Mantis, also known as the Celestial Madonna, is a hero from Marvel Comics and a member of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. She usually refers to herself as this one. She was created by Steve Englehart and first appeared in Avengers #112
Brief story
Mantis was raised by a secret sect of Kree living on Earth called the Priests of Pama. They trained her in the martial arts and unlocked her psychic potential, believing that she would one day fulfill a prophecy as the Celestial Madonna, the mother to the perfect being. Erasing her memories, they allowed her to return to the outside world to gain real life experience. She joined the Avengers but eventually left Earth to complete the prophecy. Mantis gave birth to a son and allowed him to be raised by the Priests of Pama while she explored the cosmos. She was imprisoned by the true Kree where she met Peter Quill , and together, they set the groundwork for building the second Guardians of the Galaxy team.
Powers and abilities
Through training with the Priests of Pama, Mantis attained "complete control" over her body, achieving peak human agility, the ability to accelerate her recuperative powers through force of will, and an empathic nature enabling her to sense the emotions of others as " vibrations." Her mastery of the Priests' martial arts, which focus on manipulation of nerve endings and pressure points, has enabled her to knock out beings as strong as Thor. She also able to communicate with plants.
Gallery
