The Faust legend has been one of the most potent of the modern era. Though Marlowe kicked it off with his play, it really wasn't until Goethe got hold of the story that the narrative blasted off and has not come back down yet. The story of the man who wagered his soul has burned its way through opera, novels, films, comic books, and rock music. Much of the result has been awful (for instance, the hilariously bad film Faustus: Love of the Damned), but some of it has turned out quite well, such as "The Mephisto Waltz" by Listz.
We love playing around with Faust and Mephistophiles, telling stories that edge close to the edge of evil but which pull back at the last minute, like the ersatz fear induced by roller coasters. The Faust legend is a pile of fun, yet there's something curious about our love of this story that is so central to modern Western culture. Most of the Faust narratives depict evil, an evil that has been denatured usually by a romantic love which almost always saves Faust at the last minute.
We are entranced by the power of Love to overcome evil, but we seem fixated on Romantic Love as the source of saving power. Maybe we need to read some more Augustine on True Love. Augustine vs. Faust. Now there's an exciting cage match.