Anyone who watched Aquaman (2018) can attest to Black Manta‘s intense anger issues, which all seem to be directed squarely at Arthur Curry. His rage is so colossal that it’s the central thesis of the plot of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The time has come to shed light on why he is so mad. Prepare to plunge into the psyche of Black Manta as we uncover the tragedy at the heart of the subterranean drama with Aquaman’s most formidable foe.
Black Manta’s Origin Story
Before there was Black Manta, there was David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). David and his father, Jesse, operate as mercenary pirates, their destinies shaped by the intergenerational disenfranchisement that is part of African-American history. His grandfather was a U.S. Navy frogman nicknamed Manta for the U.S. Navy during World War II. However, the prevalent systemic racism in the U.S. military at the time marginalized him.
The Tragedy At The Heart of the Grudge
King Orm (Patrick Wilson) hires the Kanes to capture a Russian Akula-class submarine. However, Orm’s half-brother, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), foils their plan. During their intense confrontation, they damage the vessel. Jesse gets trapped, and David can’t rescue him despite his efforts. When Jesse drowns, grief fuels David’s fiery desire for vengeance against the King of the Seven Seas.
King Orm’s Exploitation of David Kane
David blames Aquaman for his father’s death. Ever the opportunist, King Orm allows David to channel his anguish into focused determination and even the score while furthering his agenda. Orm has a suit of advanced Atlantean armor delivered to David, its unmatched combat technology providing him with superhuman strength. He also assigned a team of elite commandos to help him target and eliminate Aquaman and Princess Mera (Amber Heard). Orm is assured that David is determined to make Aquaman pay for his father’s death and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
The Birth of Black Manta
After trying out the cache of weapons he received from King Orm, David is captivated by a state-of-the-art rifle that can convert water molecules into lethal plasma beams. Flexing his engineering muscles, David transforms the firearm into an integrated helmet system.
The project evolves as David sets about customizing the suit of armor, creating a new identity as he paints every inch of it a sleek yet sinister shade of black. David christens himself Black Manta, an homage to his ancestors and a legacy of retribution that weighs heavy on his shoulders. He has distilled all his ambitions into a single goal: kill Aquaman.
Face Off in Sicily
Black Manta and his commando troops ambush Aquaman and Mera in Sicily. David appears in his armor, wearing one of the most gigantic helmets in the DCEU. He fires powerful red plasma beams from his eyes that blast his arch-nemesis into a column and through a stone wall. A brutal contest ensues, and David viciously stabs Aquaman in the shoulder and slices his back with an Atlantean steel sword. He seems almost unbeatable. While Mera battles his lieutenants, Aquaman and Black Manta face off until the King of the Seas sends his foe careening down a cliff into the Mediterranean Sea. It is yet another disgraceful defeat at the hands of Aquaman for the heir to the Kane legacy.
Black Manta Humiliated By Aquaman
In the post-credits sequence, a defeated Black Manta is seen adrift in the glistening Mediterranean, clinging desperately to a piece of wreckage. His gigantic helmet is cracked open, and David’s angry face is exposed. All seems hopeless at first glance until a group of seafarers spot him, and Dr. Stephen Shin comes to the rescue. He convalesces at the doctor’s residence and regains consciousness as Shin studies his massive helmet. When a blast of plasma shoots across the room, Shin asks David to confirm if it is Atlantean technology. They make a pact: the former pirate promises to reveal the origins of the technology if the doctor helps track down Aquaman.
Summary
Black Manta’s unwavering animosity towards Aquaman runs as deep as the leagues of the seven seas. He has externalized his grief and rage over his failure to save his father in Aquaman. It is far too heartbreaking to accept that he and his father paid a high price for committing a crime. It is too unbearable to consider that his father’s death was entirely avoidable or that he would still be alive if they never accepted the mission from King Orm.
Unfortunately, Black Manta’s descent into hatred of Aquaman is relatable to anyone who has ever struggled to take accountability for a painful mistake. It illustrates the darker facets of the human experience encountered in solitude when we must face ourselves. Denial and blame provide a welcome, if temporary, escape from the consequences of our actions.