Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #3
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeHellboy: Seed of Destruction #3 delivers the cosmological centerpiece of Mike Mignola's entire mythology: the first visual appearance of the Ogdru-Jahad — the seven primordial Dragon-gods whose imprisonment and potential release would drive Hellboy storylines for decades. In the same issue, Rasputin lays out the full architecture of Project Ragna Rok, tying Hellboy's origin irreversibly to Nazi occultism and a cycle of apocalyptic prophecy that redefined what a supernatural-horror comic could do with its own internal history. The Art Adams backup simultaneously introduces the interdimensional scientist Axwell Tiberius by name, launching the Monkeyman and O'Brien mythology as a parallel Dark Horse universe. Together, these two stories — main feature and backup — made issue #3 one of the most concept-dense single issues in Dark Horse's 1990s output.
In "Seed of Destruction [Chapter Three]," Ann brings the towering, surprisingly intelligent gorilla—nicknamed Monkeyman by Akiko—to her father’s library, hoping to teach him English. A week later, as Ann grapples with the lingering effects of an interdimensional discharge and her own growing strength, Axwell makes his formal introduction. Written and illustrated by Arthur Adams, with colors by Matt Hollingsworth and letters by Lois Buhalis, this 1994 Dark Horse issue features a cover by Mike Mignola and Arthur Adams, blending eerie atmosphere with quiet moments of connection.
In "Seed of Destruction [Chapter Three]," Hellboy confronts Rasputin’s chilling revelation: after his supposed death, the mystic was drawn back into darkness by the Nazis, who enlisted him in the twisted Project Ragna Rok—unleashing forces that would birth Hellboy himself. Now, centuries later, the ancient voice of the Ogdru-Jahad calls him to the frozen Arctic, dragging him into a fate far older than war or legend.
In "Who Are Monkeyman and O'Brien? Chapter 3," Ann brings the towering, intelligent gorilla—nicknamed Monkeyman by Akiko—to her father’s library, determined to teach him English. A week later, as Ann grapples with her own growing strength and the lingering effects of an interdimensional discharge, Axwell makes his formal introduction.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The Seed of Destruction mini-series was conceived and plotted by Mike Mignola, with John Byrne brought in to script the dialogue; Mignola handled all pencils, inks, and hand-lettered sound effects, while Byrne lettered the spoken word balloons in a font derived from his own handwriting — a division of labor that went uncredited in the indicia. Mark Chiarello colored the main story and Barbara Kesel served as editor. Both Mignola and Art Adams were members of Dark Horse's short-lived Legend imprint, which gave creator-owned projects premium placement, and each issue of the run carried a circular cover inset promoting Adams's backup feature — promotional artwork that was quietly removed from all subsequent reprint editions.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated May 1994; Part 3 of the four-issue Seed of Destruction mini-series, the first Hellboy comic book series, published by Dark Horse Comics.
- First visual (image) introduction of the Ogdru-Jahad — the seven Dragon-gods known as the Seven Beasts — whose individual names (Adad-Jahad, Amon-Jahad, Belili-Jahad, Irra-Jahad, Namrat-Jahad, Nergal-Jahad, and Nunn-Jahad) are all catalogued in this issue.
- Rasputin delivers his full origin monologue in this issue, revealing how the Ogdru-Jahad resurrected him after his 1916 murder and how he collaborated with the Third Reich on Project Ragna Rok, inadvertently summoning Hellboy rather than the Dragon-gods.
- The Art Adams backup story 'Who Are Monkeyman and O'Brien?' reaches the chapter in which Axwell Tiberius (the Monkeyman) formally introduces himself by name and asks Ann O'Brien about his dimensional homing device — his first speaking, named appearance.
- Story plotted by Mike Mignola, scripted by John Byrne; art, pencils, and inks by Mignola; colors by Mark Chiarello; edited by Barbara Kesel. Mignola drew all sound effects and balloon shapes; Byrne lettered dialogue — neither credit appeared in print.
- Herman von Klempt and the Kriegaffe appear in a flashback cameo; per Grand Comics Database, their true first appearance predates this issue, originating in the Hellboy insert bound into Comics Buyer's Guide #1070 (May 1994).
- The issue includes a one-page prose text feature titled 'An African Myth About a Frog,' one of several editorial extras woven through the mini-series.
- The backup 'Who Are Monkeyman and O'Brien?' from all four issues of the run was never included in any Hellboy trade paperback reprint, but was later collected in the standalone Monkeyman and O'Brien: The Stories trade paperback (1997); all Seed of Destruction reprint covers also had the Monkeyman & O'Brien promotional inset art removed.
Cast · 9 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #4 (1994)
Reprinted in Hellboy - Les germes de la destruction #2 (1994), Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #2 (1994), Hellboy #[1] (1994), Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #[nn] (1995), Hellboy: Semilla de Destrucción #3 (1995), Monkeyman and O'Brien Special #[nn] (1996), Hellboy #[1] (2001), Hellboy #1 (2002), Hellboy #[1] (2002), Judge Dredd Megazine #12 (2002), Judge Dredd Megazine #13 (2002), Hellboy: Seme uništenja #3 (2005), Hellboy Library Edition #1 (2008), Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #[nn] (2008), Hellboy: Edición Integral #1 (2011), Hellboy Kompendium #1 (2016), Hellboy Omnibus #1 (2018), Ултимативна комикс колекция #1 (2021)
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