I was just wondering if the Mehrunes Dagon you see during the Light the Dragonfires quest is the real him or just an avatar of him (like in Morrowind).
It's the real deal. Those aren't "avatars" of the various types of Daedra coming out of those gates, but the real things. And it's the real Mehrunes Dagon tearing up the Temple District, stomping on guards and generally being a bit of a travel hazard.