Chapter 101: Helluva Dad
Art by Crash X Fusion: Guys, let's FUCK THESE FUCKERS UP!
With the Boiling Isles under lockdown thanks to Mel, some special guest stars from Hell arrive and may be able to help the Clawthornes out.Tropes that appear in this chapter:
- Abusive Parent: Cruella was this to any hellpup she adopted due to killing them. When she took in Blazer, she acted no different even taking away his claws.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Loona was almost 18 when Blitzo adopted her in Helluva Boss: here, she was six and he rescued her from Cruella de Vil after she adopted and tried to kill her due to cannibalism.
- Adaptation Expansion: Blitzo and Moxxie escape jail and head to Blitzo's house to check on Loona who was being babysat while Blitzo was gone, which is how the duo first met.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Loona is more respectful towards Blitzo as his adopted daughter, she meets Moxxie for the first time here and doesn't treat him like shit, and she and Octavia seem to be Childhood Friends.
- Adaptation Species Change: Having died and gone to Hell labeled as a sinner, Cruella is changed from a human to a dalmatian dog resembling a Hellhound.
- Age Lift: Inverted. While Loona was 22 in Helluva Boss, she's now 16 (almost 17) here. On top of that, Octavia is now a pre-teen rather than almost 18.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Blazer will do anything if it means not going back to Cruella, even begging Loona (who he previously stabbed) to show mercy.
- Animorphism: D-Josh turns Gus into a giraffe during the battle, Willow into a mouse, and then he inverts it by turning Puddles into a witch.
- Armor-Piercing Response: To everyone's dissatisfaction, Eda agrees to bring Cross and Lindsay to the Underworld in order to rescue Emily. When Luz asks why they should bother helping Emily after all that she's done to them, Eda responds with the fact that her unintentionally cursing Emily is what caused her descent into villainy and that they should be better than her, not let her rot there. As much as Luz hates to agree, she knows they have a point.
- Avengers Assemble: Knowing how strong Mel's gang must be, Luz decides to strengthen the odds in the Clawthorne's favor and calls in her closest friends, her family, and the founding members of LOWTH to back up her, Eda, Amity, Emira, Viney, and the Helldemons. She even labels them as "the Avengers".
- The Bad Guy Wins: Mel, D-Josh, and Trini (who's heavily injured) escapes with King, Edric, and the stolen swords while Jackson gets away with Donna after having Eustace and Serpentina assist him in kidnapping her.
- Battle Trophy: Along with the treasure her gang purloined, Mel takes Donna's keyblade and the Sword of Adam, telling Donna and Amity they never deserved them.
- Beyond the Impossible
- Big "NO!": Amity shouts one as she watches the remains of Mel's gang escape to the Underworld, unable to stop them.
- Blade Lock: Amity and Mel perform this during their fight, respectively using the Sword of Adam and Donna's keyblade.
- Both Sides Have a Point: On the argument of whether or not Amity should be allowed to help find Edric; Luz argues that since Amity's been outed as part-Fae, she should lay low and not go out since either the populace or the Emperor's Coven wouldn't hesitate to attack her, preferring they wait for Kitsuni to come back to them with help. Amity bites back by saying she needs to make things between herself and Edric right, not to mention that Kitsuni hasn't been much help with all their recent battles and problems. When it comes to deciding what to do, only Camila agrees with Luz: Emira, Viney, Eda, even Maya agree with Amity, much to Luz's indignation.
- Broken Pedestal: Amity seems to have lost faith in Kitsuni and her colleagues, using the school war, Meteora's attack, and her, Gus, Willow, and Eve getting stranded as examples. As a result, she decides that she can't rely on them to save Edric.
- Broken Tears: Amity has them when Mel escapes with Edric and King, pounding the spot on the ground where the portal they went through was.
- Call-Back:
- Amity lists the school war, Meteora's attack, and her, Gus, Willow, and Eve getting stranded as reasons why she can't rely on Kitsuni and her colleagues to save her brother.
- Donna getting kidnapped is the plan Jackson, Eustace, and Serpentina were enacting in the previous two chapters.
- While comforting Amity, Luz confesses to how she and Maya went after Hunter the night Amity disappeared and tore his arm off.
- Once Luz learns that Donna got taken to Wonderland, she tells LOWTH to find the Cheshire Cat when they get there and mention her, as she met him before.
- Chekhov's Gun: The token Luz got from Hades finally comes into play, as Moxxie reveals that it can take people to the Underworld but can only be used in Hell, which is what prompts the rescue mission.
- Continuity Nod:
- Eda once mentioned having an imp ex, and it turns out to be Blitzo.
- Amity remembers that Alice in Wonderland is one of the stories she obtained in Gravity Falls.
- Conversational Troping: Luz is stunned to hear that Emily was literally Dragged Off to Hell and refers to Jackson as a literal Card-Carrying Villain based on his card army.
- Cooldown Hug: After seeing Cross shed tears over remembering what happened to Emily, Lindsay pulls him into one of these until he recovers.
- Crossover: The chapter acts as one to Helluva Boss, going into detail on how Hell operates. Stolas makes an appearance, helping Blitzo and Moxxie get to the Demon Realm to find Loona.
- Crush Blush: Lindsay may not suspect Cross is the Golden Guard anymore but her attraction to him hasn't gone away, as evident by her blushing when Zee tells her he's not dating anybody right now.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Both Loona and Blazer had it rough living with Cruella, Loona nearly dying at her hands and Blazer being abused by her.
- A Day in the Limelight: Cross and Lindsay have their own small B-plot in which they discuss their opinions on Emily and plan out how to help her.
- Distant Prologue: The chapter starts ten years ago when Loona, who had just been adopted by Cruella, discovers just what kind of person she is and is miraculously spared the same fate of the previous Hellhounds when Blitzo saves her.
- The Dreaded: Mel. She's sparked so many riots on Earth that they actually earned her a lifetime ban from Hell, and Blitzo refuses to tangle with her of all beings until Loona convinces him otherwise.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Maya of all characters agrees with letting Amity search for Edric with everyone, much to Luz's shock.
- Feud Episode: Luz and Amity get into an argument over whether or not Amity should leave saving Edric from Mel to everybody else while she lays low since she's been exposed as part-Fae. Amity refuses to just do nothing and becomes angry with Luz for trying to get her to stay behind, giving her the Silent Treatment while tracking Blazer. Following the failed rescue attempt where Amity blames herself for not being good enough to save their brothers, Luz tells her about what she did to Hunter to comfort her, which gets Amity to apologize for not thinking about her own well-being.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Eda mentions having an ex from Hell. When Loona mentions Blitzo's name, that reveals that it's him.
- Forced Transformation: D-Josh uses his genie magic to turn several of Luz's friends into other creatures to halt their attacks on him (ex. Gus becomes a giraffe, Willow a mouse, Puddles into a witch version of herself, and Nina into a were-kitten.) Once he escapes with Mel, they all turn back to normal.
- Foreshadowing: According to Loona, some souls that are meant to stay dead are being revived.
- The Gadfly: The moment she sees that Cross brought Lindsay home, Zee immediately praises him for bringing a girl over and plays him up as a catch to get Lindsay interested in dating him, all of which doubles as teasing him in the process.
- The Ghost:
- Graye is mentioned by Cross who explains to LOWTH that he's threatening his family.
- Moxxie's ex, who seems to have left a bad taste in his mouth, is brought up before Blitzo tells him not to think about them.
- Charlie Morningstar is alluded to by Loona, who calls her a sweetheart.
- Mel brings up her cousin Hercules when she mentions wanting to show off her Brawler's Belt to him.
- Given Name Reveal: Zee's full name is "Zinnia", meaning she's Only Known By Her Nickname.
- Goal in Life: Lindsay's dream is to join the Beast Keeping Coven and create a sanctuary reserve for beasts to be treated.
- Guilt Complex: What Edric said to her at the trial has left Amity feeling responsible for her family's separation from each other and believing she should've gone home with her parents back at her grandparents' factory. Before going to the Underworld, Emira tells her not to regret living her life for herself.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: While plowing through the witches with his genie magic, D-Josh performs the "sawing a girl in half" trick on Emira/Ms. Chievious, forcing her to chase her legs until the villains get away.
- Heroic BSoD:
- After seeing what happened to Emily, Cross becomes so frozen in shock and guilt that he doesn't respond to Donna when she finds him at the Brawl arena in his scout uniform. This results in Roxy having to carry him back to their base for questioning.
- Amity breaks down after watching Mel escape with King, Edric, and her sword, saying she should've been able to stop her. Luz goes to comfort her, which leads to them ending their feud with each other.
- Idiot Ball: Because of the stress over the events of the last two days getting to Amity, she grips the ball tight by ignoring Luz's attempts to keep her from searching for Edric over prioritizing her own safety. Given that she was also acting out of her own guilt over what he said to her at the trial, it acts as Detrimental Determination.
- Immediate Sequel: After the Distant Prologue, things continue on from when Dr. Bride treats Loona before telling Emira and Viney about Amity being exposed as part-Fae thanks to Mel. Meanwhile, Kitsuni takes Luz and Amity to her home in order to hide and keep them safe.
- Internal Reveal:
- Dr. Bride informs Emira and Viney of what happened at the brawl.
- LOWTH learns of Cross's forced co-operation with Graye, and Gavin meets him in the process. Because of this meeting and seeing them in costume later, Cross realizes that Donna and her friends are LOWTH.
- Eda and Camila are informed of Trini causing Lilith and Odalia's affair.
- Luz, Amity, Eda, and Camila meet Loona, learn that Glinda is working for Dr. Bride and has broken up with Emily, and are informed of Emily's fate at Mel's hands.
- Amity explains to Emira about how she became part-Fae and lists her current powerset.
- Lindsay is introduced to Zee, Clair, and Cross's father Damien.
- While comforting Amity, Luz tells everyone present that she tore Hunter's arm off after the latter disappeared, Maya confessing to influencing Luz.
- Said moment results in Tina, Veronica, Tyrone, Cross, and Lindsay learning about Maya.
- The Clawthornes, Luz's main friends, Viney, Emira, and Hunter meet Cross for the first time.
- Irony: Cruella tried to kill dalmatian puppies to make dogskin coats; for her sins, she was given the form of a dalmatian.
- Kick the Dog
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- Continuing from the last chapter, Trini continues getting what's coming to her as Luz decks her while invisible then holds her down so Lilith gives her an electrified punch that sends her into a rock, before getting clawed in the face by Eda and knocked down by Luz.
- As for Mel's captured allies; Blazer gets his elbows and knees capped by Blitzo for stabbing Loona, who stabs him with his own knife, Eustace is frozen up to his neck by Ghostina, and Serpentina gets her grimoire used against her by Beocrow/Crowbar and receives a scar from Nina. After the rescue teams leave, the three of them are left at the mercy of the Jeepers family.
- Late to the Action: Jerbo's family and Barcus arrive at the scene of the battle right after the rescue teams set off to their respective destinations. The Jeepers are disappointed that they missed out on saving their friends, at least until Porco suggests beating up the leftover villains while they're tied up.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Luz is quick to point out that Emira and Loona sound alike, prompting them to say they don't and look at each other in surprise. Erica Lindbeck voiced both characters in their respective series.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: To establish how serious Nina is about rescuing Donna, her collar is revealed to have been turned off.
- Luminescent Blush:
- Hellpup Loona has one that she hides with her tail when Stolas grants her his family's protection from Cruella.
- Amity looks away blushing to avoid informing Emira of what her Aura Vision means.
- Mama Bear: Now that Amity admitted to seeing Eda as her mother, Eda has no problems with calling Amity her foster daughter out loud.
- Missed the Call: Invoked with Camila, who stays at Dr. Bride's clinic while Luz, Amity, Eda, Viney, Emira, and Loona go search for Edric. Same goes for Ghost, who Amity sends back to protect Camila.
- Mythology Gag:
- Blitzo and Moxxie first appear in the present breaking out of jail in Hell, which is how they met as shown in "Exes and Oohs".
- Boscha uses a crossbow to fire potions while fighting Trini, a nod to the Moringmark comic, "Apocalypse"
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- Never Trust a Trailer: The teasers in "The Book of Marcy Wu" stated that Luz and Amity will find themselves in the Underworld. Here, they went to Hell, and they're not alone.
- Noodle Incident: All of Mel's riots led to Lucifer Morningstar intervening to control the damage, and she got a lifetime ban from Hell as a result.
- No Sympathy: With how many enemies Emily made and all the unforgivable acts she committed, nobody wants her to come back from the Underworld. Lindsay and Cross are the only exceptions since they believe she deserved a more suitable punishment.
- Not Worth Killing: Loona says this regarding Blazer to keep Blitzo from killing him after getting the info on Cruella and seeing what he's become thanks to the sinner.
- Oh, My Gods!: Luz says "Titan's crack" after seeing everyone but Camila side with Amity on her going to save their brothers instead of staying put.
- Only Sane Man: Luz of all people plays the part as she tries to talk everybody into making Amity stay behind while they look for Edric and only Camila takes her side.
- Papa Wolf: Blitzo goes off-the-rails protective trying to find Loona and is extremely pissed off when he sees she got stabbed.
- Post-Support Regret: Glinda clearly regrets helping Emily get to her position of power, and Luz & Amity are able to see it, hence why they don't hold any kind of anger toward her and congratulate her for standing up to Emily.
- Psycho Knife Nut: Blazer is one, which is lampshaded by Loona. She later deconstructs this as being due to Cruella taking his claws away.
- Refusal of the Call: Since Dell, Gwen, Gilbert, and Sully were heavily injured and needed to be healed, Emira and Viney opt out of the rescue operations to treat the adults and take them home.
- Refuse to Rescue the Disliked: Aside from Cross and Lindsay, absolutely nobody wants to save Emily and would prefer if she stayed in the Underworld. Only Eda takes their request and lets them join the rescue team going to the Underworld to save her along with King and Edric from Mel because she wants to be better than Emily instead of as horrible, if not worse.
- Rescue Arc: The chapter ends with the Clawthornes, Amity, Willow, Gus, Boscha, Hunter, Lindsay, and Cross going with Loona, Blitzo, and Moxxie to the Underworld in order to save King, Edric, and Emily from Mel while Skara, Nina, and the founding members of LOWTH go to Wonderland to save Donna from Jackson.
- The Reveal:
- Loona was adopted by Cruella de Vil, who is a cannibal that wanted to skin her alive like all other hellhounds she adopted. After Blitzo saved Loona, Cruella was forbidden from from adopting any more hellpups, so she killed Blazer's owners and took him in, raising him as her personal henchdog.
- Loona tried to use Blazer to track down Cruella in order to stop her murder spree, but he quickly saw through her act which is why he stabbed her.
- Kitsuni and Mai live in a cottage somewhere in the redwood forest in the Far East of the Boiling Isles.
- Eda dated Blitzo during a Florida vacation one spring break under the name "Lucy", and he supplied her with her gun stockpile.
- Cross is working for Graye under an Emperor's Coven scholarship. He doesn't have a sigil, so he's basically a volunteer.
- Glinda's mom has a snake for an arm, courtesy of Dr. Bride.
- The Underworld acts as a nexus for departed souls.
- Loona mentions that souls meant to stay dead have been getting revived along with Camila, and the death gods aren't pleased about this.
- Luz mentions that Camila was revived in early July by human time.
- Mel stole Donna's keyblade (and knows what it is) and kidnapped King along with Edric. She also knew Puck is whom Amity got her new name from.
- Hades has it in for the Holder brothers (especially Cups), which is why Mel's bringing them to the Underworld with her.
- There's an ongoing alliance between the Underworld and Wonderland.
- Eustace is a lycan witch, a were-croc to be precise.
- Jackson's mother is the Queen of Hearts, which makes him the Prince of Wonderland. He paid Mel to kidnap Donna so he can take her home with him as his girlfriend.
- Blazer informs Loona that Cruella currently has an Overlord protecting her. When he met Mel, she promised to get him away from Cruella since she abused him.
- Lindsay's palisman is revealed to be a jackalope.
- Loona was adopted by Cruella de Vil, who is a cannibal that wanted to skin her alive like all other hellhounds she adopted. After Blitzo saved Loona, Cruella was forbidden from from adopting any more hellpups, so she killed Blazer's owners and took him in, raising him as her personal henchdog.
- Rousing Speech: Not taking the hand they've been dealt with Emily' fate, Lindsay gives Cross a speech that raises his spirit and inspires them to go save Emily themselves.Lindsay: You know, maybe it's not too late to help Emily. If that goddess is still in the Isles, maybe we could make her give back Emily!
Cross: That's unlikely to work.
Lindsay: Maybe, but we can't just give up! Why should we just sit here feeling bad for ourselves and claiming that we did all we could do when that isn't the case! I mean, isn't a hero's job to help people, regardless of who that person is? Saving her may be a slim chance, but it is a chance nonetheless! And... she saved my life. I owe her this much. - Sequel Hook: Before Willow and Skara part ways, the former states that they're due for a double-date.
- Shout-Out:
- Cruella De Vil of 101 Dalmatians shows up as a sinner in hell. While following Little Loona in her home, she sings the song that was written about her.
- Like Jafar in Aladdin, D-Josh transform several of his attackers into different creatures while they fight him, even turning Nina into a kitten like Jafar did to Rajah. He also paraphrases what everyone says about genies being unable to kill people like in Aladdin: The Return of Jafar.
- Jackson turns out to be the son of the King and Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
- Lindsay brings a card soldier to tears the same way Fluttershy does to one of the Storm King's guards. The founding members of LOWTH then yell at Lindsay to get back into the fight like how the rest of the Mane Six do to Fluttershy.
- Silent Treatment: To show just how angry Amity is with Luz for trying to force her to not join the search party going to find Edric, she engages in this, ignoring Luz while they're out.
- Story Arc: And so begins the "Underworld Arc".
- Tears of Remorse: Cross sheds these when his guilt over Emily overwhelms him.
- Those Two Guys: After the battle, everyone barely acknowledges that Cups and Mugs were taken as well.
- Wham Episode: LOWTH discovers that Cross is being forced to work for Graye, Loona gives the Clawthornes information about the Exorcists and learns that Cruella is being protected by an Overlord, Jackson takes Donna to Wonderland while Mel, Trini, and D-Josh take King, Edric, and the Holder brothers to the Underworld along with their stolen treasure (which includes the Sword of Adam and Donna's keyblade), the Clawthornes, Luz's friends and Hunter head to Hell to access the Underworld to save the boys with Cross and Lindsay joining them to save Emily, and Skara, Nina, and the founding LOWTH members head to Wonderland to find Donna.
- With Friends Like These...: Seeing that Blazer, Eustace, and Serpentina have been defeated and captured, Mel outright ditches them while the rest of her gang escapes.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
