Black Manta

Black Manta is a DC Comics character and is the archenemy of Aquaman. He first appeared in *Aquaman #35* (August, 1967).

## Background

According to his backstory, Black Manta was an autstic youth who was born in Baltimore, Maryland. As a kid he was abducted and forced into labor on an unnamed ship. After seeing Aquaman swim by and unable to get his attention, Black Manta swore he would become the master of the "emotionless sea" and the person he viewed as its master, Aquaman. Not much is known about his life between this pivotal moment and his first encounter with the King of Atlantis, so how he got his suit and the development of his skills is unknown in most continuities.
What is known is that he swore to ruin Aquaman's life before he killed him, to this end, Black Manta kidnapped and murdered (by proxy) Aquaman's young son.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Life Force Connection:** During his alliance with the Triumvirate of Sea Gods, Manta was gifted the power of Aquaman by Fleet Admiral Tyyde. This means that Manta can manipulate the minds of any ocean animal in order to make them do whatever he wants.
	+ **Marine Telepathy**
* **Archaeology**
* **Aviation:** Black Manta can pilot a helicopter. He flew a helicopter during his escape from Belle Reve after the Crime Syndicate broke all of the prison's occupants out of their cells.
* **Disguise**
* **Diving**
* **Genius Level Intellect**
	+ **Gadgetry**
	+ **Investigation:** Manta is the greatest treasure hunter to ever live, he has investigated many ancient myths of treasure and found their source.
	+ **Leadership:** Mr. Hyde is a taciturn headman, with an incredulous amount of guile and charisma. Boasting an army of trained mercenaries who follow his orders to the letter, both human and atlantean. And proved just as capable of subsuming the whole of the age old international cabal known as the Nautical Enforcement of Macrocosmic Order to his will with relative ease. He has also led the Suicide Squad on multiple occasions.
	+ **Medical Science:** Black Manta has sufficient medical expertise to perform an autopsy.
	+ **Seduction:** Black Manta was able to seduce Xebelian Lucia into helping him with his quest for the Black Pearl.
	+ **Tactical Analysis:** Manta proves to be an adept strategist and directional coordinator having a cunning, tactical mind on par with a great many of Earth's greatest intellects.
	+ **Mechanical Engineering:** Hyde was able to make his suit, which is considered a technological marvel.
	+ **Tracking:** Manta was able to track down members of the Others- some of which had been in hiding for years.
* **Hand-to-Hand Combat:** Black Manta was trained to fight by his father from an early age. He's honed his skill over the years fighting Aquaman. He is capable of defeating multiple opponents with or without his suit. He was able to easily beat Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn and Deadshot in one-on-three combat, even though all three were accomplished fighters.
* **Intimidation:** Black Manta rules N.E.M.O. largely through fear.
* **Master Swimmer:** Black Manta is highly skilled at swimming. Deathstroke stated that he "cuts through water like a torpedo".
* **Seamanship:** Manta can pilot a submarine.
* **Weaponry:** Black Manta has a large arsenal of both underwater and above water weaponry. He's even used Aquaman's trident with proficiency as well as the Dead King's Scepter. He can cut a man's throat with a coin.
	+ **Demolitions:** Manta was able to destroy Spindrift Station with coordinated explosions.
	+ **Marksmanship:** Manta is highly accurate with rifles and other ballistic weapons, able to mow down dozens of hostiles with just a pair of machine guns. He is also accurate when firing his grappling hooks.
	+ **Swordsmanship:** Manta often uses swords or daggers when combating Aquaman and other enemies.
	+ **Throwing:** Black Manta can throw knives with high accuracy.

## Equipment

* **Black Manta's Armor:** Black Manta wears a diving suit that enables him to survive underwater to unknown depths; it insulates him against the cold and protects him from pressure changes. The suit is sealed so completely that it cannot be entered even at the atomic level. It greatly increases his underwater mobility, primarily through the use of some sort of diver propulsion vehicle, and allows him to leap great heights when shooting out of water. It is also effective as a means of camouflage in dark water. He wears a distinctive manta-shaped helmet with two large eyes that allow for infrared and scope vision, as well as powerful optic blasts capable of hurting or killing metahumans. It also protects his head from trauma.
	+ **Artificial Gills:** Manta's helmet connects to an oxygen supply in his back which allows Manta to survive underwater for an unlimited amount of time. His suit is also atomically sealed so that no water can get inside.
	+ **Enhanced Durability:** Black Manta is able to take hits from Aquaman without dying due to his suit.
	+ **Enhanced Strength:** Black Manta is strong enough in his suit to combat Aquaman.
	+ **Flight**
	+ **Grappling Line:** Manta's suit comes with a built in grappling line on his right gauntlet. This grappling line functions in a way similar to the one used by Batman and his allies, as it fires a strong cable that latches onto a surface and winches Manta upwards.
	+ **Optic Lasers:** Manta can fire beams of heat energy out of his eye pieces capable of singeing an Atlantean's skin at maximum power output.
	+ **Shock Gauntlets:** Manta is able to produce an electric shock from his gauntlets powerful enough to stun an atlantean.
* **Seal of Clarity:** Manta stole the Seal from Kahina's corpse. It translates any text and was used in conjunction with the Globe of Transportation to unlock Atlan's scepter. When Manta was defeated it was given to the Operative to safe guard until a new guardian could be found. ***(Formerly)***
* **Bone Crown:** A relic of power once belonging to Fleet Admiral Drogue, whosoever wears the crown has control over the Space Kraken race born upon the sea gods alien world. But it only worked for it's original wearer.
* **Orichalcum Trident:** A trident forged from the ancient mystical metal Orichalcum. Manta forged it with, and subsequently stole it from, Devil Ray.
	+ **Bio-Fusion**
	+ **Clairvoyance**
	+ **Energy Projection**
	+ **Mind Control**
* **Atlan's Scepter:** Manta briefly used the weapon that sunk Atlantis before giving it away to Vulko.
* **Black Pearl:** Described as a Hydrokinetic weapon of mass destruction. The Black Pearl gave its wearer the ability to weaponize planetary bodies of water through powerful magic locked within its jewel.
	+ **Thalassookinesis**
* **Tear of Extinction:** The Tear of Extinction is a weapon created by one of Atlantis' first kings Arion. It is an inversion of Poseidon's life-giving powers that can kill a god and send them to the Graveyard of Gods. Manta received the tear from Lex Luthor, and co-owned it with Cheetah.
* **Manta-Sub:** Black Manta possesses a small submarine which he usually drives while travelling in the ocean. The submarine is shaped like a Manta and can only fit few people in it.
* **Globe of Transportation:** Manta was able to steal the Globe of Transportation from Ya'Wara. The Globe allowed Manta to teleport around the globe at will. However when Manta was defeated Ya'Wara reclaimed the artefact.

## Feats

Directory: NE = New Earth (includes pre-Crisis feats as Black Manta changes very little with the reset), PE = Prime Earth (New 52 and Rebirth), BB = Batman: The Brave and the Bold, YJ = Young Justice

### Strength

* Pierces Aquaman with sword
* Throws Aquaman
* Kicks down reinforced metal door
* Launches Aquaman with a punch
* Draws blood from Arthur Joseph Curry
* Launches Green Arrow
* Effortlessly rips tombstone out of ground

### Speed

* Speed in water comparable to a torpedo
* Dodges attacks from Deathstroke

### Durability

* Takes getting tackled by Aquaman
* Takes attacks from Aquaman, Prisoner-of-War, Mera, and Mazahs
* Gets slammed into rock by giant sea creature
* Survives massive electric attack from Aqualad
* Survives (and is still conscious) after having face eaten by King Shark
* Holds up to a forcible change of tidal pressure caused by Ultraman

### Skills

* Shoots the necklace off Ya'Wara
* Kills a Belle Reve guard with a coin

## Weaknesses

* **Illness:** Black Manta suffered painful and debilitating brain aneurysms as a result of his latent Atlantean DNA being awakened by Orichalcum. He was later cured by Doctor Mist.

## Reference List

1. ↑ Aquaman Vol 4 #6
2. ↑ Adventure Comics Vol 1 #452