Tom Manning is a fictional character from the Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

 universe. He is director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.

Manning has classically been portrayed as a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat who refuses to trust the paranormal members of his agency, even though their presence is critical to the successful defense of the planet. In recent years, Manning has softened his approach to his superhumans; Roger the Homunculus, for example, was promoted to leader of his own squad even though Manning, at one point, had a bomb placed in Roger's chest as a precautionary measure.

Manning, perhaps smarting from the defection of Hellboy

Hellboy

Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...

 from the Bureau, recently refused to accept the resignation of Captain Ben Daimio after a disaster that claimed Roger and his team. In this way, Manning has developed from a cold administrator to a leader that places the needs of his agents over the needs of the Bureau.

In other media

• In the film series, much like in the original graphic novel, Tom Manning (played by Jeffrey Tambor
  Jeffrey Tambor
  Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
  
  ) is more of a bureaucrat and politician than supernatural investigator. He is also instrumental in debunking the conspiracy theories which surround the agency and the involvement of the FBI. In Hellboy
  Hellboy (film)
  Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
  
  , Manning holds a tense working relationship with Hellboy (even calling Hellboy a monster and being thrown out a window as a result) until Hellboy saves Manning's life (and vice versa), after which the two share a bonding moment in which Manning teaches Hellboy how to properly light up a cigar. Their tension is renewed, however, in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, in which Hellboy's actions result in the outing of the BPRD's existence and Manning being replaced by Johann Kraus
  Johann Kraus
  Johann Kraus is a fictional character in the Hellboy universe, created by Mike Mignola. He is featured in the comic book B.P.R.D., published by Dark Horse Comics....
  
  s as Hellboy's superior. At the beginning of The Golden Army, Manning seems upset and under stress from the amount of work he put in to keep Hellboy undercover (because Hellboy wasn't very concerned about staying secret, there were often many pictures or videos of him that Manning was forced to track down and get a hold of).
• Manning also appears in Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron in a small role, voiced by Jim Cummings
  Jim Cummings
  James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
  
  .