Legions of Hell

The Legions of Hell is a realm that exists in the afterlife where the souls of the "corrupt" retire to when they pass away.

A realm of Hellfire and brimestone, Hell is traditionally accessible only by those of demonic heritage, beings of a higher order or by those whose souls have been barred from entering the gates of Heaven.

History
The hierarchy of Hell has changed several times over the centuries, the leader of which has always assumed the title of "Devil". The most well-known Devil is Lucifer Morningstar; the first fallen Angel and the supreme ruler of Hell for many centuries. When the great Darkness of creation threatened all existence, a civil war erupted in Hell and the realm was split into a triumverate. Eventually, Lucifer grew bored with his position and retired to Earth. Neron then assumed a predominant position in Hell.

During the "Day of Judgment", a fallen angel named Asmodel took control of the Spectre and sought to bring Hell on Earth. In the process, he used his powers to extinguish the Hellfire itself, and effectively freezing Hell over. A team of heroes including Superman, Zatanna, Faust, Firestorm, the Atom, Enchantress and Deadman were sent deep into Hell's bowls to reignite its flames. They were successful, but it required an action of true evil, and Faust was forced to slit Enchantress' throat on the spot. In doing so, he forfeited the soul he had recently gained through his own redemption as a hero.

During the events of Reign in Hell, the Underworld is thrown into conflict again as Neron is faced with a rebellion from Lord Satanus and Lady Blaze. Recognizing what would happen if the damned rose up against him, Neron has Lilith summon all demons on Earth to return to Hell and aid him. This proves futile, as the rebellion triumphs, and Blaze proclaims herself the new Devil after defeating Neron and betraying her brother.

Trivia

 * Hell is a debased reflection of Earth, so as Earth became more technologically or socially advanced so does Hell.
 * The dominion of Hell is divided up into several "Provinces", with each province having a ruler and each ruler in turn paying tribute to "The Devil". The Nine Provinces include Pandemonia, The Odium, The Gull, Praetori, Ament, Labrynth, Err, and Purgatory.
 * The appearance and treatment of heaven in the DC Universe is sheparded by the Comics Code; a set of ethical guidelines drawn up in the 1950s in reaction to anti-comic book hysteria. The Code states that "Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible." Later revisions of the code are phrased in terms of respecting religious beliefs and religious institutions.