Black Manta (DC)
Real Name: David
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Bio: The boy who would become Black Manta screamed uncontrollably in his orphanage whenever he was put to bed. No one knew the feel of the cotton sheets was agonizing to him, nor that icy cold water had the opposite effect. The boy was severely autistic, and as a result was subjected to various experimental treatments. One of these treatments seemd to bring the boy to a normal level of cognizance, but also brought out a streak of rage and violence.
The boy saw images of Aquaman on television, and was drawn to the sight of a man completely submerged in his beloved water. As an adult, the orphan designed a costume (primarily a black wetsuit with bug-eyed helmet) and fashioned a high-tech submersible inspired by black manta fish. Taking the name Black Manta, he and his masked army became a force to be reckoned with, engaging in several as-yet-unrecorded clashes with Aquaman before joining the short-lived Injustice League and later Orm the Ocean Master.
Manta and Aquaman battled repeatedly over the next several years, until the day Manta killed Arthur III, Aquaman's son. Prior to Arthur III's death, it was revealed that Black Manta was actually an African-American man (and that this is why he called himself Black Manta), whose objective was for the Black people to be dominant in the ocean after having been oppressed for so long on dry land. Most of Black Manta's henchmen were also black.
Black Manta later sold his soul to the demon Neron in exchange for more power, and transformed into a Manta/Man hybrid. He took to wearing a new costume that completely covered his appearance, and inexplicably stopped tormenting Aquaman and instead indulged in drug smuggling from his new base in Star City. Here, he was opposed by Green Arrow and Aquaman.
In a later confrontation, Aquaman, sporting the Lady of the Lake's Healing Hand, reversed Neron's alterations to Black Manta, and rewired Manta's afflicted brain, making him normal for the first time in his life. Unfortunately, Manta remained a violent criminal, lulling Aquaman into a false sense of partnership and almost killing the Sea King in the process.
This entry uses information derived, either in whole or in part, from wikipedia.org.
Notes:
First Appearance: Aquaman (1962) #35 Favorite Characters:
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View a chronological listing of this character's appearances
Issue Appearances: Action Comics (1938)
#842 - 'Action & Reaction' Adventure Comics (1938)
#435 - '[Spectre; Aquaman]' #436 - '[Spectre; Aquaman]' #437 - '[Spectre; Aquaman]' #446 - '[Aquaman; Creeper]' #447 - '[Aquaman; Creeper]' #448 - '[Aquaman] Crown, Crisis and Cataclysm' #452 - '[Aquaman] Dark Destiny, Deadly Dreams' #453 - '[Superboy; Aqualad]' #477 - '[Plastic Man; Starman; Aquaman]' #478 - '[Plastic Man; Starman; Aquaman]' Adventures of Superman (1987)
#649 - 'Superman, This Is Your Life, Part 3' Aquaman (1962)
#35 - 'Between Two Dooms!' #42 - 'Is This My Foe?' #51 - 'The Big Pull' #52 - 'The Traders' Trap!' #53 - 'Is California Sinking?' #57 - 'A Life For A Life' Aquaman (1986)
Aquaman (1991)
#1 - 'A Small World Incident' #4 - 'Tails & Legs' #5 - 'Best Friends' #6 - 'The End of a Road' Aquaman (1994)
#0 - 'A Crash of Symbols' #29 - 'Devil's Deep' #30 - 'In Darkness He Waits' #58 - 'Watery Graves' Aquaman (2003)
#8 - 'Paint it Black!' #9 - 'Once There Was a River, Now There's a Stone' #10 - 'Moon River' #11 - 'By The Rivers of Babylon!' #12 - 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' #32 - 'The Shade Of Things to Come' #33 - 'What the Past Remembers' #35 - 'A Walk On Part In The War' #36 - 'The Failure Of Success' #37 - 'All Fall Down' #38 - 'Kingdom Lost' #39 - 'The End Has No End' Aquaman Secret Files (1998)
Aquaman: Death Of A Prince (2011)
TPB - 'Aquaman: Death Of A Prince' Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis (2006)
#52 - 'You Can't Fight City Hall!' #53 - 'Blood in the Water' Avengers/JLA (2003)
#4 - 'The Brave...and the Bold' Batman: The Widening Gyre (2009)
Booster Gold (2007)
#1 - '52 Pick-Up, Chapter 1: Secret Origins' Brightest Day (2010)
Captain Atom (1987)
#30 - 'Troubles in Paradise' Countdown (2007)
Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985)
#6 - '3 Earths! 3 Deaths!' #9 - 'War Zone' DC Super Stars (1976)
#7 - 'Presents... Aquaman' DC Universe: Origins (2009)
TPB - 'DC Universe: Origins' DCU Halloween Special '09 (2009)
DCU: Legacies (2010)
Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge (2008)
Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons (2011)
#1 - 'The Show Must Go On' Flashpoint: Grodd of War (2011)
Flashpoint: The Legion of Doom (2011)
#1 - 'Hot Blooded' #2 - 'Fired Up!' #3 - 'Streets of Fire' Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies (2011)
Green Arrow (2001)
#3 - 'Quiver, Chapter 3: The Old Man and the Sea' #4 - 'Quiver, Chapter 4: Membership Has Its Privileges' Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog (2011)
#1 - 'To Build a Better Lantern' Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Tomar-Re (2011)
Infinite Crisis (2005)
JLA (1997)
#68 - 'Stillborn Atlantis' JLA: Classified (2005)
#44 - 'The Ghosts of Mars, Part Three, Run, Man, Run' #45 - 'The Ghosts of Mars, Part Four, Family Matters' JSA: Classified (2005)
#19 - 'Skin Trade: Part One - Spare Parts' Justice (2005)
#1 - 'Justice, Chapter One' #4 - 'Justice, Chapter Four' #7 - 'Justice, Chapter Seven' #10 - 'Justice Chapter Ten' Justice League Unlimited (2004)
#26 - 'The Ghosts of Atlantis' Justice League Wedding Special (2007)
#1 - 'Unlimited, Chapter 1: Injustice League' Justice League: Cry for Justice (2009)
#2 - 'The Gathering' #3 - 'The Villain' #5 - 'The Lie' Manhunter (2004)
Silver Age (2000)
#1 - 'Pawns of the Invincible Immortal!' Silver Age 80-Page Giant (2000)
Silver Age Secret Files (2000)
Silver Age: Doom Patrol (2000)
#1 - 'The War of the Super-Weapons!' Silver Age: Green Lantern (2000)
#1 - 'Alone...Against Injustice!' Silver Age: Showcase (2000)
#1 - 'Showcase Presents the 7 Soldiers of Victory' Silver Age: Teen Titans (2000)
#1 - 'The Tyrannical Terror of Sheriff Law' Sins of Youth Secret Files (2000)
Sins of Youth: Aquaboy & Lagoon Man (2000)
#1 - 'Turning Back the Tides of Time' Sins of Youth: The Secret & Deadboy (2000)
#1 - 'Looking for Trouble...' Superboy (1994)
Superman-Batman (1966)
#1978-07 - 'Superman: Der Rachen des Kosmo-Hundes' Superman/Batman (2003)
#3 - 'The World's Finest, Part Three: Running Wild' #75 Tales of the Unexpected (2006)
Tangent: Superman's Reign (2008)
#10 - 'Tangent: Superman's Reign Chapter Ten' #11 - 'Tangent: Superman's Reign Chapter Eleven' #12 - 'Tangent: Superman's Reign Conclusion' Teen Titans Spotlight (1986)
The All New Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2011)
The DC Comics Encyclopedia (2004)
HC - 'The DC Comics Encyclopedia' HC - 'The DC Comics Encyclopedia: Updated And Expanded' Villains United (2005)
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985)
#3 - 'Black Lightning to Byth' Wonder Woman (1987)
#162 - 'God Complex, Part One' #163 - 'God Complex: Part Two' Young Justice: Sins of Youth (2000)
#2 - 'The Stunning Conclusion' Group Affiliation(s): Injustice League (DC)(01 - Silver Age) Secret Society of Super-Villains (03-Current) Famous Quotes: - Add a Famous Quote None.
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