MENTACLEMENTACLE
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Rigellian)
mutant
Occupation: Former
champion of the Grandmaster
Group Membership: The Galactic Council (Captain Val-Lorr, Emperor Stone, Empress Kuga, Empress Victoria, Zoralis Gupa, Marvel Boy/Noh-Varr of Reality-200080, Nova Prime/Richard Rider, Oracle-2, Paibok the Power Skrull,
Peacebringer, Riitho, Smasher/Izzy Kane, Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Orbis
Stellaris, Nymbis Sternhoof, Super-Skrull/Kl'rt), Lethal Legion (The
Blood
Brothers, Captain Glory/Glah-Ree, Drall, Ferene the Other, Metal
Master/Molyn)
Affiliations: Brawn (Amadeus Cho), Deathbird
(Cal'ysee Neramani), Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom), Emperor J'son, the
Galactic Council, Gladiator (Kallark), Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast), Hulk
(Bruce Banner), Hulkling (Dorrek VIII), Lethal Legion, Majestrix
Xandra, Oracle (Sibyl), Perrikus, the Profiteer, Rocket Raccoon, Ronan the Accuser, Smasher (Izzy Kane), Storm (Ororo Munroe), S.W.O.R.D. (Abigail Brand, Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, Manifold/Eden Fesi, Wiz-Kid/Takeshi Matsuya), Wiccan (Billy Kaplan)
Enemies: The Avengers (Brother
Voodoo/Jericho Drumm, Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Citizen V/Bobby DaCosta,
Falcon/Sam Wilson, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Hercules/Heracles,
Lightning/Miguel Santos, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Rogue/Anna Marie,
Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Synapse/Emily Guerrero, Thor/Jane Foster,
Wasp/Janet Van Dyne, Wonder Man/Simon Williams), the Black Order (Black Dwarf, Black Swan/Yabbat
Ummon Turru, Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Supergiant),
Hulk (Bruce Banner), Red Wolf (Earth-59120), Voyager (Va Nee Gast)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Squid-Bot" (insult from Lightning)
Base of Operations: Ala's Bar, Knowhere
First Appearance: Avengers VI#676 (March, 2018)
Powers/Abilities: Unlike other Rigellians, Mentacle possessed tentacles where her legs should be. These tentacles allowed for rapid movement and she could whip the tentacles at enemies as an attack.
Mentacle possessed vast psionic abilities, including
telepathy that allow her to read, control or even erase the minds of
others, and telekinesis sufficient to levitate herself and even
superhumanly strong and durable others, as well as generate telekinetic
barriers strong enough to prevent psychic entities from astrally
possessing other beings.
Height: 3'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 50 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Various (see comments)
Hair: None
History:
(Avengers VI#687 (fb)) - When the Elders of the Universe Grandmaster
and Challenger decided to play a game of champions against one another,
the Grandmaster chose the Rigellian alien Mentacle to join his "Lethal
Legion."
(Avengers VI#681 (fb)) - Mentacle was
summoned alongside the various other aliens chosen by Grandmaster and forced to participate in
the Grandmaster's Lethal Legion, champions he
hoped would win the game against his fellow Elder of the Universe, the Challenger.
Grandmaster tasked Mentacle and the others with defeating the
Challenger's champions, the Black Order, warning that if they failed,
they would be returned to certain death. Grandmaster also told Mentacle
and the Lethal Legion that they would defeat the Black Order by
obtaining cosmic pyramoids for game points.
(Avengers VI#676 / Black Panther & the Agents of Wakanda I#3 (fb)) - Mentacle was sent to Wade el
Rayan, Egypt on Earth alongside her Lethal Legion teammates and the
Challenger's Black Order champions. The Black Order immediately went on
the attack, forcing Mentacle and the others to reciprocate. The Black
Order's Supergiant quickly tried to possess the body of the Lethal
Legion's Captain Glory but Mentacle used her own mental powers to
generate a psychic shield that repelled Supergiant. The battle was soon
interrupted when the Grandmaster and Challenger told the combatants
that the rules of engagement had to be followed and neither was to
attack until the cosmic pyramoids were in play. The two groups then
went their separate ways and one of the Blood Brothers asked Mentacle
to mind-blast the Black Order's Ebony Maw if he later tried to shift
out of their way. Mentacle agreed, promising to isolate and punish the
Black Order.
(Avengers VI#677) - After one of the pyramoids
appeared in Rome, Italy, Mentacle and a squad of Lethal Legion members
also arrived and began attempting to acquire the pyramoids to score a
point in the Grandmaster and Challenger's game. As a squad of Avengers
arrived on the scene, Mentacle kept herself rooted to the ground with
her tentacles while generating a telekinetic barrier to shield one of
the Blood Brothers, who leapt at the pyramoid. When the Avengers began
to interfere, Mentacle focused her attacks on Lightning while her
Lethal Legion teammates battled some of the other Avengers. After the
Metal Master took down most of the Avengers by controlling Thor's
hammer, Mjolnir, Mentacle stopped Cannonball in mid-air with a
telekinetic barrier but was grounded herself by Quicksilver, who
slammed Mentacle face-first into the dirt.
(Avengers VI#678) - Mentacle and the other members of
her Lethal Legion squad stood over the paralyzed form of the Avengers'
Quicksilver, who had been frozen in stasis mid-run. When the other
Avengers went on the offensive, Mentacle disabled Hercules with a mind
blast intended to take over his mind and was quickly disabled herself
by Lightning, who blasted the ground beneath Mentacle. Mentacle soon
regained her footing and renewed her attacks when the Black Order
arrived on the scene as well, unaware that the Grandmaster was watching
the Lethal Legion's progress. The battle was halted, however, when the
Black Order's Black Dwarf touched the pyramoid and was seemingly
eradicated as Mentacle and the other combatants stopped in their tracks.
(Avengers VI#681 (fb) - BTS) - Mentacle discussed
with the Lethal Legion's leader, the Kree Captain Glory, that should
the opportunity present itself, Mentacle would telepathically force a
member of the Lethal Legion to touch one of the pyramoids.
(Avengers VI#681) - When a pyramoid appeared in New
Mexico, Mentacle and her Lethal Legion teammates battled the Avengers
at the appearance site. During the battle, Mentacle attempted to whip
Citizen V with her tentacles and eventually succeeded in hitting him
with a mind blast as she ordered him to yield. While the he Avenger
Rogue saw an image of Mentacle and the Lethal Legion after absorbing
the essence of the Black Order's Corvus Glaive and learned of the game
between Grandmaster and Challenger, Mentacle was intrigued by Citizen
V's exclamations of "Red triangle!" Telepathically digging deeper into
Citizen V's mind, Mentacle learned that the phrase "red triangle" was
post-hypnotic command placed within Citizen V's mind by Professor
Charles Xavier to aid against mental attack. Recognizing Xavier's name
from Rigellian files, Mentacle remarked that Xavier was merely an
average psionic by Rigellian standards. Mentacle then telepathically
mapped Citizen V's minds and prepared to completely erase it before
Falcon flew in and kicked her. As Mentacle recovered, Falcon grabbed
Citizen V and flew out of Mentacle's telepathic range. Moments later,
as Lethal Legion member Drall distracted the Avengers, Captain Glory
had Mentacle do as they had earlier discussed and she began
telepathically forcing one of the Blood Brothers towards the pyramoid.
(Avengers
VI#682) - After the Blood Brother was stopped by the arrival of the
Avenger Hawkeye and his ally Red Wolf, Mentacle and the Lethal Legion
renewed their battle with the Avengers, with Mentacle attacking
Hawkeye, Red Wolf and Synapse at the same time with her tentacles. When
Hawkeye fired an arrow at Mentacle, she boasted that she was inside his
mind before he had even fired such a "primitive projectile" and that
physical attacks were useless again her, unaware that the Wasp had
shrank down and flown near here. The Wasp then flew at Mentacle,
enlarging to her normal size as she did so, busting the side of
Mentacle's helmet with a growth-powered punch. Wasp then asked Mentacle
if distractions worked on her. Before Mentacle could fully regain her
bearings, Falcon dove into her as Red Wolf touched the pyramoid,
removing it from the field.
(Avengers
VI#684) - Mentacle and Captain Glory managed to escape the Avengers,
thanks to a little mental suggestion from Mentacle. Captain Glory
remarked that there was no point in running but Mentacle disagreed,
feeling that their escape would buy them time to regroup but Glory
grimly claimed the Lethal Legion no longer existed, as the other
members had fallen. The Challenger's secret weapon, the incredible
Hulk, then arrived at Mentacle and Captain Glory's location and
severely injured Captain Glory's spine. Trying to calm Captain Glory,
Mentacle attempted to reach into the Hulk's mind but found herself
disabled by the sheer rage inside Hulk's mind, screaming "no!"
(Avengers VI#690) - Following the defeat of both
Grandmaster and the Challenger, Mentacle joined her Lethal Legion
teammates at Ala's Bar in Knowhere, where she asked her teammate Ferene
if she was leaving the group. Ferene replied in the affirmative,
claiming her time with the Lethal Legion had reached its end but
Captain Glory suggested Mentacle and the others remained together.
(S.W.O.R.D. II#6 (fb) - BTS) - Mentacle was
apparently recaptured by the Rigellians and convicted with a sentence
of two years of diplomatic service.
(Guardians
of the Galaxy VI#7 (fb) - BTS) - As part of her diplomatic services,
Mentacle was the Rigellian delegate at a "meeting of the Galactic
Powers" aboard the Proscenium in the unaffiliated space at the Galactic
Rim, alongside Kymellian ambassador Nymbis Sternhoof, Zn'rx Emperor
Stote, Kree Captain Val-Lorr (subaltern to Kl'rt, second diplomate for
the Kree/Skrull Alliance), Shi'ar representative Oracle-2, Nova Prime
(Richard Rider, acting ambassador extraordinary for Earth), Zoralis
Gupa (native of Silnius, representing the Galactic Rim Collective),
Empress Victoria (Queen of Spartax), Chitauri diplomat-drone
Peacebringer, Noh-Varr (aka Marvel Boy, diplomat for the Utopian Kree
of Reality-200080), Kl'rt (aka Super-Skrull, first diplomat of the
Kree/Skrull Alliance) and the Profiteer (who was secretly posing as the
Badoon Sisterhood''s Lani Ko Ako and sought to prevent an alliance in
order to be able to sell more weapons). When Emperor Stote departed to
use the bathroom, Mentacle telepathically confirmed his intent.
Changing form, the Profiteer mortally wounded Emperor Stote in the
bathroom.
(Guardians of the Galaxy VII#7) - After Nova, Noh-Varr and "Lani Ko Ako" arrived. Nymbis questioned the absence of Stote and Mentacle confirmed his intent, leading to objections on the use "aggressive telepathy."
(Guardians of the Galaxy VII#7 -
BTS / (Guardians of the Galaxy VII#8 (fb) - BTS) - Noh-Varr discovered
Stote seconds before he died, noting that one of the delegates was a
shapechanger. Assuming Noh-Varr to be the murderer, Val-Lorr fired on
him and was slain by his own weapon (which had been designed and
distributed by the Profiteer so that it would slay the wielder if he or
she fired on a Utopian Kree).
(Guardians of the Galaxy VII#7) -
The sound of the gunshot drew Kl'rt and then the other representatives,
and Noh-Varr was accused of murdering both parties. Rocket (Raccoon)
was designated as an impartial party to investigate the double murder.
(Guardians of the Galaxy VII#8) -
During the investigation, Mentacle telepathically confirmed that
Oracle, Noh-Varr, Kl'rt and Zoralis Gupa were all innocent. After
Peacebringer set off a countdown on its explosives, intending to offer
peace in the form of quick and merciful death, Rocket correctly
identified "Lani Ko Ako" as an impostor and as the Profiteer, having
masked her thoughts from all of the telepaths in the room. Reports of
assaults by Knull stripping multiple planets of life in moments
convinced the Profiteer to abandon the idea of causing war as recent
events could bankrupt the galactic economy and make the various races
unable to afford the Profiteer's weapons. She therefore teleported away
with the Peacebringer, saving all of those present in the Proscenium.
(S.W.O.R.D.
II#6 / Wakanda I#2 (fb)) - As part of another meeting of Galactic
Powers, Mentacle visited S.W.O.R.D. "Peak" headquarters, where Abigail
Brand informed the Powers of how they had installed a sister station
called the Keep and how S.W.O.R.D. had begun the process of settling
Mars with mutants from Arrako. When Nymbis Sternhoof asked why the
Galactic council should care, noting that he didn't wish to be rude,
Mentacle announced her status as a telepath and revealed that Sternhoof
actually did intend to be rude. She then listened as Brand offered the
mysterium metal to any of the Council's populations in exchange for
acknowledge of Arrako as the capital of the Sol system, accepting the
terms on behalf of the Rigellians as a technological necessity for
planetary expansion. When Doctor Doom appeared and demanded to know who
spoke for Mars and the Sol system, Mentacle and the other Council
members were shocked at the revelation that the mutant Storm was the
acting regent for Mars.
(Phoenix I#4) - Aboard the New
Proscenium, Mentacle again represented the "House of Rigel" in the
Galactic Council alongside Nymbis Sternhoof, the Skrull Paibok
(representing the Kree/Skrull Alliance), Smasher (Izzy Kane,
representative of the Shi'ar Empire) and Empress Kuga of the Zn'rx
Empire. Gladiator (Kallark) spoke to the group, asserting that the
Phoenix (Jean Grey) was a danger that they must control. Mentacle
argued that she had so posed no threat and that they could not charge
her for crimes not yet committed but Gladiator insisted that the
Phoenix had lost control in the past and that many, many lives were
lost because of it. He asserted that the Galactic Council was
responsible for doing everything in their power to protect their
peoples. He then introduced the Dark God Perrikus, who showed them as
Phoenix battled Gorr the God-Butcher.
(Phoenix
I#5) - After Phoenix resurrected from death and transformed Gorr into a
star to nourish an entire ecosystem of planets, Mentacle agreed with
Gladiator, asking what their purpose was if the Phoenix was dispensing
her justice at will and noting that there should be a process. Phoenix
spoke to the Council, explaining that All-Black had replaced Gorr's
heart and that she had to divest him of this weapon, which would have
been fatal, and so she made something good come from his death.
Gladiator terminated the communication and Perrikus promised to deal
with the Phoenix in exchange for Thanos taking over leadership of the
Galactic Council.
(Imperial
I#1) - Mentacle was present with the Galactic Council and numerous
representatives of extraterrestrial races when Emperor J'son revealed
the murder of Spartax's Empress Victoria and proclaimed one of the
aliens present to be the murderer. Shocked at the accusation, Mentacle
questioned several other Rigellians near here as to what J'son had just
said.
Comments: Created by Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub and Pepe Larraz.
It was never explained how Mentacle became the way
she was, as most Rigellians have legs instead of tentacles. Perhaps she
was a Rigellian mutant? Or was mutated into that form somehow?
Update 6/9/2025: S.W.O.R.D. II#6 confirmed that Mentacle was indeed a Rigellian mutant...
Writer and Mentacle co-creator had this to say about
coming up with Mentacle:
"I remember we were discussing who'd be on the all-new Lethal Legion--I
think we'd already decided at that point that it was going to be all
aliens, and a mix of older characters and newer ones. So we had the
Blood Brothers in there, we had a new Metal Master, there was a new
Captain Glory who was basically 'what if the Kree had a Captain
America,' and later on, Jim gifted us a couple of fab new alien
villains, with backstories and everything. But at that moment, in the
room, we'd decided we needed someone with mental powers. Someone from
Rigel, maybe? What would they be called?
I had a sudden flash of inspiration.
'MENTACLE!'
It burst out of my face like Orson Welles advertising peas, or a mad scientist declaring their creation lived. Everybody collapsed with laughter--even I had to agree there was no way we were calling a character 'Mentacle' in the Year of Our Lord 2017. And then we did anyway, mostly because we couldn't stop saying 'Mentacle' to each other. Obviously, I regret nothing.
At first we dismissed the brilliance of Mentacle, but it soon *ahem* wormed its way into our consciousness. We couldn't let go of that ridiculous name...but was it ridiculous? Didn't it sound like the exact kind of thing Stan Lee would've announced with bombastic aplomb back in the days of Merry Marvel? Weren't we trying to recapture a bit of that classic 'heroes versus villains' simplicity? If there's a Mr. Fantastic, and a Sub-Mariner, and a Magneto, surely we could envision the glory that is Mentacle, the mental tentacle?
Mentacle.
Say it and know that name means power. Buy a dozen copies of AVENGERS#676, Mentacle's first appearance, and store them somewhere safe as an investment in your financial future."
Mentacle's
eye color seem to change issue by issue. Most of the time, her eyes
appear orange but some issues have them appearing to be pink, white,
blue and yellow. Perhaps they change color as she uses her powers or
based on her emotional state?
Profile by Proto-Man (Guardians of the Galaxy & Phoenix updates by Snood).
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mentacle has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Avengers VI#676, p10-11, splash page (Mentacle, fullbody)
Avengers VI#676, p12, pan4 (Mentacle, headshot)
Black Panther & the Agents of Wakanda I#3, p1, pan3 (Mentacle battling Lethal Legion, as seen from behind)
Avengers VI#678, p3, splash page (Mentacle on rocky ground)
Avengers VI#681, p2-3, splash page (Mentacle whipping her tentacles)
Avengers VI#681, p13, pan4 (Mentacle using telepathy)
Avengers VI#682, p8, pan2 (Mentacle vs. Wasp)
Avengers VI#684, p22, pan2 (Mentacle, telekinetically flying)
Guardians of the Galaxy VI#7, p8-9, pan6 (Mentacle at Galactic Council meeting)
S.W.O.R.D. II#6, p8, pan1 (Mentacle headshot while pointing)
Wakanda I#2, p8, pan3 (Mentacle sitting among the Galactic Council)
Phoenix I#5, p13, pan3 (Mentacle, headshot with yellow eyes)
Imperial I#1, p30-31, splash page (Mentacle amongst numerous alien races)
Appearances:
Avengers VI#676 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers),
Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#677 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers),
Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#678 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers),
Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#681 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers),
Kim Jacinto, Mike Perkins (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#682 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers), Sean Izaakse (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#684 (May, 2018) - Jim Zub, Mark Waid, Al Ewing (writers), Paco Medina, Joe Bennett (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#687 (June, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers), Paco Medina (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#690 (June, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers), Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Black Panther & the Agents of Wakanda I#3 (January, 2020) - Jim Zub
(writer), Lan Medina (pencils), Craig Yeung (inks), Wil Moss (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy VI#7 (December, 2020) - Al Ewing (writer), Marcio Takara (art), Darren Shan, Mark Basso (editors)
Guardians of the Galaxy VI#8 (January, 2021) - Al Ewing (writer), Marcio Takara (art), Darren Shan, Mark Basso (editors)
S.W.O.R.D. II#6 (August, 2021) - Al Ewing (writer), Valerio Schiti (art), Jordan D. White (editor)
Wakanda I#2 (January, 2023) - "Reverberations" story - Evan Narcisse,
Adam Serwer (writers), Ibraim Roberson (art), Wil Moss (editor)
Phoenix I#4 (December, 2024) - Stephanie Phillips (writer), Alessandro Miracolo (art), Annalise Bissa (editor)
Phoenix I#5 (January, 2025) - Stephanie Phillips (writer), Alessandro Miracolo, Marco Renna (art), Annalise Bissa (editor)
Imperial I#1 (August, 2025) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Iban Coello,
Federico Vicentini (art), Annalise Bissa, Tom Brevoort (editors)
First Posted: 06/03/2018
Last updated: 06/09/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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