Comic Book Questions Answered – where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).

Today, we answer a question from a reader about how a character like Mephisto was allowed by the Comics Code Authority before it was revised in the early 1970s.

The question, from reader Mark P., was pretty straightforward, "How did Marvel get away with a character like Mephisto in a Comic Code Approved story in the 60's?"

Mephisto, of course, debuted in 1968's Silver Surfer #3 by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott...

He decides that he wants to corrupt the Silver Surfer, and even kidnaps Surfer's love, Shalla-Bal, from Zenn-La. He has some great scenes with Surfer that make it clear that Mephisto basically is Satan...

And later in the story, when Surfer turns out to be too noble for Mephisto to corrupt, Mephisto even specifically describes his powers as "Satanic"...

So yeah, pretty satanic stuff and this was all BEFORE the Comics Code relaxed its restrictions in 1971 that allowed for Marvel and DC to really lean into doing horror comics.

So what's the deal?

Here's the trick - Satan was never actually banned by the Comics Code. Here's the part from the Comics Code that would apply, "Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited."

Notice that Satan wasn't listed as one of the characters banned.

And sure enough, Satan popped up here and there in various other Comics Code books, like Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #65, in a story by Robert Bernstein and John Forte...

I think it likely came down to the fact that Lucifer/Satan has had a long history of appearing in all sorts of classic literature and thus, the character was not seen as quite as tawdry as, say, a werewolf. Plus, of course, the whole Bible thing, as it is would be tough to say that someone featured in the Bible was somehow not allowed to be in a Comics Code approved comic book.

So yeah, that's the deal with Mephisto, Mark, there never WAS a ban on Satan in comic books.

Thanks for the question!

If anyone else has a comic book related question, just drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!