Mantis Appreciation (2019)

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This thread is to serve as continuation of the previous "Mantis Appreciation" thread, which can be found at

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...s-Appreciation

From the previous version (originally created by billee0918 back in July of 2016):

<NOTE: This thread's first post was dated 07-15-2016.>

So, Mantis will be a new addition to the team in the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 movie, so I expect she'll be back in comics in no time.

I was always interested in the character and have read many of her 70's appearances and more recent stuff from DNA' GOTG run.

How do you like your Mantis?

Powers - I prefer the ass kicking martial artist, with empathic abilities, versus the too powerful telepath, telekinetic, plant controller she was depicted as later on.

Appearance - I like her with an Asian complexion, not green, with groovy antennae!

Movie Look - how ya like her potential movie look, shown here in GOTG 2 concept art?

https://www.cbr.com/guardians-of-the...ook-at-mantis/

Here's how she appeared in early comic appearances:

Also, here are two early Marvel Handbook entries for Mantis.


from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol. 1 No. 13 (February 1984)


from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 No. 8 (July 1986)

[XPac]

I've always said that Mantis is hands down the flat out best h2h fighter in the MU. She's easily got the best feats. It's a shame she never gets the props she deserves whenever those sort of discussions come up.

[Phoenixx9]

I've always said that Mantis is hands down the flat out best h2h fighter in the MU. She's easily got the best feats. It's a shame she never gets the props she deserves whenever those sort of discussions come up.

I know! I loved how easily she threw the Avengers around in the hat pic above. In that Avengers comic, she even decks Thor!

[XPac]

I know! I loved how easily she threw the Avengers around in the hat pic above. In that Avengers comic, she even decks Thor!

Yeah, when you're tossing around Captain America, BLack Panther, and freaking Thor around like rag dolls it tells you something.

Can't help but wonder what sort of reaction the internet might have had if it were around back then.

[Phoenixx9]

Yeah, when you're tossing around Captain America, BLack Panther, and freaking Thor around like rag dolls it tells you something.

Can't help but wonder what sort of reaction the internet might have had if it were around back then.

For a while I wanted to see a Mantis vs Karnak fight, but after I saw how easily Mantis beat the Avengers, I am sure she could also beat Karnak. She is number one.

[XPac]

For a while I wanted to see a Mantis vs Karnak fight, but after I saw how easily Mantis beat the Avengers, I am sure she could also beat Karnak. She is number one.

Karnak is a guy who on paper should be better than he actually is. For a guy with legit meta human stats and a pretty cool power, he hasn't really beaten ANY top fighters in the MU. Black Panther had beaten him like twice in one panel. So yeah... Karnak would lose, even though on paper he should put up a descent fight.

[Phoenixx9]

Karnak is a guy who on paper should be better than he actually is. For a guy with legit meta human stats and a pretty cool power, he hasn't really beaten ANY top fighters in the MU. Black Panther had beaten him like twice in one panel. So yeah... Karnak would lose, even though on paper he should put up a descent fight.

I agree exactly. I think in some of those old FF issues, they called Karnak's powers "martial arts supremacy", combined with his limited super strength of 1 ton and ability to locate any weakness and shatter it. But I never really saw any real showings. After those early FF issues, I never saw Karnak even seem that good, sliding down into mediocrity.

[MichaelC]

Writers just don't like him. He's part of an aristocracy of eugenicists who own slaves. That they are even treated as antiheroes instead of outright villains is actually rather odd. As a very dark, unpleasant antihero, he just isn't any writers favorite and gets treated as such.

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: Can we not turn this into an "Anti-Karnak" / "Anti-Inhumans" thread, people?

[Phoenixx9]

NOTE: Can we not turn this into an "Anti-Karnak" / "Anti-Inhumans" thread, people?

I wasn't-- I don't do that. I was just was trying to compare the skills of Karnak against Mantis. Mantis is the best!

[Thor-El]

Mantis "Death Grip" is legendary. Glad the Russo Brothers remembered it in Infinity war and used a variation of it.

[Phoenixx9]

Mantis "Death Grip" is legendary. Glad the Russo Brothers remembered it in Infinity war and used a variation of it.

Hey there, Buddy!

Thanks for posting that scene! They did indeed get the Mantis death grip down. Me likey!

[XPac]

Mantis "Death Grip" is legendary. Glad the Russo Brothers remembered it in Infinity war and used a variation of it.

MCU Mantis was able to at least temporarily shut down Ego and a gauntlet wielding Thanos. She was boss.

[MajorHoy]

Mantis' first appearances were brief ones:


from Avengers #112 (June 1973)


from Avengers #113 (July 1973)

and finally,

Avengers #114 (August 1973), where she and Swordsman reach the Avengers.

[Johnrevenge]

Cool to see that homage of the death grip in the movies.

I honestly like Mantis design and I found her an interesting character after her creator stopped writting her. I never liked his approach of the character. I'm kinda glad that other writers like Abnett and Laning took her in a different direction.