Ironheart finally delivered the moment many Marvel fans have been waiting for since WandaVision’s 2021 release with the introduction of Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen). The demonic villain, who, like his comic book counterpart, is a thinly-veiled stand-in for the Devil, plays a crucial role in Riri Williams’ (Dominique Thorne) story. However, the comic book Mephisto is also known for menacing a wide assortment of characters throughout the Marvel Universe, from Spider-Man and the Maximoff family to Doctor Doom. Therefore, Baron Cohen’s version could easily continue to play influential roles in many different MCU projects. Despite his important ties to these and other characters, Mephisto is arguably most famously associated with another group of antiheroes from Marvel TV’s past: the Ghost Riders.
Mephisto Is a Big Part of Marvel’s Ghost Rider Mythology
Ghost Rider is a title used by many characters in Marvel Comics, the first of which was Carter Slade, who initially appeared in Western comics. He was later renamed the Phantom Rider after subsequent Ghost Riders — known for the distinctive flaming skulls they have while using their powers — made the mantle more closely associated with supernatural horror in the minds of most readers. The first of the supernatural Ghost Riders was Johnny Blaze, whose origin story depicts him selling his soul to a figure originally believed to be Satan in the hopes of stopping his adopted father, Crash Simpson, from dying of cancer. The Satan-figure was later revealed to be Mephisto, who was introduced in 1960s Silver Surfer comics, initiating a long history of alternating retcons based on shifting views from Marvel creatives about if and how the literal Devil should be used in stories (despite Mephisto being himself nearly identical to the Biblical character in most respects).
Later comics have expanded on Mephisto’s history with the Riders and see them frequently come into conflict with one another in the modern day. Centuries before Blaze’s origin, a demon called Zarathos was accruing so much power that Mephisto feared he could become a rival. Mephisto defeated and enslaved Zarathos, sometimes bonding him to human hosts on Earth to make his own Ghost Riders in mockery of the ones created by the more benevolent “true” Spirits of Vengeance throughout history. Zarathos retained enough autonomy to sometimes rebel, hence the Riders’ often heroic actions. Zarathos is the spirit that initially bonds with and powers Blaze and subsequent Rider Danny Ketch. Though Mephisto continues to exert manipulative influence over them, especially Blaze and Zarathos, all three beings eventually break away from him and fight against him, though Zarathos has sometimes himself posed a similar demonic threat to Earth. Mephisto has additionally encountered and battled other, separate Riders, such as Robbie Reyes, along with many of Marvel’s other crime fighters.
Gabriel Luna and Nicolas Cage Have Both Played Ghost Rider
Nicolas Cage portrayed Johnny Blaze in a pair of Ghost Rider movies made for Sony, the first of which was released in 2007. Both films received largely negative reviews, but as with some of Cage’s other, similarly heightened movies, the actor’s eccentric, unhinged performances provide some unintentionally comedic appeal, with both films having consequently developed cult followings. (Though not especially large ones.) After the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, star and co-writer Ryan Reynolds confirmed that Cage’s Blaze was considered for a return appearance in the film, like those received by other pre-MCU characters like Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Elektra (Jennifer Garner).
The MCU version of Robbie, played by Gabriel Luna, was introduced in the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. A vigilante initially operating in Los Angeles, Robbie learns more about the nature and purpose of the Rider while working alongside espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. to unravel a mystical conspiracy. While the comic book Robbie is unique among Ghost Riders due to being possessed by and getting his powers from the ghost of his uncle, serial killer Eli Morrow, Luna’s version is inhabited by what seems to be a more traditional Spirit of Vengeance, though not necessarily Zarathos.
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Strange things are afoot in the MCU.
As he explains to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and his brother, Gabe (Lorenzo James Henrie), Robbie became the Ghost Rider after himself apparently dying when he and Gabe were attacked in a drive-by shooting. He remembers a mysterious voice asking him if he wanted a chance to take vengeance on the criminals that killed him and hurt Gabe (who is paralyzed in the ensuing car accident), with Robbie saying that he did. He is subsequently resurrected, with a previous Ghost Rider arriving on the scene and transferring the spirit that possesses them (whether this is Zarathos, another, or an amalgamation) into Robbie’s body. The identity of the previous Rider is left unconfirmed, although a few Easter eggs featured throughout the season refer more specifically to Blaze’s comic book history. Also ambiguous is whether the voice Robbie made his deal with is that of the spirit or another entity, with one possibility being Mephisto himself, though Robbie refers to both (if they are separate) as the Devil interchangeably.
In his last appearance in the season finale, Robbie, who had recently been trapped in an alternate dimension, explains that he’s realized that part of the Riders’ mission is to remove objects and beings from other planes of existence from Earth, with the demon being compelled to take custody of the dark magic book known as the Darkhold and destroy A.I.D.A. (Mallory Jansen), an AI who had transferred her consciousness into a superhuman body created with otherworldly materials and knowledge from the book. He ultimately succeeds in doing both with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s help before departing to hide the Darkhold, revealing that he can travel between worlds by creating portals similar to those used by sorcerers like Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), though without the need for one of their sling rings.
Now Is the Perfect Time for Ghost Rider To Return
S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, particularly Robbie’s character and Luna’s performance, received critical acclaim, leading to hope that they would return, either in a future season or another MCU project. This ultimately has not happened (though a spin-off focused on the character was in development at Hulu for a time). In fact, the only depiction of a Rider in the franchise since has been a still image of an alternate universe variant briefly shown in the animated series What If…?, even though several prominent actors, such as Ryan Gosling, have expressed interest in playing versions of the character. That said, the inclusion of Mephisto and other mystical/horror-themed characters in recent projects has led to renewed hope that a Rider will again be prominent in the franchise in the near future, and Ironheart in particular suggests that storylines involving the former may explore similar themes to those S.H.I.E.L.D. covered.
Ironheart (or at least its first season) surprisingly ends with Riri accepting a deal with Mephisto that results in what seems to be the resurrection of her friend Natalie (Lyric Ross) for the price of something Mephisto claims Riri won’t miss. That price is likely her soul, with Riri’s skin shown being afflicted with the same kind of veiny scars Parker Robbins/The Hood (Anthony Ramos) had while serving Mephisto. Mephisto notes that he and Riri have “mutual acquaintances” and while this could certainly just refer to Parker and his gang, it’s possible the devil has attempted to or even succeeded in making arrangements with other members of the crime-fighting or superhuman communities, as he does in the comics. A Rider appearing to undo the effects of dark magic made by such deals with even sympathetic characters like Riri would be a natural way to build on what S.H.I.E.L.D. has established about the mythology, even if the Rider isn’t actually Robbie himself.
