evil in the human realm, such as the alien Dire Wraiths. Like other demons, Mephisto is symbiotically linked to, and considerably more powerful within, his own realm, and the character is able to transform the structure at will. Within it he has threatened a galaxy and stalemated a nourished Galactus until the latter threatened to consume his realm. If Mephisto's physical form is destroyed, the character will regenerate and reform in his domain. Mephisto is known for acquiring souls, but cannot subjugate the will of another being without the victim's permission, which is usually done with some form of pact. Cultural impact and legacy Critical reception George Marston of Newsarama stated, "Mephisto may be one of Marvel's most iconic, enduring villains - and that's no surprise considering he's based on the archetype of the Christian devil, pretty much the most iconic 'villain' in religion, folklore, and in some cases, even as a metaphorical force in world history. Marvel's comic book take on the concept of an omnipotent, omniscient infernal manipulator who rules over his own realm of eternal punishment through treachery and torture has had a similar impact on the history of the Marvel Universe. Marc Buxton of Den of Geek called Mephisto one of the "greatest monstrous creations that ever sprang from the nightmares of the House of Ideas," writing, "You can’t very well have a list of the most nefarious Marvel monsters without listing the devil, hisownself. Not really the Biblical devil, Mephisto is a netherworldly tempter, a soul broker, and a liar who pretty much serves the same exact purpose as the Devil but he won’t get Marvel in trouble with Christian conservatives. Mephisto first battled the Silver Surfer in the Silver Age (HEY!) and has bedeviled (hiYO) just about every Marvel hero. He recently pissed off fandom by cutting a Faustian deal with Peter Parker and erasing Spidey’s marriage. Mephisto was a key figure in The Infinity Gauntlet, constantly whispering Iago like in Thanos’ ear and is the very symbol of corruption in the Marvel Universe." Accolades In 2014, IGN ranked Mephisto 48th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Vilains" list. In 2015, Den of Geek ranked Mephisto 13th in their "Marvel’s 31 Best Monsters" list. In 2017, Den of Geek ranked Mephisto 14th in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list. In 2018, CinemaBlend included Mephisto in their