Of all the heroes he has battled in his history as a Marvel villain, there is no one Mephisto holds a grudge against more thanSpider-Man, and for very good reason:the Webslinger’s daughter, who Mephisto erased from continuity, was meant to be the demon’s final undoing, and the lord of Marvel’s underworld can’t let that happen.
With Mephisto’s official introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, it seems likely that there are big plans in place for the A-list Marvel antagonist.
Naturally, Mephisto’s particular hatred for Spider-Man makes them obvious enemies for a future on-screen battle between Marvel’s stalwart hero and its infernal master of evil.
In Marvel Canon, Spider-Man’s Daughter Was The Only One Capable Of Defeating Mephisto
The Demon’s Actions InOne More Day, Explained
For most fans, the immediate expectation is that the MCU version of Mephisto will play a role in the upcoming fourth Tom Holland Spidey film,Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which notably draws its subtitle from anera inSpider-Manhistorythat the demonic bad guy played a diabolical role in.
While the villain’s goals might differ in the films, it is worth taking a close look at Mephisto’s vendetta against Spider-Man, specifically Peter Parker, in Marvel lore, which all stems from a prophecy of course. But before that, one must go back to one ofMarvel’s most controversial stories of all time:One More Day.
Mephisto’s ability to look into mortals’ futures revealed that Spider-Man’s daughter would be the hero that eventually vanquished him.
In that infamous arc, Peter Parker agreed to let Mephisto mystically annul his marriage to Mary Jane, in order to save Aunt May’s life. After Spider-Man’s literal deal with the devil was struck, Mephisto gloated that not only was he undoing Peter and MJ’s marriage, but erasing their unborn daughter from existence in the process.
A later story,2021’sAmazing Spider-Man#74, elaborated on this point, by revealing that Mephisto’s ability to look into mortals’ futures revealed that Spider-Man’s daughter would be the hero that eventually vanquished him, for good, adding a deeply personal layer to his motivations inOne More Day, andmaking Mephisto’s grudge against Spider-Man one of the darkest in Marvel history.
Mephisto’s Villainy Is Extra Personal When It Comes To Peter Parker, Setting Up An Infernal Rivalry
The Comics Version Of Spidey Deserves A Shot At Mephisto
Spider-Man: One More Daywas subsequently followed by theBrand New Dayarc, from which the latest MCU Spidey film draws its name. Mephisto’s entry into MCU canon at the end of the Disney+Ironheartseries adds fuel to the fire that Marvel is setting him up as the antagonist ofBrand New Day, the film.
That is just fan speculation for the time being, but it is hard to avoid, considering the deep connection the hero and villain share in Marvel Comics.Mephisto’s hatred of Spider-Man stems from the fact that Peter Parker is tied to his downfall; meanwhile,Mephisto literally took everything from Peter.
In fact, it can be argued that another confrontation between the two in Marvel lore is long overdue, and that the publisher should follow up on the plot point about Spider-Man’s daughter taking Mephisto down. For now, though,Spider-Manfans might have to wait for their potential MCU confrontation to deliver that battle.
