History Main / Hellgate

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', that the town of Sunnydale was built on a Hellmouth (a portal between Earth and one or more demon dimensions) is a major plot point throughout the series, beginning with the series premiere [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E1WelcomeToTheHellmouth "Welcome to the Hellmouth"]] and continuing right up to the series finale [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E22Chosen "Chosen"]]. Sunnydale was literally founded on account of the Hellmouth (as part of a generations-long evil plan by Mayor Wilkins to give the demons sponsoring his Ascension a ready supply of victims), and plots by various {{Big Bad}}s to open the Hellmouth--and the efforts of Buffy and her friends to keep the Hellmouth (at least mostly) closed--are a recurring theme. Its presence also makes the town a general WeirdnessMagnet, justifying any given threat of the week - demons, monsters and magic users flock to Sunnydale and the laws of physics are occasionally bent there, resulting in things like ignored shy girls turning invisible or coma patients' nightmares taking over reality, and making MagicPoweredPseudoscience work.

** There's also the demon Acathla in the finale of Season 2, who once woken from stone would have sucked the entire world into Hell through a portal in his mouth if Buffy hadn't made him dormant again.

* In ''Fanfic/TheVampireOfSteel'', [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] and [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] join forces to stop a Kryptonian vampire from opening Sunnydale's Hellmouth and gathering a demon army.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', that the town of Sunnydale was built on a Hellmouth (a portal between Earth and one or more demon dimensions) is a major plot point throughout the series, beginning with the series premiere "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and continuing right up to the series finale. Sunnydale was literally founded on account of the Hellmouth (as part of a generations-long evil plan by Mayor Wilkins to give the demons sponsoring his Ascension a ready supply of victims), and plots by various {{Big Bad}}s to open the Hellmouth--and the efforts of Buffy and her friends to keep the Hellmouth (at least mostly) closed--are a recurring theme. Its presence also makes the town a general WeirdnessMagnet, justifying any given threat of the week - demons, monsters and magic users flock to Sunnydale and the laws of physics are occasionally bent there, resulting in things like ignored shy girls turning invisible or coma patients' nightmares taking over reality, and making MagicPoweredPseudoscience work.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', that the town of Sunnydale was built on a Hellmouth (a portal between Earth and one or more demon dimensions) is a major plot point throughout the series, beginning with the series premiere "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and continuing right up to the series finale. Sunnydale was literally founded on account of the Hellmouth (as part of a generations-long evil plan by Mayor Wilkins), and plots by various {{Big Bad}}s to open the Hellmouth--and the efforts of Buffy and her friends to keep the Hellmouth (at least mostly) closed--are a recurring theme. Its presence also makes the town a general WeirdnessMagnet, justifying any given threat of the week - demons, monsters and magic users flock to Sunnydale and the laws of physics are occasionally bent there.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', that the town of Sunnydale was built on a Hellmouth (a portal between Earth and Hell) is a major plot point throughout the series, beginning with the series premiere "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and continuing right up to the series finale. Sunnydale was literally founded on account of the Hellmouth (as part of a generations-long evil plan), and plots by various {{Big Bad}}s to open the Hellmouth--and the efforts of Buffy and her friends to keep the Hellmouth (at least mostly) closed--are a recurring theme.

* In Eve Forward's ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'', the goal of the main characters is to open one of these [[spoiler: in order to ''save'' the world.]]

** Apparently, whatever horrors were committed in the temple of the Zakarum under Kurast in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' weakened the fabric of reality enough that it was easier to create a portal into Hell from there. This may have been because Mephisto didn't want to reveal himself to the world yet, though.
*** In the ''Lord of Destruction'' expansion, the plateus are littered with portals to Hell. Those were likely forcibly created during Baal's ascent up the mountain, though, rather than being weak spots that always existed. Although maybe not -- Harrogath was always a very important location, cosmogically speaking.

* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', reality is warped the deeper you go, until you finally enter what seems to be Hell. However, it's not the actual plane of Hell, but reality that has been warped by Diablo's presence and transformed into a place of nightmares.

** In the ''Lord of Destruction'' expansion, the plateus are littered with portals to Hell. Those were likely forcibly created during Baal's ascent up the mountain, though, rather than being weak spots that always existed. Although maybe not -- Harrogath was always a very important location, cosmogically speaking.
* In ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', the Demon Lord Azmodan invades the mortal realm via a portal in the crater of Arreat left by the climax of the previous game. The hero must enter and destroy the Sin Hearts that continually spawn Azmodan's minions. In the final Act, Diablo opens similar portals within [[spoiler: Heaven itself]], and the hero must again shut these down from the inside.

* ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'' has the EBN goons drag Eurydice through a door to the Underworld; after Orpheus turns around, it closes automatically to reveal a solid wall behind it. [[spoiler:A second one is later discovered in a shady parking garage that can only be traversed with a special skateboard.]]

* The Pest Control minigame in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' has a team of players cooperate to destroy interdimensional portals that are vomiting out deadly alien invaders.