MEPHISTO

 

MEPHISTO

Real Name: Unrevealed. "Mephisto," which is short for "Mephistopheles," is a name given him by human beings who mistakenly believed him to be a legendary devil.

First Appearance: The Silver Surfer (Vol. 1) #3, December 1968

Powers: Mephisto possesses vast supernatural power, which is apparently inherent within him. 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. There seems to be no single feat beyond Mephisto's capabilities, with two exceptions: The subjugation of any sentient being's will to his own without that being's deliberate submission, and the "reading" of a sentient being's thoughts.

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.

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 escape. As a demon, Mephisto is functionally immortal and beyond such human needs as food, air, and sleep. His body appears to be composed of some supernatural substance that is more durable and resilient than human flesh and tissue.

Among the demons of various extra-dimensional netherworlds adjacent to Earth, Mephisto has few rivals in terms of personal power and scope of influence. Only Thog and Satannish come close. 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.