HERO OF THE WEEK: BLACK MANTA (DC)
Real Name: David Hyde
First Appearance: Aquaman #35 (September, 1967)
Fight Club Ranking: #865

Featured Fights:
- vs AQUAMAN: Adventure Comics #446 (Jul-Aug 1976)

It was tempting to talk about Sony's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse this week, which is dazzling audiences with its multiverse of colour and animation, but for all the good it brings, I'm not immediately excited about the fresh fractures it widens with multiple cinematic Spider-Men.

For better or worse, I'm more enticed by the first-run cinematic world-building of Aquaman, which is the other major superhero release hitting theatres in December. We certainly couldn't let 2018 pass without acknowledging the glory of Black Manta! Just look at the bad ass poster shared via @AquamanShrine last month [below]!

A villain once out of favor for his over-the-top design, Black Manta now struts into cinematic live-action with a serviceable recreation complete with that oh-so bonkers, oh-so wonderful bug-eyed helmet! He seems destined to be a favourite for anyone giving the movie a chance and I can see why! Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does the honors - bringing life to Black Manta as a technologically savvy nemesis out to collect on a vendetta against Aquaman! Just look at him!!

The film has already been racking up record-breaking box office overseas, confirming record takings in China for a US release. After the blowback felt by other DCEU movies, I've got to think early release in those markets was a deliberate, deft move to temper early negativity. It's a bit of a cynical move, but unlike other films from this slate, it seems to be in service of giving a fun movie a fair go.

To would-be moviegoers sneering at yet another CG-encrusted superhero blockbuster, I would suggest the mistake was seeing many of the other ones. Monotony has been an issue in superhero movies in general, but offerings like Batman v Superman and Justice League were obvious enough to betray their failings pre-release. Aquaman hasn't been easy to read ahead of time, but certainly pitches enough to make it the one worth rolling the dice on.

I'm looking forward to seeing a visually vibrant superhero film. It's too infrequent. A less-than-harrowing adventure into strange worlds sounds like a great change of pace. Actors like Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren stir intrigue and enthusiasm. Villains like Black Manta and Ocean Master stoke curiosity, with all kinds of crazy extras stuffed into trailers to suggest something fun!

Aquaman officially makes domestic United States shores later this week, flooding theatres December 21st. Make sure you don't leave before the post-credits scene! If you haven't had enough hydration you can find more Aquaman by deep diving links in Hero of the Week, the Secret Archive and more!

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AQUAMAN versus BLACK MANTA

The Manta-Ray Means Murder! (DC)
Where: Adventure Comics #446 When: July-August 1976 Why: Paul Levitz & Martin Pasko How: Jim Aparo

The Story So Far...
Aquaman has been overthrown as King of Atlantis and run out of the city under threat of death from new ruler: Karshon! With his wife Mera and son by his side, the ousted monarch is desperate to contact Aqualad to warn him of the dangers of returning - but even Robin cannot locate the aquatic Teen Titan's whereabouts!

On the Mississippi Delta; Aqualad & Aquagirl are mixing heroics and pleasure by visiting the paddle steamer Club Mark Twain to investigate diamond smugglers. The bust uncovers a grander plot with Black Manta pulling the strings and using surprise to get the drop on his nemeses' ward and his daring date!

Aquaman uses his marine telepathy to desperately canvas the waters for his missing ward. It's a race against time as the arch-villain concocts a deathtrap of malicious mantas and mind-numbed electric eels ready to kill Aqualad!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Aquaman 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Aquaman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Aquaman 4 (Trained)
Energy: Black Manta 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 24 (Champion)

We've seen what happens when Aquaman goes head-to-head with Ocean Master, but now it's time to test him against another of his deep diving, aquatic arch-nemeses: Black Manta!

Our stats measure them approximately equal in the overall stakes, but Black Manta derives his sub-aquatic skills from an artificial source. His power suit keeps him as nimble in the sea as an Atlantean, outfitted with life preservation technology, reinforced helmet, strength enhancement, and heavy artillery!

Manta's arsenal most famously includes deadly "manta-ray" lasers fired from the eyes on his helmet, but he also carries a variety of tricks, such as swords, spear guns, harpoons, pistols, and torpedoes. His propulsion system has also been known to work in and out of the water, making his own body a deadly missile thanks to his suit's high-pressure durability!

There's no doubting Black Manta is one of Aquaman's deadliest enemies, but the King of Atlantis is no stranger to tough competition!

His ability to communicate with marine life has always offered a unique arsenal, such as the school of fish who helped him beat the Mercury Monster in Secret Origins #32, or the killer whale who controversially squashed Marvel's marine master Namor in Marvel versus DC #2! He was less successful marshaling sharks in battle with Despero, whose telepathy won out in JLA #118.

We also know Aquaman has the muscle and knowhow to beat strong and well armed foes! He turned the Olympian's own medieval weapons against him, delivering a kayo uppercut in JLA: Classified #3! The aforementioned battle with Ocean Master was a knock down, drag out slugfest in Adventure Comics #444!

These are two perfectly matched warriors who know each other very well. On any given day one could defeat the other. As the hero, Aquaman is traditionally the victor, but you can never count out Black Manta's cunning! Manta has Aqualad hostage, and is facing an Aquaman dethroned by Karshon -- which could prove the psychological advantage! Let's see if it worked...

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Aquaman (#32)

What Went Down...
Black Manta is so preoccupied gloating over the aquarium deathtrap now holding Aqualad - he fails to notice an orange & green dynamo decimating the guards on deck! When he finally hears trouble: Aquaman is already upon him!

The sudden, devastating impact of Aquaman's left hand slams so hard through Black Manta's helmet he topples to the ground!

No matter! Like the Manta's namesake, he proves just as deadly while flat on the ground! The villain throws a stiff kick into Aquaman's waiting mid-section before unleashing the awesome energies of his manta-ray eye beams!

The powerful muscles in Aquaman's legs react in the blink of an eye - launching him just above the deadly blast and out of harm's way! The daring dodge allows the deep sea dominator to launch a swift counter-measure!

Remembering his old foe's weaponry well: Aquaman charges with the speed of a dolphin to deliver a precision strike to the back of Black Manta's suit!

Even as Aquaman successfully deactivates the deadly Manta-Ray device, Black Manta continues to gloat over the imminent death of Aqualad! Little does he realise his murder plot has failed -- twice!

An earlier attempt to send Aqualad's girlfriend to a watery grave backfired as she too is an Atlantean! Freed from her restraints when Aquaman arrived to the floating night club - young Tula has already paid it forward by shattering the glass that kept Aqualad prisoner with mindless mantas & electric eels!

Aqualad makes his presence known by diving in to grab Black Manta's legs! The assist plants the villain to the spot, rendering him immobile as Aquaman delivers an unforgiving straight shot to the ribs - and follows with an uppercut!

Manta staggers desperately across the deck, but on his home turf - he isn't as helpless as he seems. Just as Aquaman boasts he has his nemesis where he wants him: the villain hits a button -- and disappears down a hidden hatch!

The bottom of Club Mark Twain opens up, releasing the hidden Manta-Ship into the waters below! It seems Black Manta has made his daring escape, but in the water Aquaman has his own contingency!

A telepathic command springs a giant squid out of hiding amidst a camouflaging cloud of ink! Massive tentacles wrap around the fleeing Manta-Ship, engaging a tug-of-war between marine-life and machine! The metal of the Manta-Ship is left a twisted mess, but its powerful hyper-drive breaks free.

The Hammer...
Black Manta may have successfully escaped, but his running is a symptom that comes from defeat! Aquaman wins the day, with a notable assist from Aqualad and Aquagirl!

I'd actually forgotten that Tula played a part in rescuing Aqualad, so that's a fun little follow-up to her recent induction via Blackest Night #2. As morbid as it sounds, I'm still hoping to take a closer look at her untimely demise in the pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Nice that we got to experience a small taste of her relationship with Aqualad in today's feature.

I've been particularly excited about getting to today's featured fight! Not because it specifically holds special significance in history, but because I've really been enjoying this period of Aquaman in Adventure Comics, and because I've been wanting to get Black Manta on the books for a very long time!

Black Manta is just one of those classic comic book characters who couldn't have come from any other medium! The bold visual of that iconic helmet, perched atop a simple black bodysuit, is really all you need to know! He's a cool looking villain uniquely equipped to carry out a vicious vendetta against Aquaman!

It makes me a little sad to think of the years Black Manta, and similarly fantastic characters, were out of vogue. For a little while in the nineties they tried him out as an actual human-manta hybrid, but that only did more damage. All you need is that insane helmet and you've got a must-see character!

Thank goodness cooler heads have prevailed in recent years. Black Manta isn't just back in action, he's about to become a multimedia sensation thanks to next month's Aquaman movie. Warner Brothers, with director James Wan, seem to be making every effort to unleash a visual spectacle upon the screen, with Black Manta all-but fully realized in live action! It's very exciting!

Speaking of exciting visuals - how about that Jim Aparo? Isolated panels may not do the artist's work true justice. I hope you can at least appreciate a sense of what the full layouts offer. Aquaman is a madman of action, throwing himself into fights and scenes with reckless abandon! So many angles! So much impact!

The whole story has a very enjoyable mix of pulpy sensibilities and modern super-heroics. I'm not sure anything can match the blistering whirlwind of furious fists and sci-fi adventure from Adventure Comics #444, but this issue goes it's own way, sweeping wildly through monstrous octopods, inter-personal dramas, and Aqualad & Tula mixed up in an undercover casino dive!

If you want to experience this issue in its entirety - you may have to do some digging, but if you do it via the Amazon link provided, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! The 70s Adventure Comics era was well represented in Aquaman: Death of a Prince trade collections presently out of print.

You can find more from Aquaman and his family by clicking the search tags below, or links found throughout this post. You can also discover classic combat and surprising smackdown by browsing the Secret Archive! To get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day follow on Twitter and Facebook. A like, share, or retweet is another great way to support the site!

Winner: Aquaman
#20 (+12) Aquaman
#863 (new) Black Manta
#153 (+41) Tula (Aquagirl) [+1 assist]
#562 (+300) Tempest (Aqualad) [+1 assist]

HERO OF THE WEEK: BLACK MANTA (DC)
Real Name: David Hyde
First Appearance: Aquaman #35 (September, 1967)
Fight Club Ranking: #DNR

Featured Fights:
- Yet To Be Featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.

With so many battles, yet so little time; there are still a few major characters who haven't quite found their way into the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths fight club rankings! Which was one of the reasons Hero of the Week comes in handy, because there are a lot of awesome characters worth noting!

Black Manta originally appeared in Injustice 2 as an interactive background threat in Aquaman's Atlantis stage, but in a very rare case of exquisite taste; players demanded full control of the underwater villain as a playable character. Developers heard fans' cries and last week released the first trailer for their latest downloadable addition!

I love the sheer absurdity of Black Manta's classic bug-eyed helmet, and I love that NetherRealm Studios haven't tried to fix what isn't broken! There's the usual textured irrelevant in the body, but for the most part this is the Black Manta we all know and love!

With the DC fighting game roster climbing deep into the thirties (and beyond), a good visual is all the more important. It looks like he plays pretty well. Special moves include a lot of tech-suit based missiles and flight. Eye-beam lasers will be a favourite. He has a pretty neat harpoon, too.

Aquaman is heading to the big screen in a few months in Justice League, but in 2018 he'll star in his own solo film adventure! As one of the Atlantean's deadliest enemies, I'll be hoping Black Manta not only makes it to the big screen -- but also retains his look as gloriously as he has in Injustice 2.

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