The Netherworld is a fictional autonomous neighborhood of the city of Chicago in the DC Comics universe. It first appears in Hawkworld #30 (January, 1993), it was created by John Ostrander and Tim Truman.
Originally created for use in Hawkman (Katar Hol) stories, it is located in what remains of the old Union Stock Yards on the south side of the city and appears to be completely off the radar of both Illinois state and Chicago city officials, The locals police and so they govern themselves. The Netherworld is home to Metahumans, paranormals, psychics, and mutants who shun the traditional role of superhero or supervillain, and wish to live as normal people. Most locals hang out at the Slaughterhouse, a local bar which was converted from an old slaughterhouse.
Hairballs - The Hairballs are feral humans addicted to a mutagenic drug called Hairballs which transforms them into pseudo-werewolves.
Phreaks - The Phreaks are Metahumans whose bodies were mutated by the triggering of their metagenes, similar to the New Bloods, and the Jokers of the Wild Cards universe.
Nasties - A gang as well as a symbiotic binary species. The Nasties each sport a large tattoo somewhere on their bodies, these tattoos are actually demonic symbiotes which control the bodies they ride on and slowly eat their minds and souls.
Battle Axe - A phreak with two forearms at each elbow.
Buzzkutt - A metahuman who is able to vibrate his hands at superspeed.
Count Viper - An immortal psionic bent on world domination, and a nemesis of Hawkman. Comte Etienne du Vipere exists as a being of pure psionic energy, able to jump from host to host at will.
FerAlyse - A woman named Jackee Jones who went by the street name ZuLuLu. Jackee kicked her addiction to Hairballs with Hawkman's help but was permanently mutated into her feral form and so took the name FerAlyce.
Knowbuddy - A local shapeshifter who has forgotten his original form. Trusted by all denizens of the Netherworld, he keeps the Book a codex of the ways, rules, customs and practices of Netherworld.
Lefty - A phreak with two massively overmuscled left arms.
Mustang Suzy - A cyborg centaur whose lower half from the waist down is a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Null - A professed nihilist and a homeless gravitakinetic.
Thrasher - A guitarist named Jack Craig who was trained by the same demonic entity that empowered the Fiddler.
