History Main / ToHellandBack

Sometimes heroes enter Hell to rescue a loved one; sometimes they go there to fight UltimateEvil; some of the other, ahem, [[SociopathicHero rough-around-the-edges heroes]] get sent there the old fashioned way. Either way, they generally see some or all of the following:

* Every videogame in the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series (except the fourth) has had the protagonist Dante go to hell (in the second game, it's part of the ending).

* This happen in a [[TheMovie feature film]] of ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'', [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids of all places]]. Nobita goes to a parallel reality where magic actually exist in the world. However, in Japan the word for magic is ''mahou'', which translates to demon arts -- demons exist in this magical world, albeit as an alien race who inhabits a {{Hell}}-like planet. One thing leads to another, and Nobita and friends must go to the PlanetHeck to kill {{Satan}} and then return to Earth. For reference, this was almost a decade before ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.

* TabletopGame/''Warhammer40000'': [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace Anytime a ship goes through the Warp to achieve FTL travel]] (except the Tau and Necrons), very careful precautions must be taken so the ship isn't swarmed by daemons.

** Episode 1 of the first ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' ends with the Marine/[[FanNickname Doomguy]] being killed and sent to Hell as a result. He then ''fights his way out of Hell'' back to Earth. On top of that, megawad ''VideoGame/{{Sigil}}'' (sort of an "Episode 5" to ''Doom'') has Doomguy being sent back to and fighting his way out of Hell ''again''.

* Alexander travels to the land of the dead in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIHeirTodayGoneTomorrow'', mostly because the plot demands it. [[spoiler: Alexander rides to the Underworld on the Nightmare, a winged demon horse, to restore Princess Cassima's parents to life.]] Bonus points because you can see the Underworld on the HaveANiceDeath screen, THEN visit it alive, when you thought it would only be yet another twisted way of Sierra to hand you a death scene.

* [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Fire and brimstone]].

If the hero is [[OrpheanRescue rescuing someone]], there will be a catch. For instance, in Myth/GreekMythology, Orpheus was told his love, Eurydice, would follow him out of Hades, provided he did not look back to check that she was there. He looked back [[ExactWords right after he got out but before]] ''[[ExactWords she]]'' [[ExactWords did]], and lost her. Similar tales of descending into an underworld and returning occur in numerous mythologies: Inanna in Sumerian, Hermod in Norse, Kaknu in Cholone (Native American) and many more.

-->'''Hector''': [[PreAsskickingOneLiner They didn't make a saint for nothing, Satan]]

* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon of ''VideoGame/ActRaiser'' is set in Hell, albeit [[{{Bowdlerize}} renamed Deathheim]] in the US, and the FinalBoss is Satan himself, localized as Tanzra.

* Alexander travels to the land of the dead in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVI'', mostly because the plot demands it. [[spoiler: Alexander rides to the Underworld on the Nightmare, a winged demon horse, to restore Princess Cassima's parents to life.]] Bonus points because you can see the Underworld on the HaveANiceDeath screen, THEN visit it alive, when you thought it would only be yet another twisted way of Sierra to hand you a death scene.

* Hades is a location in both the original ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'' and ''VideoGame/ZorkGrandInquisitor''. In the former, it's mostly just another room with a piece of treasure, but you do have to exorcise the evil spirits. In the latter, Hades is more elaborate, with the River Styx, Charon to row you across for a price, and [[strike:Cerberus]] a two-headed beast guarding the gate ([[ContinuityNod the original three-headed dog having been stolen some centuries ago to guard some king's museum]]).

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' did this as well. Granted, being [[CloudCuckooLander the]] [[TooKinkyToTorture Warners]] they just annoy Satan until he kicks them out.

* The ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "To Heck and Back" features Heffer going to [[GoshDangItToHeck Heck]] after choking on a chicken bone. [[spoiler:He was able to be saved by Rocko successfully getting the chicken bone out, even after being swallowed. However, it was AllJustADream]].

** In ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', Roland and the Nac Mac Feegle rescue [[spoiler:the Summer Lady]] from Limbo (so called because the door's very low). The ferryman talks in [[AC: All Caps]], and may therefore be [[TheGrimReaper a certain recurring character]]. Roland compares it to the story of Orpheo and Euniphon.
** Closely related in ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'', when two characters escape Death's realm (which isn't Hell, really, but is an EldritchLocation), Death complains [[AC: I may as well install a revolving door]].

* DC's ''ComicBook/TheDemon'' Etrigan is ''from'' Hell, as might be expected from the title. He's ... connected ... somehow ... with Jason Blood, who is not himself a Demon but a) is ageless and undying and b) can transform into Etrigan (both are the results of a curse). Etrigan is certainly capable of going to Hell and back whenever he wants, but he doesn't necessarily do it often, because even though he's pretty powerful by demon standards he's also ambitious and has made enemies there that are much stronger than he is.
* ''[[ComicBook/SuperBuddies Formerly Known As The Justice League]]'' had the ironic punishments and the Orpheus trip -- Guy Gardner and Fire had to keep from looking at Ice, Guy's girlfriend and Fire's best friend, who had died some time previously. In the end, Fire looked, and they lost her.

* For Heck, the protagonist of Zander Cannon's ''ComicBook/{{Heck}}'', this is his day job: he'll travel to whichever [[CirclesOfHell circle of Hell]] you want, ask or tell someone something, and return with any information you request.

** Speaking of X-Men, Magik from the ComicBook/NewMutants rules her own region of Hell called Limbo, meaning she and her teammates technically go to Hell and back at least once an issue.

* DC's ''ComicBook/TheSpectre'', being the literal embodiment of the Wrath of God, is on a first-name basis (note that doesn't mean ''friendly'', it just means they know each other) with pretty much everyone having to do with the afterlife and at least some versions of the character have the ability to send people to Hell temporarily for educational purposes (other times, he just torments them in much the same way they'd be tormented in Hell... which is admittedly a pretty fine distinction).

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' featured this in one annual, wherein the eponymous plant elemental journeyed through the afterlife -- visiting the Realm of the Just-Dead, Heaven, and Hell -- in order to find and bring back Abby, whose evil uncle, Anton Arcane, had cast her down to Hell. In addition to the similarity to the Orpheus myth, the issue also functioned as a retelling of Literature/TheDivineComedy, with Dante's supernatural guides being replaced by their closest DCU equivalents -- Deadman, ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger, The Spectre, and ComicBook/{{Etrigan}}.

* Chance Encounter II: Pirate Kingdom of Troy, features one of these, with the designated IronWoobie and ButtMonkey Balian getting the crap beaten out of him in a subversion of PowerOfLove after it had been played straight as he charged straight through hell to rescue his wife by divine dispensation. The get out after the recently deceased and sainted Prince Hector gets involved, using this line:

* TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace Anytime a ship goes through the Warp to achieve FTL travel]] (except the Tau and Necrons), very careful precautions must be taken so the ship isn't swarmed by daemons.

* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' and it's [[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus sequel series]] does this all the time. Unsurprising considering the series is based on Greek mythology where this is also somewhat common. On several occasions Demi-gods aren't even going there to rescue someone or something similarly dramatic, but just to have a chat with Hades or someone else. It's worth noting that most trips are to the Underworld which contains areas of punishment, rewards, and neutrality depending on what one did in their life. Tartarus is a pit below the underworld and more equivalent to Hell, and is only visited once [[spoiler:when Percy and Annabeth fall in]].

* Creator/LarryNiven and Creator/JerryPournelle revisited Dante's Inferno in their own [[Literature/{{Inferno}} modern version]]. The central character, Allen Carpenter, traveled through the same Hell, encountering many similar events. However, some of the settings had been modernized -- there were demonic cars, and the Grove of the Suicides was being bulldozed. Replacing Virgil's role as guide was Benito [[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]]. In the end, Allen had Benito climb Satan rather than himself to seek divine forgiveness.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'' doesn't technically have hell as one of the Sixteen Realms, but it does have [[TheUnderworld the Underworld]], which is a dark world beneath Ninjago populated by [[DemBones Skeletons]], as well as the [[GeniusLoci Cursed Realm]], an [[EldritchLocation Eldritch Location]] full of ghosts. There's also the Departed Realm, although that's implied to be a version of Heaven rather than Hell. [[EvilOverlord Lord Garmadon]] has been to [[DeathIsCheap all three]].

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* This happen in a [[TheMovie feature film]] of ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'', [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids of all places]]. Nobita goes to a parallel reality where magic actually exist in the world. However, in Japan the word for magic is ''mahou'', which translates to demon arts-- demons exist in this magical world, albeit as an alien race who inhabits a {{Hell}}-like planet. One thing leads to another, and Nobita and friends must go to the PlanetHeck to kill {{Satan}} and then return to Earth. For reference, this was almost a decade before ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
* Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Ishida go into Hell in ''Anime/BleachHellVerse'' to rescue Ichigo's sister Yuzu from Togabito who've kidnapped her. During the second half of the movie, [[spoiler:Ichigo goes back to Hell to save his three companions from the hands of their false ally Kokuto]].
* ''Manga/Reborn2004'': Mukuro Rokudo uses the 'Six Paths of Reincarnation' which gives him six different skills. In the anime, he claims that he had gone through all six paths to Hades, thus granting him six different skills. (In the manga, he states that he had six past lives instead.)

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' featured this in one annual, wherein the eponymous plant elemental journeyed through the afterlife--visiting the Realm of the Just-Dead, Heaven, and Hell--in order to find and bring back Abby, whose evil uncle, Anton Arcane, had cast her down to Hell. In addition to the similarity to the Orpheus myth, the issue also functioned as a retelling of Literature/TheDivineComedy, with Dante's supernatural guides being replaced by their closest DCU equivalents--Deadman, ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger, The Spectre, and ComicBook/{{Etrigan}}.
* The Saint of Killers in ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'' gets to Hell the regular way, but his hatred is so great it freezes over. {{Satan}} convinces him to take over the job of the Angel of Death just to get him out of Hell, but as he leaves he uses his new powers to kill Satan. Eventually [[spoiler:he ascends to heaven. God returns to find every angel slaughtered, with The Saint of Killers sitting on his throne. Bang! and he becomes one of the few characters that have killed both {{Satan}} and {{God}}]].

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': When Sofia Constantinas is imprisoned in Hades for wandering too close to one of its entrances without proper protections ComicBook/SteveTrevor, rather casually, runs in after her and pulls her back out right by Cerberus who seems more likely to greet Trevor with a friendly lick than attack. As Steve had come back from death twice by this point evidently the underworld doesn't have much hold on him.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Franchise/WonderWoman, ComicBook/WonderGirl and Ferdinand travel to Hades to rescue Hermes, who has been imprisoned in Tartarus by Hades.
* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', where Morpheus travels to Hell to retrieve his helmet, and again to free Nada, though the latter didn't turn out so well.
* A classic ''ComicBook/StrontiumDog'' story involved the heroes chasing a renegade bounty hunter to a Hell-dimension, and then going to track down {{Satan}} in order to escape.

* Near the end of PAD's run, Triton has killed Poseidon and is kicking the crap out of ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} and friends. Aquaman lets Triton kill him, so he can get to the afterlife. Once there, he decks Charon, rallies the souls who didn't have boat fare, jacks Charon's boat, runs Charon over with his own boat, storms the literal Gates of Hell, cuts off one of Cerberus' heads, marches right up to Pluto and demands Poseidon back, ultimately convincing Hades with a very solid BatmanGambit. On his way out, Cerberus is back, and Aquaman has just one word for the titanic guardian of the underworld: [[spoiler: "Stay."]]
* ''[[Series/{{Angel}} Angel: After the Fall]]'' features all of Los Angeles being trapped in Hell.

* For Heck, the protagonist of Zander Cannon's ''ComicBook/{{Heck}}'', this is his day job: he'll travel to whichever [[CirclesOfHell circle of Hell]] you want, ask or tell someone something, and return with any information you request.
* DC's ''ComicBook/TheSpectre'', being the literal embodiment of the Wrath of God, is on a first-name basis (note that doesn't mean ''friendly'', it just means they know each other) with pretty much everyone having to do with the afterlife and at least some versions of the character have the ability to send people to Hell temporarily for educational purposes (other times, he just torments them in much the same way they'd be tormented in Hell ... which is admittedly a pretty fine distinction).
* DC's ''ComicBook/TheDemon'' Etrigan is ''from'' Hell, as might be expected from the title. He's ... connected ... somehow ... with Jason Blood, who is not himself a Demon but a) is ageless and undying and b) can transform into Etrigan (both are the results of a curse). Etrigan is certainly capable of going to Hell and back whenever he wants, but he doesn't necessarily do it often, because even though he's pretty powerful by demon standards he's also ambitious and has made enemies there that are much stronger than he is.
* Creator/IDWPublishing's miniseries ''ComicBook/GodzillaInHell'' is just that. The King of the Monsters finds himself in Hell and his rampage throughout the various levels is not pretty.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', Manolo leaves the colorful fiesta of the Land of the Remembered and ventures to the Land of the Forgotten - a dreary and hopeless realm where the forgotten dead roam - to tell La Muerte that Xibalba cheated in the wager that gave him her realm.

* Creator/RobinWilliams literally ''goes through hell'' in the movie ''Film/WhatDreamsMayCome'' after he dies, when he attempts to retrieve his (also) dead wife who has gone to hell because she committed suicide.
* [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney's]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}''.
** He does it many times in the TV series, including one retelling of the Orpheus myth. Charon even [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on it in one episode and offers Herc a frequent customer discount.
* A variant occurs with Davy Jones' Locker in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd''.
* A variation in the [[GenreBusting demonic musical romantic comedy]] ''Film/{{Lo}}'': after the protagonist watches his girlfriend get carried off by a demon, he summons another one to bring her back from Hell so that he can speak with her again.

* ''Film/FaustLoveOfTheDamned'': After Jaspers is BuriedAlive, he briefly finds himself in hell being attacked by a burning skeleton. He destroys it and races back to the land of the living.

* ''{{Film/Errementari}}'' concludes with [[spoiler: Patxi, the blacksmith, forcing open the {{Hellgate}} with a blessed bell on his back, hell-bent on retrieving his late wife for the benefit of her daughter, Usue]].

* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the BigBad [[{{Satan}} Morgoth]] rules a vast underground fortress named Angband, the Iron Prison, which is basically Hell on Earth. While many characters are dragged there as prisoners and a few escape, only three people go there ''voluntarily'' and get out alive: Fingon, who actually only climbed the mountain heaped up over the gates, to rescue his friend Maedhros; and Beren and Lúthien, who shape-shifted into animalistic monsters, snuck all the way down to Morgoth's throne room, stole a Silmaril right out of his crown, and made it all the way back to the outermost gate before they were caught. They still escaped, anyway.
* Creator/LarryNiven and Creator/JerryPournelle revisited Dante's Inferno in their own [[Literature/{{Inferno}} modern version]]. The central character, Allen Carpenter, traveled through the same Hell, encountering many similar events. However, some of the settings had been modernized -- there were demonic cars, and the Grove of the Suicides was being bulldozed. Replacing Virgil's role as guide was Benito [[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]]. In the end, Allen had Benito climb Satan rather than himself to seek divine forgiveness.]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels.
** In ''[[strike:Faust]] Literature/{{Eric}}'', Rincewind and Eric end up in Hell by mistake, and are allowed to leave (across a road paved with good intentions) by the new Demon King due to their adventures having distracted the old one while his removal was plotted (he becomes Life President of Hell, a job with no powers whatsoever). Before that, they meet everyone they've encountered over the course of the story, and discover the most ironic punishment is mind-numbing tedium.
** In ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', Roland and the Nac Mac Feegle rescue [[spoiler:the Summer Lady]] from Limbo (so called because the door's very low). The ferryman talks in [[AC: All Caps]], and may therefore be [[TheGrimReaper a certain recurring character]]. Roland compares it to the story of Orpheo and Euniphon.
** Closely related in ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'', when two characters escape Death's realm (which isn't Hell, really, but is an EldritchLocation), Death complains [[AC: I may as well install a revolving door]].

* One of the legends told in the course of ''Literature/WatershipDown'' features the first rabbit, El-ahrairah, descending into Inle -- evidently the Lapine version of Hades -- and winning his people's freedom from the Black Rabbit who rules there. Hint: it involves sacrificing his ears. And that's only the ''beginning''. No, folks, contrary to the marketing, this is not a cute bunny story.

* Most of the ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'' visit Hell at some point in their respective books. How bad it is depends on whether Satan's showing them the vacation brochure version or allowing them to see the real thing. The Incarnations are powerful enough that Satan can't keep them there against their will, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy for them to get out, and if they've got mortal companions Satan has ''a lot'' more leverage.
* In Philip Pullmans `[[Literature/HisDarkMaterials The Amber Spyglass]]` the main characters Lyra and Will go to where all dead people end up and free them
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[Literature/ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', what his children start out to do to rescue him.

* When the Walking Death takes over Literature/MarlaMason's city and essentially holds it hostage in return for her dagger of office, Marla invades the underworld, meaning to sit in his throne and acquire the power to get him out of Felport. She has a friend show her to the AfterlifeExpress, and (along with her valet) encounters all of the people she has killed, some of whom want her to join them. Then it turns out that the old Death is still at home on his throne...

* Book 15 of Literature/TheDresdenFiles, ''Literature/SkinGame'' features a plot to rob Hades personal vault. This includes breaking into a bank in the real world in order to open a path to the correct part of the [[SpiritWorld Never Never]], making it past a number of gates and their guardians, a chat with the big man himself, and of course the entire thing falling completely off the rails on the way back out.
* Darren and Vicky, the protagonists of ''Literature/PointHorror Unleashed's'' ''Fright Train''. [[spoiler: They are only let go because Vicky uses her and Darren's birth certificates to prove their identity, with the tickets they picked up being intended for [[ChekovsGunman the couple they bumped into on the platform.]] The Devil shoves them out of a different door to the other passengers, and they return to life (albeit with no memory of what happened.)]]

%%* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' did this in 'Jolinar's Memories'. In this case Hell was a moon that a Goa'uld Satan impersonator used to make his enemies suffer. This led to the memorable line, said by O'Neill, "To Hell with us."
* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' plays on this trope with their episode "Helen Back Again". Helen, from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', is their new principal, and their re-auditions are certainly a journey through Hell.

* In episode 4 of ''Series/MythQuest'', Alex takes the place of Orpheus and recreates his journey into Hades to rescue Eurydice.

* Both Malfeas, the Demon City, and the Underworld (they're separate places in this universe) are available for adventuring in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''. Resurrecting deceased loved ones [[AllDeathsFinal isn't on the table]], but [[RuleOfCool almost anything else is.]]
* All the Lower Planes can be visited in some TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons campaigns. (It's never recommended, of course, at least not by any [=NPCs=].)
* The ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead'' supplement ''Don't Lose Your Mind'' details the Orpheus talent, which literally lets the user walk to Hell and back again.

* Haruto Atori in ''VideoGame/TasokareHotel''. He was saved by Neko twice; once, when Neko [[spoiler:went back in time to stop Osoto from pushing Atori onto the tracks, thereby preventing him from having ever visited Tasokare Hotel and the events that led to his accidental shooting of Osoto]], and the second time in the special stories, [[spoiler:where Neko went to hell in Atori's nightmares to rescue him.]]
* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'': This is the main plot, ala ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'' - Kislev and Cathay are invading the Chaos Wastes to take the fight to the Chaos Gods.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://web.archive.org/web/20130730090500/http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4674 Tangerine's video game pulls her through the screen into Hell]]. She discovers [[OrpheanRescue she can rescue Lily from it]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Fry and Leela must rescue Bender from ''Robot'' Hell -- which is located just beneath the surface of [[{{Joisey}} New Jersey]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'': Happens to Master Shake in "Juggalo". ''Multiple times''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', nothing is explicitly stated, being a "kid's" show and all, but it can be assumed from the fire, lava, and fiery demons that Hell is where Robin and Slade went in the Season 4 finale, Slade to reclaim his soul and Robin to find Raven.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' did this as well. Granted, being [[CloudCuckooLander the]] [[TooKinkyToTorture Warners]] they just annoy Satan until he kicks them out.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': "WesternAnimation/SatansWaitin" (Sylvester and Tweety cartoon) and "Devil's Feud Cake" (Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoon), define this trope.
* On ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' Finn and Jake go to [[EldritchLocation the Nightosphere]] (which is almost identical to Hell) to hang out with [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Marceline]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "It's About Time", Cerberus comes to Ponyville and Twilight has to go return him to the gates of Tartarus. Based on her state when she gets back, it wasn't an easy task.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Franchise/WonderWoman, ComicBook/WonderGirl and Ferdinand travel to Hades to rescue Hermes, who has been imprisoned in Tartarus by Hades.

* This happen in a [[TheMovie feature film]] of ''{{Manga/Doraemon}}'', [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids of all places]]. Nobita goes to a parallel reality where magic actually exist in the world. However, in Japan the word for magic is ''mahou'', which translates to demon arts-- demons exist in this magical world, albeit as an alien race who inhabits a {{Hell}}-like planet. One thing leads to another, and Nobita and friends must go to the PlanetHeck to kill {{Satan}} and then return to Earth. For reference, this was almost a decade before ''{{VideoGame/Doom}}''.

* ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'': Mukuro Rokudo uses the 'Six Paths of Reincarnation' which gives him six different skills. In the anime, he claims that he had gone through all six paths to Hades, thus granting him six different skills. (In the manga, he states that he had six past lives instead.)

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':

* ''Formerly Known As The Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}'' had the ironic punishments and the Orpheus trip -- Guy Gardner and Fire had to keep from looking at Ice, Guy's girlfriend and Fire's best friend, who had died some time previously. In the end, Fire looked, and they lost her.

* Myth/EgyptianMythology has Ra's daily journey through the underworld, which wasn't merely a simple cycle that sun gods of other mythologies had to contend with since Ra also had to fight [[GodOfEvil Apep]], who threatened to destroy the universe. Before he was [[{{Demonization}} demonized into an evil god]] in later era, Ra was assisted during this daily endeavor by Set, the god of desert and violence.

** Also seen in ''Manga/SaintSeiyaTheLostCanvas'', the entire time. Cancer Manigoldo states that the underworld is his playground, and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Virgo]] [[MindRape Asmita]]'s first appearance is in Hell. Whilst the main characters are in Hell too, of course.

** Most certainly the oldest example in human storytelling/mythology is the Sumerian story of the goddess Inanna ([[IHaveManyNames or Ishtar in the later Akkadian version of the story]]), [[Literature/InannasDescentToTheNetherworld descending to the Underworld to steal her sister's throne,]] then getting herself captured and requiring a rescue from the Underworld by her "uncle" Enki (or Ea), god of water and wisdom. Like many other stories, there is a catch -- [[BalancingDeathsBooks someone has to replace Inanna]] in the Underworld for her to be free and for [[JustSoStory the harvests on Earth to survive.]]

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* Most certainly the oldest example in human storytelling/mythology is the Sumerian story of the goddess Inanna ([[IHaveManyNames in later mythology Ishtar]]), [[Literature/InannasDescentToTheNetherworld descending to the Underworld to steal her sister's throne,]] then getting herself captured and requiring a rescue from the Underworld by her "uncle" Enki, god of water and wisdom. Like many other stories, there is a catch -- [[BalancingDeathsBooks someone has to replace Inanna]] in the Underworld for her to be free and for [[JustSoStory the harvests on Earth to survive.]]