Publisher Marvel Comics Affiliation Imperial Guard | Team affiliations Imperial Guard | |
 | ||
Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne Abilities Flight, infrared vision, generates flashes of blinding light First appearance Uncanny X-Men #137 (Sep 1980) Creators Chris Claremont, John Byrne Similar Imperial Guard, Hussar, Flashfire, Nightside, Starbolt | ||
Manta is a fictional character in Marvel Comics.
Contents
Publication history
Manta first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #137 (September 1980), and was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.
The character subsequently appears in Phoenix: The Untold Story #1 (April 1984), Rom Annual #4 (December 1985), Classic X-Men #43 (January 1990), X-Men: Spotlight on Starjammers #2 (June 1990), Quasar #32-33 (March-April 1992), Starblast #2 (February 1994), Quasar #55 (February 1994), New X-Men #124-126 (May-July 2002), Marvel Universe: The End #5-6 (August-September 2003), JLA/Avengers #1 (September 2003), and Uncanny X-Men #477 (October 2006), and #480 (January 2007), and X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #2-5 (December 2007-March 2008).
Manta appeared as part of the "Imperial Guard" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #6.
Fictional character biography
Manta is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. She has fought the X-Men on multiple occasions. She first fought the X-Men in the Shi'ar Empire's attempt to police the Phoenix Force.
Later during New X-Men, she fought them under the manipulation of Cassandra Nova. In the latter, Manta seeks out Jean Grey, confident she could defeat Phoenix while armed with psychic armor, but Grey easily bested her in hand-to-hand combat. Manta was one of the survivors of the battle with Vulcan.
Powers and abilities
Manta possesses the power of flight. Manta's eyes only perceive heat (as in infrared radiation), allowing her to see in the dark. She can generate blinding flashes of white or blue light. Her species experiences memory in a manner different from that of most other species.
Exlies
At least two alternate versions of Manta have been seen in Exiles. The first was during an approximation of the Dark Phoenix Saga, and the second was in a reality where an evil Silver Surfer had killed everyone in the Imperial Guard save Manta while trying to kill that reality's Galactus.