MCU: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mephisto

Marvel's most Satanic villain has enjoyed a cult status among readers since his first appearance in 1968.

The hellish, Faustian pact-loving master of evil has caused nothing but woe and hardship for every hero (and villain) who's ever crossed paths with him. From Ghost Rider to Dr Strange, Mephisto is a menace few can tangle with without disaster striking.

Created by Stan Lee and modelled on the tale of Mephistopheles (if only there were some clue in the name), the devilish do-badder has hopped from comic to comic over the decades, never really settling on one true nemesis.

Rumours have abounded of an imminent arrival in the MCU as the franchise continues to craft new big bads in the wake of Thanos' two deaths in Endgame. If he does pop up, it'll be his third live action appearance. Needless to say, his other two, in Nicolas Cage's oft-mocked Ghost Rider flicks, left a lot to be desired. Neither Peter Fonda nor Ciaran Hinds really captured the monstrous demonic overlord in all of his all red everywhere glory.

With a lack of major film and TV time in mind, there's a lot of curious facts and tales surrounding Mephisto fans may be unaware of. Here are just 10 of them.

Can Matt Murdock ever catch a break?

Unless Mark Waid's penning the script, apparently not.

Mephisto's got a long track record of being a piece of work towards Hell's Kitchen's protector. Of the many times he's messed with him, none were quite so strange as their unexpectedly erotic encounter in a bar over Christmas in 1989.

Daredevil, still reeling from the soul-destroying misery of stories like 'Born Again' and everything to do with Typhoid Mary, settles in for a beer all by his lonesome. An attractive redhead takes a shine to him and the two wind up making out. Just when Murdock thinks his indestructibly hard luck is turning around, the woman reveals herself to be Mephisto.

It's a genuinely shocking moment, something so bizarre and inexplicable that one can't help but read on. John Romita Sr. has a grand old time turning the scarlet fiend into a tongue-wagging monstrosity that'd make Venom blush. Speech bubbles appear next to an open-mouthed, tongue out Mephisto, making us wonder how exactly he's speaking clearly.

Of course this is all just part of Mephisto's psychological warfare. Daredevil has often been a target of the villain's cruelty. Both amazed and disgusted by Matt Murdock's unwavering faith and drive to fight on, Mephisto has often tormented the troubled vigilante. It never got more wild than this though.