Mephisto is a malevolent extra-dimensional being from Marvel Comics. A creature of immeasurable power and absolute evil, many have compared him to Satan himself, and Mephisto has even claimed to be the Devil from time to time. He rules over a pocket dimension that he refers to as "Hell", though this is not the Hell of Christian religion nor any other known church.
While Mephisto may not be an actual devil, his powers and his practices are certainly similar to those of devils described in various religious texts. Like Mephistopheles of the legend of Faust, this demonic being has sought to corrupt the souls of mortals. Throughout the ages, he has approached human beings to offer them their hearts' desires in exchange for their souls. When his "clients" die, Mephisto claims their spirits and traps them within his domain, turning them into demonic servants that obey his every command.
Personality
Mephisto may not be the Devil as humans know it, but he is certainly as malevolent. He delights in all manner of wickedness and sin, playing mind games with others and tricking them into submission by playing off their emotions.
Powers and abilities
- Superhuman Strength: Mephisto possesses some degree of superhuman strength. He is capable of using his magical powers to augment his strength, enabling him to lift well in excess of 100 tons.
- Superhuman Speed: Mephisto is capable of running and moving at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Stamina: The various mystical energies flowing through Mephisto's body augments his musculature so that it generates virtually no fatigue toxins during physical activity. As a result, Mephisto possesses almost limitless superhuman stamina.
- Superhuman Durability: The tissues of Mephisto's body, while similar in appearance to a human's, are considerably tougher and more resistant to injury than the tissues of a human being. Mephisto's body is virtually invulnerable to conventional injury. He is capable of withstanding great impact forces, high caliber bullets, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining injury.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his superhuman durability, it is possible to injure Mephisto. However, his unique physiology and mystical energies enable him to rapidly recover from almost any form of injury. He is capable of regenerating almost any damaged or destroyed tissue, even missing limbs.
- Immortality: As a demon, Mephisto is functionally immortal. He is immune to the effects of aging and is immune to all known Earthly diseases and infections. Mephisto is also beyond the need of food, water, or oxygen.
- Magical Manipulation: He can use this magical energy for various effects, among which are the augmentation of his own physical strength, levitation, teleportation, the projection of mystical energy as force blasts, invisibility, matter manipulation, image projection, size transformation of his body or other objects or beings, the creation of temporary inter-dimensional apertures, and so on.
- Pyrokinesis: Mephisto can generate mystical blasts to defeat his enemies.
- Ensnare Astral Bodies: Mephisto also possesses certain powers enabling him to capture and detain the astral bodies (sheaths of the soul) of recently deceased human beings. Mephisto does not have jurisdiction over all the souls of humanity's recently deceased. It is not yet known what the prerequisite conditions are for him to be able to manipulate a human soul, nor are the precise means by which he accomplishes the feat known. Apparently these conditions require that the human being in question willingly agree to submit to Mephisto's will. It is not known how a human being may free himself from bondage to Mephisto (although Johnny Blaze apparently did), nor whether Mephisto will forever retain control of the souls he has obtained. Nor is it known whether or not Mephisto "feeds" on the psychic energies of such souls as other demons do.
- Dimensional Entrapment: Apparently Mephisto can entrap a living human being within his realm through sheer physical force, even if the person did not submit his or her will to him. The woman named Topaz was thus entrapped until her recent escape.
- Netherworld Dimensional Power Tap: Among the demons of various extra-dimensional netherworlds adjacent to Earth, Mephisto has few rivals in terms of personal power and scope of influence, although Satannish has stalemated him in battle.[94] Mephisto's power seems to be connected to his extra-dimensional domain and diminishes over time spent away from it. Therefore, he usually sends demonic agents to do his bidding.
- Reality Manipulation: Mephisto was able to create the realities Earth-7161 and Earth-71241 by creating a small alteration in the Earth-616 reality.[61] As part of a deal with Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, Mephisto wove the Earth-81545 reality into Earth-616.[62]
- Shapeshifting: Mephisto is more a force than a being per se, but he can take any form that he wants. His "normal" appearance is that of male, red skinned humanoid with vampiric aspect and attire. However, Mephisto can appear in any form imaginable, having turning himself into animals, humans of any gender, or more commonly into other demoniac forms, ranging from a stereotypical image of Satan to a giant reptilian monster. During his confrontation with Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange, Mephisto briefly turned into a inconceivable incarnation of evil with numerous misshapen images within him.
- Transmutation: Mephisto can enlarge himself to intimidate and can easily defeat his enemies.
- Penance Stare immunity: Ghost Rider's Penance Stare doesn't affect Mephisto, to the contrary, it makes him stronger, due that power makes its victim relive all misdeeds at once, besides the absence of his soul.
- Master Manipulator: Mephisto is an experienced and highly skilled liar and strategist. He is also a highly skilled sorcerer with near infinite knowledge of arcane and occult subjects.
Weaknesses
Despite his immense power, Mephisto does have several significant limitations. He is unable to force the subjugation of any sentient being's will to his own without that being's deliberate submission. He is also incapable of reading the thoughts of any sentient being. Mephisto's powers are linked with his extra-dimensional realm and his powers rapidly decrease the longer he is away from his realm. As a result, he typically uses or manipulates others into performing whatever plan he has in mind. Also, despite continuously trying to get any noble soul to his realm and possession, he must need to corrupt them first, or otherwise, he himself will be, ironically, injured in the process. This has proven to be the case with Thor and Cynthia in the past. Indeed, the reason why Mephisto undid Peter Parker's marriage with Mary Jane Watson rather than taking their souls was that, in his own words, their willingness to sacrifice themselves for another person would automatically redeem them.