Despite these different versions of his past, Black Manta is consistently depicted as a ruthless underwater mercenary who is obsessed with ruining Aquaman's life. As Aquaman's nemesis, Black Manta has been part of the superhero's defining stories, including the murder of Arthur Curry, Jr.
Black Manta: Aquaman's primary archenemy. Primarily being a mercenary, Black Manta killed Aquaman's son. In a fit of revenge, Aquaman murdered Black Manta's father. This sparked an eternal hatred that becomes an endless battle between the two.
Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom villain, with a long and storied history in the comics and DCEU. While the aquatic villain was a side antagonist in the previous film, he is the central threat in the sequel and is more powerful and intimidating than before.
In September 2021, a report revealed that two more DC villains will torment Arthur Curry in Aquaman 2, namely Stingray and a Green Lantern foe called Karshon.
Some of the character's most notable villains include his archenemy, the mercenary Black Manta; his own half-brother the Ocean Master; the humanoid sharks King Shark and Orca; the pirate the Scavenger; Mera's twin sister Siren; and the Trench species, among others.
Mera is the former Queen of Dimension Aqua, Queen of Atlantis, and wife of DC Comics superhero Aquaman. Mera also has a twin sister named Hila, who turned to villany. In her first chronological appearance, Mera is shown to be fleeing the criminal Leron after he usurps control of her kingdom.
Manta's current origin story from Geoff Johns' Aquaman run explains that Black Manta hates Aquaman after the hero killed his father. Once again, this was used in the first DCEU Aquaman movie, and it seems to be propelling the villain's actions in the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as well.
Amber Heard appears in the "Aquaman" sequel, but her role is barely a fleshed-out character. Heard returns as Mera, Aquaman's love interest, but fans may be surprised by how little she's actually in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
Black Manta appears in films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. This version is David Kane, a pirate whose grandfather served as a frogman in the U.S. Navy during World War II under the codename "Manta". The character first appears in Aquaman (2018).
Aquababy was murdered by Black Manta, an event that changed the Aquaman storyline. Black Manta kidnapped Aquababy and put him inside a sphere, slowly filling it with air, as Aquababy was unable to breathe outside of water. Black Manta had Aquaman fight Aqualad in exchange for Aquababy's life.
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.
Black Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father's death. Wielding the Black Trident's power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman forges an alliance with his imprison... Read all.
Mera: The great love of Aquaman's life, his wife, who has the power to form structures made of hard water. Mera is the most important character in the Aquaman lore next to Arthur and a formidable superhero in her own right.
Arthur Curry, Jr. was born in 1965's Aquaman #23. At the time, Arthur and Mera had only been married for five issues, so this was a surprising development. The comic begins with a doctor informing Arthur that Mera is pregnant and before the final page, Aquababy is born!
Aquaman is back for one final battle in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final movie of the DC Extended Universe. The sequel sees Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and his entire family, including baby son Arthur Jr, at threat from Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is still seeking revenge for Aquaman killing his father.
A playful Queen Mera, entices her husband, Aquaman, into pursuing her for a kiss. Catching up to her, Aquaman takes his prize, only the woman he kisses isn't Mera. It is her twin sister, Hila.
Starring Jason Momoa as the titular Aquaman, Mera is the Princess of Xebel who fell in love with Arthur Curry and became Aquaman's wife and the Queen of Atlantis.
Their marriage dissolved, Aquaman left Atlantis, but Mera stayed behind. Her mental state continued to deteriorate until finally, one of the interim rulers, Lord Wexus had her committed to the AHARD-1 hospital center.
Y'Mera Xebella Challa, simply referred to as Mera, is the daughter of King Nereus, the princess of Xebel, and the wife of Aquaman, the current king and former prince of Atlantis.
Upon the release of Aquaman 2, it was revealed that Mera's overall screen time collectively made up around 20 minutes of the overall installment and included relatively few lines of dialogue.
