Sometimes, there are varying degrees: The first circle of Hell can be this, while the worse circles are all fire, brimstone and torture.Lewis's The Great Divorce, where Hell is merely a very dull city everyone is entirely solipsistic, to the point of violently repulsing anyone who attempts to get in line for the bus in front, or even behind, them. By the time Squee rolls around, this no longer seems to be the case, however. It is also implied to be Satan's punishment for rebelling against god - being forced to run the repository for human ingrates for the rest of all eternity.As Sartre said, 'Hell is other people.' Literally. The premise, of course, is that just being surrounded entirely by people who deserve to be in Hell is Hell itself.Later, when Squee looks in the basement of Senor Diablo's earthly house, it's classic fire and brimstone. The first time Hell appears in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, it's just like Earth but is filled with all the world's stupid, petty and shallow people, who all react in a ridiculously over the top manner to minor annoyances.Wonder Woman (1987): When Neron nabs Wondy, Cassie, Artemis, and Jason Blood off the street the corner of the underworld he pulls them to is firey with vast pools of lava, however even when later writers had Hades become manned by a God of Evil it remained a dark relitivly quiet and cold bit of underworld.(Of course, the demons eventually set up an economy based on these souls, which makes them anxious to collect more.) The damned souls of mortals are all self-exiled - they impose their own punishments and compel Hell to torture them because they think they deserve it. Neron and other comic book devils live in a Fire and Brimstone Hell, unless it's a Vertigo book.Another popular theory in fiction is that it was originally a prison, but Satan took it over subverting its mechanics. Or maybe they're just sadistically amusing themselves. Some theorize that Hell is thus part of God's plan and still under His employ, which may or may not put his infinite goodness into doubt depending on who you ask or else devils get something out of torturing souls. This job arguably makes Hell someplace someone doesn't want to go which theoretically helps God. Note the curious discrepancy despite rebelling against God, devils in hell are doing some kind of job with awe-inspiring diligence and consistency. Sometimes, it's actually shown to be underground literally, but most of the time it's Another Dimension. And even then, you can expect the odd brazier and stalactite.Ĭommon features of such a location include underground cavern-like decor, plenty of hellfire and lava, and red-skinned devils with horns and tails poking the souls of sinners around with their pitchforks. Generally, if it isn't an Ironic Hell, Hell Is War, the Bloody Bowels of Hell or A Hell of a Time, it's this. A Fate Worse than Death that in some stories happens after death, just as Fluffy Cloud Heaven is The Theme Park Version of Heaven, Fire And Brimstone Hell is the Theme Park version of Hell.

Tiny planet and brimstone