Demons in the Marvel universe usually exist in levels or orders, with the highest order of demons operating at the universal level as fallen gods and cosmic beings. The second order was the Lords of the individual Hells and their underlings while the third order existed in other dimensions that intersect with the mainstream Marvel dimension.
Demons have been a staple of Marvel's magical world since the very beginning, and beings from each of these various orders have been well-represented over the years. There are a number of extremely powerful demons like Belasco and Blackheart that spend their time on Earth and toy with the lives of mortals.
Updated on May 30, 2023, by Scoot Allan: Marve fans have gotten to know powerful demons and Lords of Hell like Mephisto as they tried to stake their claim on Marvel's Earth on more than one occasion. Thankfully, increasingly more powerful demon-bound heroes like Ghost Rider have opposed these evil forces for centuries in the Marvel universe.
13 Kindred
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #1 (July 2018) by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley
When the demonic villain known as Kindred first appeared, Spider-Man and fans didn't know much about the powerful new threat. He had a dark connection to Spider-Man and a few of his iconic enemies like Mysterio and Norman Osborn that teased a hellish relationship with Mephisto as well.
Spider-Man eventually learned that Kindred was actually Gabriel and Sarah Stacy, the cloned "children" of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy. Harry Osborn's dark A.I. used Norman Osborn's dark deal with Mephisto to empower the Stacy clones with demonic power as Kindred. They could cast magic, resurrect souls from Hell, and even control insects and imbue them with demonic energy.
12 Satana Hellstrom
First Appearance: Vampire Tales #2 (July 1973) by Roy Thomas and John Romita Sr.
Satana Hellstrom is a succubus who seduces her victims and kills them with a kiss, leaving them a desiccated husk. Their soul leaves the body in the shape of a butterfly that Satana feeds on to power her demonic abilities. Satana rules her own Hell that catered to everyone serving their damnation who wanted a “Hip Hell” with deceased celebrities, disgraced politicians, and reality stars.
Satana was desperate to make her Hell the most desirable of the dark realms that shared the name, though she also operated on Earth quite a bit as well. She joined her brother and heroes like Blade and Ghost Rider as the short-lived Spirits of Vengeance, where she used her demonic spell-casting abilities to help the team stop a war between the Infernal Armies of Hell.
11 Belasco
First Appearance: Ka-Zar the Savage #11 (October 1981) by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik
Belasco is a 13th Century alchemist and sorcerer who made a pact with the Elder Gods. He opened a portal into the Limbo dimension in exchange for immense power and immortality. This portal required an amulet with a pentagram of five Bloodstones created from the soul of an innocent.
Belasco’s most implacable enemies in modern times have been the X-Men. Belasco trapped young Illyana Rasputin in Limbo and stole a piece of her soul to make a Bloodstone and awaken the Darkchylde inside of her. Belasco routinely attempts to influence or manipulate innocent souls on Earth in order to extend his hellish rule away from Limbo.
10 The Adversary
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #188 (December 1984) by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr.
Sefako the Twice-Risen God is an immensely powerful mystic entity known to the Cherokee People of North America as The Adversary. The mutant maker named Forge trained his whole life to battle him, but he ultimately turned away from his responsibility. The Adversary trapped an unsuspecting Forge and Storm in another dimension before launching his attack on Earth.
When Storm and Forge returned to Earth, they found the X-Men locked in battle with the Adversary's time-displaced threats. The X-Men sacrificed themselves so Forge could cast a spell that would lock the Adversary away for “an age.” Unfortunately, the demonic threat has returned a few times over the years in his attempt to destroy reality and rebuild it in his own image.
9 Daimon Hellstrom
First Appearance: Ghost Rider #1 (June 1973) by Gary Friedrich and Tom Sutton
Upon discovering his origins, his father invited Daimon to join him in Hell. Daimon went but instead battled Satan and took his mystical trident and demon-drawn chariot back to Earth. Daimon made it his mission on Earth to battle his father’s plans as the Son of Satan.
Daimon joined the Defenders, where he fell in love with Patsy Walker. He eventually became a Lord of Hell after slaying his father but, after a plot by Dormammu, he lost his claim to Mephisto. Daimon wielded the same mystical abilities as his sister Satana, though they also can manipulate hellfire as well. Daimon can also manipulate souls and the elements due to his father's trident.
8 Blackheart
First Appearance: Daredevil #270 (May 1989) by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.
The demon Mephisto created a “son” using the accumulated negative energy from centuries of murders in the town of Christ’s Crown, New York. Blackheart’s primary tutelage from his father had been in the nature of evil. He became one of the evilest Marvel gods and tried to corrupt Earth's heroes so he could claim it as his own realm.
Blackheart frequently fought with his father for control of their hellish realm, which often led them both to interfere in each other's schemes. Mephisto's demonic son gained his power from the misdeeds of others, which gave allowed him to do things even his father could not. Blackheart could steal the unwilling souls of others while his father had to trick and barter for the souls he craved.
7 D'Spayre
First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up #68 (January 1978) by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
During a Marvel event known as the Great Cataclysm that sank the cities of Atlantis and Lemuria, the powerful Fear Lord known as the Dweller-In-Darkness created a new demon. He used the fear created by the massive disaster to give life to D'Spayre, a demon who manipulated humanity so he could consume their fear and despair.
D'Spayre has frequently attempted to prey on tragic heroes like Spider-Man and the Scarlet Spider over the years. He's also tricked and manipulated characters like the Hulk in order to learn more about Earth's superhumans so he could eventually triumph over them. D'Spayre can manipulate emotions and create powerful illusions which make him a dangerous threat.
6 Nightmare
First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (April 1963) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Nightmare is one of Marvel's most powerful Fear Lords. He was a conceptual being who sacrificed a great deal of his power to take on a physical form. He ruled his own Nightmare realm which gave him access to humanity through their dreams. Nightmare has taken particular joy in tormenting characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk with nightmares and hallucinations.
Nightmare has also made several attempts to trap Doctor Strange in his realm or to kill him so he could extend his control over the dream world. The demonic Nightmare is a cosmic being on the same level as the Beyonders in his own dimension, though he can only exist in dream form outside of his realm.
5 Ghost Rider
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5 (May 1972) by Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog
There has been a demonic-possessed Ghost Rider since the early days of man. The customs, beliefs, and era of the Rider determined their own unique form over the years. One of the earliest Riders was a boy atop a flaming woolly mammoth who joined the Stone Age Avengers. The best-known Ghost Rider of the modern era has been Johnny Blaze.
Blaze was a motorcycle stunt rider who made a deal with Mephisto to save his mentor’s life from cancer only to have the man die in a crash. Johnny was bound to the demon Zarathos to become Ghost Rider. Johnny went on to usurp the mantle of the King of Hell from Mephisto, highlighting his role as one of the best supernatural Marvel heroes.
4 Lucifer
First Appearance: Tower of Shadows #4 (March 1970) by Allyn Brodsky and Don Heck
Lucifer is an angel who led a failed rebellion against Heaven and was cast down to Hell. He argued that God loved his human creations more than the angels who served him. Lucifer has been known as both the Devil and Satan over the years, though numerous demons used both names over the years.
Lucifer ruled over most of Hell, though he couldn't leave Hell under his own power. He has tried to find hosts on Earth that could contain his power and free him from Hell, though he also frequently works through agents as well. Lucifer has nearly limitless powers in Hell but is bound to his own realm which limits his ability to manipulate events on Earth.
3 Chthon
First Appearance: Marvel Chillers #1 (July 1975) by Marv Wolfman, Bill Mantlo, and Yong Montano
The Elder God known as Chthon was one of the earliest beings to gain power on Earth alongside his brothers and sisters. However, most of the Elder Gods degenerated into demons and died out while a few escaped to higher realms and retained their divine status. Chthon was the first being to master the black arts that became known as Chaos Magic.
The demonic Chthon used his mastery of Chaos Magic to imbue his essence into a mystical tome known as the Darkhold. He remained connected to Earth through the Darkhold as well as his connection to Wundagore Mountain. Chhton spawned leagues of monsters and attempted to return to Earth through hosts like Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and even Carnage over the years.
2 Mephisto
First Appearance: Silver Surfer #3 (September 1968) by Stan Lee and John Buscema
Mephisto is a centuries-old demon from a pocket dimension he calls “Hell.” While he is not the Abrahamic religious Satan, Mephisto used imagery and mythology to become one of Marvel's most important villains. Mephisto feeds on the evil and suffering of humanity and he wants to enslave as many souls as possible to fill his realm.
Mephisto has influenced the heroic world since he bound the first Spirit of Vengeance to a boy in 1,000,000 B.C. Mephisto has also made repeated unsuccessful attempts to corrupt the noble soul of the Silver Surfer. Spider-Man and Mary-Jane Watson Parker even gave up their marriage for the life of Peter’s Aunt May, which were just a few of the Faustian deals he's made over the years.
1 The One Below All
First Appearance: Immortal Hulk #4 (August 2018) by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
The One Below All would require a human host for even the smallest portion of it to manifest itself on this plane. It is beyond all classifications of strength and ability. The One Below All is the source of Gamma energy in the Marvel universe, which allows it to possess gamma mutates.
It was present when Bruce Banner’s Gamma Bomb exploded and unleashed the Hulk. The One Below All has tried many times to use the Hulk and his allies to cross over to Earth. In the far future, killed the Hulk and possessed his body to become the Worldbreaker. This being killed everyone in the universe, including the cosmically powerful Franklin Richards and Galactus.