Mantra (comics)

Last updated
Mantra
Mantra (Malibu Comics).jpg
Art by Tom Grummett
Publication information
Publisher Malibu Comics
First appearance Mantra #1 (July 1993)
Created by Mike Barr
In-story information
Alter egoLukasz/Eden Blake
Team affiliations
  • Twelve Knights of Archimage
  • Aladdin
AbilitiesMystical ability
Mantra II
Publication information
Publisher Malibu Comics
First appearance
  • Mantra Vol. 1 #14 (as Lauren)
  • Mantra Vol. 2 #∞ (infinity) (as the new Mantra)
Created by Mike Barr
In-story information
Alter egoLauren Sherwood
AbilitiesMystical ability

Mantra is an American comic book series written by Mike Barr, mainly penciled by Terry Dodson and published by Malibu Comics in the mid-1990s, until it was purchased by Marvel Comics. Adam Hughes is credited for the character designs. After the purchase, the title was canceled after 24 issues and revamped in a new version, with a new protagonist.

Contents

Mantra is the name of the lead character, an Ultra (superhero) within Malibu's Ultraverse line of comics.

Publication history

Mantra made his first appearance in Mantra #1, dated July 1993, written by Mike Barr and illustrated by Terry Dodson.

As part of the Ultraverse imprint, the comic was set within a shared universe of super-powered beings conceptualized by writers and artists of Malibu comics. The first volume lasted 24 issues, with a Giant Sized issue. Mantra was also depicted in the Mantra: Spear of Destiny miniseries published in April 1995, that lasted two issues. Mantra appeared in other Ultraverse books, and crossovers like Break-thru, Godwheel and Black September . After the Black September event, the title of Mantra passed to a new character in Mantra issue # ∞. The new protagonist was depicted in Mantra vol. 2 for 7 issues until the series was canceled by low sales.

Fictional history

From warrior to sorceress

An eternal warrior named Lukasz and 11 compatriots had been fighting the villain Boneyard for centuries: whenever an individual soldier dies, his soul would be placed magically in a new body to take up the fight once more. In the 1990s, Lukasz' leader Archimage was betrayed by one of his men and captured by Boneyard, leading to the permanent death of most of the warriors and a final reincarnation for others. To the shock of Lukasz, he was put into the body of a woman, Eden Blake. [1]

In addition to being forced to deal with a new life as a woman, Lukasz also faces the particular challenges of Eden's life — in particular, her two children and her ex-husband. He falls in love with the soul of Eden Blake, which still exists within him. He also discovers that Eden had vast latent powers, including a mystical armor activated by a specific invocation including the word 'mantra', leading to the media dubbing her as such.

In his last battle with Boneyard's men, commanded by Notch, the last male body of Lukasz was killed by a mercenary with precognitive abilities called Warstrike, who was deceived by the soldiers of Boneyard into attacking Archimage's warriors. [2] While Lukazs is adapting to the body and family of Eden Blake, Warstrike found the Blake's house and told Lukasz-Eden that he had discovered the fraud of Boneyard's men. Lukasz-Eden convinces Warstrike to help him in the battle against Boneyard. Later, Lukasz recoveres a magical mask that is being sold in an auction. With this mask, Lukasz becomes Mantra and, through the use of magic, defeats the soldiers of Boneyard that had attacked during the auction. [3] Lukasz-Mantra knew that someone close to Archimage betrayed him. He suspected the lawyer that worked with Archimage, John Dalmas. Mantra fools Dalmas into leaving his office and begins to search for evidence, but he is attacked by a magical construct called Kismet Deadly, created by Archimage with the intention of testing him. Mantra defeats Kismet, and later found two of his old companions, Hamath and Yaron, reincarnated as an old man and a dog respectively. Kismet Deadly appears to the trio and kills Hamath and Yaron. Confronted with the nature of mortality, Kismet leaves. After the battle, Mantra is captured by Boneyard, who takes the sorceress to his kingdom in the Godwheel. [4]

Boneyard tries to force Mantra to become his fourth wife, but she escapes with help of Warstrike and the local resistance. [5] Sometime later, Mantra fights a demon vassal of Boneyard that had adopted the form of a wolf cartoon character. Mantra and the demon fight in a cartoon-like reality, and the demon is banished to Boneyard's realm. [6] Mantra later joins the government agency Aladdin. [7]

Break-Thru

During the Break-Thru event, Mantra helps other heroes in fighting the minions of the villain Rex Mundi while protecting Amber Hunt. [8] Lukazs-Mantra arrives on the moon possessing magic and for the first time, when he was shown various illusions created by the Entity of the Moon, Mantra is confronted by the fact that for 1500 years she has been destroying families by stealing men's bodies and forcing them to walk away from their lives. Mantra joins other heroes that have arrived on the moon and discovers that The Entity of the Moon is the origin of the existence of Ultras on Earth. On the moon, Mantra also encounters Prime who is romantically attracted to her. [9]

Back on Earth, Lukasz-Mantra is captured by Dr. Gross, an enemy of Prime, and has to be rescued by a young Ultra. [10] He later helps the Aladdin agent Wrath in the fight against an alien hunter. [11] When Mantra appears as a metallic knight in the wedding of one of Eden Blake's friends, he discovers that his friend Thanasi was the one who betrayed Archimage and his warriors. [12]

Later, Boneyard tricks Mantra into killing Archimage. Mantra arrives in Godwheel, where he meets Topaz, one of the three Queens of Gwendor (a female-only country). Mantra has to fight Topaz in a ceremonial battle for possession of the Sword of Fangs, the blade that Mantra is using and that formerly belonged to Gwendor. [13]

Godwheel

Lukasz is temporarily separated from the body of Eden Blake and transferred to a male body. He, Warstrike, Eden Blake (now back in possession of her body), Boneyard and other heroes and villains were transported to the Godwheel by the god Argus. Argus was searching for minions in his quest for power. The corpse of Eden was taken over by Thanasi, who called himself Necromantra and had joined Argus' side. Lukasz, Warstrike and other heroes are forced to make an alliance with Boneyard to search for certain magical objects. Necromantra creates the creature Primevil with the old carcass of the hero Prime. With the help of the Marvel hero Thor, the Ultraheroes fight Necromantra, Primevil and a Lord Pumpkin-possessed Argus. After the battle Thor and the other heroes return to Earth. [14]

On Earth, Lukazs and Eden are finally together and they conceive a child. The pregnancy of Eden is abnormally short and the child born is revealed to be Necromantra, who proceeds to grow to adult size and fights Lukasz. [15] Later Mantra again meets Primevil, who has gained sapience with the Mind Gem. Primevil was infatuated with Mantra, however the Asgardian god Loki takes advantage of the situation and steals the Mind Gem. [16] When Mantra meets Topaz again on the Ultraforce's ship, the Queen of Gwendor demands the return of the sacred sword of Fangs that Mantra still possesses. They begin to fight and are interrupted by the villain Hybrid. With the help of Ultraforce, Hybrid is defeated. [17]

Post-Black September

Following the Black September event, the Marvel-led Malibu began publication of a second volume with a new Mantra, removing the magic from Eden/Lukasz and casting it onto a minor character from the first series named Lauren Sherwood, a young blonde woman who was the teenage babysitter of Eden Blake's children. This new version becomes stuck in the Ultraverse. Lukasz-Mantra became a supporting character until issue #5. The new Mantra fought NecroMantra-Thanasi and N.M.E. [18] The second volume lasted only 7 issues.

In her last appearance, Mantra meets Ghoul from Ultraforce, who was working as a taxi driver, and gives him a ring that transforms his appearance, allowing him work without scaring his fares. [19]

Powers and abilities

Lukasz was an extremely experienced warrior whose master (Archimage) would reincarnate him and eleven other warriors into new bodies each time they fell in combat throughout the centuries. In Eden Blake's body, he could use the latent potential for magic inherited by those of her bloodline; the longer he was in her form, the more he could access this power, slowly becoming a vastly powerful sorceress. She could summon a mystical armor by invoking the word "Mantra". The armor acted as a "focus" for her powers, increasing the abilities greatly. She could also accomplish great things requiring vast power by reciting over and over the mantra given to her by Archimage, "Change, Growth, Power" while the power inside her built.

Lauren Sherwood's abilities were similar, but developed more rapidly.

Possibility of revival

In 2003, Steve Englehart was commissioned by Marvel to relaunch the Ultraverse with the most recognizable characters, including Mantra, but the editorial staff decided finally not to resurrect the Ultraverse imprint. [20] [21] In June 2005, when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive the Ultraverse, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada replied that:

Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books.

There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it’s my place to make that dirty laundry public. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinity Gems</span> Fictional cosmic items with the power to grant a user an ability/abilities

The Infinity Gems are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems can grant whoever wields them various powers in accordance to the aspect of existence they represent, and have the potential of turning the wielder into a god-like being when the main six are held together. Thus, they are among the most powerful and sought-after items in the Marvel Universe; playing important roles in several storylines, in which they were wielded by characters such as Thanos and Adam Warlock. Some of these stories depict additional Infinity Gems or similar objects. Although, the Infinity Gems altogether give its user nigh-omnipotence, the Gems only function on the universe they belong to and not on alternate realities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grandmaster (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics

The Grandmaster is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Avengers #69. The Grandmaster is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe and has mastered most civilizations' games of skill and chance. Different media appearances depict him as the Collector's brother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malibu Comics</span> Former comic book company now part of Marvel Comics

Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included The Men in Black, Ultraforce, and Night Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sersi</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Sersi is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals, a race of superhumans. She was also a member of the Avengers and God Squad. Sersi first appeared in the 1976–1978 comic book series The Eternals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime (comics)</span> Malibu Ultraverse superhero

Prime is a superhero character created by Bob Jacob, Gerard Jones, Len Strazewski, Norm Breyfogle, and Bret Blevins. The character debuted in Prime #1 under Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint, and was one of the publisher's flagship characters, and a member of its superhero team Ultraforce. The character is a thirteen-year-old boy named Kevin Green with the power to transform into the physical form of a super-powered adult, but with his adolescent mind unchanged. This is a source of conflict for the character, as he is frequently placed in situations he may not be mature enough to deal with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darick Robertson</span> American artist

Darick W. Robertson is an American artist best known for his work as a comic book illustrator on series he co-created, notably Transmetropolitan (1997–2002) and The Boys.

The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics. The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras – acquired super-human abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Dodson</span> American comic artist

Terry Dodson is an American comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work on titles such as Harley Quinn, Trouble, Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and Uncanny X-Men. His pencils are usually inked by his wife Rachel Dodson, who is a comic book inker and colorist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Knight (Dane Whitman)</span> Comic book superhero

The Black Knight is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #47. Dane Whitman is the third character to use the codename of Black Knight. He is the descendant of the original Black Knight and is the nephew of the supervillain Black Knight. He inherited a mystical sword which carried a curse and took the Black Knight mantle to help restore honor. The character has also been a member of the MI-13, Avengers, Defenders, Ultraforce, and Heroes for Hire at various points in his history.

The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in American comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel. The purpose of the group was to protect the public and keep other "Ultras" (superheroes) from becoming unruly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sif (character)</span> Fictional character in Marvel Comics

Sif is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #102. She is based on the Norse goddess Sif. As an Asgardian warrior and lover of Thor, Sif often accompanies him into battle. She has also battled alongside Balder, who has developed an unrequited attraction to her, as she never shows affection for anyone but Thor and certain individuals who have proved worthy to wield his hammer, Mjolnir, such as the noble alien warrior Beta Ray Bill, and the mortal Eric Masterson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U-Foes</span> Supervillain team

The U-Foes is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as enemies of the Hulk. The group consists of four members: Vector, the group's leader, who can repel matter telekinetically; Vapor, who can transform into any form of gaseous matter; X-Ray, who can generate and project radiation and fly; and Ironclad, who has a metallic body and can control his density.

The Enclave is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Typically depicted as a group of dictatorially-minded scientists, the Enclave is best known for creating the characters Adam Warlock and Kismet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sludge (comics)</span> Comic book series set in the Ultraverse

Sludge is a comic book series from Malibu Comics, set in the Ultraverse. It was created by Steve Gerber, Gary Martin and Aaron Lopresti. It depicted a dirty cop called Frank Hoag who was killed by the local mafia and was transformed after his death into a superpowered and viscous creature, called Sludge.

<i>The Strangers</i> (Malibu Comics)

The Strangers is the title of a comic book series created and written by Steve Englehart. It was originally drawn by Rick Hoberg for Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint which was bought by Marvel Comics during the 1990s.

<i>Avengers/Ultraforce</i> Comic crossover

The Avengers/Ultraforce event was a two-part intercompany crossover between Malibu Comics and Marvel Comics. The first issue, Avengers/Ultraforce, was written by Glenn Herdling with art by Angel Medina and M. C. Wyman. The sequel, Ultraforce/Avengers, was written by Warren Ellis with art by George Pérez, who also illustrated wraparound covers on both issues.

<i>Protectors</i> (comics)

The Protectors was a 20-issue comic book series published by Malibu Comics from 1992 until 1994. Originally meant to be a six-issue series, response was positive enough that Malibu decided to make the series ongoing. The series was cancelled so that, according to Malibu, they could focus more on the "Ultraverse" line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Fesi</span> Comics character

Eden Fesi, also known as Manifold, is a fictional, mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli, the character first appeared in Secret Warriors #4, and joined that comic's regular cast. Fesi is an Aboriginal Australian mutant with the ability to shape the universe and bend time and space, connecting one piece to another and allowing him to teleport. Fesi joined the Avengers as a part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Manifold as #12 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".

Night Man is a fictional superhero created by Steve Englehart and Rick Hoberg, who exists in the Ultraverse line of comics and possesses the super ability to hear the evil thoughts of those people around him. His real name is Johnny Domino, a talented San Francisco saxophonist. He was adapted in an live-action television series from 1997 to 1999.

References

  1. ↑ Mantra #1 Vol. 1 (1993)
  2. ↑ Mantra #1 Vol. 1 (1995)
  3. ↑ Mantra #2 Vol. 1 (1995)
  4. ↑ Mantra #3 Vol. 1 (1995)
  5. ↑ Mantra #4 Vol. 1 (1995)
  6. ↑ Mantra #5 Vol. 1 (1995)
  7. ↑ Mantra Vol. 1 #6 (1993)
  8. ↑ Break-Tru #1 (1993)
  9. ↑ Break-Tru #2 (1993)
  10. ↑ Mantra #7 (1993)
  11. ↑ Wrath #1-2 (1994)
  12. ↑ Mantra Vol. 1 #8-9 (1993)
  13. ↑ Giant Size Mantra #1 (1995)
  14. ↑ Godwheel #0-3 (1995)
  15. ↑ Mantra #18-19 Vol. 1 (1995)
  16. ↑ Mantra #22 Vol. 1 (1995)
  17. ↑ Mantra #24 Vol. 1 (1995)
  18. ↑ Mantra #1 Vol. 2 (1995)
  19. ↑ Ultraforce #11 Vol. 2 (1996)
  20. ↑ Cronin, Brian. (April 15, 2017) CBR.com
  21. ↑ Englehart Steve. .
  22. ↑ "Joe Fridays – Week 9". Newsarama.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.