Pitch a Direction: Black Manta

[lemonpeace]

I saw this idea on the Batman forum so I poached it. Where do you think they should or where would you take the character of Black Manta? Narrative paths, powers, new gear, design tweaks, pathos, radical changes, mundane changes, whatever comes to mind. Flex those creative muscles, all ideas are welcome.

[ArsonoptiX]

Black Manta should be given a Planet Hulk like arc. Take him away from Earth/Aquaman and transported somewhere (future, past, alternate earth). That way his rage can fester, get distracted by something bigger, and in the end there comes the conflict of choosing to wage war anew with Aquaman or stay. Heck let his enemy be an alternate Aquaman that is pure evil so we can root for him a bit. No new powers...100% upgrade the outfit (Movie, JLU, Young Justice looks preferred).

[K. Jones]

Ignoring the rightful success built into the Aquaman stories these days on account of the popularity of Thronesy type royal, family, heritage, bloodline and soapy sorts of dramas, I've always felt that Aquaman's greatest strengths were probably as an oceanic cowboy story, where he drifts around helping everyone on land or under sea, then rides his seahorse off into the sunset.

In that same mold, the pitch for Black Manta is easy - the black-hat mercenary bounty hunter type. A hired gun on a super-powered exponential level. The gunslinger with barely any honor, compared to Aquaman, who's the honorable guy.

[Lightning Rider]

I'd like to see him build a following with an outskirt civilization.

Honestly though I'd love to see the "black civilization underwater" angle come back, but I understand it would be very hard to pull off.

That said I am outlining a story in which 5 (or so) black men with very different life experiences are approached and recruited by Manta's organization during difficult times or instances of discrimination, and become indoctrinated much like those targeted by extremist groups. They feel rewarded by the sense of purpose they get and the power they were previously denied. But of course it gets complicated when their actions become questionable and one or a few of them start to see Manta's goals as self-serving rather than liberating. Hard choices, internal struggles, diverse feelings regarding responses to injustice, and a charismatic inspiring cutthroat leader in Manta himself.

Ignoring the rightful success built into the Aquaman stories these days on account of the popularity of Thronesy type royal, family, heritage, bloodline and soapy sorts of dramas, I've always felt that Aquaman's greatest strengths were probably as an oceanic cowboy story, where he drifts around helping everyone on land or under sea, then rides his seahorse off into the sunset.

In that same mold, the pitch for Black Manta is easy - the black-hat mercenary bounty hunter type. A hired gun on a super-powered exponential level. The gunslinger with barely any honor, compared to Aquaman, who's the honorable guy.

I dig this.

[Robotman]

I would move away from him being a revenge fueled psycho killer and more of the mysterious “Darth Vader of the ocean.” They could give Manta his own underwater kingdom. It would be interesting to even make him kind of an evil Black Panther-like character.

[Timothy Hunter]

Black Manta fans: What is your opinion of making Black Manta's helmet more circular, rather than oval shaped?