Hell (a.k.a. Gehenna, Hades, Hel, Jahannam, Sheol and Tartarus) is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a tradi ...
al
location
In geography, location or place are used to denote a region (point, line, or area) on Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term ''location'' generally implies a higher degree of certainty than ''place'', the latter often indicating an entity with an ...
, an infernal Underworld utilized in various
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
stories published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
. It is the locational
antithesis
Antithesis ( Greek for "setting opposite", from "against" and "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together ...
of the Silver City in
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
. The DC Comics location known as Hell is based heavily on its depiction in
Abrahamic mythology. Although several versions of Hell had briefly appeared before in various other DC Comics publications in the past, the official DC Comics concept of Hell was first properly established when it was mentioned in ''The Saga of the
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' (vol. 2) #25–27 (June–August 1984) and was first seen in ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2 (1985), all of which were written by
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
and illustrated by
Stephen Bissette and
John Totleben
John Thomas Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comic books.
Biography
After studying art at Tech Memorial in Erie, Totleben attended The Kubert School for one year. He then spent se ...
.
The
hierarchy
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
of Hell, specifically the triumvirate of
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
,
Azazel
In the Bible, the name Azazel (; he, עֲזָאזֵל ''ʿAzāʾzēl''; ar, عزازيل, ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during ...
, and
Beelzebub
Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Can ...
, was first referred to in ''
John Constantine, Hellblazer
''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary Horror fiction, horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo Comics, Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introd ...
'' #12 (December 1988) ("The Devil You Know..." (page 6) by
Jamie Delano
Jamie Delano (; born 1954) is an English comic book writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers which started to feature in American comics in the 1980s. He is best known as the first writer of the comic book s ...
and
Richard Piers Rayner) and first appeared in ''
The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #4 (April 1989) ("A Hope in Hell" by
Neil Gaiman and
Sam Kieth
Sam Kieth (born January 11, 1963) is an American comics artist and writer, best known as the creator of ''The Maxx'' and ''Zero Girl''.
Career Comics
Kieth's first published work was "a story in the back of a Comico comic" when he was "about ...
); in the story, Lucifer had been forced to accept the position of the ruler of Hell due to the disruption caused by the Great Evil Beast's attack on Creation during the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' in the 16-part storyline "American Gothic" in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #35–50 (April 1985–July 1986). ''John Constantine, Hellblazer,'' would also later add in the
First of the Fallen
The following is a list of characters in the Hellblazer mythos published by Vertigo imprint.
John Constantine
A Liverpudlian magician and conman, and the main character in the series. He first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #37 in June ...
, who preceded Lucifer and his failed rebellion in Heaven. In ''
Who's Who in the DC Universe
''Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe'' (1985–87), usually referred to simply as ''Who's Who'', is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional cha ...
'' #11 (July 1991), the entry on "Hell's Hierarchy" included all the elements of Gaiman's version, plus John Constantine the Hellblazer's demonic enemy Nergal, Agony and Ecstasy the Slave-Twins of the Inquisition, Asteroth, Abaddon the Destroyer, Morax and
Superman's demonic enemy Blaze, who, along with her brother Satanus, came to rule Hell in the eight-issue
miniseries ''
Reign in Hell
''Reign in Hell'' is a 2008-2009 comic book Limited series (comics), miniseries written by Keith Giffen, pencilled by Thomas Derenick, inked by Bill Sienkiewicz and published by DC Comics. The title is a reference to a line spoken by Lucifer in Joh ...
'' (September 2008–April 2009, also including ''DC Universe Special: Reign in Hell'' #1 (August 2008).
Publication history
Because of the multiplicity of imprints and acquisitions under the DC Comics umbrella, there have been many different versions of "Satan" and "Hell".
At
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company which operated from 1937 to 1956 and was a creative, influential force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books.
Notable, long-running titles published by Qualit ...
in 1942, the superhero known as
Midnight encountered the Devil and his domineering Wife after his untimely death. At
Fawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel, the alter ego of ...
in 1942,
Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular com ...
I (Prince Amentep) confronted a demonic entity who inexplicably named itself "Satan". At
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
, the pages of ''
Showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
'' #60 (January–February 1966) featured the first appearance of Azmodus and ''
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...
'' #49 (November 1966) introduced the demon Abaddon, who possessed a farmer named Hiram Spiezel. DC Comics' interpretation of
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
debuted in a dream sequence in ''
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen
''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...
'' #65 (December 1962). Lucifer was introduced for real in ''
DC Special Series
''DC Special Series'' was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. ''DC Special Serie ...
'' #8 (1978), a.k.a. ''
The Brave and the Bold
''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...
Special'', which teamed up the
Batman I (Bruce Wayne),
Sgt. Franklin John "Frank" Rock and
Deadman
Deadman or Deadman's may refer to:
* "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch
* "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy
* "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...
and depicted Lucifer being summoned by the ghosts of
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educated ...
,
Benedict Arnold,
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
,
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
,
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unti ...
and
Bluebeard
"Bluebeard" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in '' Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the s ...
and controlling a human operative named Edward Dirkes. Jason Blood had a nightmare about Hell in
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
's ''The Demon'' #14 (November 1973), but otherwise, the concept was in absentia other than through
retcon
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subs ...
. Etrigan the Demon debuted in the first issue of the 16-issue Jack Kirby series ''The Demon'' (August–September 1972–January 1974), but Hell was never actually mentioned, seen or shown in a concrete manner in any of the original ''Demon'' stories until ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #25–27 (June–August 1984), in which
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
made the first canonical claim for Etrigan the Demon being a denizen of Hell, referring to his promotion to a Rhyming Demon and having him speak consistently in rhyme, which he did ''not'' do at all during the Kirby series. Many stories in DC's various mystery and horror anthology titles featured "Satan" and at least one, in ''
Weird Mystery Tales
''Weird Mystery Tales'' was a mystery horror comics anthology published by DC Comics from July–August 1972 to November 1975.
Publication history 100 Page Super Spectacular
The title ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was first used for '' DC 100 Page S ...
'' #4 (January–February 1973), featured Lucifer, but these stories may or may not be in mainstream DC Universe continuity at all. Satan did appear, along with an angelic pre-Fall Etrigan the Demon, in one of the four possible origins of the Phantom Stranger (three of which are
Judeo-Christian inspired, the fourth,
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
inspired) in ''
Secret Origins'' (vol. 2) #10 (January 1987).
Aside from the above-mentioned stories, Hell made its actual first appearance in ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2 (1985). Subsequently, it would appear again in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #49–50 (June–July 1986), in which there is a civil war going on in Hell and Etrigan the Demon is there. The
Spectre
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
's (
James Brendan "Jim" Corrigan I) failure in his intervention in this conflict leads to a reduction of his powers, as described in ''The Spectre'' (vol. 2) #1 (April 1987). While Hell appeared in the 31 issues (and one ''Annual'' (1988)) of that series (April 1987–November 1989), readers never saw any major developments outside of characters being condemned to go there and the occasional demon or demons tormenting them, such as in ''The Spectre'' (vol. 2) #21 (December 1988). Hell also appeared in the 31 issues (and one ''Annual'' (1985)) of ''
Blue Devil'' (June 1984–December 1986; also including a special insert in the center of ''The Fury of
Firestorm
A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...
the Nuclear Man'' #24 (June 1984), which started the series). In ''
The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #4 (April 1989), the rulers of Hell are introduced, a triumvirate consisting of Lucifer, a fallen angel deliberately drawn to resemble
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, Azazel, a shadowy, many-eyed former
djinn
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
("genie") (Azazel had previously appeared as an
incubus
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
in a Madame Xanadu story that was first published in ''
Cancelled Comic Cavalcade
The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explo ...
'' #1 (summer 1978) and then was officially published in ''
The Unexpected'' #190 (March–April 1978)) and Beelzebub, a high-ranking demon resembling a large
fly. This triumvirate (albeit with Beelzebub referred to as Belial; possibly a continuity error) returned in ''
Secret Origins'' (vol. 2) #48 (April 1990), presenting the never-before-told origin of
Stanley and his Monster, in which Lucifer banishes a minor demon from Hell to Earth for being "too nice" for Hell, where he is discovered by Stanley Dover Junior, who names him Spot. This version of Hell is also depicted in the 58 issues (plus two ''Annual''s (1992 and 1993) and one #0 issue (October 1994)) of ''The Demon'' (vol. 3) (July 1980–May 1995), the four-issue miniseries ''
The Books of Magic
''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'' (December 1990–March 1991) and the three-issue miniseries ''
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a fictional character, a comic book superhero that premiered in ''Hit Comics'' #25 written by Otto Binder, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and published by American company Quality Comics in December 1942. All of Quality's intellectual p ...
'' (vol. 2) (May–October 1991) by
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
and
Duncan Fegredo
Duncan Fegredo (; born 1964) is a British comic book artist.
Career
Born in Leicester, Fegredo first managed to get into comics after showing his portfolio around UKCAC in 1987 and meeting Dave Thorpe. Together they worked on a strip for a sh ...
.
In ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2, Hell was said to be a place that mortal beings went to only because they truly ''believed'' that they belonged there. During the fourth ''Sandman'' story arc, ''
Season of Mists
''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenbe ...
'', in ''The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #21–28 (January–July 1991), Lucifer decides to abdicate the throne of Hell and forces all of these beings to leave. He closes the gates of Hell behind him, locks them and gives the key to
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
of the
Endless
Endless or The Endless may refer to:
Business
* Endless (private equity), a British firm
* Endless.com, an e-commerce website selling shoes and accessories
* Endless Computers, an American operating system company
Film
* ''The Endless'' (film ...
, who does not want it, and many divine beings, such as
Odin,
Bast and
Shivering Jemmy of the Shallow Brigade, a
Lord of Chaos, attempt to persuade him to give the key to them. Odin attempts to bribe Dream with the Twilight Dimension of
Ragnarok from ''Last Days of the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
Special'' #1 (1986), specifically because it contains his successor's grandfather,
Hawkman I (Carter Hall (a.k.a. Prince Khufu Kha-Tarr)) and his protégé, the
Sandman
The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes.
Representation in traditional folklore
The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
I (Wesley Bernard "Wes" Dodds), but this attempt fails, as do ''all'' of the others. Eventually, Dream gives the key to the angels
Remiel
Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Ram ...
and
Duma
A duma (russian: дума) is a Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions.
The term ''boyar duma'' is used to refer to advisory councils in Russia from the 10th to 17th centuries. Starting in the 18th century, city dumas were for ...
, who, having been denied re-entry into the Silver City, reinstate Hell as a place of spiritual rehabilitation rather than eternal punishment. This version of Hell is also depicted in the four-issue miniseries ''Stanley and His Monster'' (vol. 2) (February–May 1993), ''Vertigo Visions: Phantom Stranger'' #1 (October 1993), a
one-shot issue under the Vertigo imprint by
Alisa Kwitney and
Guy Davis, the 16-issue series ''
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a fictional character, a comic book superhero that premiered in ''Hit Comics'' #25 written by Otto Binder, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and published by American company Quality Comics in December 1942. All of Quality's intellectual p ...
'' (vol. 3) (May 1993–September 1994) by
Ann Nocenti
Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly the four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X- ...
and
Sean Phillips
Sean Phillips (born 27 January 1965) is a British comic book artist, best known for his collaborations with Ed Brubaker on comics including '' Sleeper'', ''Incognito'', the '' Criminal'' series of comics, '' Fatale'', '' The Fade Out'', and ' ...
, also under the Vertigo imprint (albeit with Beelzebub having taken human form) and ''
Batman'' #544–546 (July–September 1997), which guest-starred Etrigan the Demon.
''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' under
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970) is a Northern Irish–American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...
would have its own Satan and, to avoid clashes with ''The Sandman'' (vol. 2), this version was turned in ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' #59 (November 1992) into the First of the Fallen: the first being in Hell, preceding Lucifer and his failed rebellion in Heaven. The First and two other demons ruled Hell once Lucifer had abdicated the throne, with the two demons said to be only barely in charge, and in a
fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
moment the First complained about "those endless, bloody triumvirates". John Constantine the Hellblazer, to save himself from death from terminal lung cancer, set up the First to be killed by the
succubus
A succubus is a demon or supernatural entity in folklore, in female form, that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. According to religious tradition, a succubus needs male semen to survive; repeated sexual activi ...
Chantinelle, who then briefly took control of Hell, but the First returned from the dead and reclaimed the throne of Hell shortly afterward.
The First also killed the other two demons after he found out that they were not truly two of the Fallen after all (instead, they were only mere demons) and transformed their dead bodies into a two-bladed knife that was called the Knife of the Fallen, which was then used by Chantinelle to kill him.
The Master Baytor was nominally the ruler of Hell for a brief period, but spent the whole time babbling incoherently during his reign.
In ''The Sandman Presents: Lucifer'' #1–3 (March–May 1999) and the 75-issue series ''Lucifer'' (June 2000–August 2006; including a one-shot issue called ''Lucifer: Nirvana'' (2002)), a human was eventually placed in charge of Hell while Lucifer roamed Earth and owned a piano bar named Lux (the Latin word for "light") as depicted in the ninth ''Sandman'' story arc, ''
The Kindly Ones'', in ''Vertigo Jam'' #1 (August 1993) and ''The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #57–69 (February 1994–July 1995).
The six-issue miniseries ''
Human Defense Corps'' (July–December 2003) detailed the U.S. military designation for demons as "Hostile Species NHH-014". The Human Defense Corps were able to defeat a minor Lord of the Damned named Scarmaglione, then Sergeant Montgomery Kelly of the Corps killed him, assumed his powers and claimed his clan for the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. His status as a minor ruler of Hell was confirmed by no less an authority than Neron himself, who was still the ruler of Hell at that time.
Superman briefly became the Lord of Hell in ''
Superman'' #666 (October 2007).
The eight-issue miniseries ''Reign in Hell'', also including ''DC Universe Special: Reign in Hell'' #1 and created by
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo.
Biography ...
and Tom Derenick, introduced a new status quo for the mainstream DC Comics version of Hell; it also gave readers specific geographical references of the region and defined a codex of rules that governed the damned (however, it is also known to have had many internal continuity errors that make its place in mainstream DC Universe
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
questionable at best).
[''DC Universe Special: Reign in Hell'' #1 (August 2008) and ''Reign in Hell'' #1–8 (September 2008–April 2009)] Two years after ''Reign in Hell'', DC Comics decided to remove all DC Universe characters from their Vertigo imprint, though Vertigo would have its own version of John Constantine the Hellblazer for a time.
DC Comics
Description
In the mainstream
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
, Hell is an alternate plane of reality, traditionally accessible only by those of demonic heritage, beings of a higher order and those whose
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
s have been barred from entering the Silver City because of any and all evil that they had committed in their lives. DC Comics' Hell is a debased reflection of Earth, meaning that as Earth became more technologically or socially advanced so did Hell, due to an effect not unlike
time dilation
In physics and relativity, time dilation is the difference in the elapsed time as measured by two clocks. It is either due to a relative velocity between them ( special relativistic "kinetic" time dilation) or to a difference in gravitational ...
: "
day in Hell is equal to a minute's passage on Earth". All denizens of the mainstream DC Comics version of Hell are capable of using some form of
maleficium; the most powerful infernal magic users are the ruling gentry of Hell and their enforcers the Necro-Mages, Forges, Exegesis Guild, Renderers, Howlers, Incendiaries, Rhyming Demons and Wishweavers. Every building, weapon, piece of furniture, piece of armor, article of clothing, serving of food, etc. in Hell is made from the bodies of the damned. The damned are put through a process called rendering by the Exegesis Guild and their servants the Renderers in order to manufacture the raw materials of Hell.
[''Reign in Hell'' #1 (September 2008)]
Fictional history
''Underworld Unleashed''
During the ''Underworld Unleashed'' crossover event, Neron appeared in the mainstream DC Universe for the first time and established himself as the ruler of Hell, a position that he held for many years.
He then devised an elaborate scheme to conquer Earth and to gain a "pure soul" that he could corrupt, which ultimately involved many of the DC Universe's
supervillains and a number of the DC Universe's
superheroes. Neron offered both groups numerous deals in order to give them their greatest desires in exchange for their souls or for completing a task for him. The scheme was ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of both
Justice League America and the
Trickster
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story ( god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
I (Giovanni Giuseppe a.k.a. James Montgomery Jesse).
''The Final Night''
During ''The Final Night'' crossover storyline, the Rhyming Demon known as Etrigan the Demon offered to bring all of the living people of Earth into Hell so that they could stay warm in exchange for their souls; the people rejected his offer, primarily because his plan was to shift Earth into Hell.
''Day of Judgment''
During the ''Day of Judgment'' crossover storyline, a renegade King-Angel of the Bull Host named
Asmodel
Abel
Abin Sur
Abra Kadabra (character)
Abby Holland
Ace the Bat-Hound
Acrata
Acrata (Andrea Rojas) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who was created as part of the ''Planet DC'' annuals event. Sh ...
, with the help of Etrigan the Demon (who was trying to cause chaos on Earth and defeat his enemy, Neron), briefly took control of the then-hostless Spectre-Force using the ashes of an angel's wing feather and sought to destroy both Heaven and Hell. He used the Spectre's powers to extinguish the hellfire font, causing Hell to freeze over. A team of superheroes, including Superman, Zatanna Zatara,
Sebastian Faust,
Firestorm the Nuclear Man II (Ronald Roy "Ronnie" Raymond), the
Atom
Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons.
Every solid, liquid, gas, ...
II (Raymond "Ray" Palmer), the
Enchantress and
Deadman
Deadman or Deadman's may refer to:
* "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch
* "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy
* "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...
, were sent deep into Hell's depths in order to reignite the hellfire font. The reignition required an act of true evil, so Sebastian Faust took matters into his own hands and killed the Enchantress by slitting her throat, thereby damning himself to Hell and thus satisfying the infernal conditions.
The crossover storyline ended with a three-way battle between Neron, Asmodel and the then-deceased
Harold "Hal" Jordan (the former
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
II) for control over the Spectre-Force (which ultimately chose Hal Jordan, thus making ''him'' the Spectre for a time).
''Reign in Hell''
During the events of the ''Reign in Hell'' miniseries, Hell is thrown into a massive conflict as Neron and his generals are confronted with a rebellion led by Blaze and Satanus, the rulers of Purgatory. Neron soon discovered that the rebel demons were offering the damned "hope to the hopeless" and redemption for them, which had ''never'' happened before, and that this was a powerful spur. Realizing what would happen if the damned ever rose up against him, Neron has his consort Lilith, the "mother of all Earthborn fiends", summon all of the
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...
s,
werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
,
ghoul
A ghoul ( ar, غول, ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid. The concept originated in pre-Islamic Arabian religion, associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. Modern fiction often uses the term to label a cert ...
s and infernally powered humans to Hell to fight on his side.
This unrest in the infernal realms attracts the attention of Earth's magical superheroes, who are concerned about the outcome and the possible repercussions of the war. Many of them descend into Hell and take sides in the conflict (all for reasons of their own), including
Giovanni "John" Zatara, his daughter
Zatanna Zatara
Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a st ...
,
Jason Blood a.k.a. Etrigan the Demon, Randu Singh,
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...
V (Kent V. Nelson), the
Ragman III (Rory Regan), the
Creeper II (Jack Ryder),
Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A common chimpanzee who wears a deerstalker hat (à la Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes), Detective Chimp has superhuman-leve ...
, the vampire
Lord Andrew Bennett,
Acheron
The Acheron (; grc, Ἀχέρων ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ell, Αχέροντας ''Acherontas'') is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . Its source is ...
, the angel
Zauriel
Zauriel is a fictional superhero in the DC Universe. Originally a guardian angel who served Heaven for millions of years, he willingly falls to Earth to serve humanity as their champion and joins the Justice League.
Publication history
Zauriel f ...
, the
Enchantress,
Deadman
Deadman or Deadman's may refer to:
* "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch
* "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy
* "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...
, the
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
,
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is the name of several fictional characters, the first incarnation of the character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics during the Golden Age.
The original incarnation of the is John Sargent, son of archae ...
II (David John Sargent),
Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular com ...
II (Daniel Kasim "Danny" Khalifa), the
Nightmaster
The Nightmaster is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Showcase'' #82 (May 1969), and was created by Denny O'Neil and Jerry Grandenetti.
Publication history
Following his introduction ...
,
Nightshade II (Eve Eden), the
Midnight Rider
"Midnight Rider" is a song by the American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. It was the second single from their second studio album, ''Idlewild South'' (1970), released on Capricorn Records. The song was primarily written by vocalist Gregg ...
, the
Warlock's Daughter
The Warlock’s Daughter is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Willingham and Rick Mays, the Warlock’s Daughter first appears in ''Robin'' (vol. 2) #121 (February 2004). Also known as D ...
,
Black Alice,
Blue Devil,
Red Devil and the fallen angel
Linda Danvers. In the miniseries' backup story,
Doctor Richard Occult, aided by the
Yellow Peri
The Yellow Peri is a fictional character published by DC Comics, who is able to use magic thanks to a book of spells. The character first appeared in '' The New Adventures of Superboy'' #34 (October 1982), and was created by Bob Rozakis and Kurt S ...
, also descends into Hell, but separately from the others and with his ''own'' ulterior motive - to free the soul of his beloved,
Rose Psychic
Armando Ramon
Armando Ramon (alternately spelled Armando Ramone and also known as Reverb, Rupture and Hardline) is the older brother of Cisco Ramon / Vibe and Dante Ramon. Created by Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton, the character first appeare ...
, from damnation.
Lobo, who, at this time, is confined to the Labyrinth, Hell's only prison (due to the deal that he had earlier made with Neron in the ''Underworld Unleashed'' crossover event) and whose suffering alone is enough to power Neron's entire palace, is freed from his torment as a result of the titanic battle between Etrigan the Demon and Blue Devil, a battle which results in Etrigan the Demon's (temporary) death at Blue Devil's hands. Lobo then tears apart the soul of Zatara, which forces Zatanna to destroy his soul and banish it to the Abyss (a place that even Hell cannot touch) at his request, rather than to consign him to an eternity of pain and torment(later, in the 16-issue miniseries ''Zatanna'' (vol. 2) (July 2010–October 2011), Zatara's soul is shown to have been saved from destruction by a demon who owes him a favor).
Despite all of this and ''just'' when Neron seems to be victorious, Satanus finally reveals that he used the war as a cover in order to spread a modified viral version of DMN, the anagogic drug that changes humans into monsters and that he had used once before in order to destabilize
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big ci ...
and confound Superman. This variation of DMN is airborne and, when combined with the speaking of the magic word "
Shazam", it transforms Neron and all of Hell's demons into soulless humans, all except Lilith, who was ''not'' a true demon. It also causes all of the demonic entities that Neron had consumed over the millennia to be cast out of him. Satanus then kills Neron and takes the throne of Hell for himself.
[''Reign in Hell'' #7 (March 2009)] The damned then turn their rage upon the now-human and powerless demons, slaughtering them wholesale and thus damning themselves anew.
Blaze later takes advantage of her brother's momentary weakness during a moment when he allows Black Alice to touch him and sample his powers; this action shatters Black Alice's psyche and allows Blaze to drain Satanus' power and take the throne of Hell for ''herself'', thus winning the war. Near the end of the miniseries, the ''Unspoken Principium'' of Hell is revealed by Doctor Occult to be "You can leave whenever you want",
reiterating what was said about Hell in the Neil Gaiman version. However, the miniseries is known to have many internal continuity errors that make its place in mainstream DC Universe canon questionable at best.
Geography
In the ''Reign in Hell'' miniseries, the Infernal Dominion is divided up into nine Provinces, each of which have their own rulers. All of the rulers of the Provinces bowed down to Neron, then to Satanus when he took the throne of Hell from Neron and then to Blaze when she did the same thing to Satanus. The Nine Provinces included Pandemonia, the Odium, the Gull, Praetori, Internecia, Ament, the Labyrinth, Err and Purgatory (''below, there are descriptions of the Nine Provinces of the Infernal Dominion as depicted in the miniseries'').
*Pandemonia - The First Province, home of Hell's high-caste demons and the location of the throne of Hell, the seat of the Dominus or Domina.
*The Odium - The Second Province, the industrial and
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
center. It is home of the rendering factories, the Exegesis Guild and the Renderers.
*The Gull - The Third Province, the
mercantile and
commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
center.
*Praetori - The Fourth Province, the
administrative
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...
and
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
al ministries.
*Internecia - The Fifth Province, the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and
enforcement
Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms.
Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations.
En ...
ministries.
*Ament - The Sixth Province, the cultural
propaganda ministry.
*The Labyrinth - The Seventh Province, the judicial detainment ministry and Hell's only prison.
*Err - The Eighth Province, the theological suppression ministry.
*Purgatory - The Ninth Province, the place of secondary damnation; it was formerly ruled by Blaze and Satanus. Anyone can leave Purgatory and enter Hell, but they can never leave Hell once they have arrived there.
*The Selvage - The
Selvage
A selvage (US English) or selvedge (British English) is a "self-finished" edge of a piece of fabric which keeps it from unraveling and fraying. The term "self-finished" means that the edge does not require additional finishing work, such as hem ...
is the infernal
aether, a dimensional waste which separates and surrounds the Provinces; all passage between the Provinces must pass through the Selvage. The very nature of the Selvage is such that it rejects magic.
*Masak Mavdil - The lowest place in Hell; the pit of rejected failures where demons exile their own kind, and which is guarded by the Archfiend Abaddon the Destroyer.
The Infernal Hosts
According to the ''Reign in Hell'' miniseries, Blaze, the sister of Satanus, is the current ruler of Hell; she succeeded her brother who, in turn, succeeded Neron. The mainstream DC Comics version of Hell always has a single ruler known as the "First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion" and holding the title of either
Dominus
Dominus or domini may refer to:
* Dominus (title), a title of sovereignty, clergy and other uses
Art, entertainment, and media
* Dominus (band), a Danish death metal band
* Dominus (DC Comics), an alien character in DC Comics
* Dominus (Mar ...
(male) or
Domina (female); the first such Dominus was Neron, the current Domina is Blaze, sister of Satanus and daughter of the wizard
Shazam and a demoness (name unknown).
The First Seated rules by his (or her) "infernal will and chthonic way"; he (or she) is addressed as the '' "Lord" '' (or "Lady") "of the Hosts of Hell, First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion".
The First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion
*
Blaze - The former co-ruler of Purgatory; the current Domina, the First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion and the hybrid daughter of the wizard Shazam and a demoness (name unknown).
*
Satanus - The former co-ruler of Purgatory; the former Dominus, the First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion and the hybrid son of the wizard Shazam and a demoness (name unknown).
*
Neron - Neron is also known as the "King of Hate" and the "Lord of Lies". He was a high-ranking Wishweaver who mysteriously emerged from obscurity several years ago and soon established himself as the ruler of Hell, a position that he held for many years. He is the former Dominus, the First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion.
Archfiends
*
Abaddon the Destroyer - The guardian and oracle of Masak Mavdil, the lowest place in Hell.
[First seen in ''Justice League of America'' #49 (November 1966).]
*
Asmodel
Abel
Abin Sur
Abra Kadabra (character)
Abby Holland
Ace the Bat-Hound
Acrata
Acrata (Andrea Rojas) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who was created as part of the ''Planet DC'' annuals event. Sh ...
- A renegade King-Angel and the former leader of the Bull Host, an elite order of angels tasked with protecting the Silver City. Asmodel served as Neron's Dominion Overseer, in charge of the armies of the Infernal Dominion.
*
Asteroth
Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, was known to be the Great Duke of Hell in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he was part of the evil trinity. He is known to be a male figure most likely named afte ...
- Asteroth once captured Merlin I and Etrigan the Demon in a failed attempt to disrupt the political structure of Hell.
*
Belial
Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at ...
- The father of the demons Lord Scapegoat and Etrigan the Demon and of the half-human/half-demon hybrid
wizard Merlin I (who all had different mothers; see below). Belial physically resembled his son Etrigan the Demon. He also served as Neron's Archfiend of Internal Security; his spies kept watch on demon and damned alike.
*
Lilith the Mother of Monsters - The mother of all Earthbound monsters and the first wife of the human progenitor Adam in Judeo-Christian mythology. She held dominion over any human empowered by infernal energies, as well as the lilim, incubi, succubi, vampires, werewolves and ghouls.
*
Myrddin Ambrosius - Myrddin Ambrosius is the modern-day version of DC Comics' original version of Merlin I as introduced in the 12-issue
maxiseries
In the field of comic books, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined before production, and it differs from ...
''
The Trials of Shazam!
''The Trials of Shazam!'' is a comic book published by DC Comics from 2006 to 2008. The twelve-issue limited series, written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Howard Porter and Mauro Cascioli, was later reprinted in three paperback collections ...
'' (October 2006–May 2008). He is the youngest son of Belial, born of a blasphemous mating between his father and a human woman (name unknown), and the younger half-brother of the demons Lord Scapegoat and Etrigan the Demon.
*Mordecai Smyt - A tactical genius from the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...
who served as one of Satanus' generals.
[First seen in ''Reign in Hell'' #2 (October 2008).]
*Nebiros - The ruler of an unnamed Infernal Province and an enemy of both the Swamp Thing IV ("Alexander "Alec" Holland") and Blue Devil.
*
Prince Ra-Man the Mind-Master - A powerful magician who served as Satanus'
Secretary of State.
*Rann Va Dath of the Pit - The Serpent Queen and the Spirit of Deceit, also a former mate of Belial and the mother of Etrigan the Demon.
[First seen in ''The Demon'' (vol. 3) #2 (August 1990).]
*Shamma - A protoplasmic shapeshifter who served as Satanus' Chief of Intelligence.
*The Thing-That-Cannot-Die - A resident of a prison called the "Region Beyond", which ''may'' be a section of the Labyrinth.
[First seen in ''The Demon'' (vol. 3) #16 (October 1991).]
*
Trigon - The ruler of an unnamed Infernal Province and the father of Raven VI.
Fiends
*The Abortives - The Abortives are the lowest caste of demons, creatures born in Hell without a language or the ability to travel. They can only escape from Hell by inhabiting a "hollow" - the demonic term for a human with a body and a mind, but without a soul.
*The Arkannone - The "Lords of Gunfire".
*Azmodus - An enemy of the Spectre created by the union of Caraka (the Spectre's first human host) and the demon Sekuba.
*
Baphomet
Baphomet is a deity allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templar. that subsequently became incorporated into various occult and Western esoteric traditions. The name ''Baphomet'' appeared in trial transcripts for the Inquisition of the Knights ...
- A 6th century demon who battled
Arak, Son of Thunder
Arak is a fictional comic book character and a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in '' The Warlord'' #48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.
Arak (Bright-Sky-After-Storm) is depict ...
.
*
Bathopet, Maw and Atopeh - A trio of demons who were offered to
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur''.
The character was played by Jeryl Prescott ...
- along with the power to command and control them - by Neron during the ''Underworld Unleashed'' crossover event in exchange for her soul when she died. Madame Xanadu accepted the offer ''only'' in order to trick Neron because she was immortal and, therefore, could ''not'' die. Neron, however, in a cruel twist, revealed to Madame Xanadu that he had ''only'' made a deal with her just to prove that he could tempt those with "gray souls" as well as those who were evil.
*Black Nergal - A demon who fought
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...
I (Kent Nelson) in ''More Fun Comics'' #67 (May 1941).
[First seen in ''More Fun Comics'' #67 (May 1941).] He may be the same being as Vertigo's Nergal.
*Bloodklott the Prince of Pox - A Rhyming Demon who is terrible at rhyming and a sometimes ally of Etrigan the Demon.
*
Etrigan the Demon
Etrigan the Demon is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly bec ...
- The middle son of Belial (who physically resembles him; see above), born of a mating between his father and Rann Va Dath of the Pit, and a prominent Rhyming Demon who once made an attempt to claim the throne of Hell for himself and failed to do so.
[This incident occurred in ''The Demon'' (vol. 3) #1–7 (July 1990–January 1991).]
*The Exegesis Guild - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Exegesis Guild controls manufacturing in the Odium; their servants - also one of the Infernal Hosts - are the Renderers, infernal machines which are Hell's architects, capable of transmuting damned souls into building materials and using the rendered brick and mortar in their projects.
*The Forges - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Forges are infernal robotic constructs built by the Exegesis Guild; they are tasked with scouring anomalies from Hell.
*Grockk the Devil's Son - Due to his unique facial appearance, Grockk the Devil's Son appears to be related to Etrigan the Demon. A ''
Dial H for Hero
''Dial H for Hero'' is a comic book feature published by DC Comics about a magical dial that enables an ordinary person to become a superhero for a short time, such as an hour, by selecting the letters H-E-R-O in order. Each time it is used, the di ...
'' supervillain.
*The Howlers - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Howlers are described as
lycanthrope
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
s, so they appear to be infernal werewolves.
They have also been mentioned in Merlin I's book of spells titled ''The Book of Eternity'' and have been known to work for
Morgaine le Fey
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
.
*The Incendiaries - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Incendiaries are living hellfire constructs used by Satanus' armies.
*Lord Scapegoat - The oldest son of Belial, born of a blasphemous mating between his father and a nanny (female)
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
, and a sometimes ally of his younger half-brother Etrigan the Demon.
*Morax - The Bull-Beast of Stygia and a sometimes ally of Etrigan the Demon.
*The Necro-Mages - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Necro-Mages, while under Neron's rule, were tasked with monitoring all magical activity in Hell.
*Rhavenj - A
minotaur-like, purple-skinned demon of vengeance from ''Action Comics'' #569 (July 1985).
*The Rhyming Demons - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Rhyming Demons (like Etrigan the Demon) are compelled to rhyme all spoken word conversations.
*The Scabbies - One of the Infernal Hosts; according to the Yellow Peri, the Scabbies are former angels who were captured and tortured by demons, becoming demons themselves in the process. They appear to have also become cannibals, feeding on demon and damned alike.
*Shathan the Eternal - A giant demon who ruled
Dis and fought the Spectre in ''Showcase'' #61 (March–April 1966).
*The Wishweavers - One of the Infernal Hosts, the Wishweavers are demons who specialize in fulfilling mortals' greatest desires in exchange for their immortal souls or for completing a task for them, usually by making deals with said mortals (with such deals usually ''not'' ending well for the mortals). Neron is the most prominent, powerful and well-known Wishweaver and, possibly, ''might'' have been their ruler.
*Xolotl - The demon guardian of the "Mictlan Gate" and the servant of Lord
Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death.
Notable damned
*
Baal
Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...
- A Semitic fertility and storm god who is confined to a temple that is hidden in an unnamed corner of Hell.
*Buzz - Buzz was born Gaius Marcus, a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
patrician
Patrician may refer to:
* Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage
* Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
from A.D. 41; he was a frequent enemy of the fallen angel Linda Danvers.
*Chthon - One of Echidna's monstrous children and the guardian of the "Pillars of Unreason".
*Daemon - An incubus who assaulted Supergirl.
*
The Demons Three (Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast) - Three proto-demons who predate humanity and yet, at the same time, are among the many children of Lilith.
[First seen in ''Justice League of America'' #10 (March 1962)]
*
Echidna
Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
- The Mother of Monsters in Greek mythology, to whom
Power Girl
Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl is the cousin of the superhero Supe ...
promises to return once a year for instruction.
*
Lobo - An intergalactic bounty hunter and a former prisoner in the Labyrinth, Lobo was briefly tormented by Neron when he was "Lord of the Hosts of Hell, First Seated of the Entire Infernal Dominion". His suffering in Hell alone was enough to power Neron's entire palace.
*Mawzir - The 10-armed and gun-wielding Nazi hit man of Hell.
Lesser damned
*Barbariccia - A demonic astral guard.
[First seen in ''Human Defense Corps'' #4 (October 2003).]
*Calcabrina - A demon from Scarmaglione's clan who was captured by the Human Defense Corps.
*The Master Baytor - The former Lord of the Criminally Insane in Hell and a sometimes ally of Etrigan the Demon, who later escaped from Hell and became a bartender at Noonan's Bar in the Cauldron, a section of
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
.
*Scarmaglione - A minor demon-lord from the ''Human Defense Corps'' six-issue miniseries.
*Sergeant Montgomery Kelly - A member of the Human Defense Corps; he killed the minor demon-lord Scarmaglione, assumed his powers and succeeded him as ruler of his clan, claiming it for the United States of America. His status as a minor ruler of Hell was confirmed by no less an authority than Neron himself.
*Spot (a.k.a. The Beast With No Name and Stanley's Monster) - A minor demon who was banished from Hell to Earth by Lucifer for being "too nice" for Hell and has befriended a human named Stanley Dover Junior. Hell has tried to reclaim this demon many times without ''any'' success.
Notable half-demons
*
Black Alice - A young woman whose infernally-made powers allow her to steal magical energy.
*
Blue Devil - A former movie stuntman turned superhero.
*The
Creeper II (Jack Ryder) - A superhero who is a human that has somehow been bonded to a demon.
*
Felix Faust
Felix Faust is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League of America #10'' (1962), created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. He is depicted as an mystic sorcerer obse ...
- A damned sorcerer.
*
Linda Danvers - A fallen angel summoned to Hell by Lilith the Mother of Monsters, but mysteriously released shortly afterward.
*
Lord Satanis - A warlock (real name unknown) from the distant future who sold his soul to a demon-lord (name unknown) in exchange for power while living in 14th century
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
.
*
Raven VI (Rachel Roth) - The hybrid daughter of the Archfiend Trigon (see above) and a human woman named
Arella
Angela Roth, commonly called Arella, is a fictional character from DC Comics. She is the pacifist mother of the superheroine Raven in the '' Teen Titans'' comics and animated series. She is the reluctant lover and wife of the all-powerful inter ...
.
*
Sabbac - A cursed human able to take on demonic power by saying the magic word "Sabbac".
*
Sebastian Faust - The son of Felix Faust, who is also a sorcerer and damned like his father, but is a superhero (while his father is a supervillain).
*The
White Magician - A powerful human warlock who is able to summon a demonic aspect of himself after selling his soul to one of Hell's demons.
*
Witchfire - A
homunculus
A homunculus ( , , ; "little person") is a representation of a small human being, originally depicted as small statues made out of clay. Popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and nineteenth-century fiction, it has historically referred to the ...
sorceress.
Infernal artifacts
*The Ace of Winchesters - A powerful demon-forged
Winchester rifle
Winchester rifle is a comprehensive term describing a series of lever action repeating rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Developed from the 1860 Henry rifle, Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. The Mo ...
that is capable of killing any mortal or immortal being, no matter who - or what - that being might be.
*The Crown of Horns - A powerful magical artifact that is supposedly worn by some of the rulers of Hell.
*The Trident of Lucifer - A powerful magical weapon with the ability to return exiled demons to Hell; it is currently in the possession of
Blue Devil.
Other versions
According to the six-issue miniseries ''Artemis: Requiem'' (June–November 1996) by
William Messner-Loebs
William Francis Messner-Loebs (; born William Francis Loebs, Jr., February 19, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs. His hyphenated surname is a combination of his and his wif ...
and
Ed Benes
José Edilbenes Bezerra (born November 20, 1972), better known by his professional name Ed Benes, is a Brazilian comic book artist, known for his work for DC Comics, on such titles as '' Birds of Prey'', '' Supergirl'', ''Superman'', and ''Justice ...
and the second story in ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
Annual'' (vol. 2) #6 (1997) by Joan Weis and
Ed Benes
José Edilbenes Bezerra (born November 20, 1972), better known by his professional name Ed Benes, is a Brazilian comic book artist, known for his work for DC Comics, on such titles as '' Birds of Prey'', '' Supergirl'', ''Superman'', and ''Justice ...
(which do ''not'' take place in mainstream DC Universe canon), there are 13 princely thrones in Hell, each selected to oversee 13 different realms of it. It is then assumed that these demon princes ultimately answer to the crowned head of Hell. The demoness
Belyllioth
Belyllioth is a fictional demon published by DC Comics. She debuted in '' Artemis: Requiem'' #1 (June 1996), and was created by William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes.
Fictional character biography
Belyllioth started as a demon General living in the ...
is Princess of 1/13th of Hell's realms in these stories. She supposedly replaced the previous ruler, Dalkriig-Hath, once he was destroyed by his bride
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics.
Publication history
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall debuted in '' Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 #90 (September 1994) and was created by writer Willi ...
. Artemis was, by right, next in line to rule her former husband's realm, but instead she had the other 12 Princes of Hell grant Belyllioth her station instead. Notable in this depiction were the
Myrmidons
In Greek mythology, the Myrmidons (or Myrmidones; el, Μυρμιδόνες) were an ancient Thessalian Greek tribe. In Homer's ''Iliad'', the Myrmidons are the soldiers commanded by Achilles. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of ...
, a race of savage ant-like demons that were faithful to Belyllioth.
Vertigo
Description
The
Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
imprint of DC Comics also has its own version of Hell, with its own very specific infernal sovereignty formerly ruled by
Lucifer Samael Morningstar.
Fictional history
Contrary to popular belief, the term Satan (a Hebrew word meaning "adversary") represents a title within the legions of Hell and is ''not'' an actual name. The most well-known Satan is Lucifer Samael Morningstar, whose rule supplanted both that of the First of the Fallen and the First Triumvirate and Etrigan the Demon and the Second Triumvirate. Lucifer was the fourth fallen angel and yet ''not'' the first ruler of Hell, though he later became the ruler of Hell for many centuries. When the Great Evil Beast threatened all of existence by making an attack on Creation during the ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', a civil war erupted in Hell as a result and the regency was split into the Second Triumvirate, which consisted of Etrigan the Demon, his mother Rann Va Dath of the Pit and Abaddon the Destroyer.
This was only an interim triumvirate, however, and it was soon replaced by the Third Triumvirate.
[First seen in ''The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #4 (April 1989).] Eventually, Lucifer grew bored with his position, abdicated the throne of Hell and retired to Earth with his mistress, the lilim known as Mazikeen.
[This incident occurred in ''The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #21–28 (January–July 1991).]
Geography
The realms of the Vertigo version of Hell are not as defined as the ones in the DC Comics version after the ''Reign in Hell'' miniseries, but specific areas have been mentioned in various stories.
*
Dis - A Hellcity, home to the palace of Lucifer Samael Morningstar.
*Effrul - The home Province of Lord Arux, an Arch-Duke of Hell.
*Mashkan-Shapir - A Hellcity formerly ruled by Nergal, an Arch-Duke of Hell.
Infernal sovereignty
The hierarchy of the Vertigo version of Hell has changed several times over the millennia, the ruler of which has always assumed the title of Satan. There are also ranks among the demons, including Kings, Queens, Princes, Lords, Arch-Dukes, Dukes and several others as well. Eventually, Lucifer grew bored with his position, abandoned Hell entirely, forced every being within it out of it, closed its gates behind him, locked them and gave its key to
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
of the
Endless
Endless or The Endless may refer to:
Business
* Endless (private equity), a British firm
* Endless.com, an e-commerce website selling shoes and accessories
* Endless Computers, an American operating system company
Film
* ''The Endless'' (film ...
, who eventually gave it to two angels,
Remiel
Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Ram ...
and
Duma
A duma (russian: дума) is a Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions.
The term ''boyar duma'' is used to refer to advisory councils in Russia from the 10th to 17th centuries. Starting in the 18th century, city dumas were for ...
, who then transformed Hell into a place of spiritual rehabilitation rather than eternal punishment.
In the interim, Lucifer was shown as the ruler of Hell in the mainstream DC Comics series ''
The Spectre'' (vol. 2) #1–31 (April 1987–November 1989, plus one ''Annual'' (1988)) and ''
The Demon'' (vol. 3) #1–58 (July 1990–May 1995, plus two ''Annual''s (1992 and 1993) and one #0 issue (October 1994)) and the mainstream DC Comics miniseries ''
Stanley and His Monster'' (vol. 2) #1–4 (February–May 1993).
The Triumvirs of Hell (both DC Comics (Second) and Vertigo (First and Third))
The First Triumvirate
*The
First of the Fallen
The following is a list of characters in the Hellblazer mythos published by Vertigo imprint.
John Constantine
A Liverpudlian magician and conman, and the main character in the series. He first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #37 in June ...
- The first being created and the first to be banished to Hell.
*The Second of the Fallen - The second being created and the second to be banished to Hell. Killed by the First of the Fallen after the First discovered that the Second was not ''truly'' one of the Fallen after all, but was merely a demon.
*The Third of the Fallen - The third being created and the third to be banished to Hell. Killed by the First of the Fallen for the same reason that the Second was killed.
The Second Triumvirate
*
Lucifer Samael Morningstar - The fourth being created and the fourth to be banished to Hell.
*
Azazel the Abomination - A former
djinn
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
("genie") who ascended to Lucifer's triumvirate.
*
Beelzebub the Lord of the Flies - A prominent Arch-Duke of Hell who was later promoted to Lucifer's triumvirate alongside Lucifer and Azazel.
The Third Triumvirate
*Etrigan the Demon - A prominent Rhyming Demon, he established this interim triumvirate at a time when he had - or when he ''thought'' that he had - conquered the power of Hell.
*Rann Va Dath of the Pit - The Serpent Queen and the Spirit of Deceit; also, a former mate of Belial (Etrigan the Demon's father) and the mother of Etrigan the Demon.
*Abaddon the Destroyer - The guardian and oracle of Masak Mavdil, the lowest place in Hell.
Lesser demons
Arch-Dukes of Hell
*Adramalech - An ally of
Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''The Books of Magic'' #1 (January 1990), and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton.
Publication history
Tim Hunter was created by ...
.
[First seen in ''The Books of Magic'' (vol. 2) #5 (September 1994).]
*Lord Arux - The ruler of the Province of Effrul and the father of Brosag and Lady Lys, the latter of whom succeeds him as ruler.
*
Mazikeen
Mazikeen is a character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is one of the lilim, a child of Lilith. She first appeared in '' The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #22 (December 1990), and was created by Neil Gaiman and Kelley Jon ...
- The lilim mistress of Lucifer.
*
Nergal - The former ruler of the Hellcity of Mashkan-Shapir and the Arch-Duke of Mendacity; he was demoted from his rule by the First of the Fallen.
He may be the same being as DC Comics' Black Nergal.
In his appearance in ''Constantine the Hellblazer'' #8–13, Neron is mentioned as now being an Arch-Duke of Hell (a far cry from the ruler of Hell that he had once been) by no less an authority than
John Constantine the Hellblazer himself.
Dukes of Hell
*
Agares
Agares (also ''Agarat'', ''Agaros'', or ''Agarus'') is a demon described in demonological grimoires.
Description
Agares is described in grimoires such as the ''Livre des Esperitz'' (as Agarat), the '' Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'', the ''Lesser ...
- A minor Duke of Hell and a possible future servant of Timothy Hunter.
*
Asmodeus
Asmodeus (; grc, Ἀσμοδαῖος, ''Asmodaios'') or Ashmedai (; he, אַשְמְדּאָי, ''ʾAšmədʾāy''; see below for other variations), is a ''prince of demons'' and hell."Asmodeus" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chi ...
- A minor Duke of Hell who is believed to be the hybrid son of the
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
and a human woman named Naamah, who was apparently damned to Hell for daring to love an angel (this angel is later strongly hinted to have become the Phantom Stranger himself sometime after the incident).
Minor gentry
*Braid the Assassin - Braid was sent by Remiel and Lord Arux to kill Lucifer but failed in his mission and died.
*
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the ...
the Hellhound I - The three-headed watchdog of the gates of Hell; he allowed the souls of the dead to enter into Hell - if they had paid Charon the Ferryman his fare of a gold coin - but none to leave and also prevented the living from entering - or leaving if they ''did'' somehow manage to enter - as well. He especially devoured all those who tried to leave Hell without permission.
[First seen in ''Arak, Son of Thunder'' #12 (August 1982).]
*
Charon the Ferryman - The blind ferryman of the river
Styx; he transported the souls of the dead across this river in his boat- for a fare of a gold coin - to the gates of Hell.
Notable half-demons
*
John Constantine the Hellblazer - A dilettante con man, thief, exorcist and minor wizard.
Infernal artifacts
*The Knife of the Fallen - A two-bladed knife created by the First of the Fallen from the dead bodies of the Second of the Fallen and the Third of the Fallen.
In other media
Television
Hell exists in the
CW's
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW See ...
. It was first mentioned in
season 4 Season 4 may refer to:
* "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock''
See also
*
* Season One (disambiguation)
* Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* '' 2econd Season''
See also
*
...
of ''
Arrow'', where
Oliver Queen
Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
stated that he could not call for
John Constantine
John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...
's help, because he was literally in Hell. Hell was then depicted in
season 4 Season 4 may refer to:
* "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock''
See also
*
* Season One (disambiguation)
* Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* '' 2econd Season''
See also
*
...
of ''
Legends of Tomorrow
''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American time travel superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, who are also executive producers a ...
'', where Constantine and
Nora Darhk traveled there to rescue the soul of
Ray Palmer. The Arrowverse's version of the Triumvirate of Hell was made up of the demons
Beelzebub, Belial and Satan, who were engaged in a power struggle against another demon,
Neron.
[Season 4, episode 15: "Terms of Service"; premiered on The CW on Monday, May 13, 2019]
References
External links
DCU Guide: HellDCU Guide: DemonsDCU Guide: Etrigan the DemonDCU Guide: NeronDCU Guide: BlazeDCU Guide: SatanusDCU Guide: The Triumvirate of HellDCU Guide: The First of the FallenDCU Guide: The Second of the FallenDCU Guide: The Third of the FallenDCU Guide: Lucifer MorningstarDCU Guide: AzazelDCU Guide: Beelzebub
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hell (Dc Comics)
The Sandman (comic book)
The Books of Magic
DC Comics demons
Hell in popular culture
Mythology in DC Comics