A member of the super-hero team the
Avengers published by
Marvel Comics.
The real name of the woman called Mantis is unknown. She was
the daughter of Gustav Brandt, a mercenary fighting in
Indochina and Lua, the sister of a criminal overlord in the
area, Monsieur Khrull. Khrull was infuriated by the marriage
of his sister to a westerner and sought to kill them both. The
two fled and soon after the birth of their daughter, were attacked
by Khrull's men. Lua died and Brandt was burned and blinded by
the attack. Taking his uninjured daughter, Brandt fled into the
jungle, where he eventually came upon a temple of the Priests of
Pama. A peaceful order, the priests were originally from the
alien world of Kree.
The priests trained both Brandt and his daughter. They were
able to teach Brandt to "see" again, despite the loss of his eyes.
Brandt eventually left the temple and became the part of the
criminal organization, the Zodiac where he served as Libra.
Brandt's daughter was trained by the Priests until she had complete
control over her body, enabling her to perform super-human feats. She
was also trained in Kree pacifist martial arts. Because she was able
to easily defeat male opponents, Brandt's daughter took for herself
the name Mantis, for the insect who devours its partners after
mating.
Once her training was complete, Mantis was taken to Ho Chi Minh
City by the priests to live with with humans. Having wiped her
memories of the temple and replaced them with false ones of being
an orphan, Mantis was soon in the employ of her uncle, Monsuier
Khrull, working as a waitress and prostitute.
Mantis soon met the Swordsman, a costumed mercenary who worked
for Khrull. The Swordsman was an alcholoic, who Mantis saw as
capable of being much more. Only after he was severely wounded
did the Swordsman take her advice, seeking to join the Avengers.
Mantis accompanied the Swordsman to the Avengers headquarters and
was allowed to stain at the Swordsman's request.
The Avengers fought the Zodiac, reuniting Mantis with her father who
revealed the circumstances of her birth and upbringing.
During this time, one of the Avengers foes, Kang the Conquerer
revealed to them that one of the women involved with the Avengers
was the Celestial Madonna, a woman whose child would be the
Celestial Messiah. Kang sought to be the father of that child
though his plans were ultimately thwarted. Kang discovered and
revealed to the Avengers during this time that Mantis was the
Celestial Madonna.
During their battle with Kang, the Avengers lost one of their own.
The Swordsman was struck by a beam from one of Kang's weapons
killing him. He was buried in the garden of the temple of the
Priests of Pama. Soon afterward, the Swordsman's body was reanimated
by the Cotati, sentient plant beings who lived in the garden. It was
revealed to Mantis, that she and the Coati could then marry and
mate, creating a child who would be a new life form. The Avengers elected
Mantis to full membership. She and the Cotati were married by
Immortus, the master of time. The two then were transformed to
pure energy and left Earth.