Mantis is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
, a
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
in the
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles published by Marvel Comics take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and Captain America....
, and former member of the
AvengersThe Avengers are a team of superheroes that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The Avengers #1 The Avengers are a team of superheroes that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The Avengers #1 The Avengers are a team...
. She first appeared in
Avengers (volume 1) #112 (June 1973), drawn by
Don HeckDon Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
. Created by writer
Steve EnglehartSteve Englehart is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett....
, the character may be unique in the fact that she later appeared (in slightly different name and form) in books published by other comic book companies, moving from Marvel to
DCDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
to
EclipseEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel for the newly-created comic book specialty store market...
to
ImageImage Comics is an American comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties...
and finally back to Marvel again.
Marvel beginnings
Mantis is the half-Vietnamese, half-German daughter of Gustav Brandt—Libra—and was born in Hue, Vietnam. In her childhood, her father leaves her in Vietnam at the Temple of the alien Priests of Pama, a sect of the
KreeThe Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
. The Kree believe she might become the Celestial Madonna and mate with the eldest
CotatiThe Cotati are a fictional alien race in the Marvel Universe. They are a highly intelligent species of telepaths who are sessile in adulthood and resemble large plants or trees....
on Earth to become the mother of the Celestial Messiah, "the most important being in the universe."
She excels in her
martial artsMartial arts or fighting arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat...
studies, but when she reaches adulthood, she is mind-wiped and sent into the world to gain life experience. She becomes a prostitute and barmaid in a
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
ese bar, where she meets the
SwordsmanThe Swordsman is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. Each of the men to use this name has essentially been a superhero, albeit a hero with no special powers, only skill with a sword. The first two Swordsmen have acted as supervillains at times...
. She helps him regain his self-respect and follows him when the former villain attempts to rejoin the Avengers. She became an Avengers ally when the Swordsman rejoined the Avengers, and she battled the Lion God alongside them.
With the Avengers, Mantis battled the original
ZodiacZodiac is the name of four groups of fictional characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Avengers #72 and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The second version first appear in West Coast Avengers #26 and were created by Steve Engelhart and Al...
, and learned that Libra was her father and that she was raised by the Priests of Pama. With the Avengers she battled the
Star-StalkerStar Stalker is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.The Star Stalker was a mutant Vorm who destroys planets by absorbing energy in the form of ions ....
. Alongside the Avengers,
Captain Mar-VellCaptain Marvel is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial superhero in the . Marvel's use of the trademark "Captain Marvel", previously that of the highly popular, 1940s Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, came when the copyright on the original character was up for renewal.Mar-Vell was...
, and
Drax the DestroyerDrax the Destroyer is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe.-Creation and early life:Arthur Douglas, a real estate agent and sometime musician, was born in Burbank, California....
, she battled
ThanosThanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by Jim Starlin...
. With the Avengers, she then battled
KlawUlysses Klaw is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #53 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He is depicted as a human physicist who has been transformed into solid sound, and who wears a sonic emitter...
and
SolarrSolarr is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Silas King was born in Carson City, Nevada. He was a latent Mutant who worked as a smuggler of illicit narcotics. On a drug run from Los Angeles to New York City, his van broke down in the Mojave Desert...
. With the Avengers, she then battled
NukloNuklo is a fictional character, mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:Nuklo first appeared in Giant-Size Avengers #1 , and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Dan Adkins....
. Alongside the Avengers,
Fantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new naturalism in the medium...
, and
InhumansThe Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exist in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
, she battled
UltronUltron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema.-1960s:...
at the wedding of
QuicksilverQuicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 Quicksilver (Pietro Django Maximoff) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4...
and
CrystalCrystal is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. She is a member of the Inhumans and a younger sister of Medusa....
.
While with the Avengers, Mantis becomes taken with the
VisionThe Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books...
, and — although rejected by the android — neglects the Swordsman. Alongside the
Scarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and
Agatha HarknessAgatha Harkness is a fictional character, a powerful witch in the Marvel Comics universe. Supposedly, she was one of the original witches from the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts. She somehow survived and later became a significant figure in Marvel continuity, protecting Franklin...
, she was abducted by Kang. She was revealed as the Celestial Madonna and witnessed the death of the Swordsman at the hands of Kang the Conqueror, only proclaiming her love for the Swordsman as he dies. With the Avengers, she then buried the Swordsman, and battled the
Titanic ThreeIn the Marvel Comics universe, the Titanic Three was a short-lived team of supervillains consisting of Titanium Man, Radioactive Man, and the Crimson Dynamo. While the Radioactive Man was a Chinese supervillain the other members of the team were from the Soviet Union...
. Alongside the Avengers, she learned the origins of the Kree-
SkrullThe Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first...
War, the Cotati, and the Priests of Pama. Mantis then formally joined the Avengers and is revealed to be, indeed, the Celestial Madonna and marries a
CotatiThe Cotati are a fictional alien race in the Marvel Universe. They are a highly intelligent species of telepaths who are sessile in adulthood and resemble large plants or trees....
in the reanimated body of the Swordsman, leaving the Avengers and the Earth to mate with him.
DC Comics: Willow
After leaving Marvel Comics, writer Steve Englehart carried Mantis's tale through two other companies before returning to Marvel.
In
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
'
Justice League of America #142, she appears as
Willow. Asked where she came from, Willow replies, "This one has come from a place she must not name, to reach a place no man must know." (Mantis refers to herself as "this one".) After two issues, she leaves to go give birth.
Eclipse: Lorelei
In the
Eclipse ComicsEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel for the newly-created comic book specialty store market...
series
Scorpio Rose #2 (according to Englehart's website
http://www.steveenglehart.com/), the character calls herself
Lorelei. By this time, she has given birth to a son. What would have been issue #3, a "lost" Lorelei/Scorpio Rose story, was later published in
Coyote CollectionCoyote is a comic book character created by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers.-Publication history:The characters first appeared in in Eclipse Magazine #2-8. It would later be reprinted in a color trade paperback, I Am Coyote....
#1 from
Image ComicsImage Comics is an American comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties...
, the character's fourth company.
Marvel history resumes
After she bears her child, Sequoia, she takes the name "Mandy Celestine" and lives with him for a year in the suburbs of
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
before handing him to his father's people and going into space with the
Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans and historians call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
and battling the
Elders of the UniverseThe Elders of the Universe are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Grandmaster was the first Elder to appear, and featured in Avengers #69 - 71...
alongside the Surfer. The Silver Surfer finds himself falling in love with Mantis. But Mantis (whose body was now green and had begun to manifest new powers of invulnerability that allowed her to survive in space due to side-effects of her pregnancy) grows bitter with her life and the way she was forced to abandon her child. This comes to a head when Mantis is caught in an explosion and presumed dead by Silver Surfer. She survives, but the strain of the previous years causes her to literally split into multiple versions of herself, each representing conflicting aspects of her psyche that could no longer co-exist inside her mind.
The fragments arrive on Earth and one version of Mantis rejoins the
West Coast AvengersThe West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
team, with portions of her memories missing. (Steve Englehart intended the storyline involving Mantis and her amnesia to be his next major plotline, but editorial problems caused him to quit the series, with the plotline resolved hastily.) Mantis discovers, through the temporarily resurrected corpse of the Swordsman, that her psyche had shattered and that she needs to find her counterparts in order to restore her memories. She made her way to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
where she encountered the
Fantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new naturalism in the medium...
as they dealt with the effects of
Inferno"Inferno" was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor and The New Mutants...
. Kang pursued Mantis and in the process the Surfer was summoned to Earth. With the aid of the Cotati, Kang was defeated but Mantis realized she must leave her body and join with the Cotati to raise her son.
Aside from mentions by Silver Surfer, Mantis does not reappear until 1995's controversial Avengers crossover story "The Crossing". In "The Crossing", Mantis returns as the villainous bride of Kang the Conqueror with the intention of bringing death to the Avengers; her father
LibraLibra is a Marvel Comics character, a former supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably a member of the Zodiac Cartel.-Publication history:...
(who by now was going by the name "
MoonrakerMoonraker is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, and is a member of Force Works. He first appears in Force Works #16 . Although he claimed to be Gustav Brandt, the original Libra, it is later hinted he was one of Immortus' Space Phantoms.-References:* at the Appendix...
" as part of
Force WorksForce Works was a short-lived Marvel Comics superhero team. It first appeared in Force Works #1 . The title was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and initially drawn by Tom Tenney....
); and the Cotati alien who had possessed the Swordsman's body and married/impregnated her. Her anger at her father (whom she had
vivisectedFrom Latin vivus + sectio , Vivisection is surgery conducted upon a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to directly view living internal structure for purposes other than the health of the subject....
) and the Cotati center around their "defilement" of her and that she hates the Avengers for believing their manipulative lies.
The storyline was controversial, so much so that Kurt Busiek, in
Avengers ForeverAvengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.- Publication history :...
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
,
retconRetroactive continuity is the deliberate changing of previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change is informally referred to as a "retcon", and producing a retcon is called "retconning"...
ned the Mantis who appeared in the story as being a
Space PhantomSpace Phantom is a name given to a number of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. The first appearance of such a being was in Avengers vol. 1 #2 , they were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
brainwashed into thinking he was Mantis.
Eventually, Mantis reappears in the Steve Englehart written
Avengers: Celestial Quest limited series. She returns to Earth and merges with her remaining fragmented portions of her personality (which we learn represent "freak, mother, prostitute, mystic and Avenger") after the first four are killed by
ThanosThanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by Jim Starlin...
(later retroactively declared to be a clone of the real Thanos). The final Mantis merges with them to become a "complete" Mantis for the first time since her dispersion. Thus reformed, she and a group of the Avengers go into space to stop "Thanos" from killing her son, Quoi, who by this time is a rebellious teenager desperate to leave the isolation of the Cotati home-world and travel the stars. During the adventure, Mantis flirts with Vision (with the implication that she has sex with him), but ultimately ends the flirting when she realizes that he has feelings for his estranged wife Scarlet Witch, who is jealous of Mantis and Vision's friendship. Mantis also appears in "
Avengers Disassembled"Avengers Disassembled", referred to in some participating series as "Disassembled", is a crossover event between several Marvel Comics series. The general idea is that the major heroes are assaulted, not just physically, but emotionally...
" storyline, although many occurrences in that storyline are illusions.
Mantis appears in the 2007 mini-series
Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord, where she is shown as a Kree prisoner who volunteers for a mission led by Peter Quill, a.k.a.
Star-LordStar-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord to chronologically appear is Peter Quill, first appears in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
.
After the defeat of
UltronUltron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema.-1960s:...
and the
PhalanxThe Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system....
, Mantis takes up residence on the
KnowhereKnowhere is a fictional location in the Marvel Comics universe. It is an interdimensional crossroads and scientific observatory. It was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and first appeared in Nova #8 .-Development:...
station with the rest of the
Guardians of the GalaxyThe Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy #1 .-Publication history:...
. She has assumed the role of counselor for the group, using her knowledge of the mind to maintain a balance with all the very eclectic personalities of the group.
During the
Secret Invasion"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several titles published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term invasion of Earth by the alien Skrulls...
storyline, it was discovered that Star-Lord had Mantis use her mental powers to manipulate the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy to join the team against their will. Overhearing Mantis and Star-Lord converse about their deception,
DraxDrax the Destroyer is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe.-Creation and early life:Arthur Douglas, a real estate agent and sometime musician, was born in Burbank, California....
shared this knowledge with the rest of the team. This caused most of the members to leave. Mantis was promoted to field status by
Rocket RaccoonRocket Raccoon is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He first appeared in Incredible Hulk #271 . Rocket Raccoon is an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon.-Publication history:...
.
Marvel
- Avengers Vol. 1 #112-135, 392-395, 502
- Annihilation Conquest - Starlord #1-4
- Annihilation Conquest #1-6
- Defenders' Vol. 1 #9-11
- Avengers: Celestial Quest #2-6
- Captain Marvel Vol. 1 #31-32
- Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #150, 323-325
- Force Works #19
- Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #27
- Giant-Size Avengers #1-4
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 1-10
- Warlock Vol. 1 #10
- West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #37-39 Annual #3
- She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 1 #8, 13
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol. 2 #8
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol. 4 #15
- Silver Surfer v3., 1987: #3-9.
Powers and abilities
Mantis was trained by the Priests of Pama to have total control over her body, and had almost superhuman reflexes and reactions, thus making her a mistress of the martial arts as developed by the Priests of Pama. She could instinctively sense weak points in an opponent and knock out any opponent (even
ThorThor is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee; scripter Larry Lieber and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
). She has attained a mastery of meditational disciplines giving her an unusual amount of control over her body, including autonomic functions like heartbeat, bleeding, and breathing, as well as awareness of pain, and the ability to recuperate quickly after being injured. Her control over her body was so powerful, that if she was injured, she could quickly heal her injuries through sheer force of will. She also had psychic empathy, a
telepathicTelepathy is supposed to be the transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five senses . The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H...
power that allowed her to sense the emotions of others.
Mantis gained additional abilities are a result of communion with the Prime Cotati. Her empathic ability enabled her to communicate with the plant-like Cotati and with plant-life. To travel in space, Mantis had the ability to separate her physical and
astralAstral projection is an esoteric interpretation of any form of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it...
forms, projecting her consciousness from her body, allowing her to travel interplanetary distances. She also had the ability to transfer her astral form to any place where plant life exists. She could form and inhabit a plant like simulacrum of her human body for herself out of the destination planet's local vegetation. Her fighting skills remained intact, and her empathic abilities were heightened to a superhuman degree and extended to the planet’s flora and biosphere. She could control the vegetation within her vicinity.
As of her appearance in Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord, Mantis also appears to have gained precognitive abilities, and apparently now labors under a constant awareness of future events. The source of the these new powers is as yet unclear. Other powers displayed or referred to during the series were
pyrokinesisPyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name, coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter. Critic S.T...
and invisibility to the
PhalanxThe Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system....
.
Heroes Reborn
In the
Heroes Reborn"Heroes Reborn" was a 1996-1997 crossover story arc among comic-book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former...
reality, the alternate version of Mantis is the woman
Kang the ConquerorKang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
loves, and Kang's motive to attack the 20th Century and the Avengers is to show that he is worthy of her love. Mantis recognizes her love for Kang after he is killed by
LokiLoki is a supervillain that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe and is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology. The character first appeared in Venus #6 and was created by writer Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby.In 2009, Loki was also ranked as IGN's...
, who kills her shortly after.
House of M
In this reality, Mantis is a member of
Shang-ChiShang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin....
's Dragons criminal organization, alongside,
SwordsmanThe Swordsman is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. Each of the men to use this name has essentially been a superhero, albeit a hero with no special powers, only skill with a sword. The first two Swordsmen have acted as supervillains at times...
,
ZaranZaran is a Marvel Comics super-villain, and is a codename carried by two characters related to another.-Maximillian Zaran:-Fictional character biography:...
and
Machete- Machete :The first known Machete was Ferdinand Lopez, a member of Batroc's Brigade and Doom's Brigade. He was also a former revolutionary of San Diablo in South America. He became a mercenary to finance a revolution but was reportedly killed by Zeitgeist...
. Mantis is arrested after the Dragons are ambushed by the Kingpin's assassins. She and Shang-Chi are two of the three survivors of the group.