MANTIS

Real Name:

Mantis

Universe/Timeline:

Marvel Universe

Status:

Active

Additional Status Info:

Guardians of the Galaxy

Category:

Other

Alias:

Celestial Madonna, Mandy Celestine.

Nationality:

Vietnamese

First Appearance:

Avengers (1st series) #112

Powers & Abilities:

peak human strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, empathy training by Priests of Pama led to telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, precognition, bio-empathy for both plants and animals, intuitive ability to target weak spots

Affiliation:

Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy (616), Knowhere Corps, Avengers West Coast

Avengers Membership:

In-house associate from Avengers (1st series) #114. Granted full honorary membership status as she departed in Giant-Size Avengers #4.

Notes:

Mantis's birth name is unknown. She would presumably share the surname of her father, Gustav Brandt.

Steve Englehart, Mantis's creator, had tremendous affection for his creation. So much so that he continued writing for her even after leaving Marvel Comics. Englehart reintroduced a slightly-altered Mantis as "Willow" while writing DC's Justice League of America, and then again as "Lorelei" while writing for Eclipse Comics.

Mantis's origin tied into topical references to the Vietnam War which, thanks to the sliding timescale, nowadays ended decades before she was born. Marvel invented the Siancong War, another Southeast Asian conflict with American involvement, which replaces incongruous references to the Korea or Vietnam wars in characters' backstories. Mantis's uncle, Monsieur Khruul, was explicitly retconned as Siancongese in The Marvels #1. Ergo, it's possible Mantis is no longer Vietnamese by birth, but Siancongese.

Last Updated:

13th April 2023 by Monolith