Vengeance in Viet Nam - or - An Origin for Mantis!

Following their battle with the Zodiac cartel, Mantis receives a bombshell revelation that Libra is actually her father. Mantis cannot believe it as she only ever remembers being a homeless orphan who grew up on the streets of Vietnam. However, Libra explains that he only rescued the Avengers from space because he thought Mantis was among them and had no reason to fabricate this deception. However, the other Avengers suggest turning the rest of the Zodiac over to the authorities before delving into this mystery.

Once they are back at Avengers Mansion, Mantis continues to disbelieve Libra’s claims. Angered by what he is saying, she tries to expose him as a fraud by ripping off Libra’s blindfold. She is horrified to discover that Libra truly is blind as his eyes have been horrifically burned. He hopes this is enough to convince her that he is on the level and decides to tell his story. About 21 years ago, Libra was a soldier of fortune from Germany who joined up with the French military during a conflict in Vietnam.[1]

During a lull in the fighting, the man who would become Libra met and fell in love with a local woman named Lua. After a few months, the lovers soon got married. This was against the wishes of her brother a notorious crime boss named Monsieur Khruul.[2] When Khruul attempted to kill them, the newlyweds went into hiding and a few months later Lua gave birth to their daughter. Tragically, the past caught up with them and Khruul’s men lit their home on fire. Lua died, and her husband managed to escape into the jungle with their daughter, although his eyes were horribly burned in the process.

He wandered blindly through the jungle for days until he came across the hidden temple of a group who called themselves the Priests of Pama. They provided refuge for the future Libra and his daughter, however, they insisted on raising the infant in their ways and teaching her martial arts. Libra was forbidden from seeing his daughter but was also similarly trained by the Priests. For some reason, the priests worshiped her and soon the daughter he knew and loved was erased by what the Priests of Pama molded her into and so he eventually left.[4]

Not only does Mantis refuse to believe this story, she also attempts to attack Libra. Her fellow Avengers try to hold her back but she manages to fend off even Thor with her martial arts skills. When he finally gets to attack Libra, he matches her attacks with the same level of skill, pointing out that he received the same martial arts training she had. It’s only when Mantis is restrained that she notices that the Swordsman abruptly left in the middle of Libra’s tale. That’s when they hear a Quinjet take off from the roof. Iron Man races to the radio and demands the Swordsman explain what he is doing. He tells his teammates that he is heading to Vietnam to get revenge against Monsieur Khruul, ignoring their warnings that he still hasn’t fully healed from his injuries.[5] The Avengers try to go after him when they realize they left their only operational Quinjet in New Jersey, prompting Iron Man to go and recover it.[6]

With a head start, the Swordsman soon arrives outside Khruul’s hideout. However, when he tries to attack the mobster he is overpowered by his two massive bodyguards. Later, when the other Avengers have arrived they find the Swordsman alone and tied up. He tells them that Khruul tortured him and he revealed why he had come. Learning about the Priests of Pama, Khruul had decided to go to their secret temple and slaughter them all. Racing to the temple, the Avengers are horrified to discover all the priests have been murdered. That’s when they are attacked by Krhuul’s bodyguards. Earth’s mightiest heroes make short work of them. Searching for their master, Mantis is drawn to the lower levels of the temple when she hears an anguished scream. There they find Khruul has been horribly gored by some creature. His final words to them are to beware a creature called the Star Stalker. With the mobster now dead, the Avengers wonder what he meant, unaware that a reptilian creature prepares to attack them from above.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Black Panther, Vision, Mantis), Zodiac (Taurus, Libra, Capricorn, Leo, Cancer), Star Stalker, Mister Khruul, Priests of Pama

Continuity Notes

1. This story states that Gustav Brandt fought in the Vietnam War, however, this is a topical reference (see below). Per History of the Marvel Universe #2, it’s entirely probable that Brandy fought in the Sin-Cong Conflict. For more on that, go here.

2. The Avengers remember Khruul as the mobster who employed the Swordsman before he went straight, as detailed last issue.

3. Mantis uses a death grip against Thor that she previously used in Avengers #114.

4. This is only a partial origin for Mantis. The Priests of Pama are revealed to be descendants of a pacifist sect of the Kree next issue. Giant-Size Avengers #4 goes into more detail about her upbringing and training. The Priests of Pama were training her to be the Celestial Madonna.

5. Swordsman is still recovering from an infected gunshot wound he sustained in Avengers #117.

6. Iron Man mentions here that Captain America has been framed for murder. That happened in Captain America #169. This is part of a grander scheme played out by the Secret Empire, whom Cap defeats in issue #175 of his own series.

Topical References

• Libra states that he was a soldier of fortune who came to Vietnam with the French military in 1953, the early days of the Vietnam War. All of these references should be considered topical (see above). Modern Readers should interpret this flashback as taking place 21 years prior to the main story as opposed to a specific date. (This is determined by subtracting the year of 1974 publication date and subtracting it with 1953. This is supported by the fact that Mantis appears to be in her early 20s here)

• Dated references: Richard Nixon