Black Manta

Promotional poster

Action-adventure

***Black Manta*** is a science fantasy action-adventure limited series based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is set within the DC Cinematic Universe, acknowledging the continuity of the franchise's films and acts as sequel to *Aquaman* (2014). *Black Manta* is produced by DC Films in association with Bron Creative, Village Roadshow Pictures, and Warner Bros. Television. The series premiered on HBO Max on September 9, 2022 in its entirety.

The series, set five years after *Aquaman*, details David Hyde suffering an Atlantean curse that is rapidly changing his body which causes him to embark on a quest to uncover the forgotten history of Atlantis, discover his true heritage, and contend with an adversarial doppelganger known as "Devil Ray".

The series began development as a potential film, slated for a Summer 2016 release but WB shelved it following the mixed reception of *Aquaman*. Seeking to explore the character more, writer Elijah Davis rewrote his initial draft for the film, drawing story elements from the 2021 limited series *Black Manta; also* taking influences from films like *Passenger 57 (1992)* and *John Wick (2014)*. The project was put into production as a series in early 2022 with filming taking place in Ethiopia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and at NewGround Studios in Los Angeles. The series were handled by The Moving Picture Company.

*Black Manta* received widespread critical acclaim for its performances, writing, visuals, score, and action sequences, as well as commendation for highlighting the atrocities of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The series received several awards, including 11 nominations and 7 wins at the Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Limited Series; Ogalue for Best Actor for a Limited Series; and Issa for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.

## Premise

Five years after his defeat at the hands of Aquaman, David Hyde discovers that an encounter with an Atlantean stone has given him terminal brain cancer. Embarking on a journey with Gallous the Goat, his protégé and broker, he must uncover the forgotten history of Atlantis in order to cure himself while also dealing with the emergence of a copycat known as "Devil Ray".

## Cast

* Adewale Ogalue as David Hyde/Black Manta; Omari Hardwick appears in the first episode as David, reprising his role from *Aquaman* (2014) but chiefly plays David's father Jesse throughout the series. The role was recast due to Hyde's younger appearance in the story.
* Ayisha Issa as Gallous the Goat
* Deborah Oyelade as Torrid
* Josh Ssettuba as Devil Ray
* Alexander Ludwig as Orin/Arthur Curry/Aquaman
* Emilia Clarke as Mera
* David Gyasi as Doctor Mist
* Nicole Dele as Thnita
* Angus Yellowlees as Murk
* Peter Facinelli as Orm
* Stephen Yuen as Stephen Shin
* Sofia Boutella as Belphegor
* Simon Pegg as the voice of James Craddock/Gentlemen Ghost
* Kevin Carter as Kembe
* Wesley Snipes as Roe the Deserter

## Episodes

### Episode 1 (Sins)

In 1999, a 13 year-old David Hyde sits aboard his father Jesse Hyde's mercenary vessel. He watches with admiration as his father gets his gear and weapons together. In 2014, an adult David Hyde is pulled from the sea by a fishing boat whose inhabitants are frightened by his armored appearance, despite him being grievously wounded. As the fishermen clamor about David's body, his helmet powers up before he springs to his feet and kills the fishermen. After killing everyone on the boat, David collapses. In the present day near Metropolis, a young Black man and his two accomplices, Orange and Red, stage a sophisticated infiltration of the Museum of Natural History where the young man retrieves an old tome from an African exhibit. Using the tome, he conjures a portal to his lair and begins creating a weapon. Meanwhile beneath the Atlantic Ocean, David Hyde pilots a high-tech submarine with his "apprentice" Gallous the Goat, having lost or fired most of the mercenaries on his payroll. David and Gallous argue about his declining health which culminates in him becoming so worked up that he vomits blood. She suggests they get him medical attention and he reluctantly agrees, giving her a bearing. David then lies down while she pilots the sub, reminiscing. In a flashback to 2014, the wounded David seeks out marine biologist Stephen Shin who enlists the aid of a colleague to treat David's wounds. Shin asks David about Atlantis which triggers a violent flashback. It is revealed that after his battle with Aquaman, David sank to the seafloor where he came in contact with a mysterious Atlantean stone which is possibly the reason he is alive. In the present, David seemingly suffers a painful aneurysm. Arriving in the Boston Harbor, Gallous and David meet with Shin whom David berates his condition due to the stone. David angrily demands to know what is happening to him as he removes his helmet, revealing he is now inexplicably younger.

### Episode 2 (Torrents)

In Hades, a young woman awakens from a stone prison, delirious and angry. She encounters several demonic creatures which she kills easily but spares the last one as it seems to speak to her telepathically. She then mounts the beast and escape Hades, emerging from beneath Themyscira. Enchanted by the mysterious stone necklace around her neck, the young woman decides to follow its beckoning as the beast sprouts wings and they both fly away. In Boston, Shin explains that the stone David encountered beneath the sea is called Orichalcum and its has mysterious magical properties, ultimately surmising that the only people who know what's happening to David are Atlanteans. Gallous questions if humans are able to access this stone's properties, with she and Shin coming to the conclusion that David may be Atlantean. David dismisses the idea but reveals he does know the history of Atlantis, adding that perhaps there is a link. He suggests that he may know a way to find out more about Orichalcum, telling Gallous they must go to Long Island. Elsewhere in Jamaica, the Atlantean Orm, who has been hiding out as a human named Louis DeChamp, discovers the tome has been stolen from the Metropolis Museum which he recognizes as familiar. Frightened, he ventures out to the sea and dives in, headed for Atlantis. In Long Island near the Hamptons, David and Gallous infiltrate a high society party where David is looking for a man named James Craddock. Noticing that David is using his high-tech arsenal to find Craddock, she discovers that he has been dead since the early 1900s and becomes confused. David discovers that the entire party is possessed by Craddock and a battle ensues with Gallous begging David not to kill anyone. The two are victorious and David is able to capture Craddock's ghost, hoping to use the ghost's ability of interdimensional travel to travel back to Atlantis' first age. Elsewhere in Central City, the young man is arrested by Central City PD as the cops taunt and insult him with racial slurs. He begins a lengthy monologue about the oppression of Black people as well as the erasure and disregard of their history, citing that everyone is supposed to "remember the Holocaust but forget slavery". He then tells them he is everywhere and his people will take back what's theirs before disappearing into a puddle of water. Simultaneously, boats and ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean mysteriously combust, creating massive casualties and gaining the attention of the underwater nation Atlantis. Back in Metropolis, the young man is revealed to be using a Orichalcum stone to carry out his attack via aquakinetic sorcery. His accomplices ask him what happens next and he tells them that they "take back Atlantis".

### Episode 3 (The Rise of Devil Ray)

In Atlantis, King Orin and Queen Mera tend to their son Arthur Jr. while discussing the current state of Atlantis. They are informed that Orm has returned to Atlantis which prompts them to schedule an emergency meeting with the delegates of the other city-states: Lord Ronal of Crastinus, Prime Minister Topo of Lemuria, Emissary Coral of Neptunos, King Nanaue Sha'ark of Nanauve, General Lori Lemaris of Tritonis, and First Citizen Calvin Durham of Shayeris. Orm attempts to explain what the tome that the young man stole means to Atlantis when a mysterious red powder appears in the water which begins to suffocate the Atlanteans as Orin and Mera are escorted to safety. With his dying breath, Orm sees the culprit: the young man, who is now wearing an armored suit similar to David's, who introduces himself as "Devil Ray". He initiates a broadcast to all of Atlantis, warning them that this is just the beginning before he decapitates Orm's corpse and departs. Using his Atlantean magic, Devil Ray returns to his hideout where he informs his Orange and Red that he plans to use the Orichalcum to an Atlantean trident to rival the power of Atlan's trident. He tasks the two with melting down the stone but the exposure to the Orichalcum causes Orange and Red to convulse and vomit blood before dying. Upset at their deaths, Devil Ray kneels over Red and begins to tell her corpses that he did care for her but couldn't express it at the expense of his vision. In a flashback, it is revealed that Devil Ray's older brother was mercenary who was working for David was murdered by Queen Mera during their battle. He idolized David Hyde for seemingly "standing up" to the Atlanteans but knows he couldn't never forgive them. However, his idolization and admiration faded once his brother died and David Hyde disappeared after his battle with Aquaman. Through David's journal and research, he discovered the true history of Atlantis and sought to liberate it for Black people in order for them to have freedom and peace of mind. Devil Ray then resolves to finish forging the trident himself, beginning the tedious work with the aid of his high-tech suit. Back in Atlantis, King Orin and his advisor Murk order for the corpses of the delegates to be taken to their science center for a specific autopsy. Murk asks Orin if he thinks that David Hyde is alive but Orin maintains that he killed and watched him die. Murk then apologizes to the King and Orin somberly stares at the hook that used to be his left hand. He then asks Murk what Atlantis did to deserve such hostility. Later, Orin returns to the royal chambers where he finds Mera and his son. She tells him that she fears for their son's safety and will do anything to protect but Orin hopes it will not come to that, remaining diplomatic. Mera grows angry, wondering how he can be diplomatic when Atlanteans have to violence from the surface world. As the baby begins to cry, she leaves to calm him as Orin sits pensively in his chamber. Elsewhere, Devil Ray takes the corpses of Orange and Red to sea where he realizes that the Orichalcum is harmful to human DNA. He throws the corpses into the sea before returning to his lair where he reconfigures his computer, with the help of the tome, to scan for Atlantean DNA, specifically that of a figure known as "the Deserter". In the Hamptons, David and Gallous bring Craddock to the shore of a beach. Gallous advises David against it but he uses a small piece of Orichalcum, supplied by Shin, to enable Craddock to project him into the past. As Craddock is skeptical, Gallous explains he may be able to work the stone in "reverse". He gives Gallous a kill switch to vaporize the ghost before he begins to convulse violently and collapses. He then awakens in ancient Atlantis, days before its sinking.

### Episode 4 (Roots of My People)

In 1000 BC, a man named Roe prepares for his tribe's departure from Atlantis. He is greeted by a young man named Kembe who asks him why they are leaving and Roe explains that King Atlan has a trident but no knowledge of its true power, adding that this entitlement will trickle down his bloodline for generations. He further explains that he vowed to give his life to the throne but not the lives of his family or tribe. Kembe asks where they will go and Roe reveals to him a fleet of advanced aerial transports, similar in design to David's armor and nautical vehicles. Roe says they will go to the "land of trident's masters" which happens to be Africa. In 1526, a man who looks similar to Kembe lies naked and chained in a hold filled with African men and women who are also naked; sick and dying from the ship's unsanitary conditions. He watches helplessly as the Portuguese slavers descend into the hold, They forcibly take one of the young women who cries in agony as they drag her up the stairs, her mother watches in horror, calling out to the Orisha to save her daughter. Time passes and a terrible storm jostles the ship as the violent torrents of the sea threaten to drown everyone in the hold as the young man hears the cries of an infant. He begins shouting in Xhosa for them to save the child, prompting the slaves to try to lift the child above the water but the ship takes on too much water and half of the slaves drown, including the child. The next day as the storm dies out, the slavers bring the slaves on the upper deck for inspection which allows the young man to see the condition of his people: they are starved, exhausted, sickly, and defeated. The sun beams down on their brown skin as he sees the young woman that the slavers raped, her skin covered in bruises, cuts, and welts. She looks in the eyes of the young man before she throws herself overboard which enrages him as he attempts to attack a slaver. He is subsequently stabbed and thrown overboard, plunging into the water below. Underwater, he sees more corpses of his people but also spots two Atlantean scouts who watch as the African bodies sink to the ocean floor. In 1999, Jesse Hyde and a young David sail on a small boat where he tells his son about the horrors the slaves endured during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, prompting him to tell David about Atlantis which he believes is a safe haven for all those descended from the slaves who leapt overboard who he optimistically believes were saved by Atlanteans. David proclaims that one day they'll find it together and embrace their birthright. Days later, Jesse gathers his men and his gear for the dive to Atlantis, believing he has finally discovered its location. Jesse delivers a rousing speech to his men, explaining that their lives as pirates and mercenaries have been to create a better life for the generations to come as well as taking what they deserve because the world doesn't care for the plight of Black folk. Jesse's crew cheers him on, calling him "**Black Manta**" as they begin their dive. He tells David that Atlantis will be their new home before Jesse and the crew dive into the sea. Jesse leads his men to Atlantis' capital city Posideonis where they are greeted by Atlantean soldiers whom Jesse happily greets in an Atlantean dialect. He is successful in requesting an audience with the Atlantean King and Queen, calmly telling his crew to relinquish their weapons which they do. The Atlanteans lead Joseph before King Orvax and Queen Atlanna while his crew is forced to wait outside. Jesse tells them to remember the signal if the Atlanteans try anything. King Orvax simply seeks to discern who Jesse is and how he knew how to find Atlantis, with an intent to silence before he can warn the surface world of Atlantis' presence. Jesse reveals that he simply seeks a section of Atlantis for his people as he is partially Atlantean, descended from the Lost Tribe. Atlanna tells Orvax that they should consider what Joseph and welcome his people as there is truth to his words because no surface dweller could know about the Lost Tribe. Orvax urges Atlanna away, promising he will honor Jesse's people. After she leaves, he orders Jesse and his crew to be killed. Jesse silently gives his signal to his men, causing a skirmish. He kills the royal guards and engages Orvax with the two brutally fighting. Jesse manages to kill Orvax but is mortally wounded. Stumbling out of the palace, he discovers his crew mutilated and escapes to the surface. Reaching his vessel, Jesse climbs aboard his ship and is found by David. He dies in his son's arms before he can tell him he loves him. David awakes back in the Hamptons with Gallous hovering over him. He tells her they can release Craddock as he's found the next breadcrumb: Ethiopia.

### Episode 5 (Atlantis Is Mine)

En route to Ethiopia, David sits silently which prompts Gallous to ask him what he saw that has him so angry. David seems to ignore her as his mind lingers on the visions illustrating the horrors that West African slaves endured and the death of his father. As the plane nears Addis Ababa, it is attacked the young woman from Hades who is riding her winged beast. David quickly scrambles to his weaponry, brandishing a modified 12-gauge shotgun while Gallous scrambles to the plane's controls. David engages the woman and the beast but the resulting attack causes their plane to crash into the water near Simbo Lagano beach where David and Gallous decide to let her drown until he notices the Orichalcum necklace around her neck. Pulling her from the water, David and Gallous drag her to shore where they bind and interrogate her. She angrily explains that the stone drew her to David whom she refers to as "the Manta", a figure she saw in her dreams while also revealing that the stones are cursed and she seeks to be rid of them. She escapes her binds and attempts to kill David until Gallous stops her, explaining that the stone is killing him; meaning they have a common dilemma. The young woman's beast emerges from the ocean and David commends its adaptability before explaining to the young woman, whom Gallous names "Torrid", that they must find the Lost Tribe's technology to undo the curse. Torrid divulges that she once knew of a wizard that once ruled over Ethiopia who Gallous and David decide to go see with David donning armor in preparation of their journey. In Atlantis, Orin visits Doctor Thnita who is performing autopsies on the slain delegates. She informs Orin that their cause of death was a bioweapon specifically engineered to attack Atlantean physiology before asking him what he plans to do about it as a threat this great cannot be ignored. Orin confides in Thnita that he feels he brought this violence upon Atlantis when he killed David Hyde. She reminds the King that he will have to forgive himself if he is to save them, remarking that this "copycat" feels justified just like David. Back in Ethiopia, Gallous enters a fancy office, looking for a doctor and brutally knocks out his assistant before searching the office while David and Torrid land on the roof above, using her beast who Gallous named Gruff. On the roof, Torrid asks David why he speaks like an older man but has the face of a child and he reveals that it is the work of the Orichalcum which he believes is also slowly killing him. She further tells him that aura of death follows him before they are set upon by the wizard they are searching for: Doctor Mist. He recognizes both David and Torrid, remarking that Torrid has changed since he knew her last before telling David he sees through his mask and recognizes his murderous spirit. Believing him to be hostile, David brandishes his shotgun and attacks Doctor Mist while Torrid helps. Mist effortlessly beats them before David uses his helmet's powerful laser to incapacitate Mist before demanding his help with the Orichalcum's curse. Doctor Mist tells him he will help him as he owes a favor to Roe, confirming that David is indeed a descendant of the Lost Tribe. Back in Atlantis, Orin travels to the Great Library with Murk to read up on the history of Atlantis, hoping to find a connection between David Hyde and Devil Ray but realizes after a lengthy search that there's no record of Jesse Hyde's murder in any of the history books, leading Orin to believe that the Atlanteans are hiding something. He asks Murk if any of the royal guard from Orvax's rule are still alive and Murk tells him just one: a warrior from Xebel. Elsewhere, Devil Ray tediously bends the Orichalcum in the shape of a trident with his hammer, angrily smashing away until his computer console chimes with an alert, indicating it has found the Deserter's DNA.

### Episode 6 (The Blacker the Berry)

In Doctor Mist's home, David and Torrid are lying on two adjacent tables which are surrounded by a glowing green light as Doctor Mist floats above while Gallous looks on. David and Torrid both arise, with the latter remarking that the screams in her head have stopped and Doctor Mist tells them they are cured of the Orichalcum's curse. David simply stands up and puts on his helmet, telling Gallous that their mission is over. Doctor Mist tells him that it is far from over which prompts Gallous to ask what he means. Mist reveals that he knows Gallous has been researching the other cases of the Orichalcum's curse which surprises David as he did not there were other cases. Doctor Mist and Gallous, who does it begrudgingly, explain that there are hundreds of other descendants of the Lost Tribe that are suffering the same pain he was. David remarks that it is not his problem but Torrid tells him she knows what he saw in the past and he finally recognizes as the young girl from the Portuguese slave ship. In Atlantis, Orin and Murk travel to Xebel where they begin their search for the last living guard from Orvax's rule, finding him living as a hermit in one of the city-state's slums. Orin desperately interrogates him, seeking to know what happened to Joseph Hyde. The guard tells Orin and Murk that Joseph was welcomed into Atlantis in order for Orvax to discover if they were more surface dwellers who knew of the Lost Tribe. Orin is surprised at the mention of the Lost Tribe which prompts the guard to brandish a collection of scrolls and documents that detail the Deserter's exodus during the Great Deluge. After giving Orin and Murk these documents, the guard unsheathes a knife and slits his own throat, hoping not to live to see the dissension the information will cause. Back in Ethiopia, David tells Doctor Mist that the others are not his concern but Gallous, Mist, and Torrid believe otherwise. David angrily reveals that his grudge against Atlantis wasn't some revolution to liberate his people but a quest of revenge because the Atlanteans took his father from him. A portal opens in Mist's home and Devil Ray emerges from it, telling David that he needs his help. Seeing Devil Ray and his armored suit, David tells him that he can't help him, suggesting he ask Torrid or Mist before urging Gallous to leave with him. As incentive, Devil Ray brandishes a harpoon gun which he fires into Gallous' heart, prompting David and Torrid to attack Devil Ray. Devil Ray easily incapacitates Torrid and her beast Gruff before David engages him while Mist desperately tries to save Gallous. The two fight but David's combat skills prove superior to Devil Ray's, allowing him to overpower him but before he can strike the killing blow with his wrist-mounted retractable sword, Devil Ray tells him that the harpoon is composed of sophisticated nanotechnology which he can remotely activate at anytime, driving it further into her heart. He explains that he will spare her if David helps him. The wounded Gallous pleads with David not to go but he tells her to "get well and report for duty" before departing with Devil Ray through the portal. Gallous then tells Mist to "get the spear the fuck outta my chest" as the portal closes. In Atlantis, Orin sits in his study reading the documents until he is visited by Mera, who expresses a desire for him to come to bed. Orin somberly looks at her with tears in his eyes as he breaks down emotionally. Mera rushes to his side and cradles him in her arms while remarks that "Atlantis was built on lies".

### Episode 7 (Hyde and Seek)

In Devil Ray's hideout, David begrudgingly helps him forge the Orichalcum trident as Devil Ray explains that Joseph inspired him, adding that David could be partially responsible for his current conviction. He remarks that David lost sight of his father's vision, prompting David to try and attack him but Devil Ray reminds him he is holding Gallous' life in his hands. David tells Devil Ray that his father's vision died with him in Atlantis before asking how he knows so much anyway. Devil Ray reveals that his brother was one of the Manta Men, mercenaries who were apart of the Hyde crew, initially meeting Jesse once as a teenager before joining David's crew as an adult in 2010; he tells David that his brother died following him into battle against Aquaman. David is surprised at this as he never realized how much he lost fighting Aquaman, somberly apologizing to Devil Ray. Devil Ray scoffs at his apology, remarking that his brother in service of his beliefs which is a death they should all aspire for before commending David on his plan. He gloats that his is better as they place the trident into a highly advanced technological casing with David looking over the machinery. Devil Ray tells David he can honor his father by fighting by his side, killing the Atlanteans and then raising the city back to surface as a safe haven for all Black people. David sternly tells Devil Ray that even if he did ally with him, he would eventually kill him for shooting Gallous, adding that he "probably need a army to fight off the scared White folks who wouldn't dare let Black folk have no kingdom"; citing what they did to Africa as a prime example. As David and Devil Ray configure the machine casing of the trident, he tells David, "You just gave me one"; lifting the trident triumphantly into the air. Back in Ethiopia, Doctor Mist and his assistant Belphegor lay Gallous on a table where Mist begins the spell to remove the harpoon with Belphegor's help. Gallous cries in pain as they draw mystic energy in an attempt to save her. Torrid languishes on the roof of the building with Gruff, praying that Gallous lives. Belphegor notices that Gallous is slipping into cardiac arrest as Craddock appears to claim her soul. He approaches Mist and Belphegor, proclaiming he will drag Gallous to the Underworld but Belphegor halts helping Mist to banish him. Using a sophisticated spell, she successfully banishes Craddock to the Underworld while Mist uses his powers to remove the harpoon. He is successful but must repair the damage done to Gallous' heart as she weakly tells him to find David. In Atlantis, Orin informs Mera he will be leaving on a mission to stop Devil Ray, believing he now knows his plan, but she vehemently dissuades him, saying that Atlantis needs its king, not Aquaman. Orin attempts to reassure everything will be alright and Murk interjects, telling Mera he will accompany the king to keep him safe, to Orin's ire. Murk whispers to the king that Mera would've never let him leave otherwise. Orin then approaches Mera and passionately kisses her, promising to come home. She tells him that Arthur Jr. needs him. Orin and Murk then depart Posideonis into the dark blues of the Atlantic. Elsewhere, Devil Ray and David take the latter's submarine out on the Atlantic near the West African Coast before seemingly stopping in the middle of the water. Devil Ray urges David to follow him, saying that after they complete their task, he will free Gallous. David reluctantly obliges and the two don their helmets before they exit the sub, diving deep into the water. The two men travel to a subterranean cave deep beneath ocean floor where they emerge from a small pool outside of a large Atlantean vault. Devil Ray tells David that the army they seek is beyond the vault's door, telling David, "Welcome to the Trench".

### Episode 8 (I Am Black Manta)

In the slightly repaired plane shared by she and David, Gallous flies Doctor Mist, Torrid, Belphegor, and Gruff to the last known location of David using the homing beacon in his armored suit. As they soar through the sky, Gallous remarks on how she's going to brutally murder Devil Ray which makes Belphegor uncomfortable and prompts Gallous to apologize for knocking her out, also thanking her for saving her life. Belphegor accepts her apology and tells her she understands. As they converse, Doctor Mist notices Torrid becoming irritable and agitated. She tells Mist she can hear the screams again which alarms him. Beneath the Atlantic Ocean in the subterranean cave, Devil Ray tells David that his father's is about to be realized before he uses the trident to pierce the vault. David looks on as a large golden illuminates the Atlantean hieroglyphics on the door, causing it to begin to open with a loud whoosh. Both David and Devil Ray knocked back by the force of it and it causes a large tremor which is seemingly felt all over the world. En route to the Trench, Orin feels the tremor and becomes frightened, urging Murk to make haste. In the Trench, David scrambles to his feet while Devil Ray lies seemingly unconscious. Noticing the vault is now open, David is drawn to its allure but it is dark, illuminated only by an eerie green light cascading in from a fissure in the wall. David cautiously approaches the vault, equipping his wrist-mounted blade as he steps inside. He discovers that it is a vast mausoleum, the walls of the vault are adorned with crypts and sarcophagi. A hand grabs his shoulder and David springs around with his blade ready, only to find Devil Ray who reels back defensively, reminding David he means no harm. David lowers his guard and Devil Ray tells him the Deserter left a tome for his descendants which was just a map with the necessary spells and incantations to find the Trench. David asks Devil Ray what it is and he tells him the resting place of those who chose the sea over death in bondage, the inheritors of Atlantis: the Lost Tribe. Devil Ray explains that the Deserter fled Atlantis to escape a monarchy that sought to oppress them with their own power, only to find another world run by oppressors who stole them from their homes; raping the land, women, and children. David realizes that Devil Ray's Orichalcum trident has dominion over the souls lost to the sea and Devil Ray reveals that it should be wielded by a descendant of the Deserter, a true tribesman of the Atlantis' Lost. As David slowly reaches for the trident, Orin and Murk emerge from the pool near the vault's entrance, prompting David to quickly rush to engage them while Devil Ray activates the trident. The trident successfully awakens several corpses, who are now demonic and monstrous, to attack Murk and Orin. On the plane above Atlantic Ocean, Gallous loses the signal on David's beacon while Torrid begins to seize and convulse as she weakly tells Mist that "they're awake". In the Trench, David effortlessly fights Orin and Murk, using his blade as Devil Ray tackles Murk. Murk tosses Devil Ray off of him as the Lost Souls grab him. Orin notices and tries to help Murk but David viscously beats him with his martial arts skill but the Atlantean king manages to throw his trident at one of the Lost Souls, helping Murk. This enrages Devil Ray who rushes Murk. David tells Orin he's going to take his other hand along with his head but Orin manages to push David back, rushing toward Devil Ray and Murk. One of the Lost Souls bites a chunk out of Murk's shoulders as Devil Ray impales him through the abdomen. In a rage, Orin uses his trident to break the Orichalcum trident in half before facing Devil Ray who swiftly dodges Orin's attacks. David angrily attempts to use his helmet's laser beams but Orin dodges it, allowing the beam to tear through Devil Ray's helmet, brutally tearing the skin from his face. As Devil Ray falls, David snatches the broken trident from Murk's abdomen and uses it with his wrist blade to attack Orin. David uses his skill to break Orin's left arm before knocking him to the ground, impaling his leg with the broken trident. Orin cries out in pain, telling David he knows what happened to his father and the mention of that enrages David who pulls the trident from Orin's leg. Taking the trident in his hand, the Orichalcum begins to glow with a molten orange radiance causing David to pause for brief moment, realizing that time is frozen to a standstill. Looking up, he sees Elder Roe the Deserter staring at him. Roe asks if David's plans are the same as Devil Ray's, wondering if the slaves that were lost to the sea will still be his slaves in his pursuit of liberating Atlantis. David tells him he doesn't need an army to take back Atlantis and the words seem to causes the trident to lose its glow as time begins to speed up, returning to its normal speed. As David attempts to strike the killing blow, a tremor causes the Trench to shake which knocks him away from Orin. Orin moves towards the pool as the cavern begins to crumble and fall. Devil Ray weakly tells David, "Avenge us" as he waves his hand, causing a portal to engulf David who angrily shouts in protest. The cavern collapses, seemingly killing Devil Ray and sealing the Trench. Meanwhile, David emerges from a portal onto the shore of Simbo Lagano Beach, still clutching the broken trident. He angrily removes his helmet, tossing along the sand. Suddenly, the plane hovers above and he looks to the sky with a stern expression. In Atlantis, the wounded Orin and Mera attend a small funeral ceremony for Murk, with Orin remarking that Murk's death was his fault. Mera simply reminds him that being a king isn't easy. Later upon returning to the palace, Orin destroys the documents about the Lost Tribe with much hesitation. Days later on the Simbo Lagano shore, David and Gallous prepare to leave Ethiopia in their submarine while Doctor Mist and Torrid join them to say goodbye. Mist congratulates David on stopping Devil Ray but the latter scoffs at his congratulations, remarking that the Atlanteans deserved it as he's seen their history and man's. Mist tells him he cannot change that but David remarks that doesn't mean they shouldn't pay for it. Torrid tells David and Gallous that she is choosing to stay in Ethiopia with Doctor Mist. Gallous asks David what they're supposed to do now and he informs her that Devil Ray was simply misguided in his mission, remarking that from now on he will serve a beacon to the oppressed and strive reclaim what was taken. He tells Gallous that Atlantis is his enemy and he will see it destroyed before asking her not to call him David. She curiously asks what she's supposed to call him and he tells her, "Black Manta", clutching the broken Orichalcum trident which seems to glow.