Mephisto in the MCU
Mephisto! Mephisto! And, Mephisto!
Since the days of Wanda Vision at Spiderman: No Coming Home, fans have been ridiculously waiting for Marvel’s cunning demon to make an appearance in the MCU. Almost every mishap or mere mention of the word “demon” or “devil” was instantly linked to Mephisto by fans. However, to their many disappointments after one, Marvel never acknowledged his presence. So far!
Marvel’s latest Disney+ show – ‘She-Hulk: Lawyer‘ could have finally given us a solid hint of the presence of the ‘devil’ himself in the MCU. So, let’s dig.
Who is Mephisto?
The character Mephisto first appeared in Silver Surfer #3 (1968). Mephisto is an extra-dimensional demon who rules over a fiery pocket dimension he calls “hell”. The realm of “hell” is inhabited by himself, his minion demons, and the astral forms of certain deceased human beings. These humans were trapped in the bodies of demons. He doesn’t have a single true origin story in the comics.
Strengthened by the souls of the damned, this demon makes deals with the living to gather the inhabitants of his infernal realm. Using the notable names of Mephistopheles, Lucifer, and even Satan, Mephisto condemned many to his eternal service. Or, in some cases, “blessed” them with power. In the Infinity Gauntlet comedic storyline, he had a strong influence on Thanos’ mind. He manipulated it to wipe out half the population of the universe. In previous Marvel (not MCU) films, the character of Mephisto was portrayed by Pierre Fonda in the 2007 movie Ghost Rider. Later he was played by Ciaran Hinds in its 2011 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
The She-Hulk Clue
The 4th episode of She-Hulk followed Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) representing Wong (Benedict Wong) in a court case against Donny Blaze (Rhys Coiro). Donny is a stage magician who irresponsibly uses the mystical arts in his show. One of Donny’s victims – Madisynn (Patty Guggenheim) testifies in court that she was sent to a hellish dimension by Donny using one of his sling rings. There she had to sign a pact with a talking demon goat named “Jake” to escape. She claimed the goat offered to save her from a lava pit in exchange for six drops of blood. Madisynn did not remember the details of this pact. But she says Jake would “harvest her soul, and the souls of all (she) loves” otherwise. Marvel even featured an illustration of the scene in its credits.
Arguably, this does not qualify for a “solid” confirmation from Mephisto. Also, the name “Jack” is never used by Mephisto in the comics. However, the goblin-like creatures that emerge from the portal’s hell dimension resemble Mephisto’s minions in the comics. Mephisto in the comics sometimes goes by the similar name “Jack Scratch” – and he often sports a goat form.
The implications
Just as the one who remains (Kang) said in Loki- he knows everything that has happened and everything that is about to happen. The same can be said of Mephisto. The only difference is that he has the power to manipulate the mind. Mephisto, with his evil powers, can make anyone do anything. Under its influence, good becomes evil and evil becomes worse. If he exists in the MCU, then he could bend the entire multiverse to his will and pose a huge threat to the New Avengers in his own way.
Mephisto in the comics has had a pretty wild history of messing with countless heroes (and villains!). Thor, Daredevil, the Scarlet Witch, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, and even Doctor Doom have all come up against the troublesome demon over the decades. Mephisto would certainly present a formidable threat should he ever appear in live-action in the MCU.
