Powers/Abilities: Inferno possesses superhuman strength (Class 5) and durability, but his primary ability is to generate fear in others. He can send crowds of people into a state of frenzy, and can even direct them to attack a specific individual while in such a frenzied state. He can generate convincing illusions, and can take human form (whether this is metamorphosis or illusion is unclear). His powers are directly derived from Mephisto, and can be increased as needed.
Slifer can transport to Hell and back (literally). He can take human form, and he can fly a helicopter.

History:
Slifer is a demon from the realm of Mephisto.

(Ghost Rider II#8 (fb), 4-5) - Slifer was dispatched to Earth by Satan/Mephisto to assist the efforts of Roulette against John Blaze/Ghost Rider.

(Ghost Rider II#7 (fb)) - Under direction from Mephisto, Slifer made a deal with Darren Bentley, aka Aquarius, to become the One-Man Zodiac.

(Ghost Rider II#6 - BTS, 7) - Slifer, under direction from Satan/Mephisto, assisted the One-Man Zodiac against Blaze/Ghost Rider.

(Ghost Rider II#8) - Satan/Mephisto summoned Slifer back to Hell, and then empowered him further and transformed him into Inferno. Inferno then returned to San Francisco, where he used his power to whip the people of San Francisco into a panic and send them after Ghost Rider.

(Ghost Rider II#9) - Blaze fought off the people without injuring them, and then after blinding Inferno with a flare, he managed to beat him into submission.

   Back in Hell Satan/Mephisto changed Inferno's form once again so that he could walk among humans to stay close to Blaze. He was still able to transform into his demonic form at will if needed.

(Ghost Rider II#11) - During a desert marathon cycle race involving Blaze, Inferno found the Hulk wandering the area and manipulated him into attacking the cyclists (and Ghost Rider specifically). Ghost Rider fought off the Hulk by burning up the oxygen around him, and Inferno wandered off, plotting anew...

Comments: Created by...oh, where to start? Slifer was seen in the background (unnamed and in human form) in a story by Gary Friedrich and Jim Mooney. He was fully seen and named (both in human and in demon form) in a story by Marv Wolfman, Doug Moench, and Jim Mooney. Inferno was created by Tony Isabella and Jim Mooney (who is the only common strand in his story).

Roger Slifer was a writer, colorist and editor at Marvel back in the 1970s, and I remember that his name was used for the demon as some sort of in-joke. I don't remember any more than that, but I'll add in any more information I receive.

Slifer mentioned in an interview that Tony Isabella named the demon after him after they met through mutual friend Duffy Vohland on a roadtrip to New York. Isabella and Vohland were later instrumental in getting Slifer a job at Marvel as an assistant editor.
--Markus Raymond

The Roulette stories made it seem like Roulette had transformed Slifer into a demon. Later stories made it apparent that Slifer was a demon, sent to serve Roulette by Satan/Mephisto.

New images by Markus Raymond.

Profile by Snood.