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| “ | Karl Ruprecht Kroenen. Hitler's Top Assassin, and Head of the Thule Occult Society. | „ |
| ~ Professor Broom recognizing Kroenen. |
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a major antagonist in the Hellboy franchise.
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, possibly due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and fear of bacteria.
In the 2019 film, he was portrayed by stuntman Ilko Iliev.
Biography[]
Comics[]
Young Kroenen conducting his bizarre experiments.
A German scientist working for the Nazis, and a member of the Thule Society, Dr. Kroenen already active since 1920s where prior to his involvement in Project Ragna Rok, he had worked on experiments to extend life and conquer death. During that time, he was presumed to be involved in an attempt to harness the "shakti" energy force in 1930. An accident during the attempt left Kroenen injured, and the operations that saved his life left him resembling his monstrous creations and bound to live in a protective bodysuit. His later work led him to run afoul of A.N. Sandhu a number of times.
Kroenen would later 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 in his laboratory.
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 von Klempt as unsuitable for Ragna Rok.
When von 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 von Klempt's work in South America. Overhearing, Kurtz became furious and attacked von Klempt's head, screaming, "Rasputin is master!" In a panic, Kroenen seized a knife and killed Kurtz.
Kroenen's fiery death.
When their plan failed, an enraged Rasputin struck Zinco blind. Wandering around, Zinco accidentally pressed a self-destruct button in the base, destroying it completely and taking Kroenen with it. Although, it's turned out that he survived as many years later, he appeared in a meeting room of the Zinco Corporation with Leopold Kurtz. Around this time, he and Kurtz was tricked by Isaiah Marsten to revive the Black Flame instead of their master Rasputin with a body from B.P.R.D. Marsten then proceeded to lay waste on Zinco's collection Nazi relics, infuriating Kroenen who the saved von Klempt's head and escaped.
Sometime later, he was found by Varvara, who reawakened von Klempt and invited the two men to join her cause to rebuild Pandemonium on Earth. Kroenen became increasingly skeptical of his choice and voiced his concern to von Klempt after Varvara seemed to intentionally lead Hellboy to them. While explaining that she was hiding something, Kroenen was set on fire by Varvara, killing him.
2019 movie[]
Kroenen appears in a minor cameo-role in this movie.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Defunct Physiology: Likely as a result of Rasputin's dark magic and his own extensive modifications, Kroenen has lost his ability to feel any form of pain, whether it be from multiple gunshots, getting skewered, or performing surgery on himself. He also appeared to be essentially without any form of physical needs, able to go without food, water, oxygen, or sleep; he can even "switch off" his body, appearing dead to all medical tests, only to revive with no lasting ill effects sometime later. As further evidence of his altered state of being, the blood in his veins dried up decades ago, leaving only dust in its place.
- Cybernetic Modifications: As a result of injuries sustained during Project Ragnarok, Kroenen has a mechanical left hand and a clockwork heart that he usually winds up prior to the battle, likely to prime his body for extensive physical activity. According to his biography, his spine has also been repaired with a flexible steel rod — Kroenen had likely shattered the original after being flung into a column during the Ragnarok explosion.
- Marksmanship: He's shown to possess a deadly aim, felling numerous allied troops during Project Ragnarok with only his sidearm. However, he rarely uses a gun, preferring to make use of his blades.
- Swordsmanship: An immensely skilled swordsmen, he makes use of bladed tonfa to deadly effect; this talent for bladed weapons was present even before he began modifying his body, having armed himself with retractable katar-like daggers in Project Ragnarok. Modifications have only increased his ability; as the film demonstrates, he is proficient enough to deflect bullets back at his assailants.
- Athleticism: Once again as a result of his modification, Kroenen was capable of impressive feats of athleticism and stealth, at one point witnessed clinging to a wall without using any kind of grips or claws.
- Engineering Skills: Though he may not be "one of the Reich's top scientists" as the original film script proposed, Kroenen is definitely a gifted engineer and craftsman; quite apart from designing and building his own clockwork prostheses, he is skilled enough to oversee the construction of the Ragnarok Portal.
- Surgical Skills: Though rarely a priority, he evidently possesses sufficient surgical knowledge to operate on himself over the course of his self-mutilation and augmentation.
Trivia[]
- Kroenen's portrayal in the film is radically different from the comics. Kroenen, who originally played the part of a meek character, who Del Toro describes as someone who is likely to say "Aargh! Don't break the machine!" is in the film portrayed as a murderous soldier who is inhumanly loyal to Rasputin.
- In the original script for Hellboy, the young Professor Bruttenholm describes Kroenen as "one of the Reich's top scientists, and head of the Thule Occult Society". In the film release, the line was re-dubbed so that the first phrase was replaced by "Hitler's top assassin".
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