SO....Mephisto STRIKES AGAIN AT THE SPIDER-Verse.... Spoilers for Champions #1

[Celgress]

I am Mephisto himself, who has created a forum account to come to the Spider-Board and torment Mary Jane fans with my mere presence. So I only got one question for ya. What would you do... if you only had ONE. MORE. POST?

Thank you, this post made my day. ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[WebSlingWonder]

I am Mephisto himself, who has created a forum account to come to the Spider-Board and torment Mary Jane fans with my mere presence. So I only got one question for ya. What would you do... if you only had ONE. MORE. POST?

Thank you, this post made my day. ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Snoop, can I just say you are one of the funniest people on these boards? Like man: you're way too cool ahaha

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Well, thats part of my point - might as well let DC handle the character if we're doing devil stories on a regular basis now. Even bringing in a guy like Mephisto into Spider-Man's world is way too dark and edgy for the character. I mean think about it - Spider-Man (and I'm talking about both Peter and Miles here) is the core of optimism in the Marvel Universe right alongside of Captain America and the Fantastic Four. What mensa thought accepting a deal with Mephisto or a devil of any kind fits in with that motif?

Here's the thing. The greatest Dr. Doom story, one of the greatest Marvel stories, and the best story Mephisto appeared in is Roger Stern's Triumph and Torment. What happens in that story? Dr. Doom, tyrant and dictator, marches to hell and saves the soul of his mother, and cons the Devil...and kicks tons of a-- (and oh hey Dr. Strange is there too).

There's not a lot to say when a tyrant/dictator comes across as a more heroic and moral guy than Faust Parker.

[Huntsman Spider]

Here's the thing. The greatest Dr. Doom story, one of the greatest Marvel stories, and the best story Mephisto appeared in is Roger Stern's Triumph and Torment. What happens in that story? Dr. Doom, tyrant and dictator, marches to hell and saves the soul of his mother, and cons the Devil...and kicks tons of a-- (and oh hey Dr. Strange is there too).

There's not a lot to say when a tyrant/dictator comes across as a more heroic and moral guy than Faust Parker.

The funny thing is that some people would say that tyrant/dictator is more heroic than most of the MU characters identified as heroes, and in some cases, they wouldn't be all that wrong.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'm only as good as those around me.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

The funny thing is that some people would say that tyrant/dictator is more heroic than most of the MU characters identified as heroes, and in some cases, they wouldn't be all that wrong.

See Dr. Doom being more heroic than the Inhumans (which again not hard), than Wolverine, than the Punisher, and even to some extent, Iron Man, Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, and Professor X (the Illuminati) is defensible to me.

But in no way should Doom by the logic of the continuity and Marvel's own history be more heroic than Spider-Man (or Captain America for that matter) both of whom appeared in JMS' "Doomed Affairs" with Victor.

[UltimateTy]

Are the spiders just gonna have to get together and slap Mephisto with a mystical restraining order or something?

You know that actually sounds like it could be a fun book

[The tall man]

I have a theory there. Look at the page with Kamala, Amadeus, Viv and Miles with a wrecked town in the background. Viv was leaking weird smoke like she was when she encountered Man-Thing a few issues ago and Snowguard thought she'd been killed. I think what that page was showing... was the death of the core Champions. Miles was the only one of those four to survive. He did the deal with Mephisto to undo the damage and resurrect them. That's why he doesn't want to talk to Kamala later... if he admits what he's done, he's worried he'll be booted off the team.

And based on #3's cover... Kamala will find out and be very upset about it.

Miles is a founding member of this team, Kamala has no power kick him out. And even if he did what your theory suggests then why should she be upset and why should he care if she was. He would've made the deal to save them, its not for Kamala to decide what decisions the others make. I don't like how this book comes off as Kamala's team and the other members just seem to exist to carry out her vision and goals. The last volume was too Kamala centric, I hope this time around it's more balanced and everyone get some of the spotlight.

[Digifiend]

Kamala is the team's founder, and official leader - they may have only just made it official, but apart from Amadeus having a go early on - and getting the team captured! - she's always been in charge. She can choose to kick Miles out if she wants. Miles may have misunderstood though - she probably wouldn't want to because she considers him and Sam Alexander to be her closest friends on the team - since the three of them joined the ANAD Avengers together and were the first three Champions. It's not the deal itself that would really upset her - it's the fact Miles couldn't tell her about it.

[Dragonick]

I really wonder what Miles could have traded in his deal. The mystery page had all of the characters looking in very rough shape with Viv at least looking dead and with the city looking like a natural disaster hit, so probably a lot of civilian deaths as well. Repairing all of that seems like it would cost a very steep price.

Also Zub has said that some of the things that what happens in Champions will be reflected in Miles' solo as well. So who knows what kinds of consequences this will have.
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/181708...ct-kamalas-new

[Mr. White]

Apart from a general "meh" feeling on the story; the final page was enough to end all curiosity I had in book.

[Dragonick]

Context for those who haven't seen it whatever deal Miles made it was to undo whatever happened on this page.

So imo if there were ever a time to make such a deal it would be in a disaster like this.

[Huntsman Spider]

See Dr. Doom being more heroic than the Inhumans (which again not hard), than Wolverine, than the Punisher, and even to some extent, Iron Man, Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, and Professor X (the Illuminati) is defensible to me.

But in no way should Doom by the logic of the continuity and Marvel's own history be more heroic than Spider-Man (or Captain America for that matter) both of whom appeared in JMS' "Doomed Affairs" with Victor.

I definitely see your point there. Spider-Man and Captain America should be the guys with the strongest, most resolute senses of heroism, morality, and ethics within the context of the Marvel Universe. While we could make a comparison between One More Day and HYDRA-Cap/Secret Empire, that comparison would be undercut by the fact that Secret Empire ultimately decided that HYDRA-Cap wasn't the real Captain America at all, thus undoing the moral compromise inherent in making Steve Rogers a deep cover agent of HYDRA all along. Sadly, One More Day has not been undone in a similar fashion, and until it is . . . Peter Parker remains a tragically compromised figure as far as morals and heroism are concerned. The thing that really gets me about this, though, is that nearly every hero (or even villain) who's confronted Mephisto has ultimately triumphed over him, whether by cheating him, refusing him, or just beating the living hell (pun intended) out of him, or even taking his throne (I see you there, Johnny Blaze), yet Spider-Man/Peter remains Mephisto's chump.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Sadly, One More Day has not been undone in a similar fashion, and until it is . . . Peter Parker remains a tragically compromised figure as far as morals and heroism are concerned. The thing that really gets me about this, though, is that nearly every hero (or even villain) who's confronted Mephisto has ultimately triumphed over him, whether by cheating him, refusing him, or just beating the living hell (pun intended) out of him, or even taking his throne (I see you there, Johnny Blaze), yet Spider-Man/Peter remains Mephisto's chump.

Yeah, and it makes Spider-Man demoralizing which he has never been. Sure The Night Gwen Stacy Died was tragic but it was definitely not demoralizing. Neither was Amazing Fantasy #15, or The Death of Captain Stacy, or Kraven's Last Hunt for that matter.

And again Mephisto is now Spider-Man's arch-enemy, having gone further than Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Venom which ruins both characters and stories. I mean if Quesada wanted to end the marriage and get people to forget it, he should never have used Mephisto. Like when they did the whole MJ kidnapped by stalker and held captive for months storyline...and they realized that was a terrible idea they should never done, they made sure the guy behind it was some rando mutant nobody knew before or will know after...precisely to bury that entire plot and make sure it is never referred to again. Instead of Mephisto, they could have used...I don't know Mindworm. Make this his final act of revenge on Spider-Man...being empowered by a residue of Scarlet Witch's powers after House of M or whatever BS...and make it this accident that kills him.

It would be a terrible and stupid story still, and almost comically anti-climactic and darkly comic...but it would make it something easier to forget and move on from.

[Snoop Dogg]

I made a deal with Mephisto for Pac-Man high scores, but I only sold my soul to be able to get into the top 25, not top 10. I have yet to triumph. I need to find Centipede, he is cooler and will give me the power I need!