Mantis was trained in the martial arts by the priests of Pama, giving her a superhuman level of ability (she could hold her own against such Avengers as Thor, the Vision or Wonder Man). She also learned there to master meditational disciplines giving her an unusual amount of control over her body, including functions like heartbeat, bleeding and breathing, as well as awareness of pain, and the ability to recuperate quickly after being injured. Finally, she acquired an empathic ability allowing her to sense the emotions of others.

Later, her link with the Prime Cotati gave her powers akin to that of a Plant Elemental.

History

Mantis is the daughter of the blind martial artist called Libra, and was raised in the Vietnamese monastery of Pama, where the priests are actually a group of pacifistic Kree hidden on Earth along with several Cotati (a race of tree-like beings). She was foreseen to be the Celestial Madonna, who would give birth to the ultimate peace bringer, and trained to be worthy. At the end of her education, the priests tested her by giving her false memories : she now thought she was just an orphan who had grew in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. She fell rapidly to prostitution and became a subject of the criminal empire of Monsieur Khrull.

In Ho Chi Minh City she met a broken Swordsman, and, seeing his nobility under his drunken criminal exterior, attempted to rehabilitate him. She accompanied him to the US, where they became clean again and joined the Avengers. Although one of the greatest living martial artists, she just hung around the Avengers while the Swordsman became an active member, and constantly tried to steal the Vision away from the Scarlet Witch, creating one strange love triangle.

When she and the Avengers met Libra, her true past and status as the Celestial Madonna were revealed. That was during an attack by Kang (Kang sought to capture the Madonna, as the prophecies held that the Madonna’s husband would be the most powerful being on Earth), which killed the Swordsman. Only then did Mantis realize that she truly loved the Swordsman after all.

Much later, Mantis and the Avengers found the Priests of Pama and the would-be father of the Celestial Messiah, one of the plant-like Cotati. He reanimated and restored the Swordsman and Mantis married him on the spot in a ceremony officiated by Immortus. Mantis and Swordsman then ascended in space in pure energy forMs. After giving birth to the Messiah, she was at peace for some time, and fought the Elders along with the Silver Surfer in order to save Galactus but was apparently killed at the end of that adventure.

At one point, it was hinted that Mantis had lost her status as the Celestial Madonna, and that it made her so bitter she married Kang and engineered with him the fall of the Avengers during the Crossing. She could be anywhere or anywhen by now. 

Description

Mantis is a lithe, beautiful and muscular Vietnamese girl, looking about 22. Most of her plant simulacra have green hair and very light green skin, and are clothed with vegetal tissues. 

Personality

Mantis’ life was abominable, and it made her mean. Everything she ever wanted (rehabilitating the Swordsman, the Vision’s love, the link with the Cotati, being the Celestial Madonna) went very wrong. She’s not evil, and enough peace will allow her to return to her true nature, that of a nurturing protector and loving fighter. This, however, is rare. Under most circumstances, she is haughty and aloof. This is mostly an acquired habit, however, as she learned true humility when the Swordsman died.

Mantis has the annoying habit of referring to herself as “this one” or occasionally “the one”. 

DC Universe History

Mantis appeared in several JLA episodes when Englehart wrote it, and was called Willow ; her Arch-Enemy was the Construct, an electronic intelligence that could take over any machine. She also appeared in the independent serie Scorpio Rose, as Lorelei. Basically, you can put her anywhere : this one has no explanations to give. You could even make a point of having Mantis appear in every single campaign of yours, in any universe and game system. :-)