MEPHISTO
Created By: Stan Lee & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Silver Surfer #3 (Dec. 1968)
Role: Devil Analogue, Arch-Manipulator
Group Affiliations: The Hell-Lords
PL 17 (487), PL 18 (487) Within Hell
STRENGTH 16
STAMINA 18
AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6
AWARENESS 6
PRESENCE 6
Skills:
Deception 12 (+18)
Expertise (Hells) 15 (+21)
Expertise (Magic) 20 (+26)
Insight 8 (+14)
Intimidation 11 (+17)
Perception 8 (+14)
Persuasion 9 (+15)
Stealth 10 (+13)
Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 7 (King of One of the Hells), Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Magic) 4, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Ritualist, Startle, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage
Powers:
"Immortal Entity"
Regeneration 8 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [9]
Immunity 22 (Aging, Life Support, Sleep, Heat & Flame Effects) [22]
Immortality 3 (1 week) [6]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Power-Lifting 6 (100,000 tons) [6]
Impervious Toughness 15 [15]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Senses 6 (Detect Magic- Ranged, Acute, Analytical, Counters Illusion) [6]
"Master of Tongues" Comprehend 4 (Languages 4) [8]
"Demonic Shapeshifter" Morph 4 (Any Form) (Extras: Metamorph) [24]
"Extra Power Within His Dimension" Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (Flaws: Limited to Within Hell) [8]
Note: Every power in the Magic Array is boosted this way (by 1-2 ranks).
"Variable Size"
Features 5: Increased Mass 5 [5]
Elongation 1 [1]
"Elder God Might"
"Hell Stream" Damage 17 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (88) -- [113]
- Dynamic AE: "Hell Blast" Blast 17 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (70)
- Dynamic AE: "Hellfire Blast" Blast 22 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic, Extended Range 2, Indirect, Penetrating 14) (43)
- Dynamic AE: Force Field 2 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Affects Others 12, Impervious 6) (21)
- Dynamic AE: Mind-Reading 16 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Effortless) Linked to Communication 5 (Mental) (Feats: Dimensional) (Extras: Area) (75)
- Dynamic AE: Illusion 14 (Feats: Dynamic) (All Senses) (71)
- Dynamic AE: Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Subtle 2) (22)
- AE: "Capable of Nearly Any Effect" Variable (Magical) 12 (84)
- AE: Remote Sensing 24 (Visual, Hearing) (64,000 miles) (Feats: Dimensional, Subtle) (74)
- AE: Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Time Travel 3) (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Attack) (23)
- AE: Teleport 15 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (65)
- AE: Healing 12 (Extras: Ranged, Resurrection) (36)
- AE: "Alter Thoughts & Memories" Affliction 16 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Transformed Thoughts) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (64)
- AE: Mind Control 16 (64)
- AE: "Group Mind Control" Mind Control 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (48)
- AE: Move Object 14 (Extras: Perception Range) (42)
- AE: "Molecular Transformation" Transform 12 (Anything to Anything) (Extras: Continuous) (60)
- AE: "Alter Hell" Teleport 15 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Attack, Perception Ranged +2) (80)
- AE: "Create Temptation" Create 15 (Feats: Innate, Precise) (Extras: Movable) (47)
- AE: Nullify Magical Effects 15 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous, Perception Range) (75)
Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Hell Attacks +17 Area (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Blast +12 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Blast Within Hell +12 (+24 Ranged Damage, DC 39)
Area Attacks Within Hell +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +3
Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +16
Complications:
Motivation (Gathering Souls & Power)- Mephisto judges success by the amount of souls he possesses- he desires the souls of sentient beings. The more virtuous and noble the being, the better.
Honor- Mephisto will uphold bargains and deals, but be wary of how he words them- he's a tricky one. He also let The New Mutants go when they accidentally made their way into his realm- there's no challenge there ('course, he finagled a date with Magma out of the deal).
Relationship (Amara Juliana Aquila)- Mephisto is rather taken with the hottest of The New Mutants, and actually acts like a bit of a normal person around her (if a bit of a hipster douchebag).
Enemy (The Silver Surfer)- Among the noblest and most incorruptible of souls, Norrin Radd constantly irks Mephisto, and exists as one of the few beings he can never take. This drives the dark one NUTS.
Enemy/Rival (Thog, Satan, Satannish, Zarathos)- Mephisto competes with other Demon Lords for mortal souls- he manipulated Zarathos into Johnny Blaze's control to get him out of the way.
Enemy (Blackheart)- Mephisto's son is a real chip off the old block, and wants daddy's power for himself.
Weakness (Purity)- Mephisto is vulnerable to souls of great power or purity- The Silver Surfer & Thor have both injured him by directly contacting his form with their good souls.
Total: Abilities: 138 / Skills: 94--47 / Advantages: 38 / Powers: 245 / Defenses: 19 (487)
Mephisto- One Devil Among Many:
-One of those weird signs of the complexity of comic book storytelling comes by way of Mephisto and his contemporaries- Marvel wasn't satisfied just having ONE Hell-Lord- they decide to make SEVERAL, except it's generally inconsistent as to who's doing WHAT, especially since Mephisto was initially a "Non-Copywrite" version of Satan himself, being obviously inspired by Satanic imagery, but he had the "out" that he wasn't Lucifer himself (probably meant to avoid controversy or excuse leaving out more Biblical text). The only problem was, Marvel not only added a bunch MORE guys just like Mephisto, but also introduced the "real" Satan later (in the 1970s), but at the same time revealing Mephisto as being the "Satan" who appeared before Ghost Rider and others. So have fun figuring out who was what- not that it matters, as really all you need to know is that they're all Soul-Gathering Evil Guys with Hellish lineage.
Marvel's Best Satan:
-As the biggest name in the Hell Scene at Marvel, Mephisto gets the most use, fighting The Silver Surfer first (attempting to corrupt the hero's noble soul, but always failing in the end), then becoming a Dr. Strange villain- he's also fought the Norse God Thor, and the super-Catholic Daredevil (using a weird, more alien appearance). Plus he once stole Spider-Man's marriage, because happiness makes him mad. Especially the happiness of comic book readers, apparently.
-Mephisto has vexed pretty much every hero at one point or another, but is careful to avoid ACTUALLY losing more often than not. When he was jealous of the worship earned by the fire demon Zarathos, he schemed to have the guy bonded to Johnny Blaze- creating the Ghost Rider, and appearing as "Satan" to annoy the hero. During the
Infinity Gauntlet crisis, Mephisto acted as Thanos's advisor and flunky- a careful scheme to ingratiate him to the new "God", and he turned on Thanos as soon as the tides shifted. He created a "son" in Blackheart, then manipulates Master Pandemonium in an attempt to gain control of the Scarlet Witch's powerful abilities, revealing that her beloved children were actually parts of his own body.
-His schemes result in the death of Mockingbird ('s Skrull imposter), then later he takes the MARRIAGE of Peter Parker out of existence, as a trade for his healing the fatal wounds of Aunt May. This weird retcon somehow returns Harry Osborn to life, which is weird, because they clearly didn't have many plans for him anyways. He temporarily dates Magma of the New Mutants in a bizarre twist that only makes sense when you remember that she used to date Empath (who's so evil that MEPHISTO worships HIM!), and he was once unseated as ruler of "Hell" by Strong Guy in
X-Factor Investigations, but that was quickly overturned by the Red Hulk's Thunderbolts squad, in order to win themselves a ride out of Hell.
Mephisto- Appreciation For The Devil:
-Honestly, I've kind of learned to like Mephisto, who used to be one of my least-favorite villains as a kid (I think because I viewed him as weak-looking and wimpy compared to muscular guys like Doom, Thanos & The Juggernaut)- I kind of like that he's a manipulative dick and completely evil, yet rarely actually goes in to kill people. His role is
temptation, making him much less boring than Nightmare & D'Spayre (who are thematically-similar), who are insanely one-note and result in the same kind of stories over and over again- Mephisto doesn't play on heroes' fears- he plays on their
wants. And that makes him a much more insidious, dangerous bad guy. You can get twenty times the number of stories by playing on someone's motivation than you ever could on what they were afraid of.
-The fact that his activities often result in minor "wins" for him is all the better- in
Secret Wars II he manages to save all existence (which benefits him, as, you know... HE'S part of existence! Plus, all those souls he wants!) from The Beyonder because a champion of his (Spider-Man, who was chosen for him- he wanted Thor or the Surfer) was able to resist temptation. In a great character bit, Mephisto still planned to CHEAT, but was prevented from doing so... but his own minions! Who would prefer OBLIVION to another day under his rule! Such a great moment, there- and despite his attempts to cheat, his "champion" still finds the will to stay true to himself, risking his life to save that of a monster like the Kingpin of Crime.
Powerful As Hell:
-Mephisto, like most Hell-Lords, possesses a CRAZY amount of power, but it's unclear as to which Hell-Lords are the toughest- Elder Gods like Set & Chthon are allegedly powerful enough to easily destroy the entire planet unopposed if not for the influence of the Demogorge chasing them away, and the fact that they're trapped in their own dimensions semi-permanently. Mephisto rarely seems quite so tough (he was borne of the evil thoughts of sentient beings AFTER the Elder Gods were banished, and thus he is a contemporary of Satannish & Thog as a Class Two Demon- he & Satannish once brawled without a victor emerging, so I imagine they have similar PLs), but then he DID throw down with Galactus at one point. He's certainly more powerful than the mere Pantheonic characters like Hades & Hela, as neither of those could even sniff Galactus' fart without dying... except one time Thor managed to basically straight-up stalemate Mephisto one-on-one (which he could never do against Zeus, who is MUCH more powerful than Hades or Hela). Sigh...
-In any case, Mephisto is a better talker than any of them, getting really high ranks in many of his Skills. He's a regular enough character in the comics that he gets a SWACK of powers all to himself instead of the lazy old "yeah, tons of Variable should do it", as we've seen him do a lot of stuff. Mephisto is high-level enough to likely defeat Odin or Zeus in one-on-one combat, but it's still pretty close- Mephisto does not invade our realm or Asgard because even HIS great forces would be greatly diminished in such an assault. In this manner, the Great Powers keep each other in check. Note also that Mephisto can change size and form, not to mention "alter hell" (something Gazman used in his build, but with Dimensional Movement instead- essentially Mephisto is Teleporting people around instead of actually altering Hell itself). Like Poseidon & Hades, Mephisto is more powerful within his own Realm, making him a PL 18 guy there.