Issue 36 – Black Manta

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction

  • Shoutout to Sharp: The Podcast (3:37)

• Background (5:31)

  • Black Manta – created by Bob Haney & Nick Cardey in Aquaman #35 (September 1967)

  • Original backstory was that a young black boy was kidnapped from his Baltimore home and forced to work on a ship, where he tried to get Aquaman to save him, but was unsuccessful – blamed Aquaman and the ocean for his troubles

  • A later backstory claimed he was an autistic orphan raised in Arkham Asylum who enjoyed freezing water but hated a bed – he was experimented on, killed the scientist responsible and escaped

  • He designed a helmet that allowed him to shoot energy rays from the eyes, and battled Aquaman on several occasions

  • Revealed at one point that his goal was to have black people control the oceans as reparations for being enslaved on land

  • Kills Arthur Curry Jr., Aquaman’s son, enraging Arthur

  • Sacrifices his soul in exchange for becoming a human/manta ray hybrid – later reversed by Aquaman

  • After Arthur dies, Black Manta retires and works in a fish market, until Arthur is resurrected, at which point he burns down the shop and kills the customers

  • Brightest Day – discover he was a treasure hunter whose pregnant wife was tortured by aliens – the child received powers, and was taken by Mera to Earth to be hidden from the aliens – the child eventually became Jackson Hyde, Aqualad

  • Manta battles Aquaman and cuts his hand off – almost succeeds in killing Jackson but is stopped by Aquagirl and Mera

  • New 52 – Manta gives Arthur’s father a heart attack, so Arthur attacks Manta’s father in retaliation (thinking it was Manta) and kills him, and Manta swears revenge on Arthur

  • Later goes after the Crime Syndicate after Ultraman creates massive tidal waves that wash away his father’s grave

• Issues (15:41)

  • Autism is so inaccurately portrayed as to be ridiculous – claimed to be source of his anger/violence

  • “Cured” of his autism by serum that turned him into manta ray/human hybrid as a result of deal with devil (23:30)

  • Race angle used to previously justify his anger – also clumsy (31:28)

• Treatment (40:05)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe (43:41)

• Skit (50:52)

• Ending (57:40)

References:

• Entourage Aquaman movie – Anthony – 0:45
• David Attenborough – Anthony – 2:16
• Henry Ford – Anthony – 3:31
• Mantis shrimp – Anthony – 10:58
• The Simpsons – “Burn them all!” – Doc – 12:10
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Lady of the Lake – Anthony – 13:10
• Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo – Tourette’s scene – Anthony – 22:04
• South Park – “Le Petite Tourette” – Anthony – 22:10
• The Root/Michael Harriot – Anthony – 32:55
• The Good Place – Anthony – 38:26
• Temple Grandin – Doc – 44:03
• “Peaches” by Presidents of the United States of America – Anthony – 58:00
• “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers & Grover Washington – Anthony – 58:19

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