Hell-lords

Following the Demogorge's massive battle with the Elder Gods, the remaining massive primeval energy concentration eventually gave rise to the second class of demons, shaped by the unconscious desire of their earliest human worshipers. Capitalizing on the eventual human belief in a single lord of evil, Satan (from the Hebrew word of adversary), each demon claimed to be that being and named their realms Hell. These Hell-lords included Marduk Kurios (most commonly known as Satan), Bamphomet, Mephisto, Satannish and others (including, allegedly, Murray). Other Hell-lords came from differing origins, such as those cast down from Heaven, including Asmodeus, Beelzeboul, Lucifer, Olivier and allegedly Stoker. It is suspected that Asmodiar may be an alternate form of Asmodeus, or possibly just another demon capitalizing on Asmodeus' name. Under specific circumstances, several or all of the Hell-lords have existed as a gestalt Satan, encompassing their collective desires, powers, and realms; more often, however, the Hell-lords have competed with each other for souls (on one occasion, Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Strange drove off Satannish and Mephisto by threatening them with a spell that would merge them, sacrificing their individuality). Each of the Hell-lords tempts mortal beings to sin so that when they die their souls will be forfeit to that Hell-lord,who gains power via the number of souls contained within his realm of Hell, as well as via worshipers. The Hell-lords have also parented direct offspring, sometimes with other demons (such as Mephisto's spawn, Blackheart and Mephista) and sometimes with humans (such as Mikal Dragonmegas, Daimon and Satana Hellstrom, specifically fathered by Beelzeboul and Satan/Marduk Kurios, with each parent empowered in these unions by the energies of the gestalt Satan). Stoker fathered Sybil and has familial relations to Moloch and other demons. Mephisto previously usurped Asmodeus's domain and has temporarily lost his own realm to Blackheart. Satan similarly lost his own realm to Hellstorm, though Satan has apparently retaken his realm or gained another.