Black Manta: The Secret History of Aquaman’s Greatest Villain
The news that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to play Black Manta in James Wan’s Aquaman was a surprise, if only because Patrick Wilson had already signed on to play another villain, Ocean Master — but when it comes to choosing the ultimate bad guy for DC’s aquatic superhero, Manta is probably the best bet.
Let’s get the awkward name out of the way first, before we go any further. Although it’s sadly a tradition for African-American comic book superheroes and villains to have the word “Black” as part of their name — Marvel has the Black Panther, Black Goliath, Black Mariah and Black Talon alone — Black Manta’s secret identity (and, therefore, ethnicity) weren’t revealed for the first ten years of his existence; he debuted in 1967’s Aquaman No. 35, but wasn’t unmasked until 1977’s Adventure Comics No. 452. Sadly, the unmasking was done with as little subtlety as you might have feared:
The name — and, admittedly, somewhat goofy-looking costume — aside, Manta is a surprisingly complex character. Since his creation, he’s been defined by an obsession with Aquaman that borders on the tragic, yet occasionally teased with the possibility of redemption in some form.
The reasons behind the obsession have shifted across the decades. Originally, Manta — who has never been given a real name beyond “David,” oddly enough — blamed Aquaman for not rescuing him from being kidnapped by pirates as a youth, leading to Manta murdering his captor and escaping. (Aquaman was unaware it had happened.) Since the 2011 relaunch…
Comments