David Hyde (Black Manta)

# Black Manta

## David Hyde

Black Manta DCWW

*The ruthless pirate lord who controls the secret organization called N.E.M.O. His goal is to rule the Seven Seas through any possible means and does play as a villain most of the time.*

## History

### Early Life

David Hyde was born in Gotham City, at the Gotham Hospital. He was the only son of Roger Hyde and Hana Parks. They were from a wealthy family, owning several companies which functioned at the Gotham Harbour, supporting shipments. As a child, David had a different way of doing things, compared to the kids of his age. He was diagnosed with autism, and that made him view and respond to things differently. This was initially not a problem for the parents, but as time rolled on, he was deemed as a scar on the family’s prestige. They would start to neglect their son, as he grew up to the age of seven, not knowing where his parents were half of the time. Despite coming from an affluent family, he was not given the appropriate care nor was he allowed to partake in the lavish lifestyle. In terms of David’s abilities, he was deemed as an outgoing and very enthusiastic child, by most of his teachers who had taught him. No one saw his autism as a hindrance, but his parents wanted to wash this issue away.

Using their massive influence, Roger Hyde managed to convince a senior doctor at Arkham Asylum, as there were experimental cures for autism being discussed. He knew that if he managed to cure his son, he would not only be able to restore the family honor which has been lost, in his very shallow opinion, but he could also fund the cure if it worked, capitalizing on it for future monetary returns. Agreeing to put David for the trial run, he was sent to a room of doctors, who were about to use the boy as a guinea pig, to test an unlikely cure for autism. They hooked him up to several needles, which were then connected to the fluids which would be the supposed cure. At the same time, they put David to sleep, using some nitrous gas, to ensure that there was no discomfort. Once the medicine had been set in his body, it was time for the surgery. However, before they could begin, the chemicals within him burst out, waking the boy from his serene slumber. David awoke with a different lens to view the world now. He understood everything for what it was, but the usual joy within him was extinguished. His hands were covered in blood, and the doctors who once stood around him were now laid around the ground.

When the chemicals kicked in, it sent David’s brain into overdrive, allowing him to unleash a killing frenzy, by utilizing the surgical blades present. The chemicals not only enhanced his physiology slightly but also cured him of his autism. That also came at a dire cost, as it entirely shut down David’s ability to perceive emotions and foster social bonds. He became an emotionless robot. His parents knew of the monster they made, trading in a sweet and creative boy, for a perfected and merciless android. He stormed out of the operating theatre and used his rage to power out of the Asylum. Dashing out of the doors, he made a beeline to the harbor. He knew he had to get away from this city. It was almost like his entire experience as a child, dawned upon him once the chemicals had settled in his body. His legs tore through the streets, faster than he had ever been used to running. His mind registered every movement and every moment, and it was entirely too jarring. His legs brought him to the harbor, as the smell of the salty sea wafted in the air. He boarded a shipment truck, which was then shipped to a massive transporter. Within hours, he was alone in the middle of the ocean, not knowing what his life had become.

The ocean was unfriendly. It bullied the ship, tugging it left and right, pulling everything within to violently shift in all directions. Once the ship had gone rather deep into the ocean, a band of pirates hijacked the vessel and aimed to ransack the best of all the goods. They managed to hold the vessel at gunpoint and rallied the staff to a corner of the vessel. David was found eventually by the men who got the vessel, and he was enlisted as one of their younglings. He would spend the next five years going through the worst experiences of his life. Forced to inflict violence on the innocent, taught to be a merciless thief, and honed his skills with blades and firearms. He had already begun killing by the start of his second year with the pirates, and through those men, he began learning the ropes of the pirating world. He would start planning his eventual escape from this hell. After scheming and planning, he managed to take down all of the people who kidnapped him and took over the small operations they ran. Making alliances, and hitting bigger targets, the boy began expanding his reach.

By the age of 20, he was the head of one of the largest criminal rings on the seven seas. That was when he managed to get his hands on better equipment. Using the money he received, David began investing his time in studying engineering, and marine biology and working on making new technologies to have added advantages against the big-time players. His enhancement at Arkham Asylum helped him master these disciplines rather swiftly, and the pirate quickly started augmenting his army. He did not want an unruly crew of immature people, instead, he wanted an army. An army that tore through everything it opposed. Contacts spread about this genius who was able to invent new technologies, and this lead to N.E.M.O. contacting the man himself. It was run by a man, who ran by the title of “Fisher King”. David was invited to one of their main meetings, alongside other major pirate lords. Wanting to send a stern message, he rampaged the area with his soldiers who were equipped with guns and blades which were made by David himself. They packed a punch, and since they were made by David himself, no one knew what the items could do. Some shot massive fireballs, whilst others shocked their victims to death. In the end, the siege ended with David plunging a black dagger into the Fisher King’s chest, making David the Fisher King.

All part of his intricate plans, David now had endless resources and the rumored “laser” opportunities of N.E.M.O.  He had this plan, to weaponize this laser technology. N.E.M.O. only used this laser power to create industrial uses, selling them directly to companies in secrecy for a much higher price. David decided that taking the arms route would take this ancient order to an entirely new level. At the age of 23, he would finally don the Black Manta suit, entering the world of supervillains officially. He made laser-powered weapons, suits that were a proto version of his own Manta suit, and lastly, sending the entire operation underwater. Every present NEMO vessel was converted into warships, and endless resources were spent to make a massive underwater fleet. Hundreds of submarines, all shaped like a Manta Ray. Painted black, and glowed red with murderous intent, they prowl the seabed. From that point on, Manta only became stronger, conquering more enemies and becoming one of the largest criminal organizations in human history. Manta even entered the League of Shadows as a partner, allowing both parties to enjoy privileges from each other.

Manta joined the scene of heroes and villains, when he was possessed by, Ares (Greek God of War), and was sent to pick a fight with the Kingdom of Atlantis. He worked with forces from within Atlantis, to start a world war, with Manta being poised to terminate Arthur. Ares placed false memories within Manta’s mind, erasing his memory of all of his known life, and altering it into a reality where Arthur had murdered David’s father. This resulted in a massive battle, which led to the spark of a rivalry between the King of Atlantis and the Black Manta. He came close to completing Ares’s goal but was stopped by Wonder Woman. Manta was arrested, and sent to Lian Yu prison, to be locked away forever. After some time had passed, NEMO enlisted the help of the assassin, Deadshot to break Manta out. He has since then joined forces with Ra's Al Ghul and has occupied the shores of Gotham. He is ruthless, ambitious, and wants the Seven Seas for himself. Black Manta will stop at nothing, to get what he wants, and everyone on his path, will be left for dead.

## Powers and Abilities

### Abilities

* **Expert Hand-to-hand combatant**
* **Genius Intellect (Engineering)**
* **Blade Proficiency**
* **Intimidation skills**
* **Master Sailor and use of Nautical Tools**
* **Enhanced Physiology (with suit)**

## Equipment

* **Black Manta Suit:** It is built to withstand combat, both underwater and for flight, and is rather durable. Also comes fitted with an AI assistance.
* **Optical Laser Lens:** Allows for the individual to blast unlimited rounds with cooldowns, is made to blast short bursts of highly concentrated heat in a direction.
* **Daggers Belt**
* **Grenade Belt**