Hellboy’s After-Credits Scenes Explained

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Hellboy.

There are two post-credits scenes for Hellboy 2019 that hint at the series’ future. Both scenes are quite different yet both draw upon the rich history of the original comic books to open up avenues for storylines that might be pursued in future Hellboy movies.

It cannot be denied that the new Hellboy borrows more heavily from its source material than the two movies directed by Guillermo del Toro. Certainly, there is ample material from the original comics to draw upon. The first Hellboy comic was published in March 1994, almost exactly 25 years before the release of the new movie. Since that time, Dark Horse Comics has produced over two-dozen graphic novels collecting over 100 individual Hellboy comics, not including all the series that are set in the same universe that do not star Hellboy himself.

The ending of Hellboy conclusion leaves ample avenues for a follow-up film, as do the post-credits scenes. Yet despite this preparation, it is looking increasingly unlikely that director Neil Marshall’s revamp of Hellboy will lead to a sequel, much less a lengthy franchise. The early reviews have been anything but positive and the film is projected to make less money than the del Toro films during its opening weekend. But, assuming this will lead somewhere, here are the characters teased in Hellboy 2019’s post-credits scenes.

• This Page: Hellboy’s Mid-Credits Scene Explained – Lobster Johnson
• Page 2: Hellboy’s Post-Credits Scene Explained – Koshchei the Deathless

What Happens In Hellboy’s Mid-Credits Scene

Hellboy‘s mid-credits scene opens in a cemetery, with Hellboy holding a one-man wake at his father’s grave. Even before we see the bottles placed on Professor Broom’s crypt, it is clear that Hellboy is drunk, as we hear him singing “Danny Boy” off-key. He is joined by Lobster Johnson – a masked mystery man from the 1930s, whom we saw earlier in the film during a flashback showing how Professor Broom came to adopt Hellboy.

Lobster Johnson abides Hellboy’s gushing praise for a moment (Hellboy is a huge fan of his work) and even offers to show him his famous Claw. The vigilante is quick to return to the matter at hand, however, and tells Hellboy that he has unfinished business to attend to and that he needs to sober up and get serious. Evil is coming, Lobster says, and while Hellboy won a major battle by bringing down the Queen of Blood, there is still a greater war to fight in the near future.

Lobster ends the conversation and just walks off. As he does this, he passes through Professor Broom’s crypt, revealing himself to be a ghost. The drunken Hellboy thinks this is even cooler than meeting his childhood hero, and the scene ends as he shouts that he loves Lobster Johnson.

Lobster Johnson Explained

Played by Thomas Hayden Church in Hellboy 2019, Lobster Johnson was crafted as a tribute to the pulp action heroes of the 1930s and 1940s by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Originally just known as “The Lobster,” he first appeared in Hellboy: Box Of Evil #1, in a back-up story titled “The Killer In My Skull.” This story established the character as a detective and vigilante, who frequently faced magical monsters.

Cut from the same cloth as adventurers like Indiana Jones and The Rocketeer, Lobster Johnson is perhaps most closely inspired by The Phantom, who marked his enemies with an embossed skull ring similar to the Claw that Johnson uses to brand his foes. Precisely how the Claw works has yet to be explained, but it is assumed to be magical in nature. Johnson’s backstory also emulates that of Captain America, with Johnson having had a sidekick similar to Bucky Barnes and eventually coming to work for the government as a special agent.

In the comics, Lobster’s career began in 1932, where he worked out of a secret base in the sewers of Manhattan. Though originally focused on fighting organized crime, Lobster soon began to battle against supernatural evils as well. By the end of the 1930s, he had been recruited by the US Government to focus his attention on Nazi spies and saboteurs. After his death, the US Government worked to hide Lobster’s existence by creating fictionalized accounts of his exploits disguised as comic books, pulp novels, movie serials and Mexican luchador movies. It was here that he began to be referred to as “Lobster Johnson,” as the stories gave him the secret identity of millionaire William Johnson.

Hellboy and Lobster Johnson would eventually team up in the graphic novel Conqueror Worm. It was here that Lobster Johnson’s ghost appeared to Hellboy, seeking help in completing the mission that led to his death. It was a task that Hellboy, a devoted fan of Lobster Johnson from the pulps, enthusiastically accepted. Lobster Johnson would continue to work with the BPRD for some time after that, lending his aid to bring down several other villains from his time who had escaped justice.

About The Author

Matt Morrison
(1839 Articles Published)

Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word
“blogging” was coined. He got his start writing for the
legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,
before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone on
to write for over a dozen websites, including 411
Mania, Comics
Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in Information
Science from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the
University of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic book
history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American
Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions
and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels
for Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to his
work for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Editor In Chief of
Kabooooom.com and writes reviews for No
Flying, No Tights – a graphic literature and anime review site
aimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog –
My Geeky Geeky Ways –
which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television series
making up The Arrowverse as well as his
comedic Let’s Play videos. What little spare time he has is
devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You
can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.

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