Welcome back to another edition of Demanded Characters. This week we continue our look at the dark side of the Fourth World. There is no doubt that the second wave of the Supers Powers line was all about New God love, and I think we will continue this thread in the DCUC line. This we take a look at someone who has been depicted both in an armored green suit and in a green costume. Of course we are talking about Mantis.
Last week Steppenwolf was our focus and it looks like the crowd thinks that the Hunter version should be the winner.
Mantis has a rather brief history in the DCU. Although he has been around for a long time as an ally to Darkseid, there is not much known about this creature from New Genesis. Mantis, like the rest of his race, is a humanoid insect; and Mantis himself rose to be their leader thanks to his loyalty to Darkseid. Because of this Darkseid granted him powers far beyond those of his people. His abilities are power based: he is able to charge up in his pod or absorb energy from his enemies in a fight. Again and again, even though his aid was welcome, this minion never came through for Darkseid.
There are two looks to this creature: the old Kirby style, and the Super Powers look. The Horsemen would make both into incredible figures, so lets take a look at each one.
Kirby Mantis:
This version of the character shows off his humanoid side more and seems to have a great deal of detail that could make him an incredible figure. The major colors of the suit really convey his insect-like origins, as well as the cape attached to his arms and legs which creates an almost wing-like appearance. My main concern is how Mattel would make this work and make it sturdy. This would be a case for cloth rather than plastic like they did in the JLU line. If it was fully attached it would hinder his range of motion. I still think this could make one of the better New Gods figures to date.
Super Powers:
The second choice is the more robotic Super Powers look of the character. While the other look seemed to embrace the humanoid side, this one emphasizes his insect roots. They both share the same color scheme. We know from the Horsemen’s Brainiac that they can do an incredible robot. I think the classic look is very boxy and squared off, but the Horsemen could do a little more of a stream lined look to give more range of motion. This could make him a must have for New Gods fans and the general public alike.
So DC fans: what version of this Darkseid minion do you want to see the Horsemen do?
Some images courtesy of Comic Vine
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