'Ironheart': Why Did Riri Make A Deal With Mephisto?

WARNING! SPOILERS for Ironheart 1x06, 'The Past is The Past'.

While the series has recieved mixed reviews from fans, no-one can deny that Marvel Studios' Ironheart series has ended with a bang. The finale sees Riri Williams face and defeat Parker Robbins, aka 'The Hood', but it seems that battle was only the beginning.

Riri, based on advice from young witch Zelma Stanton, had been working on the hypothesis that Parker's hood and the powers it gave him had come from Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, who longterm fans will remember as the final villain of the first Doctor Strange movie. In a surprise twist, it was revealed that Parker had made a deal with the demon Mephisto, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Worse, the finale's ending heavily implies that Riri has made a similar deal with the demon.

Often seen as the Marvel universe's equivalent to the Devil, as well as one of its most powerful villains, Mephisto's arrival in the MCU has been long awaited, so much so that the speculation as to where he would eventually show up almost became a meme. However, thanks to that speculation, even those who hadn't read the comics have enough info to know that Mephisto is bad news, and wonder why on Earth Riri would agree to a deal with him.

While it is obviously a bad idea sure to cause her trouble in the future, there are a few factors within the context of Riri's own story to explain why this might have occurred.

Riri doesn't understand or respect magic the way she should

Riri Williams likes science, engines and mechanics and thrusters and power cells. These are the things in which she has a gift, the things she knows and understands. So, despite discovering that Parker's Hood is powered by magic, and seeking the help of a witch, Zelma, to find the origin of the hood and later to infuse magic in her suit as a power source, she does not take the time to learn much about it. Her interest in magic begins and ends in it's use as an endless power source.

Riri proves this when she disregards Zelma's warning about magic coming with a price, leading to the loss of N.A.T.A.L.I.E, and then taking off to confront Parker before checking how well the suit actually works. She proves it again during her fight with Parker. Despite her suit possessing magical properties, Riri only makes sporadic use of them, instead sticking to what she knows and leaning on her tech. A magic based deal therefore tempts Riri because she is not fully aware of everything that comes with it, even after seeing it play out for Parker.

Riri sees herself as above Parker

Riri Williams is gifted, and knows it. Even though she joins Parker Robbins and his gang in the full knowledge that they are criminals, she doesn’t see herself as one of them. She is better than them, above them. She is only in the gang to raise money for her suit, and plans to get out as soon as she does.

Because Riri believes she is smarter than Parker, she probably doesn't think she would let herself fall as far as he did, even if she makes a similar deal.

Riri Did Not Believe Mephisto Could Give Her What She actually Wanted

Riri is quite dismissive of Mephisto during her conversation with him, likely because, as she says right to the demon's face, she doesn't believe he can give her the thing she really wants, which we can assume is Natalie, alive. Because of this disbelief, Riri does not see the danger in making a deal with Mephisto, assuming it will become moot when he can't fulfill his end.

This circles back to the first point, that Riri does not understand the extent of what magic, particularly dark magic, is potentially capable of. So, when Natalie does return to her, apparently alive, Riri is taken off guard.

In the future, she will most likely need to seek more powerful magical help to free herself from Mephisto's clutches.