Black Manta

A ruthless undersea mercenary and one of Aquaman's most relentless foes, Black Manta debuted as a mysterious, helmet-clad villain driven by an intense hatred of the sea king. His true background was long shrouded in mystery, with various accounts depicting a traumatic childhood connected to the ocean.

Few villains in DC's ocean-spanning mythology carry the menace of Black Manta, the sleek, helmet-clad nemesis who has haunted Aquaman's world since his Bronze Age debut in Adventure Comics #493 in 1982, brought to life by the legendary team of Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo. Over four-plus decades — and 52 catalog appearances stretching from 1982 all the way to 2024 — he has proven himself one of DC's most enduring and recognizable antagonists, turning up not only across the pages of Aquaman but in the hallowed company of Batman and The Flash in Detective Comics and beyond. Two of those appearances carry the weight of key-issue status, a testament to how significantly this character has shaped the stories around him. If you're building a serious DC collection, Black Manta is exactly the kind of deep-cut classic who rewards the hunt.