Mephisto (Marvel Comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Silver Surfer #3 (December 1968),[2] and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and based on Mephistopheles: a demon character from the Faust legend, who has sometimes been referred to as Mephisto. Introduced as a recurring adversary of the Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), Mephisto has also endured as one of Spider-Man's most prominent adversaries, being responsible for Norman and Harry Osborn's respective transformations into the Green Goblin and Kindred; and for the superhero's loss of his marriage to Mary Jane Watson, considering their future daughter Spider-Girl his archenemy. Mephisto has often come into conflict with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, Scarlet Witch and other heroes of the Marvel Universe, being responsible both for the creation of the Cosmic Ghost Rider and the descents of Phil Coulson and Otto Octavius into villainy.
Mephisto
Silver Surfer #3 (December 1968)[1]
Stan Lee (writer)
John Buscema (artist)
Demon
Six-Fingered Hand
Legion Accursed
Mephistopheles
Satan
Lucifer
Beelzebub
The Devil
The Lord of Evil
- Superhuman strength, speed, durability, and stamina
- Regenerative healing factor
- Vast magic powers
- Shapeshifting
- Precognition
- Immortality
Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books, the character has appeared in over five decades of Marvel continuity. The character has also appeared in associated Marvel merchandise, including animated television series, feature film, toys, trading cards, and video games.
Mephisto has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful supervillains.[3][4][5][6][7]
Peter Fonda portrayed the character in the 2007 film Ghost Rider, and Ciaran Hinds portrayed him in its 2012 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Publication history[edit]
Inspired by Mephistopheles of the Faust legend,[8] he was introduced into Marvel comics by writer Stan Lee and penciler John Buscema, Mephisto debuted in Silver Surfer #3 (cover dated Dec. 1968),[9] and was established as a perennial foe for the cosmic hero,[10] also appearing in Silver Surfer #8–9 (Sept.–Oct. 1969) and 16–17 (May–June 1970).
Author Mike Conroy has described Mephisto as "the tempter who could offer the endlessly soul-tormented Silver Surfer the world, even dangling the Surfer's off-limits long-distance lover in front of him. As always the case with Lee's heroes, the Surfer's goodness and nobility won out, but Mephisto was only stymied, not defeated, and the pattern was set."[11]
Mephisto went on to become a foe for the Norse god Thor in Thor #180–181 (Sept.–Oct. 1970), Astonishing Tales #8 (Oct. 1971) and Thor #204–205 (Oct.–Nov. 1972). He was later revealed to be the being to whom Johnny Blaze had sold his soul to and thus had been cursed to become the Ghost Rider,[12] in a retcon that placed him in the role originally played by Satan. This was later retconned back to Satan, though Mephisto's influence is still felt in the 1990s by the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider.
Other appearances included posing as Satan in Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972); tormenting the titular superhero team in Fantastic Four #155–157 (Feb.–April 1975) and Thor #310 (Aug. 1981) and 325 (Nov. 1982). Mephisto also guest-starred in two miniseries: The Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #1–12 (Oct. 1985–Sept. 1986) and Secret Wars II #1-9 (July 1985 – March 1986), before starring in the self-titled miniseries Mephisto vs. #1–4 (April–July 1987), battling four of Marvel's super-teams. The miniseries was penciled by co-creator Buscema.
In Daredevil #266 (May 1989), penciler John Romita, Jr. redesigned the character, reimagining him as a bloated, naked creature with short, vaguely frog-like legs and a demonic-looking head. Romita explained "I couldn't see the Devil with tights and a cape."[13] Subsequent portrayals have varied between Mephisto's original appearance and the Romita redesign.
Mephisto continued to torment the Scarlet Witch in Avengers West Coast #51–52 (Nov.–Dec. 1989); created a new adversary for the Marvel heroes in Daredevil #270 (Sept. 1989); and appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel No. 49 Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989). Additionally, he was featured prominently in the One More Day story line in The Amazing Spider-Man #544; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24; The Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #41 and The Amazing Spider-Man #545 (Oct. 2007–Jan. 2008).
In 2009, Mephisto was ranked #48 on IGN's list of Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time.[14]
Fictional character biography[edit]
Introduction (1960s–1970s)[edit]
Mephisto is a perennial villain in the Marvel Universe, and is responsible for a number of evil acts, including capturing and holding the soul of Cynthia von Doom – the mother of Doctor Doom — until Doctor Strange and Doom freed her so she could ascend into Heaven.[15] He was jealous of the worship of the fire demon Zarathos, so, posing as Satan, Mephisto creates the Ghost Rider by bonding Zarathos to Johnny Blaze.[16] Mephisto refers to his domain as Hell.[17] In one story where he battled Thor, he was shown to have various historical villains in his realm, such as Adolf Hitler, Blackbeard, and Attila the Hun.[18]
Mephisto claims to have been created, along with many other demons, by the supreme being whose suicide resulted in the creation of the Marvel Universe, as well as the Infinity Gems. He also claimed that his totally evil nature is because the supreme being did not choose to make him good, as that being had no concept of it.[19] He witnessed the Celestial known as the Progenitor succumbing to the Horde on Earth, with Mephisto, still young in the form of a fly, taking this opportunity to give birth to his maggots.[20]
Secret Wars II, 1980s and The Infinity Gauntlet[edit]
In Secret Wars II, Mephisto seeks to steal the Beyonder's powers or to destroy him to win the favor of Death. Mephisto sends an army of supervillains called the Legion Accursed to attack the Beyonder, who is saved by the Thing. After the Legion Accursed was defeated, Mephisto returned its members to where they were before he formed the group.[21]
Mephisto later creates his "son", Blackheart, a demonic entity that plagues many of Earth's heroes.[22] Mephisto later manipulates the sorcerer Master Pandemonium into gathering the five scattered fragments of his soul that were lost in an ill-fated encounter with the aforementioned Franklin Richards.[23][24] When the Scarlet Witch attempts to use magic to conceive children with her husband, the android Vision, she unknowingly summons two of Pandemonium's soul fragments, which are born as her infant twins. The revelation of her children's origin, followed by their loss when they are reabsorbed into him, drives the Scarlet Witch insane.[25]
Mephisto also tries to destroy the Avenger Hawkeye when he enters Hell to try to save the soul of his deceased wife, Mockingbird.[26]
Mephisto acted as a servant of the mad Titan Thanos during the "Infinity Wars", seeking to attain power for himself.
Alongside the Grim Reaper, Blackheart brings Wonder Man to Mephisto's realm to battle Mephisto.[27]
In a series of confrontations that also involve the Ghost Rider, the Punisher and the Wolverine, Blackheart kills Mephisto and takes over his portion of Hell.[28][29] Mephisto survives, although as more of a ghostly apparition (claiming he had been denied a place in both Heaven and Hell), and for a time tricks the Silver Surfer into believing he was dead so as to collect his soul and thus perhaps regain his former power, but the Surfer refutes him and, with his allies, defeats Mephisto, resulting in his spirit form being seemingly destroyed.[30]
Mephisto again survives death and soon finds himself with access to another universe: the Earth of the Top Cow universe. Seeking to torment an entirely new world of superheroes, he plots to enter this world and remake it for his own dark desires. But Eternity senses this cosmic disruption and sends several heroes (Jennifer Kale, the Wolverine, the Ghost Rider, the Silver Surfer and Elektra) to that universe to aid a group of Top Cow heroes (Witchblade, Weapon Zero, Cyblade and Ballistic) to combat and ultimately defeat Mephisto. However, his resulting banishment back to Earth-616 seemed to restore him as a tangible physical threat, though without his elevated place of Hellish power, and he would torment heroes for some years to come, like Nighthawk,[31] the Black Panther,[32] the Slingers,[33] the Hellcat[34] and Magik.[35]
Powers and abilities[edit]
Mephisto is an extremely powerful immortal demonic entity possessing abilities used by manipulating the forces of magic.[72] Mephisto can employ his power for a variety of uses, including superhuman physical attributes, shape and sizeshifting, projecting illusions, manipulating memories, and altering time and reality.[73][74][75][76][77][72] He is also highly resistant to injury.[78] With his regenerative healing factor, Mephisto has the ability to recover quickly.[5][79]
The character has been shown to be energized by sources of evil in the human realm, such as the alien Dire Wraiths.[23] Like other demons, Mephisto is symbiotically linked to, and considerably more powerful within, his own realm, and the character is able to transform the structure at will.[80] Within it he has threatened a galaxy and stalemated a nourished Galactus until the latter threatened to consume his realm.[81] If Mephisto's physical form is destroyed, the character will regenerate and reform in his domain.[82] Mephisto is known for acquiring souls, but cannot subjugate the will of another being without the victim's permission, which is usually done with some form of pact.[83][84]
Cultural impact and legacy[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
George Marston of Newsarama stated, "Mephisto may be one of Marvel's most iconic, enduring villains - and that's no surprise considering he's based on the archetype of the Christian devil, pretty much the most iconic 'villain' in religion, folklore, and in some cases, even as a metaphorical force in world history. Marvel's comic book take on the concept of an omnipotent, omniscient infernal manipulator who rules over his own realm of eternal punishment through treachery and torture has had a similar impact on the history of the Marvel Universe.[3] Marc Buxton of Den of Geek called Mephisto one of the "greatest monstrous creations that ever sprang from the nightmares of the House of Ideas," writing, "You can't very well have a list of the most nefarious Marvel monsters without listing the devil, hisownself. Not really the Biblical devil, Mephisto is a netherworldly tempter, a soul broker, and a liar who pretty much serves the same exact purpose as the Devil but he won't get Marvel in trouble with Christian conservatives. Mephisto first battled the Silver Surfer in the Silver Age (HEY!) and has bedeviled (hiYO) just about every Marvel hero. He recently pissed off fandom by cutting a Faustian deal with Peter Parker and erasing Spidey's marriage. Mephisto was a key figure in The Infinity Gauntlet, constantly whispering Iago like in Thanos' ear and is the very symbol of corruption in the Marvel Universe."[85]
Other versions[edit]
Guardians of the Galaxy[edit]
In the Guardians' 31st century timeline, he has a daughter named Malevolence.[96]
Universe X[edit]
In the Earth X sequel, Universe X, Mephisto is the force behind Pope Immortus (secretly Kang) and his extermination of Reed Richards' Human Torch to assume mutant dominance.[97] It was later revealed that in that reality, Mephisto is not the devil, but the first mutant to exist, where he is shaped by mankind's fear.[98]
Ultimate Marvel[edit]
Mephisto (as Satan) appeared in Ultimate Comics: Avengers as the man Johnny Blaze sold his soul to avenge his love Roxanne, and to punish the guilty as a "bounty hunter for Hell."[99]
Marvel Mangaverse[edit]
The demonic Mephisto helped create Galactus in Marvel Mangaverse.[100]
Marvel Zombies: Halloween[edit]
Mephisto appears in Marvel Zombies: Halloween, saving Kitty Pryde and her son, Peter, from a zombified Darkhawk, Alex Power, Squirrel Girl, Karolina Dean, and Mettle, to claim Kitty and Peter's souls for later.[101]