Manta (comics)

Manta
Manta, by Dave Cockrum
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #137 (Sep 1980)
Created by	Chris Claremont and John Byrne
In-story information
Team affiliations	Imperial Guard
Abilities	Flight, infrared vision, generates flashes of blinding light

Manta is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

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.

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.

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.

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.