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Manta
Manta

Manta

34 appearances Β· Bronze Age Β· 1980–2025
Who is Manta?

Manta is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, the elite multi-species force that serves the Shi'ar Empire. She possesses the ability to see across the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum and can project blinding rays of light from her body.

A creature of the cosmic frontier, Manta burst onto the scene in the landmark Bronze Age pages of The X-Men #137 β€” one of Marvel's most celebrated issues ever printed β€” courtesy of the legendary creative partnership of Chris Claremont and John Byrne. As a member of the Shi'ar, Manta moves in genuinely rarefied company, sharing adventures with powerhouses like Gladiator, Kallark, Oracle, and Smasher, as well as crossing paths with the X-Men's own Cyclops. Over 45 years of Marvel history, Manta has surfaced across titles as varied as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Uncanny X-Men, and All-New X-Men β€” a testament to the enduring pull of the Shi'ar corner of the Marvel cosmos and the kind of deep-cut character that rewards fans who love their universe to feel genuinely vast and populated.

Identity

Powers. Infrared and Ultraviolet Vision: Manta can see the infrared and ultraviolet part of the spectrum in addition to the visible part of the spectrum. Thus, she perceives things due to the heat that they emit.; Light Generation: Manta can project rays of blinding light from her body. These rays seem connected to her life force.; Flight

Teams & affiliations
Imperial GuardShi'arX-Men
β˜… First appearance
The X-Men #137
Sep 1980

Top series

Covers through the years β€” 1980–2022

The X-Men #137 1980
The X-Men #137
The Uncanny X-Men #[nn] 1984
The Uncanny X-Men #[nn]
Quasar #32 1992
Quasar #32
New X-Men #125 2002
New X-Men #125
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga #[nn] 2006
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga #[nn]
Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #2 2010
Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #2
All-New X-Men #23 2014
All-New X-Men #23
Guardians of the Galaxy #17 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy #17
Doctor Strange by Mark Waid #3 2019
Doctor Strange by Mark Waid #3
Fantastic Four #10 2022
Fantastic Four #10

Appearances

The X-Men (1963)
The Uncanny X-Men (1984)
Phoenix (1984)
#1
Quasar (1989)
#32
New X-Men (2001)
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga (2006)
Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire (2007)
Realm of Kings Imperial Guard (2010)
#2
FF (2011)
#6
Infinity (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2013)
All-New X-Men (2013)
Deadpool (2013)
#27
Doctor Strange by Mark Waid (2018)
#3
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection (2020)
Dawn of X (2019)
#5
Fallen Angels by Bryan Hill (2020)
#1
X-Men by Jonathan Hickman (2020)
#2
Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection (2018)
#3
S.W.O.R.D. (2021)
#9
Fantastic Four (2019)
Trials of X (2022)
#8
X-Men: Reign of X by Jonathan Hickman (2024)
#1
Imperial (2025)
#1
Imperial War: Black Panther (2025)
#1