Mantis (DC Comics)

Mantis is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, part of Jack Kirby's New Gods series.^[1]

Mantis
Mantis as depicted in New Gods #2 (1971). Art by Jack Kirby.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Forever People #2 (June 1971)
Created by	Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter ego	Unknown
Species	New Gods
Place of origin	Apokolips
Team affiliations	Darkseid's Elite
Abilities	Immortality Superhuman strength, durability, speed, and reflexes Energy absorption, manipulation and projection Ability to generate heat, cold and anti-matter Flight Teleportation

Publication history

Mantis first appeared in Forever People #2 (June 1971) and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.^[2]

Fictional character biography

Mantis is the leader of a colony of humanoid insects who migrated from New Genesis. In return for his fealty, Darkseid gave him great power. He typically spent time in a power pod recharging his energies but he could also absorb energies sent at him by an opponent such as Green Lantern. Mantis has at times served as Darkseid's lackey, becoming a founding member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Like many of the denizens of Apokolips, has occasionally risen up against his master.^[3]

Mantis is featured in the limited series Death of the New Gods, where he allies with Darkseid's son Kalibak to battle Superman and Himon. During the battle, the Infinity-Man, acting as an agent for the Source Wall, attacks. He stuns the group and kills Mantis and Kalibak by removing their hearts.^[4] Mantis returns following The New 52 relaunch, which rebooted the continuity of the DC Comics universe.^[5]

Powers and abilities

Mantis is an energy vampire who can project tremendous blasts of energy and absorb virtually any form of energy or power source.^[6][7] Mantis can also teleport and generate boom tubes which enable him to teleport others.^[8] Mantis can also sense and detect energy, enabling him to sense opponents who are invisible and strike those who are intangible.^[7]

Mantis possesses a "thermal touch" which enables him to generate heat and he can create "frigi-blocks" which trap opponents in ice.^[9] Mantis' most dangerous power is his ability to generate antimatter. He can destroy anything he touches by creating antimatter in the object that he touched.^[10]

In other media

Television

• Mantis appears in Justice League Unlimited, voiced by an uncredited J.K. Simmons.^[11]
• Mantis appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Wade Williams.^[11]
• Mantis appears in Young Justice, voiced by Andrew Kishino.^[11] This version possesses a more insectoid appearance.

Film

• An alternative universe variant of Mantis appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters.^[11]
• Mantis makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Injustice.^[11]

Video games

• Mantis appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[12]
• Mantis appears as a boss and playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Lex Lang.^[13][11]

Miscellaneous

Mantis appears in the crossover miniseries DC X Sonic the Hedgehog.^[14]