MEPHISTO READING ORDER: Speak of the Devil (1968-1991)

There's more than one version of the Devil in the Marvel Universe, but Mephisto is the one most people are familiar with. He initially appeared as a regular thorn in the side of the Silver Surfer, but has gone on to taunt, tease and tempt almost every hero since then. Whether he's trying to steal Thor's soul, creating Avengers villains, fending off Doctor Doom's attempts to save his mother's soul or trying to manipulate Thanos into giving him the Infinity Gauntlet, Mephisto is everywhere!

Perhaps the most evil being in the Marvel Universe, one of his darkest moves was reclaiming the fragments of his essence that the Scarlet Witch used to create her two children, Thomas & William Maximoff. But it's the bizarre hair and the all-in-one bodystocking that lets you know he really has no shame. Or style.

Mephisto actually has at least three kids of his own - Mephista and Blackheart (featured below) and Greylight. One of those three will be the death of him, as we'll see in the second entry in this two-part Mephisto Reading Order...

MCG Notes:

• Issue listings in blue & black: The must-read Mephisto stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
• Issue listings in grey: Part of Mephisto's chronology, cameo appearances or stories of note that are non-essential or no longer considered 'required reading'.
• Chronology: Every appearance of Mephisto from this period is included in chronological order, mapping out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
• Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!

Ghost Rider #-1 (1997)

After giving up her children (the young Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch & Barbara Ketch) for their own protection, Naomi Kale hits the road; she's pursued by Mephisto and transforms into the Ghost Rider to battle him which drains her life energy and kills her during FLASHBACK.

Silver Surfer #3 (1968)

First appearance of Mephisto and Mephisto's Realm; Mephisto sees the Silver Surfer as a threat to his efforts to enslave humanity; he kidnaps Shalla-Bal and offers the Silver Surfer her freedom in exchange for the Surfer's soul; Mephisto absorbs the Surfer into his mind in an attempt to corrupt him, but the Surfer's purity instead begins to influence Mephisto who has to admit defeat.

Silver Surfer #8-9 (1969)

First appearance of the Ghost/Flying Dutchman/Joost van Straaten; Mephisto transforms the legendary Flying Dutchman into a Ghost capable of taking on the Silver Surfer; the Surfer frees the Ghost from Mephisto's control and he renounces Mephisto to return to his eternal rest.

Silver Surfer #16-17 (1970)

Mephisto offers the Silver Surfer freedom from the barrier created by Galactus that keeps him from leaving Earth; in return for freedom, the Surfer has to destroy SHIELD; Mehisto replaces a SHIELD secretary with Shalla-Bal in the hope that the Surfer will destroy her, but he refuses to hurt anyone and loses his chance to be free.

Thor #180-181 (1970)

Thor is trapped in Loki's body and sent to Mephisto's Realm while Loki rampages in Thor's body; Sif and Balder rescue Thor whose radiating goodness is too much for Mephisto to bear, forcing him to transport them all back to Asgard.

Astonishing Tales #8[2/2] (1971)

Mephisto appears as 'Satan'; Doctor Doom makes his annual bid to free his mother's soul from Mephisto's realm.

Thor #204-205 (1972)

First appearance of 'Karl Sarron'/Mercurio; following a clash with Ego Prime, Odin exiles Thor, Balder, Hildegard, Sif and the Warriors Three to Earth where they fall pretty to Mephisto and his demonic underlings.

Marvel Spotlight #5-9, 11 (1972-1973)

Ghost Rider #1-2 (1973)

Marvel Spotlight #12 (1973)

First appearance of Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze, Sam Silvercloud, Roxanne Simpson, Snakedance/Littletrees, Son of Satan/Daimon Hellstrom, Zarathos and Crash Simpson's Daredevil Show; Johnny Blaze makes a deal with Satan that transforms him into Ghost Rider, only to be faced with foes empowered by the demon ruler of Hell; 'Satan' was later retconned as Mephisto, then retconned again years later to become the demon Lucifer.

Thanos Annual #1 (2014)

Mephisto transports Thanos to his realm, fresh from his defeat at the hands of Captain Marvel and the Avengers; Mephisto offers Thanos a place among his Legion of the Damned in return for riches; a future incarnation of Thanos arrives and the two version of the Mad Titan fight over who should hold the Infinity Gauntlet, exiting Mephisto's realm in the process.

Ghost Rider #5, 7-9 (1974)

Due to later retcons, it's unclear at this point if 'Satan' is Mephisto or Lucifer; 'Satan' resurrects murdered gambler Dude Jensen and Roulette as a foe for the Ghost Rider; 'Satan' them pits Ghost Rider against the demon Inferno/Slifer.

Fantastic Four #157 (1975)

Mephisto secretly manipulates Shalla-Bal in an effort to mess with the Silver Surfer when Doctor Doom uses her in a plot for his own gain.

Doctor Strange #15-17 (1976)

'Satan' (possibly Mephisto) uses James Mandarin as a pawn in his plan to lure Doctor Strange into his realm; Strange escapes the demon's realm and erases Mandarin's memory.

Marvel Comics Super Special #1: KISS (1977)
First appearance of KISS; Doctor Doom tries to use KISS in his war against Mephisto as he tries to free his mother's soul from the demon's realm.

Tomb of Dracula #63-64 (1978)

As 'Satan', Mephisto pits Dracula against his son, Janus Tepes; 'Satan' takes Dracula and Topaz to Hell; 'Satan' strips Dracula of his vampire powers; Topaz tricks 'Satan', allowing her and Dracula to escape.

Tomb of Dracula #68 (1979)

Despairing without his vampire powers, Dracula renounces Satan and begs God for help; 'Satan' (Mephisto) appears to Dracula, restoring his powers and announcing that making him turn to God had been his plan all along.

Ghost Rider #32 (1978)

Mephisto/'Satan' cameo; 'Satan' witnesses Bounty Hunter/Lemuel Haskill's attempt to claim Johnny Blaze's soul.

Avengers #173 (1978)

Mephisto cameo; Korvac checks that Mephisto is unaware of his existence during THE KORVAC SAGA.

Thor #310 (1981)

Mephisto drives an entire New York city block mad to draw out Thor; Thor head into Mephisto's realm to fight for his own soul and those of the New Yorkers under the demon's control.

Defenders #98-100 (1981)

The demonic Six-Fingered Hand initiate their pan to merge Earth and Hell, initially using the Man-Thing as their pawn until he's freed by the Defenders; 'Maya' of the Six-Fingered Hand is revealed to be a disguised Mephisto who brags of his plot to destroy the universe; Mephisto and his fellow Hell-Lords pit the Defenders against each other for the fate of all existence; the Defenders cheat in order to gain their victory.

Thor Annual #10 (1982)

First appearance of Ah Puch, Quetzalcoatl and Shango; first appearance of Ammon Ra/Amon Ra as Atum/Demogorge; Mephisto is among the Hell-Lords who agree to merge their reams, inadvertently summoning the Demogorge who tries to consume them all; Thor, Quetzalcoatl, Horus and others talk the Demogorge out of consuming the other gods; the Demogorge returns the consumed spirits and transforms back into Atum.

Silver Surfer #1 (1982)

The Fantastic Four help the Silver Surfer break through Galactus barrier and leave Earth; he returns to his homeworld Zenn-La and learns Galactus consumed the planet when the Surfer betrayed him; he heads back to Earth to confront Mephisto who is keeping Shalla-Bal prisoner, frees her and sacrifices some of his power along with his freedom in order to restore Zenn-La.

Ghost Rider #68 (1982)

Flashback sequence: flashbacks reveal that the 'Satan' who made the deal to bond Johnny Blaze to the demon Zarathos to become the Ghost Rider was actually Mephisto; this reveal is later undone and Lucifer is named as the demon who Blaze made the deal with.

Thor #325[1/2] (1982)

Mephisto convinces Darkoth to steal Donald Blake's soul in exchange for this own; Darkoth is unable to steal an innocent man's soul and Thor is able to free him from Mephisto's control and allow him to return to peace in the afterlife.

Ghost Rider #76 (1983)

First appearance of the demon Saturnine; having been named as the demon who bonded Zarathos with Johnny Blaze to become the Ghost Rider, Mephisto is approached by Asmodeus who barters for control of Zarathos; due to later retcons around Mephisto's involvement in the creation of the Ghost Rider, it's unclear if Mephisto is just playing along with Asmodeus and taking the opportunity to mess with him.

Ghost Rider #81 (1983)

Mephisto cameo; Zarathos is separated from Johnny Blaze and trapped within the Crystal of Souls along with Centurious; the Crystal falls into Mephisto's possession.

Deadpool #7 (2013)

Mephisto cameo; first appearance of Vetis; Deadpool accepts a deal with the demon Vetis that will help him gain more power than Mephisto and take over his realm; Deadpool messes up and Mephisto becomes aware of Vetis' plans during MARVEL NOW!

Thor Annual #13 (1985)

Thor heads into the realm of Mephisto to free Ulik the Troll's brother, Horth.

Fantastic Four #276-277 (1985)

Witch-hunter Elspeth Cromwell uses magick to assault Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, believing them to be dark magic users; her attack spills the innocent blood of Franklin Richards, allowing Mephisto access to the Earthly plane; seeing his family under threat, Franklin unleashes new powers and appears to obliterate Mephisto during TO ALL THINGS AN ENDING.

West Coast Avengers #9 (1986)

Flashback sequence: A flashback reveals how a reconstituted Mephisto saved the life of Hollywood star Martin Preston after drunkenly crashing his car; Mephisto replaced Preston's lost arm and his other limbs with demonic appendages, transforming him into Master Pandemonium.

West Coast Avengers #15 (1986)

Flashback sequence: Mephisto split Master Pandemonium's soul into five pieces and sent him in search of them across the Earth and other dimensions.

Secret Wars II #6-7 (1985-1986)

Amazing Spider-Man #274 (1986)

Secret Wars II #9 (1986)

The Beyonder attracts Mephisto's attention when he temporarily kills Death; Mephisto plots to destroy the Beyonder with Beyondersbane, pitting him against a vast number of Earth's super-villains in an effort to distract him from his true goal; fearing the Beyonder's power and wanting to prevent him from turning his rage on Earth, destroying all souls on the planet, Mephisto has a wager with the Beyonder which revolves around them pitting Zarathos and Spider-Man against each other; Mephisto tries to confront the Beyonder one last time but escapes when he realises he's vastly outmatched during SECRET WARS II.

Mephisto Vs #1-4(pp.1-20) (1987)

Thor #381 (1987)

Mephisto Vs #4(pp.21-25) (1987)

Mephisto confronts the Fantastic Four, X-Factor and the X-Men as he works his way towards claiming Thor's soul; losing his grip on Thor's soul, Mephisto reveals that his plan was to strengthen Thor's resolve against Hela the whole time during MEPHISTO VS.

Fantastic Four Annual #20 (1987)

Doctor Doom uses Franklin Richards as a pawn in his latest attempt to free his mother from Mephisto's realm; Kristoff Vernard (who believes himself to be Doctor Doom) interrupts the deal and Mephisto uses this as an opportunity to keep both Franklin and Cynthia von Doom's soul as well; Franklin threatens to destroy Mephisto again if he doesn't allow him his freedom during ALL IN THE FAMILY.

Daredevil #266 (1989)

Mephisto has a drink with a battered and beaten Daredevil in a bar in Hell's Kitchen, warning him that he plans to break him someday soon.

Silver Surfer Annual #2[4/7] (1989)

The Silver Surfer talks Mishna of the planet Landlak out of making a deal with Mephisto.

Marvel Graphic Novel #38: Silver Surfer - Judgement Day (1988)

Mephisto stirs up Nova's feelings for her master, Galactus, and takes her captive; Mephisto uses Nova as bait to lure in the Silver Surfer.

Daredevil #270 (1989)

First appearance of Blackheart; Mephisto births his son, Blackheart, on Earth and sends him out to perpetrate evil in his name; Mephisto observes as Blackheart encounters Daredevil and Spider-Man.

Avengers West Coast #52 (1989)

Mephisto reveals that he only managed to partially reconstitute himself after Franklin Richards destroyed him and tricked Master Pandemonium into finding the five missing pieces if his being; the Scarlet Witch unknowingly used two of the missing fragments of Mephisto to create her sons, Thomas & William Maximoff; Mephisto absorbs 'Thomas' and 'William' back into himself, leaving the Scarlet Witch in emotional turmoil.

Silver Surfer #32 (1989)

Mephisto uses a sentient virus to attack the Silver Surfer, causing him to have hallucinations and almost driving him mad.

Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #6[1/2]-8[1/2] (1989)

First appearance of Mephista; Baron Mordo promises Doctor Strange's soul to Mephisto and Satannish; Strange battles Mephisto's daughter, Mephista; Strange merges Mephisto and Satannish to end their fight over New York; the demons split and return to their own dimensions.

Daredevil #278-283 (1990)

Mephisto initiates his plan to break Daredevil and starts by sending Blackheart to attack him and his new friends; Mephisto transports Daredevil, Number Nine, Gorgon, Karnak and the others to his realm where he tempts and taunts them until they're freed by the Silver Surfer.

Thor #429-430 (1991)

Mephisto appears before the new Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch); Loki strikes a deal with Mephisto, leaving him with a Soul Shroud that appears to contain the soul of the mighty Thor.

Silver Surfer #44-45 (1991)

First appearance of the Infinity Gauntlet; Mephisto allies with Thanos while secretly plotting to take the powerful Infinity Gauntlet from him; Thanos makes Mephisto aware that he knows what his game is but keeps him around for his own amusement during REBIRTH OF THANOS.

Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #30 (1991)

Mephista kidnaps Doctor Strange, but her journey to her father's realm via Satannish's dimension leads to another demonic battle between Mephisto and Satannish; Strange takes the opportunity to escape.

Sensational She-Hulk #28 (1991)

She-Hulk accidentally sells her soul to Mephisto; She-Hulk manages to break her contract using a copy of the magazine she appeared naked in to show she doesn't exhibit the high moral standards their deal requires.

Thor #432 (1991)

First appearance of Eric Masterson as Thor; Thor kills Loki and is banished from Asgard from all eternity, pleasing Mephisto who now appears to own his soul; Eric Masterson takes the true Thor's place, becoming a masked stand-in Thor.

Cloak and Dagger #17 (1991)

The Thule Society learn they've been creating a portal for Mephisto to enter the Earthly plane during THE EYE OF FORCE SAGA.

Cloak and Dagger #18 (1991)

Mephisto is repelled by Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Cloak & Dagger who destroy his portal to Earth during THE EYE OF FORCE SAGA / THE INFINITY GAUNTLET.

Silver Surfer #47-49 (1991)

Mephisto taunts the Silver Surfer and Drax the Destroyer when they finally return to their bodies and continues to act as Thanos' lackey as his continues his plan to wipe out half the life forces in the universe during REBIRTH OF THANOS.

Infinity Gauntlet #1(pp.1-26) (1991)

Mephisto continues to play the part of the lackey while subtly undermining Thanos by highlighting his inability to make Death love him during THE INFINITY GAUNTLET.

Quasar #24 (1991)

First full appearance of Infinity; Mephisto cameo; Maelstrom approaches Thanos and refuses to accept his godhood.

Infinity Gauntlet #1(pp.27-40) (1991)

Quasar #26 (1991)

Infinity Gauntlet #2-5 (1991)

Mephisto watches and coerces as Thanos wipes out half of all life in the universe, battles the last remaining heroes of Earth and faces some of the major deities, abstract entities and forces of the cosmos; Mephisto attempts to claim the Infinity Gauntlet again when Thanos begins to struggle with he weight of the immense power at his command, only to be cast aside during THE INFINITY GAUNTLET. 

Mephisto's reading order continues...

• MEPHISTO: Hell on Earth (1992-2015)

Notable multiversal incarnations of Mephisto...

What If #17[1/2] (1979)

On Earth-7910, Mephisto's deal with Johnny Blaze turns him into the Ghost Rider and sends him on a murder spree across America; again, this could be Mephisto, Satan or Lucifer, in hindsight.

What If #22 (1980)

On Earth-808, Doctor Doom reclaims his mother's soul from Mephisto and becomes a hero; Mephisto finds a way to barter for the souls of both Doom and his wife Valeria von Doom; Doom's ego gives way and he allows Mephisto to take his wife's soul and save his own.

What The--?! #8 (1990)

On Earth-9047, My-Fistoe/McFisto is ruler of Hell and a New York landlord.

Marvel Fanfare #51[1/2] (1990)

On Earth-900651, Mephisto plots to take his revenge on the Silver Surfer as he becomes a key figure in helping Mantis raise her son.

Guardians of the Galaxy #7-8 (1991)

On Earth-691, one thousand years in the future, Mephisto and his daughter, Malevolence, pose a threat to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

What If? #22 (1991)

On Earth-912, the Silver Surfer never manages to escape Earth and becomes a member of the Fantastic Five; Mephisto finally lays claim to the Surfer's soul.

Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange #1[1/4] (2010)

On Earth-51201, Mephisto aids Doctor Suhner in destroying and recreating the world in the 1970s; Doctor Strange investigates and discovers the sous who sacrifice themselves to Mephisto to make the world a better place.

Mephisto: Speak of the Devil
Amazing Spider-Man #274

Black Panther #4-5

Daredevil #266

Fantastic Four #276-277

Mephisto Vs #1-4

New Mutants #3

Silver Surfer #3

Silver Surfer #45

Thor #180-181