Bring On The Bad Guys: Mephisto #1 - Marvel Comics

BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: MEPHISTO No. 1, October 2025

Described by its New York City-based publisher as bringing Mephisto’s epic scheme “to a fiery conclusion”, Marc Guggenheim’s script for this twenty-five page periodical disappointingly probably left the vast majority of its readers feeling pretty cold. Indeed, the notion that the Prince of Deceivers would be successfully outwitted by his servant Sister Sorrow, and resultantly readily allow the Latverian sorceress to walk off with the very Soul Forge he has spent so long filling with spirits, arguably provides this publication with a contrived ending at best; “You’re welcome to try to take it from me. Bur there are over eight billion souls on Earth. And they are all now under my command.”

Furthermore, many a bibliophile will surely find themselves scratching their heads in utter bemusement when Doctor Doom suddenly materialises inside the original sanctorum of the Lords of Darkness, leading the likes of the Dread Dormammu, Loki, the Red Skull, the Green Goblin and the Abomination in a premeditated attack upon the “Securer of the Seven Sins”. So preconceived an assault by so many of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful super-villains debatably smacks of sheer fan fiction, and doesn’t seem all that in character with several of the aforementioned evil power-houses; most notably the Lord of the Dark Dimension who would surely never feel it necessary to team-up with Norman Osborn or Emil Blonsky..?

Perhaps this comic’s biggest issue however, is that it is never made clear just what Mephisto’s plans for every soul on Earth actually are once he gains control over them. “Old Nick” presumably has some nefarious fate in mind for the world’s mortals. But such unimaginable power over the masses is never explored and resultantly will doubtless make some onlookers question just what the point behind these “seven villainous one-shots” actually was – especially as the Prince of Devils gives up his prize without even threatening Sorana with some future retribution.

Lastly, Alvaro Lopez’s artwork whilst proficient enough to help tell the story, does appear a little wooden once the plot becomes packed with so many “bad guys”. Admittedly, the illustrator does a very good job in capturing the look of the Silver Age Johann Shmidt. Yet when it comes to the supposedly super-athletic Green Goblin or quick-scheming Loki, this somewhat old-fashioned drawing style frustratingly causes them to appear as slow-footed, lumbering dolts.

The regular cover art of "BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: MEPHISTO" #1 by Lee Bermejo