Club Hel (The Matrix)
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In the Matrix series, Club Hel is a nightclub run by the Merovingian, a ruthless, powerful elder program in the Matrix. The club appears in the film The Matrix Revolutions and the games The Matrix Online and The Matrix: Path of Neo.
The club is located in the basement level of a building in the Matrix megacity. The entrance is guarded by armed supernatural programs with gravity-defying capabilities. (The belief is that these Exiles are Vamps/Blood-Drinkers, since they have shown the ability to move across any surface, standing up; on more than one occasion.)
In The Matrix Revolutions, Morpheus, Trinity, and Seraph defeat these guards before proceeding to the inner chamber. Here they meet with the Merovingian to barter for Neo's escape from the Mobil Avenue Station, a computer construct run by the Merovingian's henchman, the Trainman. After Trinity starts a fight and creates a Mexican standoff with the Merovingian, Neo is freed.
The name is actually drawn from the realm of Hel in Norse Mythology, where a goddess by the same name ruled over the spirits of those who died ingloriously and those who broke oaths. Similarly, the Merovingian does many dealings with the Exiles in the Matrix universe, the programs who have broken their oath to report for deletion.
The name of the Merovingian's wife Persephone is a reference to Greek mythology, in which Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped and married a young maiden named Persephone, who always remained resentful of him and unhappy with her marriage. Similarly, The Matrix's Persephone is constantly working against her husband and trying to undermine his endeavors, even though there is never a mention of the possibility of their separation.
There is also some allusion to hell. The décor of this club is most theological and mythological in nature. For example, Eve of biblical fame can be seen in the background holding the forbidden fruit of knowledge, which she had eaten and fed to Adam.
The club is a depiction of a fetish nightclub, filled with stereotypical members of goth, punk, and other modern subcultures. It is similar to the club in the first Matrix film in which Neo first meets Trinity. The patrons are Exiles in fact, and their attire and mannerisms are tied into the supernatural beings they are supposed to be emulating (two Exiles standing guard to the Merovingian's balcony look like Satyrs, or possibly Minotaurs, even if they are bondage/fetish Gear). A majority of the Exiles present are Blood Drinkers, Lupines, and Succubi).
In The Matrix Online Club Hel is located in the Hampton Green section of Downtown Mega City. It is extremely hard to get into, nevertheless it is an exciting sight to behold. Inverted crosses, torture chambers and other gothic relics surround the club. It is not uncommon to see various exiles such as Blooddrinkers, Lupines, Succubi, and Nighmares holding court. There are two mysterious balconies that open but do not allow any player access - it has been rumored that these may be portals linked directly into The Chateau. Rarely, The Merovingian himself may stop by if a large enough party is underway. He recently attended a 2nd annual Les Enfants Terribles (Merovingian Faction) sponsored party on May 8, 2006. His doings that night (including dancing, which no one has seen before) are documented on the MxO Forums page.
