The most beloved villain the Aquaman mythology is, without a doubt, the terrifying Black Manta. Even before his cinematic debut, the iconic super-villain was always a huge favorite among comic book readers. From his incredibly imposing suit to the terror he could cause, Black Manta is not someone anyone wants to mess with. Thanks to the DCEU, the character has finally been given the live-action treatment and will likely be playing a larger part in Aquaman 2. The character has also been featured in a number of DC projects, with the animated series Young Justice being one of his other solid portrayals.
While he is one of the more imposing villains that exist in DC, that doesn’t mean that fans can’t find things to make fun of him. With any fictional character, there are always jokes to be made about heroes and villains through memes and fan-art. As dangerous as Black Manta is, he’s no exception.
Black Manta’s Possible Secret Favorite Food
While Black Manta has been explored in terms of his motives and even his family dynamic, including with his son Aqualad, very few personal details are known about him. Even someone as evil as he must have favorite things they enjoy in life.
Does anyone even know what his favorite food is? What kind of junk food does he enjoy whenever he wants something quick and easy? It would be quite something if Black Manta was into Subway sandwiches.
When Perfection Happens
Whenever a live-action TV show or film is going to adapt something from the comics, it’s always a nerve-wracking experience for the fans. Given some characters’ long history, it’s never wise to do injustice to someone as beloved as Black Manta.
When the first look at Black Manta in Aquaman was revealed, the Internet exploded, in a good way. Thanks to James Wan and his team, fans were getting a comic accurate Black Manta that made him even more imposing than he already was.
Young Justice Fans Vs Black Manta
For non-comic readers who were watching Young Justice, it came as a shock when it was revealed that Aqualad was actually the biological son of Black Manta. Despite being someone who served on Aquaman’s side, Kaldur’ahm had ties with Arthur Curry’s biggest enemy. The season where Ms. Martian damaged Kal’s mind was an intense one, especially when she had to try and recover it under Black Manta’s watch. But thankfully, this meme summarizes how protective Artemis (who was undercover) was of them and she is someone that should not be messed with.
How One Helmet Captured Fans
While there are only a few characters in comics whose helmets alone can win fans over, Black Manta is one of them. Even though it can be looked upon as a little silly, whenever that helmet is in action, the only thing to do is to duck.
Leading up to the film, any glimpses fans could get of Black Manta was always a big deal. That’s why a single photo of David Hyde staring at his helmet managed to get so many viewers excited.
Why Black Manta Actually Carries A Knife
To say that Black Manta comes prepared would be quite the understatement. Even without his powerful weaponized helmet, Black Manta makes sure he is ready for anything. In his case, carrying a knife is part of his offense. But imagine if David Hyde also carried a knife because he wants to be prepared in case food is ever nearby. When fighting the King of Atlantis, that probably burns a lot of energy so a quick snack is probably a good thing for Black Manta.
If Black Manta’s Mom Was Around
There are a number of versions of Aquaman where he has been seen only having one hand, including Justice League Unlimited. Depending on what incarnation you’re following, it varies how he actually lost one of his hands.
But Black Manta has been responsible for one of those times. As horrible as it is for Arthur, imagine if that would bring out the cuteness (if there is any) in Black Manta like in this meme? If Black Manta’s mom would somehow be proud of that, then perhaps it’s because of her that he is a villain.
What If They Just Went With Adam & Manta
Another iconic super-villain that the DCEU is bringing in the future is Black Adam who will be played by Dwayne Johnson is own solo film that will follow the character as an anti-hero. Since he and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were respectively cast as Black Adam and Black Manta, what if they could just be called Adam and Manta? But at the same time, they do sound cooler as “Black Adam” and “Black Manta.”
The Harshest Truth
Twilight is a phenomenon in pop culture that is more of a comedy than being a serious franchise of films. With all of those films’ aspects, the love story is easy to laugh at because it’s so bizarre. Even though this meme probably suggests something very inappropriate between Aqualad and Black Manta, it’s better to look at this meme as their story-loving each other as father and son that is the better arc than the “romance” that was in Twilight.
Black Manta’s Alternative Intro
At the start of Aquaman, Arthur ends up getting David’s father killed which is what caused him to become Black Manta. While his debut as the iconic super-villain came in style, there’s a missed opportunity for David to have channeled his inner Inigo Montoya. Hearing Black Manta quoting The Princess Bride would have been absolutely hilarious. Perhaps it exists in a deleted scene that will never be seen.
Aquaman’s Alternative Reaction To Black Manta
Imagine Arthur at the beginning of his career as a superhero and not knowing what his rogues’ gallery will consist of. Arthur would probably never break a sweat of hearing the name “Black Manta” initially.
However, in an alternative reality, it’s not hard to imagine a version of Arthur that would be absolutely petrified of just hearing that villainous name.
