When we first met Mantis in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” she was Ego’s quiet and humble servant. He depended on her empathic powers to help him control his sleep on his mission to colonize entire galaxies and homogenize them into his own hungry planet. Before she met the Guardians, her time with Ego was the only life she had ever known — openly admitting to Drax (Dave Bautista) that she was not aware of social cues or customs.

Because of the way “Vol. 2” was structured, having the Guardians all separated on their own plotlines, Mantis’ screen time was mainly coupled with Drax, and though he’s a loveable and weird uncle, he’s not exactly the most empathetic character on the team. Though they shared enough sweet moments to still make their time together emotionally resonant, Mantis and her naivete coupled with Drax’s chaotic personality led to some of the most mean-spirited jokes aimed at Mantis’ expense — something that always felt at odds with the otherwise sweet thematic core of the series.

A running gag that outstayed its welcome throughout “Vol. 2” had Drax expressing how Mantis is horrifyingly ugly to him. Though the joke is supposed to be aimed at Drax’s aloofness, it felt cruel to imply that after the lonely life she’s led, her attractiveness is tied to her sole value. Coupled with her minor role in the film, all of these traits made Mantis reflect the stereotypical role of a submissive Asian woman. One of the more powerful members of the Guardians of the Galaxy was disappointingly translated into something more undignified; she didn’t even get to co-exist in the group shot without getting hit by a falling rock as a gag.