10 Unforgettable Deeds Of Marvel Comics' Most Famous Devil Mephisto
Though the established Marvel Comics big bad may not have been the antagonist of Marvel Studios' Disney + series WandaVision, Mephisto has tormented a host of heroes and villains throughout his varied Marvel history. From Ghost Rider to the Fantastic Four, there is no shortage of possibilities where Mephisto can become involved and leave an unforgettable mark on those he comes across.
10. Created Black Panther's Archenemy
Selling his soul to Mephisto in exchange for salvation, compassionate Ghudazan farmer Achebe survived to become a major threat for King T'Challa / Black Panther and Wakanda. Mephisto's aid not only grants Achebe bloody revenge on the rebels who nearly had him slain but allows him entryway into the advanced African nation of Wakanda. With his power from Mephisto, Achebe quickly advanced to the world stage and successfully Wakanda as a new refugee. While Black Panther may to with a rival, Achebe is not simply a force that the King of Wakanda must outsmart to defeat rather than with a punch. It's not only that Mpehsito but it's the underlings he sends out, influenced by his evil and power.
9. Tormented the Silver Surfer
The first modern Marvel superhero in which Mephisto would come into conflict is the power cosmic enabled Silver Surfer. With Silver Surfer acting as a being of pure heart, there was no better soul more appealing to the devil. Luring the Surfer to his side with memories of his former home planet Zen-La, Mephisto served as the ultimate force for the hero's early career. Though Silver Surfer would eventually overcome his false promises, it was not an easy feat. Even more potent than his immense strength, Mephsito's greatest superpower is his vast skills of manipulation and deception.
8. Created the Villain Blackheart
In his quest to spread his evil, Mephisto conceived a son known as the demon Blackheart. Using the insidious essence associated with New York City's wicked Christ's Crown section, Mephisto molded the ethereal evil into a physical being of his own demonic image. As the devil's prodigy was armed with super strength, speed, mind control, and size alteration among other feats, Mephisto led the creature on a quest to corrupt those within the city. Blackheart's mission has taken him into contact with superheroes from Daredevil to Spider-Man. Though he may not be quite as powerful as his father, Blackheart has served as the head of the group known as the Spirits of Vengeance.
7. Served The Mad Titan Thanos
Marvel Studios may have captured the general spirit of 1991's The Infinity Gauntlet storyline but it left an important omission in central antagonist Thanos' right-hand man. Mephisto quite literally acts as the devil on Thanos' shoulder during the events of the massive six-issue crossover event. Mephisto watches the destruction of half of all life in the universe as Thanos' consigliere. When the devil attempts to double-cross the villain and make a play for the coveted Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos easily senses the deception and sends the devil himself packing.
6. Kidnapped Franklin Richards
Marvel's resident explorers The Fantastic Four find themselves in Hell itself when the dreaded devil has his eye set on the team's youngest child Franklin Richards. Mephisto tortures his family in front of the seemingly helpless adolescent, while the boy remains encased in a glass. From Hell, Mephisto plans to siphon the boy's power in order to take over Earth's dimension. Luckily, Franklin's latent mutant abilities resurface just in time to save the boy and his family from the devil's grasp.
5. Transformed Johnny Blaze into Ghost Rider
Seeking a solution to his dying stepfather Crash's cancer predicament, popular motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze inevitably turns to the world of magic and the occult. Calling the attention of Mephisto, the satan-like entity would seemingly cure Crash, though the aging man would perish quickly after. However, Johnny learns all too late the reality of Mephsito's "Lord of Lies" moniker. While Crash would ultimately succumb to his death, Johnny still owed a debt to the devious deal maker. Though his career as a stunt rider would be over, Johnny's tenure as Mephisto's demon Ghost Rider would begin and last for years to come.
4. Trapped Doctor Doom's Mother in Hell
A Latverian gypsy shunned by her own townsfolk, sorceress Cynthia Von Doom would exchange her soul to the demon Mephisto in exchange for mastery of black magic. The end of the deal fulfilled, Mephisto came in search of his own end of the bargain... Cynthia's soul. Entrapping Cynthia in Hell, Cynthia's young son Victor would attempt to rescue his mother from hell on several occasions, to no avail. In his adult years, the fully formed Doctor Doom would travel to hell alongside the sorcerer supreme Doctor Strange to rescue his mother from Mephisto's grasp.
3. Removed Scarlet Witch's Children
If there is one asset Mephisto has a fondness for, it's children. After a long period of trial and error, mainstay Avengers Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch and her android companion were The Vision was finally able to conceive children. However, Wanda and Vision's time with twins Tommy and Billy are cut short. Using a past servant Martin Preston a.k.a. Master Pandemonium, Mephisto has Wanda's children forcefully taken from her in order to repair himself. Though Billy and Tommy were not even real children, to begin with (but soul fragments), Mephisto's actions were the final straw that shattered Wanda's mental psyche, paving the way for her future meltdown on the Marvel Universe down the road.
2. Nulled Spider-Man's Marriage
After his Aunt May is shot and by feared crime boss The Kingpin, Peter Parker / Spider-Man turns to the only option he has left. Mephisto offers to save the life of Peter's dying aunt in exchange for one simple aspect of Spidey's life. While May Parker is saved from the grasp of death, Spider-Man's marriage to his longtime sweetheart Mary Jane Watson is not. Though an extremely controversial story arc, Mephisto's of Spidey's marriage to Mary Jane was an event in the comic books that shifted the status quo of the wall crawler's world for close to a decade.
1. Stole Everett Ross' Pants
In his diplomatic mission surveying the Black Panther, government liaison Everett Ross comes into contact with a devilish guest. After finding himself involved in a neighborhood skirmish and stripped of his pants, a disoriented and astonished Ross is offered a pair of blue jeans by the devil himself. While Ross accepts the "devil pants", it isn't long before Black Panther arrives to rescue Ross from the perplexing confrontation with Mephisto. When Ross returns to Earth, however, the jeans are completely gone, leaving Ross pantless once again.
Mephisto may not be an overly used Marvel Comics villain, but the demonic Hell Lord's power and influence have a presence with nearly every one of the company's core characters and storylines. When there is even a figment of evil in the air, Mephisto will not be far off...using the vile stench to corrupt those lying in wake.
Opinions and Perspectives
Looking at all these stories together really shows his importance to Marvel.
His influence on Marvel's universe is pretty impressive when you look at all these stories together.
The Black Panther connection is often overlooked but it's pretty significant.
The pants story is weird but it shows how he can use humor to disarm people.
These stories really show how versatile Mephisto is as a villain.
Anyone else think the Wanda story influenced WandaVision even without Mephisto appearing?
The Silver Surfer confrontation really shows his manipulative nature at its finest.
I think the Doctor Doom story really adds depth to both characters.
Still can't get over how he messed with Spider-Man's life like that.
His manipulation of Johnny Blaze is probably the most classic devil deal in comics.
The fact that he served Thanos shows he's not above playing second fiddle if it serves his purposes.
I love how he can be both terrifying and oddly humorous, like with the pants incident.
These stories really show why Mephisto is one of Marvel's best villains. He's not just about raw power.
The way he created Blackheart is actually pretty terrifying when you think about it.
I'm surprised they didn't mention more about his encounters with Doctor Strange.
The Thanos story shows that even Mephisto can miscalculate sometimes.
I think Mephisto works better in comics where they can really explore the psychological aspects of his evil.
Reading about these stories makes me wonder why Marvel hasn't used him more in their movies.
What strikes me most is how Mephisto adapts his approach for each hero or villain he deals with.
The pants story feels like it was written by a completely different team than the other stories.
I found the Achebe story fascinating. It shows how Mephisto's influence extends beyond just the supernatural realm.
The Silver Surfer standing up to him was pretty impressive considering how powerful Mephisto is.
Anyone else think it's interesting how Mephisto often loses in the end but still manages to cause lasting damage?
True, I should have phrased that better. Both situations were terrible in their own ways.
That's a pretty callous way to look at it. To Wanda those kids were absolutely real.
I still think the Spider-Man marriage erasure was the worst. At least with Wanda's kids they weren't real to begin with.
The way Mephisto manipulates people's desperation is scarier than any physical threat he poses.
You make a good point about Doom. It really explains a lot about why he became who he is.
I actually think the Doom story is the most tragic. Imagine trying to save your mother from hell multiple times and failing.
That Fantastic Four story with Franklin Richards was intense. Really showed how powerful Franklin could be even as a kid.
Reading about all these stories together really shows how deeply embedded Mephisto is in Marvel's mythology.
Love how Mephisto tried to double-cross Thanos and got put in his place. Even the devil has his limits!
The Black Panther connection with Achebe is really interesting. I wish more people knew about that storyline.
Let's be honest, most of these stories show that Mephisto is just really good at making people desperate enough to make bad decisions.
The pants story seems so out of place compared to the others, but it really shows how Mephisto can be playful in his evil.
Necessary? Are you kidding me? It was lazy writing and completely disrespected decades of character development.
I disagree about the Spider-Man marriage thing being controversial. It was necessary to refresh the character.
Ghost Rider's origin story is probably the most memorable thing Mephisto has done. It's basically become comic book legend at this point.
Does anyone else think Mephisto's involvement with Doctor Doom's mother actually made Doom a more sympathetic character?
I'm fascinated by how Mephisto created Blackheart. Using the evil essence of a city is such a creative concept.
The Silver Surfer storyline really shows how Mephisto works best as a manipulator rather than just a straight-up fighter.
That's what makes it even worse! He knew exactly what he was doing when he used those soul fragments.
Well, technically the Wanda's children thing was more complex than just taking them. They were soul fragments to begin with.
The Johnny Blaze story always gets me. Classic deal with the devil scenario, but the way it played out was so tragic.
I never knew about the Thanos connection! Would have loved to see that in Infinity War.
Anyone else find it interesting how many times Mephisto goes after children? Franklin Richards, Wanda's twins... seems to be a pattern there.
I think what Mephisto did to Wanda was far worse than the Spider-Man situation. Taking away someone's children, even if they weren't real, that's just cruel.
The part about Spider-Man's marriage being erased still makes me angry to this day. I grew up reading about Peter and MJ's relationship, and they just threw it away like that.
I can't believe Mephisto actually took Everett Ross' pants! That's both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Such a weird flex for a powerful demon.