent Carla Giarocco is the standout character of this group - her cool head in the heat of battle, presence of mind and skill in command have seen her rise through the ranks in recent stories to become a field commander. A mother whose young child is a constant, if never seen, presence, Agent Giarocco is driven to save the world for ordinary people, often having little patience with the side interests of the enhanced agents. Before she ever appeared for real, Giarocco's dead body was witnessed by Liz in a horrific vision of the future, a sign, perhaps, of the fate that awaits most ordinary human agents fighting the good fight.
