How strong is Black Manta? Aquaman character powers & weakness explained

Black Manta finally gets his due in Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom, giving fans a glimpse at a deadly villain ready to destroy Aquaman at all costs.

Longtime fans are finally going to get to see Black Manta cut loose in the upcoming sequel, Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom. For those who have been fans of Manta for decades, it’s long overdue.

Black Manta’s appearance in the first film may as well have been a cameo. Outside of the film, though, he’s been terrorizing Aquaman across comics, cartoons, and video games for years. 

In reality, Black Manta is one of DC’s most despicable villains, and he’s behind some of the darkest and most controversial Aquaman stories ever. It’s pretty interesting to see just how much evil he’s caused, considering he typically is just a dude in a suit. 

Black Manta powers in DC comics

Traditionally, Black Manta has no superhuman powers. Power-wise, he’s an average male at peak conditioning. However, there have been occasions where he was briefly empowered. 

During the event Underworld Unleashed, Black Manta was among those who struck a deal with the demon Neron. Neron transformed him into a literal Manta-like creature, which gave him powers similar to Aquaman’s. Aquaman reversed this with the power of his Waterbearer hand, making him human again. 

Beyond that, Black Manta is typically just a human. He is a genius and has been shown to be proficient with technology and a variety of weaponry. 

Black Manta weaknesses in DC comics

Black Manta’s survival against a foe like Aquaman hinges on his use of technology. For instance, his terrifying body armor is also a diving suit that allows him to survive in the depths of the ocean and breathe underwater. 

This, of course, presents a unique challenge. If his suit were to be damaged, it would open up a pretty significant weakness. The suit is fairly well-armored, though, so it would take a sufficiently strong opponent to crack through. 

Ultimately, Black Manta falls into the category of characters who are their own worst enemies. Manta even found something of a peaceful life briefly when Aquaman had died. However, upon learning of his resurrection following the Brightest Day event, he slaughtered an entire town and resumed his campaign against Aquaman. 

That’s all for now on Black Manta, but keep it locked to Dexerto for more Aquaman and comic book news.