Hellboy vs. Etrigan: Who would win?

If one were to be asked what a superhero looks like, they would probably describe them as being tall, having a long flowing cape, piercing yet gentle features, etc. One wouldn't usually give their hero a tail, horns, and blazing red skin, but the world of superheroes and comics, in general, have given readers two demon heroes fighting against the darkness.

One is Hellboy, an original creation by writer and artist Mike Mignola for Dark Horse Comics, and the other is Etrigan the Demon, who was created a couple of decades before Hellboy by the King of Comics himself, Jack Kirby for DC Comics. These two represent that not all heroes are found to be on the side of the angels or even humans, but they, especially Hellboy, have become very iconic in the realms of comics, movies, and beyond.

But what would happen if these two demonic entities ever crossed paths? Would they sit for a pint at the Inn at the End of the World? Or would they fight? Let's see which demon prince deserves to wear the crown of Hell!

1. Hellboy Origins

Born to one day destroy the world of man for the glory of Hell and all its denizens, Hellboy's, who's real name is Annung Un Rama, life was saved from a group of Nazi scientists led by the wizard Rasputin by a group of United States soldiers in the waning years of World War II. At first, looked upon with fear, the group, which was accompanied by a group of supernatural investigators known as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D. for short), came to see the demon child as just that, a child.

The infant Hellboy, as he was called, was taken in by the same person who gave him his new name, Professor Trevor Broom, who trained the young demon to fight not for the damned, but for the people of Earth against any and all supernatural threats. Hellboy would start his first assignment in 1952, and from there would go on countless adventures around all corners of the globe and back again fighting the good fight to keep humanity safe.

Many decades later, Hellboy has become a world-renowned paranormal investigator for the B.P.R.D., and would be called upon by his aging father, Professor Broom, to hear of the latter's tale to the ends of the Earth in search of something... but finding something else entirely. The Professor would then turn into a frog monster and attack Hellboy, and in the ensuing battle Hellboy was left with no choice but to end the life of the man he called father. With the last words of his father about his investigating the Cavendish family, Hellboy, along with B.P.R.D. agents Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman, set out to the place where Broom started his investigation and possibly said the investigation was the cause of his transformation.

It's within the old and cursed walls of Cavendish Manor where Hellboy learns his true destiny, a destiny that he tried hard to fight without knowing it all his life, from the resurrected Rasputin, who serves an ancient race of gods known as the Ogdru Jahad, those same gods being Hellboy's destiny to unleash upon the world. With the aid of his allies, Hellboy denies this destiny and defeats Rasputin.

From that point on, Hellboy learns much more about his origins, and quits the B.P.R.D. to learn about said origins on his own, about how he's the son of Azzael, an archduke of Hell, and a witch named Sarah Hughes, who was a descendant of none other than King Arthur himself, which makes Hellboy a direct descendant to the royal Arthurian bloodline, which he uses to great effect when he wields the famed blade Excalibur to do battle with Nimue, the Blood Queen.

The story of Hellboy expands beyond these core stories, and stories are still being written about the character from his creator, Mike Mignola, and many other passionate and creative people, including adaptions on the big screen (with varying results of success.)

2. Etrigan Origins

The origins of the demon Etrigan are also tied in Arthurian legend, as well as being tied to the mortal Jason Blood. Blood was an assistant to the great wizard Merlin, who used Blood as the vessel to contain Etrigan whom he held under his sway in order to defend the kingdom of Camelot. One day, Camelot was besieged by the sorceress Morgana Le Fay, and Merlin once more called upon the demon to defend the land. Unfortunately, Camelot fell, along with Merlin and King Arthur, but Jason Blood survived and, due to being linked with Etrigan, gained immortality. Throughout the centuries, Blood would fight against evil, all the while trying to find a way to release him from his eternal torment with his own inner evil, the demon Etrigan.

As for Etrigan himself, his origins are no less bloody than that of Jason Blood. Etrigan was born from a union between the demon Belial, and the Serpent Queen Ran Va Daath, the latter of who would be betrayed by the former and cast into the deepest pits of Hell not long after the birth of Etrigan. Etrigan from an early age was noted for being very cruel and mischievous, even among his demon brethren, and that wouldn't change, but it would become enhanced a thousandfold, as the demon grew older. Etrigan later would find himself forcefully linked with the mortal Jason Blood under the spells of Merlin, who was also the brother of Etrigan. The purpose of this unholy union would be twofold: for Merlin to use Etrigan whenever Camelot was in danger, as well as for Merlin to control the demon in order to watch him so that he doesn't wreak havoc upon the world.

Upon Camelot's fall, Etrigan and Blood would live for centuries, and both would be found in present-day Gotham City, fighting alongside (against) many of DC's iconic heroes including Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Despite his small stature, Etrigan is a force to be reckoned with.

3. Hellboy Powers and Abilities

While Hellboy is a demon from Hell and the bringer of the end of everything, he doesn't have access to his awesome powers on a regular basis. Yes, he has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and a healing factor on par with that of Marvel's Wolverine, one of the fastest healers who can heal from almost anything in all of comics, there are shortcomings to his fighting style.

For one thing, while being trained as a B.P.R.D. agent, he never got the hang of shooting a gun well enough. Granted, he does use guns, but Hellboy himself said that he's not very good with them, so having subpar abilities with a gun and not having access to his demon powers at all times (only during specific moments with specific enemies do they manifest), can make things tricky for him when going up against opponents.

In many of the comics, Hellboy is shown not to have a very limited fighting style which comes down to him simply beating the snot out of his enemies, which leads to him getting knocked on his behind in almost every encounter with foes. Hellboy also has had many experiences dealing with supernatural threats, and through his long life, he gained much knowledge about how to defeat enemies through various hexes, spells, incantations, etc. What really saves him, and the world for that matter, in a physical encounter is his unrelenting drive toward victory, even when the odds are stacked against him and his allies, and through sheer determination, he finds a way to win. Despite his lack of consistent control over his greater powers, Hellboy would be tough for anyone, whether they be human, demon, or something in between.

4. Etrigan Powers and Abilities

Etrigan, unlike Hellboy, has access to a wide variety of powers available to him at all times. He has similar abilities to Hellboy, such as having superhuman strength, stamina, and speed, but compared to Hellboy, Etrigan is definitely more acrobatic, showcasing the ability to jump great distances (like the Hulk) and do flips and jumps when in the middle of combat. His demon powers also give him an edge over Hellboy, and those powers include breathing Hell fire from his mouth and hands, having the ability to shoot frigid ice from his hands, and the ability to use deadly magic spells as well.

The other half of Etrigan, Jason Blood, while not as strong or fast as his demon counterpart, possesses a wide variety of arcane magic and spells to fight opponents as well. So, essentially, Hellboy would be facing two opponents, with one being calm and collected while the other is mad and ferocious in his quest for victory.

5. Final Verdict!

So, who is the victor between Hellboy and Etrigan? The answer isn't quite as cut and dry as some would like. This writer sees two scenarios where either demon could win.

The first scenario would be the first fight between them, and this writer believes Etrigan would win. While Hellboy is a deadly opponent, Etrigan is much more willing to use any means to achieve his ends. Plus, along with his demon abilities that'll stun and possibly hurt Hellboy as well as being faster, Etrigan is pretty much insane and takes great pleasure in dealing with pain and receiving it as well. If Hellboy were to throw a punch with his stone hand, Etrigan would retaliate one hundred times over, with a great big smile on his lips. It's almost impossible to fight something that enjoys taking pain as much as they dish it, so, in the first encounter, Etrigan wins.

In the second scenario, if these two were to meet in combat a second time, Hellboy would claim victory, though it would be a grueling and bloody encounter. If Hellboy were to survive his first encounter with Etrigan and escape, he would learn all he can about the demon, and through his already acquired knowledge and the knowledge he might learn along the way, he'd be better equipped to deal with Etrigan. Hellboy might even learn of the enchantment that turns Etrigan back into Jason Blood, and if that could happen, he could subdue Jason much quicker than with his first fight with Etrigan.

At the end of the day, Etrigan would be too much for Hellboy, and while there could still be a chance for Hellboy to win, this writer thinks Etrigan wouldn't give him the chance. Therefore, in the battle between the Princes of Hell, Etrigan, son of Belial, wins!

What do you think? Was my assessment of each character's powers and abilities accurate? Do you disagree, and if so, why would you see Hellboy winning?