- “We should make some model egg sacks for the Science Fair. Who'd like to help me do that after school? I warn you, it's a delicate art, I'd have to work with you very closely, one on one...”
- ―The She-Mantis[src]
She-Mantis was a creature resembling a giant praying mantis. As a Kleptes-Virgo, she had the ability to assume the form of a human female in order to seduce, mate with, and kill virgin males. In 1997, she stole the identity of a retired teacher to pose as a substitute biology teacher at Sunnydale High School under the alias Natalie French.[1]
Biography[]
Dr. Ferris Carlyle discovered the existence of the She-Mantis after translating a lost pre-Germanic text but kept his findings secret until the creature killed several boys in the Cotswolds, England. Carlyle tracked the She-Mantis but was defeated and driven insane by the encounter. Even his colleague Rupert Giles, despite his knowledge of the supernatural, dismissed Carlyle's claims as delusional.[1]
In 1997, the She-Mantis killed Sunnydale High biology teacher Dr. Stephen Gregory and stole the identity of a retired teacher, Natalie French, to pose as a substitute biology teacher. Disguised as an attractive woman, she quickly captivated the male students in her class. When she asked for volunteers to help her make model egg sacs for the school science fair, several boys eagerly offered. Her first victim, Blayne Mall, was drugged during their meeting and imprisoned in a cage in her basement.[1]
She later targeted Alexander Harris, inviting him to her home under the pretense of finishing the egg sac models she claimed to have left there. After drugging him with a spiked martini, she imprisoned him in a cage beside Blayne. Before she could mate with them in her mantis form, Slayer Buffy Summers intervened. Using insect repellent and a recording of bat sonar provided by Giles, Buffy weakened the creature and ultimately killed her with a machete. Xander then destroyed the remaining eggs in the basement, though others remained hidden in the science classroom closet.[1]
Powers and abilities[]
She-Mantis in her true form.
The She-Mantis possessed the abilities of a praying mantis, which she could utilize even while in human form. She was capable of rotating her head 180 degrees and emitted pheromones that caused men to become infatuated with her. The creature was highly sensitive to insect repellent and bat sonar, both of which could disrupt her nervous system. Her predatory nature was so powerful that even the vampire Claw, who initially mistook her for a human, fled in terror upon sensing her true form.[1]
She used her powerful mandibles to bite off the heads of human males during mating, though the victim had to be a virgin. In her human guise, she ate sandwiches made with live crickets.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- She was portrayed by Musetta Vander.
- The puppet suit used to portray the She-Mantis' true form was originally created by Optic Nerve Studios for the science fiction series Babylon 5, as the underworld kingpin N'Grath.[citation needed] Musetta Vander also appeared on the show as a Mars Resistance fighter.
Appearances[]
Canonical[]
- "Teacher's Pet"
- "I Robot, You Jane" (Only mentioned)
- "Inca Mummy Girl" (Only mentioned)
- "What's My Line? Part Two" (Only mentioned)
- "Ted" (Only mentioned)
- "Phases" (Only mentioned)
- "Something Blue" (Only mentioned)
Other[]
- The Xander Years, Vol. 1
- The Willow Files, Vol. 1 (Only mentioned)
- Demons of the Hellmouth (Only in picture)