#neron

Why do they deserve to win?

Speedsters & Punctuality

Neron & Trickster

That's not the weird part, though. The weird part is that apparently this devil had the claim on the souls of several major superhuman criminals. Any idea what's up with that?

Gwen is literally shoving me away from my laptop as I write thi- Gwen: YOU DID WHAT?! Ok, let's establish some ground rules for complete idiots real quick. Unless you are VERY sure as to what you are doing. You do not summon or invoke anything. Ever. To invoke the name of a spiritual creature, no matter how powerful is to invite it past your threshold and into your home! It removes most of the baseline protections that normal human beings possess that shields them from the machinations of the supernatural and allows a being to work its power upon you. ESPECIALLY if you're using an artifact of that being that could have heaven only knows what kind of magic baked in!

And you tried to break bread with just about THE WORST possible house guest!

(A mural of Neron recovered from a ruined castle in what is now the Czech Republic)

Neron is one of the Lords of Hell, The Prince of Lies, The Howling One, a creature from so deep down in the pit we are unsure as to where he comes from or how long he's been around. Stories that might be referring to him stretch back as far as the First Temple Period and the Egyptian Old Kingdom which as far as magical record keeping is concerned is about as good as it gets. You know that old chestnut about the devil offering you your greatest desire in return for your immortal soul? Yea, Neron INVENTED that trick and there is a long list of broken hearts and burned cities left in the wake of his actions from now to before the beginning of recorded history. He's the kind of guy whose name I wouldn't even say OUT LOUD unless I had at least 3 magical circles between me and him, and about 100 other practitioners as backup besides. He is BAD. NEWS. One of the guys that the spirit of Nabu CREATED the Helm of Fate in order to make sure there would always been an arch-magus powerful enough to defend the Earth from him and those like him.

As far as your question is concerned. Yea, that tends to be what happens when offering Faustian bargains is his ENTIRE deal. More than once there have been events were a gaggle of supervillains have been offered power to Neron in exchange for their immortal souls. Magically speaking its selling the farmhouse to buy yourself a mortgaged sports car. Yeah, it looks flashy in the moment and might catch some eyeballs in your general direction but you have given up something you cannot afford to lose and eventually the piper comes calling when you've run your account into the red.

Make no mistake. ANY deal made with Neron is a sucker's game. You are offering yourself temporary advantage in the mortal world in exchange for, at BEST, being ground up and incinerated as fuel for some infernal war machine. More than likely you will be turned into some demonic foot soldier or subjected to unimaginable torment for all eternity for Neron's personal amusement. You have sold your ticket to the hereafter at half price to a huckster that's going to stab you in the back and take your wallet the second you turn around.

Superman #18 - "I Hate Magic" (2024)