Command Performance is a non-canonical story published in Hellboy: Weird Tales #6, written by Will Pfeifer with art provided by P. Craig Russell.
Plot Synopsis[]
It is 1991 and Hellboy is investigating a sting of murders, spanning over a century, all with ties to the Grand Guignol playhouse in Paris, France. Hellboy confronts the playhouse's theater troop believing them to be the descendants of the original theater troop and thus connected to the series of murders. In short order the actors reveal themselves to be be the original troop, kept young in part by the murders. The conflict between the actors and Hellboy spills onto the stage, in front of a full house. Hellboy correctly guesses that the other component to their longevity is the young boy in the troop and shoots him. This causes all of the members of the troop to perish. Afterwards a representative of the theater expresses an interest in representing Hellboy following his "performance".
Publishing History[]
After first being printed in Hellboy: Weird Tales #6 Command Performance was then collected in Hellboy: Weird Tales Volume 2 and then later in the Hellboy: Weird Tales omnibus. A uncolored version of the story can also be found in P. Craig Russell's Murder Myteries and Other Stories Gallery Edition.