10 Unforgettable Deeds Of Marvel Comics' Most Famous Devil Mephisto

Marvel's "Devil" Mephisto is a constant force of evil that exists within the Marvel Universe.

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.  

Created Black Panther's Archenemy
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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. 

Tormented the Silver Surfer

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.  

Created the Villain Blackheart

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. 

Served The Mad Titan Thanos

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. 

Kidnapped Franklin Richards

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. 

Transformed Johnny Blaze into Ghost Rider

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. 

Trapped Doctor Doom's Mother in Hell

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.  

Removed Scarlet Witch's Children

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. 

Nulled Spider-Man's Marriage

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. 

Stole Everett Ross' Pants

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.

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Opinions and Perspectives

TheGlitchMaster commented TheGlitchMaster 3 years ago

Looking at all these stories together really shows his importance to Marvel.

1
Organic_Fuel_101 commented Organic_Fuel_101 3 years ago

The way he adapts his approach for different heroes is clever.

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Sophie_Blossom commented Sophie_Blossom 3 years ago

His influence on Marvel's mythology is pretty remarkable.

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TechRogue commented TechRogue 3 years ago

These stories really showcase why he's such a formidable villain.

5
Maher_Musings commented Maher_Musings 3 years ago

The lasting impact he has on characters is what makes him special.

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JocelynX commented JocelynX 3 years ago

His ability to affect both cosmic and street-level heroes is unique.

3
MariaS commented MariaS 3 years ago

Each story reveals a different aspect of his evil nature.

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DramaSeriesLover commented DramaSeriesLover 3 years ago

The variety in these stories really shows his range as a character.

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His role in creating villains like Blackheart is fascinating.

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LaceyM commented LaceyM 3 years ago

Interesting how he often targets family relationships.

1
SableX commented SableX 3 years ago

The Doom story adds so much to both characters' motivations.

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EcoFriendlyLife commented EcoFriendlyLife 3 years ago

His encounter with Silver Surfer really showed his true nature.

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BellaSimmons commented BellaSimmons 3 years ago

These stories really show why he's such an enduring villain.

5
MikeWrites commented MikeWrites 3 years ago

The way he manipulates people's deepest desires is his real power.

4
OutdoorExplorer commented OutdoorExplorer 3 years ago

His influence on Marvel's universe is pretty impressive when you look at all these stories together.

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I appreciate how he can be both serious and absurd.

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Potterhead98 commented Potterhead98 3 years ago

The psychological damage he causes is worse than the physical.

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Valeria_Bailey commented Valeria_Bailey 3 years ago

His ability to affect so many different heroes really sets him apart.

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Sullivan_Story commented Sullivan_Story 3 years ago

The Black Panther connection is often overlooked but it's pretty significant.

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I think the Fantastic Four story really showcases his power level.

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TianaM commented TianaM 3 years ago

Each story shows a different aspect of his evil nature.

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MetalHeadX commented MetalHeadX 3 years ago

The way he handled Ghost Rider's origin was particularly cruel.

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BiancaH commented BiancaH 3 years ago

His involvement with Thanos really shows his opportunistic nature.

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Sienna_Rose commented Sienna_Rose 3 years ago

The pants story is weird but it shows how he can use humor to disarm people.

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EpicDreamerX commented EpicDreamerX 3 years ago

I find it interesting how he often targets the most powerful characters.

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These stories really show how versatile Mephisto is as a villain.

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DylanBryant commented DylanBryant 3 years ago

The Blackheart creation story is underrated. It's such a clever concept.

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FilmCritic_Lena commented FilmCritic_Lena 3 years ago

Anyone else think the Wanda story influenced WandaVision even without Mephisto appearing?

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The Silver Surfer confrontation really shows his manipulative nature at its finest.

4

I think the Doctor Doom story really adds depth to both characters.

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TheOutsiderX commented TheOutsiderX 3 years ago

Franklin Richards showing him up was pretty satisfying though.

8

Still can't get over how he messed with Spider-Man's life like that.

4

His manipulation of Johnny Blaze is probably the most classic devil deal in comics.

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ViralStormX commented ViralStormX 3 years ago

The fact that he served Thanos shows he's not above playing second fiddle if it serves his purposes.

4

I love how he can be both terrifying and oddly humorous, like with the pants incident.

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ZeroExistence commented ZeroExistence 3 years ago

These stories really show why Mephisto is one of Marvel's best villains. He's not just about raw power.

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Gilbert_Glance commented Gilbert_Glance 3 years ago

The way he created Blackheart is actually pretty terrifying when you think about it.

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Hope99 commented Hope99 3 years ago

I'm surprised they didn't mention more about his encounters with Doctor Strange.

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The Thanos story shows that even Mephisto can miscalculate sometimes.

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ZeroDystopiaX commented ZeroDystopiaX 3 years ago

I think Mephisto works better in comics where they can really explore the psychological aspects of his evil.

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NamasteEveryday commented NamasteEveryday 3 years ago

Reading about these stories makes me wonder why Marvel hasn't used him more in their movies.

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StrengthAndGrace commented StrengthAndGrace 3 years ago

What strikes me most is how Mephisto adapts his approach for each hero or villain he deals with.

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AryaLynn commented AryaLynn 3 years ago

The pants story feels like it was written by a completely different team than the other stories.

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McArdle_Memo commented McArdle_Memo 3 years ago

I found the Achebe story fascinating. It shows how Mephisto's influence extends beyond just the supernatural realm.

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The Silver Surfer standing up to him was pretty impressive considering how powerful Mephisto is.

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Anyone else think it's interesting how Mephisto often loses in the end but still manages to cause lasting damage?

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JonahEats commented JonahEats 3 years ago

True, I should have phrased that better. Both situations were terrible in their own ways.

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Ifill_Insights commented Ifill_Insights 3 years ago

That's a pretty callous way to look at it. To Wanda those kids were absolutely real.

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Sullivan_Story commented Sullivan_Story 3 years ago

I still think the Spider-Man marriage erasure was the worst. At least with Wanda's kids they weren't real to begin with.

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Sarai99 commented Sarai99 3 years ago

The way Mephisto manipulates people's desperation is scarier than any physical threat he poses.

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OReilly_Opinion commented OReilly_Opinion 3 years ago

You make a good point about Doom. It really explains a lot about why he became who he is.

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DarkKnightX commented DarkKnightX 3 years ago

I actually think the Doom story is the most tragic. Imagine trying to save your mother from hell multiple times and failing.

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Goodman_Guide commented Goodman_Guide 3 years ago

That Fantastic Four story with Franklin Richards was intense. Really showed how powerful Franklin could be even as a kid.

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ActionHero_Fan99 commented ActionHero_Fan99 3 years ago

Reading about all these stories together really shows how deeply embedded Mephisto is in Marvel's mythology.

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Love how Mephisto tried to double-cross Thanos and got put in his place. Even the devil has his limits!

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NoemiJ commented NoemiJ 3 years ago

The Black Panther connection with Achebe is really interesting. I wish more people knew about that storyline.

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Let's be honest, most of these stories show that Mephisto is just really good at making people desperate enough to make bad decisions.

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OrganicFuel commented OrganicFuel 3 years ago

The pants story seems so out of place compared to the others, but it really shows how Mephisto can be playful in his evil.

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Wemple_Watch commented Wemple_Watch 4 years ago

Necessary? Are you kidding me? It was lazy writing and completely disrespected decades of character development.

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HealthyInsideOut commented HealthyInsideOut 4 years ago

I disagree about the Spider-Man marriage thing being controversial. It was necessary to refresh the character.

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Ghost Rider's origin story is probably the most memorable thing Mephisto has done. It's basically become comic book legend at this point.

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SelfCareHaven commented SelfCareHaven 4 years ago

Does anyone else think Mephisto's involvement with Doctor Doom's mother actually made Doom a more sympathetic character?

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I'm fascinated by how Mephisto created Blackheart. Using the evil essence of a city is such a creative concept.

4
HyperRealityX commented HyperRealityX 4 years ago

The Silver Surfer storyline really shows how Mephisto works best as a manipulator rather than just a straight-up fighter.

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Emma commented Emma 4 years ago

That's what makes it even worse! He knew exactly what he was doing when he used those soul fragments.

4
Lucy commented Lucy 4 years ago

Well, technically the Wanda's children thing was more complex than just taking them. They were soul fragments to begin with.

1
GravityShift commented GravityShift 4 years ago

The Johnny Blaze story always gets me. Classic deal with the devil scenario, but the way it played out was so tragic.

7

I never knew about the Thanos connection! Would have loved to see that in Infinity War.

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Tina_Glimmer commented Tina_Glimmer 4 years ago

Anyone else find it interesting how many times Mephisto goes after children? Franklin Richards, Wanda's twins... seems to be a pattern there.

3
CarolineZ commented CarolineZ 4 years ago

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.

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PeacefulWarrior commented PeacefulWarrior 4 years ago

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.

1
TrevorL commented TrevorL 4 years ago

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.

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