Black Manta/Filmation

Black Manta is a costumed super-villain and a character featured on the Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure on CBS, where he fought up against Aquaman. He first appeared in "Menace of the Black Manta" in 1967 where he was voiced by Ted Knight.

Biography
Black Manta was the scourge of the seven seas and the consummate foe of Aquaman. He pirated the undersea byways of the world in his manta ship and had a horde of beastly Manta Men to do his bidding.

In one of his earliest exploits, Black Manta implanted an antenna device on top of the head of a killer whale. Using a brain-scramble on board his sea-saucer he drove the whale berserk, forcing it to attack Aquaman, Aqualad and Mera. The whale unseated Mera from her sea-horse, and she dropped down into the clutches of a giant clam. Aquaman and Aqualad left her, believing that the clam is the safest place for her.

Aquaman tried to use his telepathy to calm the whale down, but it didn't work. He then noticed the antenna sticking out of the top of its head, and summoned a hammerhead shark to lend assistance. The shark broke the antenna, and Black Manta lost control of the whale. Manta then used the devices on his ship to command the undersea plant life to ensnare the heroes inside of their massive tentacles. Aquaman summoned a jellyfish to poison the plants, forcing them to release him.

Black Manta left his saucer to battle Aquaman one on one. He brandished two sharpened blades, but Aquaman easily evaded his foe's thrusts. Black Manta lost his balance and fell down into a deep chasm. Aquaman and Aqualad returned to the spot where they left Mera and freed her from the clam.

Notes & Trivia



 * The comic book version of Black Manta first appeared in Aquaman, Volume 1 #35 in September, 1967. He made six appearances in that series and then returned to plague Aquaman in ten issues of the Aquaman feature in Adventure Comics. He has made numerous appearances since then.


 * Voice actor Ted Knight was also the narrator on the Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure.


 * Black Manta later appeared in the Super Friends franchise, first in an episode of the All-New Super Friends Hour, and later as a member of the Legion of Doom on Challenge of the Super Friends. In this series he was voiced by Ted Cassidy.


 * Black Manta would eventually make his first live-action appearance on the CW Network television series Smallville. He appeared in a brief scene with no dialogue in the twentieth episode of season ten, "Prophecy". This is the only appearance of the character.

Appearances

 * 1) Aquaman: Menace of the Black Manta