Hellboy, Vol. 12: The Storm and the Fury

By Mike Mignola

In England, HB happens to be in the area when a buddy of his, Bill, reports to a cop of a theft from his church of some armor in a couple coffins. The man has also seen a figure leave, HB still not sure what has occurred other than it is a robbery. After leaving Bill, he provides Alice with the reason for why he'd quit drinking, she driving them as they wonder where HB's dead knights would be congregating, a armored man in front of her car, and sending them crashing down a hill. The armored creature follows, as they corrome down the hill.

The armored creature follows, so HB checks on Alice, then goes to deal with the creature, he p.o.'d about HB being K and mocking him of Mab being his Q. The creature tells of Nimue being his Q, and is being brought to humanity. Graugach runs and trips on top of Merlin's grave, he appearing and by no means planning to be kind. Nimue has coaxed an old man to share his secret magic, she trapping him, then being driven crazy for not knowing how to control the power.

The witches had killed and buried her, but Graugach had helped her return, Merlin accusing him. The skelly army is coming, and Graugach creates the creature. HB now faces with Mab's blood. Merlin punishes Graugach to live through all the destruction to come from Nimue's reign.

Meanwhile, Alice throws HB's sword to him in time for him to get fully stabbed through the chest, but he returns the favor, since he's invincible. Before dying, the creature tells of knowing Nimue had become something different than a goddess of blood. As it rains, they take shelter at an inn, HB reminded of when he was in NM in '47. Little HB is sitting outside til Trevor calls him in, but HB is down, and qs Trevor on whether he is a monster, like Frankenstein.

Trevor denies this, and HB compares a man who fought against monsters being more similar to himself, then say, Superman. When HB comes back to himself, Alice shows him of some of his skelly troops waiting in the garden for him. HB decides he's not going to use the army or the sword, and whilst all the ladies had given him advice, he trusts Mab's words the most, knowing all 3 may have a stake in how he'd proceed with the army, and sword. Alice worries HB won't be safe without at least the sword, she not wanting to get rid of it as he'd requested.

Before leaving HB confides he'd get back with BPRD and Alice is welcome to join him. HB walks and sees Graugach hanging from a tree, begging to be killed, so HB attempts to help by ridling him with bullets, but it doesn't work, so HB turns to leave when Merlin comes up to show the mess HB plans to deal with alone. His advice is to use the army of hell, then worry about sending them back after. As Merlin attempts to convince him, HB turns and clocks him, Mab appearing and offering another way he could go, but he'd have to pay his debt first. HB finally obliges, as Nimue is told she'd be vessel to the terrible beasts waiting to be brought into the world.

Nimue is in angry denial up til the 7 burst from her, and can be seen spreading beyond the tower she is in. 3 witches are fleeing in fear of what they'd helped to allow happen, they seeing who they think is Odin at first. HB asks them if Nimue is alone, they confessing she was with Ganeida. Nimue is crying about not having wished for this, and Ganeida gets chucked from the tower by her long ass arms.

Alice chats with the inn owner as she tells of a young soldier being saved from mortal injury, and lived a long life, Alice hearing thumping steps, as the woman reminds her, she'd been put in charge of the sword for a reason. Alice sees the old, corpse-looking man, and gives him the sword, which changes his look to King Arthur. HB is fighting the creature which used to be Nimue, but isn't able to stop the order to kill all humans. Alice can hear the coming of the monster troops, King Arthur going up against the Dragon.

She runs away from the lady once q'ing who she truly was, as HB is struggling with the 7. As HB fights the 7, he tells of being too old, and like HB, would last til the very end of being. The Dragon notes this mo would be HB's only claim to victory. Alice sees the tower as she's told of the prophesy of this battle marking the end.

HB continues fighting the relentless Dragon, Alice learning from Mab about the wasteland they viewed is where Ragna Rok would return. She clarifies how Nimue'd become the Dragon, and is worried by HB not killing her before this point. HB is lying on the ground when Vasilisa shows up, he uncertain if he is ready for what came next. Through tears, she hands HB his sword, apologizing.

The Dragon gets ahold of HB, and he stabs her once, the 2 falling to the ground, Alice walking up on him. They then are harassed by Nimue once more before being dragged to hell, she grabbing HB's heart. Alice grieves and wanders back through the house, seeing a crown on a table, she sitting on the stairs and crying. Meanwhile, Le Fay offers the still hanging Graugach a reprieve from Merlin's curse.

Le Fay gets him down, and has him follow her to their inevitable end. In France, the secret society are baffled by being wrong about HB filling the prophecy. The 7 are still alive, and Excalibur is beyond human reach. So, the future is going to still be shrouded in surprise, per usual.

What a great way to clean it up, even though it still technically goes on through side stories and what not, some of which, if not most, I will attempt reading. So, onward!