Because of this, Manta's origin of his autism was only brought up 36 years after the character's introduction in 2003′s Aquaman #8 “Paint it Black!” where it was revealed that prior to becoming Black Manta, David Hyde was sent to Arkham Asylum due to his autistic condition being simply recognized as a criminally insane ...
Despite these different versions of his past, Black Manta is consistently depicted as a ruthless underwater mercenary who is obsessed with destroying Aquaman's life. A black armored suit and a large metal helmet with red eye lenses serve as Black Manta's visual motif.
While having no actual superpowers, Black Manta is incredibly smart and a skilled opponent; he is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and is proficient with weaponry such as as sword. Additionally, he is a excellent swimmer and has access to advanced technology.
He also outfitted his suit with thruster packs, allowing him limited flight capability. David's first helmet design proved to be too small to contain the plasma beams, so he made it bigger. David also installed a miniature harpoon launcher with a grappling line that could also be charged with plasma energy.
Per the official premise: Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father's death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all.
Qwsp was for many years a valued ally of the undersea monarch. However, inspired by Aquaman's sudden change in appearance and outlook, Qwsp became a deadly threat, not only to Aquaman, but to the entire world. His name was spelled 'Quisp' in his first appearances but was retconned to Qwsp when he reappeared in JLA #30.
Black Manta Killed Aquaman's Son to Drive Him to Murder
Black Manta has taken an underwater city hostage, intent on turning it into a kingdom of his own. Manta and his underlings overpower Aquaman and force him to fight his sidekick Aqualad to the death.
That issue revealed that Manta was kidnapped as a child and forced to work on a ship. He attempted to call out to a passing Aquaman one day but failed to attract the hero's attention. That was the source of Black Manta's undying hatred for Aquaman and Atlantis.
Arthur blamed Manta for his father's death and attacked a boat he thought Black Manta was on, but accidentally killed his father instead. After killing each other's fathers, Arthur and Manta became intertwined in a vicious cycle of vengeance and hatred.
He saved Ocean Master on a number of occasions and so Ocean Master felt fond of the child despite his hatred for Aquaman. Aquababy was murdered by Black Manta, an event that changed the Aquaman storyline.
In other words, he's an underwater version of Cyclops, and that means Rhodey can defeat him. Now, if Manta had the same abilities as Aquaman, then he could have a chance against War Machine. Manta could call up a few whales to smash into the hero. However, that's not the criminal's way.
In the comics, Jackson (birth name Kaldur'ahm) was originally born to an unnamed Xebellian woman and Black Manta in the Kingdom of Xebel, the young infant granted powers due to extraordinary circumstances. As an infant, he is saved by a younger Mera, who leaves him on the surface and arranges for him to be adopted.
Shin's boat passed by and rescued Black Manta, who was revealed to have survived his encounter with Aquaman. Sometime later, Shin was tampering with Manta's suit while Manta himself, David Kane, was hooked up to a homemade medical care system to heal from his wounds sustained in Sicily.
The current Cheetah, Barbara Ann Minerva, is a former archeologist and treasure-hunter who sold her soul to the plant-god Urtzkartaga for power and immortality, not realizing she would be bound in eternal servitude to him. She, aside from Circe and Ares, is arguably Wonder Woman's deadliest archenemy.
Aquaman loses his left hand when the madman Charybdis, attempting to force Arthur to show him how he can harness Arthur's ability to communicate with sea life, sticks Arthur's hand into a piranha-infested pool.
Researchers found that black mantas were common in some locations, making up 40% of some populations. Strangely, they were completely absent in others.
Trivia. Only the Pre-Crisis version of Black Manta is Pure Evil, since New 52 Manta genuinely loves his father and wants to avenge him after he was killed by Aquaman in the New 52.
Black Manta does not do evil for the greater good, nor does he do it because of injustice faced by his people. He does evil because he is a psychopath who's only thinks about his vendetta against Aquaman and his being black doesn't figure into it at all.
He resented the fact that he had none of Aquaman's powers, being fully human and eventually named himself the Ocean Master, a high-tech pirate who caused natural disasters to hold the world at ransom.
And i genuinely feel bad for Black Manta, like he's still a villain, but he really does care about kaldur, even so much as to risk his standing in the light for him.
It was revealed in "Alienated" that after Aqualad learned that Black Manta was his true father, and Tula died in a mission, he joined Black Manta's forces. Manta took a step back, and appointed his son his field commander.
Mera's death was ordered by Wonder Woman. In a flashback, Mera is shown to attack the Queen of New Themyscira, which at that point was Diana (Wonder Woman), but she was eventually beheaded by Wonder Woman.
Arthur approached the two and is shocked to see his mother alive and well. Atlanna and Arthur happily embraced each other as they're finally reunited after years of separation. Atlanna explained how she managed to survive her death sentence and remained trapped in the lost kingdom for years.
Darkseid not only defeats all of Arthur's warriors, but he executes Aquaman with his own trident that is pierced into his chest. With Superman now turned against the planet and two of the most powerful Justice League heroes killed, it explains a lot why it became possible for Darkseid to eventually invade Earth.
