The Marvel Universe is host to a number of gods and deities, their light and power giving guidance and strength to the countless mortals that live alongside them. The inverse of this fact, however, is that there are an equal number of horrific forces of darkness, powers born of shadow and malice that terrorize all of existence. One such entity is Lilith, the Mother of Demons.
Although she debuted in Howard Mackie and Andy Kubert's Ghost Rider #28 in 1992, the exact origins of Lilith are unknown. According to Spirits of Ghost Rider: Mother of Demons by Ed Brisson, Roland Boschi, Dan Brown, and VC's Joe Caramagna it is believed that she was ancient when life was first created on Earth. The tales that surround her parallel those that are written in the Christian mythos: Lilith was the first lover of Adam and existed upon Earth in utter bliss. Her Hellish influence brought down God's ire and His host of angels slaughtered Lilith's demonic children, the Lilin. Lilith was cast from Earth back to Hell and Adam was given a new partner, the human woman named Eve. It wasn't long until Mephisto, the Lord of Hell, corrupted Adam and Eve and helped bring ruin to mankind.
In other sources, Lilith was a member of the Heavenly Host and wife of Lucifer. She helped lead the war against Heaven, but failed, and was cast down into Hell alongside Lucifer, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus. Lilith had many children with Mephisto, but the Lord of Lies grew tired of her and eventually cast her out of Hell. Even this account may be erroneous as yet another tale states that Lilith seduced Adam and had children with him that were known as the Mazikim.
As the centuries passed, Lilith became entwined with humanity, appearing as a goddess in some eras and as a sorceress in others. It is unclear exactly what she hoped to accomplish during this time. Some surmise that the Mother of Demons fought the original Order of the Midnight Sons; some believe that she may have been one of the very first members of the evil Darkhold and helped create the world's first vampires.
In more modern times Lilith has become a dangerous villain for Marvel's magic-wielders and demon hunters. In the 1992 event Rise of the Midnight Sons Lilith was freed from her prison inside the great Leviathan and sought to open a rift that would flood Earth with demons. Ghost Rider, Blade, Morbius, and other heroes teamed up and were successful in defeating Lilith and her minions. Lilith would go on to join forces with other villains such as Centurious and Zarathos; she was eventually imprisoned within a supernatural dimension.
Most recently Lilith joined forces with Count Dracula and became a member of the Vampire Nation in order to rule over all of Britain. Lilith helped create a base for the vampires on the moon, but the efforts of Captain Britain foiled Dracula's plan. The vampire army was defeated, Dracula killed, and Lilith sent back to Hell where she joined forces with Mephisto.
Possessing superhuman strength and speed, the ability to teleport, vast knowledge of magic and arcane power, immortality, and the means of summoning and spawning legions of Lilin children, Lilith is a fearsome force of evil. Few heroes would be able to face her and live to tell the tale. Earth is fortunate that Lilith has mostly concerned herself with minor incursions and demonic alliances instead of harnessing her full power. It is impossible to identify Lilith as any singular entity: she is a goddess, a sorceress, an angel, and a demon. She has existed since the birth of man and will most likely continue well past the reign of humanity.