The Manta Men are supporting antagonists in the 2018 DC Extended Universe superhero film Aquaman and its 2023 sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
They are a group of pirates for hire consisting of mercenaries and ex-soldiers, led by Jesse Kane. They later begin working for Jesse's son, David Kane and assist him in his quest for revenge against Arthur Curry for refusing to help him save his father's life during their first encounter on board a submarine.
Biography[]
Origins[]
During World War II, a Navy frogman codenamed "Manta" by his unit for his stealthiness became a pirate after the war had ended and his country forgot he existed. He used his intelligence to plunder ships out on the high seas and eventually had a son, Jesse Kane. Many years later, Jesse embarked on a life of piracy like his late father and became the leader of a group of high tech ocean hijackers, with his son David, as his second in command.
Working for King Orm[]
In 2018, King Orm Marius of Atlantis hires the Jesse, David, and their men to steal a Russian nuclear submarine so they could use it to stage a fake attack on the Council of Kings as part of Orm's plan to wage war against the surface world by uniting the Seven Kingdoms under his rule. The pirates infiltrate the submarine, murder most of the men onboard including the captain and disable the distress signals. Jesse presented David with his father's special knife and gave it to his son out of respect for a job well done. They are then hit from the outside by an unknown projectile which is revealed to be the legendary Arthur Curry a.k.a. the Aquaman who rises the sub above sea level and defeats the pirates, including David. After the sailors were evacuated, a drowning Jesse used an explosive to sink the submarine, killing himself in the process, while David escaped, leaving him as the sole survivor of the group.
Black Manta's Revenge[]
David vows revenge on Aquaman, blaming him for his father's death and rechristens himself "Black Manta" after his grandfather upon receiving advanced Atlantean technology from Orm so that he can kill Curry. The two battle each other again in Sicily and Arthur sends Manta careening off a cliff into the sea. He is found and saved by Dr. Stephen Shin, a scientist obsessed with finding Atlantis. David agrees to lead him there in exchange for his help in getting revenge on Aquaman.
Five years later, David assembles a new crew of mercenaries dubbed the "Manta Men", consisting of Shen and Stingray.
Members[]
- Manta - Founder and Leader (deceased)
- David Kane/Black Manta - Leader (deceased)
- Jesse Kane - Former Leader (deceased)
- Stingray - David's second-in-command and temporary enemy (deceased)
- Stephen Shin - David's savior and friend turn enemy
