Aquaman’s Black Manta is Getting a Massive Change in DC Canon

Warning! Spoilers for Black Manta #2 ahead!

In the latest issue of DC Comics’ Black Manta, the classic Aquaman villain is being set up for a massive change that could have some crazy ramifications. While the beginning of this new miniseries has revealed that Black Manta is dying from a mysterious rock uncovered on the ocean floor, the answers he receives as to why he’s being affected aren’t the ones he wants to hear. As a result, the fearsome supervillain has elected to get a second opinion, using supernatural means to learn the truth. However, it’s very likely that Black Manta still won’t like what he learns, being more connected to Aquaman than he’d ever want to be.

In the first issue of Black Manta from writer Chuck Brown and artist Valentine de Landro, David Hyde suffers from debilitating headaches that are threatening to kill him. While he’s determined that the cause is a mysterious glowing rock his team uncovered beneath the waves, he has no idea why he’s been affected while no one else in his crew has. Furthermore, a handful of seemingly unrelated people have been suffering from the same ailment. As such, Black Manta has hired marine biologist and Atlantean expert Stephen Shin to help him get answers and a solution before he dies.

That being said, Manta is in complete denial after he hears Shin’s theory about what’s happening to him in Black Manta #2. Shin believes the rock to be a magical ore forged centuries ago by the Lost Tribe of Atlantis. Once it was recovered by one of Hyde’s Manta Men, Shin’s theory suggests that it began to awaken dormant Atlantean DNA within humans, inadvertently killing them as a result. Furthermore, that would mean that Black Manta is part-Atlantean, a notion the pirate mercenary refuses to entertain.

It appears as though Black Manta is choosing to seek his own answers and solutions, capturing the Gentlemen Ghost to take him back in time to Atlantis of 9000 B.C. Apparently, Black Manta wants to go right to the source to learn the truth without question from the Lost Tribe of Atlantis (and hopefully find a cure as well). However, if it’s indeed proven that Black Manta has always been part-Atlantean, belonging to a race he’s long hated, that’s going to be huge. It would also make Black Manta more connected to Aquaman, his longtime rival who killed his father.

As a result, this particular change to Black Manta’s history would be personally world-shattering, and it’s unclear what Black Manta will do when and if he learns the undisputed truth about his lineage for himself. Perhaps it would open the door for Black Manta to work towards redemption, allowing him to reconnect with his son Jackson in the near future. Regardless, fans will just have to wait and see as the classic Aquaman villain prepares to go back in time and beneath the waves to find the answers he’s looking for.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2526 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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