Who is Black Manta?
We’ve never really seen the first Black Manta story, since Aquaman already knew who he was when Manta first appeared. They clashed several times in the Silver Age, but it was a late Silver Age story that changed the Aquaman book, and made Black Manta into what I consider Aquaman’s most dangerous enemy. Black Manta reveals his face in that story. Although he is revealed as a black man, he claims that there is no profit in prejudice, and that race has nothing to do with his plans. His ultimate goal was to establish a homeland for outcasts, particularly African-Americans, under the waves. But, while that was a shocking revelation, it’s what Black Manta then does to Aquaman that causes pretty much ALL the angst to come boiling up. Manta captured Artie Jr and trapped him in an air bubble. Then he forced Aquaman and Aqualad to battle each other for the life of Artie Jr. Instead of trying to find another solution, Aquaman decides to seriously try to kill Aqualad to save his son.
We’ve never really seen the first Black Manta story, since Aquaman already knew who he was when Manta first appeared. They clashed several times in the Silver Age, but it was a late Silver Age story that changed the Aquaman book, and made Black Manta into what I consider Aquaman’s most dangerous enemy. Black Manta reveals his face in that story. Although he is revealed as a black man, he claims that there is no profit in prejudice, and that race has nothing to do with his plans. His ultimate goal was to establish a homeland for outcasts, particularly African-Americans, under the waves. But, while that was a shocking revelation, it’s what Black Manta then does to Aquaman that causes pretty much ALL the angst to come boiling up. Manta captured Artie Jr and trapped him in an air bubble. Then he forced Aquaman and Aqualad to battle each other for the life of Artie Jr. Instead of trying to find another solution, Aquaman decides to seriously try to kill Aqualad to save his son. While the two
