The Pillar of Souls first appeared in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. It rose from the bloody mattress located in Dr. Philip Channard's house. Multiple faces were fused to it, including Pinhead, who was previously thought to have been killed by the Channard Cenobite.
In Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Pinhead and The Lament Configuration are still trapped in the pillar when J. P. Monroe purchases it. After the Lament Configuration was solved, a girl J. P. had sex with bumps into the pillar, awakening Pinhead who consumes her flesh. Before long, Pinhead consumes enough flesh to break free of the pillar and walk the earth.