Hot on the heels of the Aquaman movie, Anthony & Doc cover his archnemesis Black Manta! What sort of issues does an autistic black kid raised by pirates have? The kind that lead to Monty Python references - listen now!

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction

  • Shoutout to Sharp: The Podcast (3:37)

  • Background (5:31)

  • Black Manta – created by Bob Haney & Nick Cardey in Aquaman #35 (September 1967)

  • Original backstory was that a young black boy was kidnapped from his Baltimore home and forced to work on a ship, where he tried to get Aquaman to save him, but was unsuccessful – blamed Aquaman and the ocean for his troubles
  • A later backstory claimed he was an autistic orphan raised in Arkham Asylum who enjoyed freezing water but hated a bed – he was experimented on, killed the scientist responsible and escaped
  • He designed a helmet that allowed him to shoot energy rays from the eyes, and battled Aquaman on several occasions
  • Revealed at one point that his goal was to have black people control the oceans as reparations for being enslaved on land
  • Kills Arthur Curry Jr., Aquaman’s son, enraging Arthur
  • Sacrifices his soul in exchange for becoming a human/manta ray hybrid – later reversed by Aquaman
  • After Arthur dies, Black Manta retires and works in a fish market, until Arthur is resurrected, at which point he burns down the shop and kills the customers
  • Brightest Day – discover he was a treasure hunter whose pregnant wife was tortured by aliens – the child received powers, and was taken by Mera to Earth to be hidden from the aliens – the child eventually became Jackson Hyde, Aqualad
  • Manta battles Aquaman and cuts his hand off – almost succeeds in killing Jackson but is stopped by Aquagirl and Mera
  • New 52 – Manta gives Arthur’s father a heart attack, so Arthur attacks Manta’s father in retaliation (thinking it was Manta) and kills him, and Manta swears revenge on Arthur
  • Later goes after the Crime Syndicate after Ultraman creates massive tidal waves that wash away his father’s grave

  • Issues (15:41)

  • Autism is so inaccurately portrayed as to be ridiculous – claimed to be source of his anger/violence

  • “Cured” of his autism by serum that turned him into manta ray/human hybrid as a result of deal with devil (23:30)
  • Race angle used to previously justify his anger – also clumsy (31:28)

  • Treatment (40:05)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe (43:41)
  • Skit (50:52)
  • Ending (57:40)

References:

• Entourage Aquaman movie - Anthony - 0:45
• David Attenborough - Anthony - 2:16
• Henry Ford - Anthony - 3:31
• Mantis shrimp - Anthony - 10:58
• The Simpsons - "Burn them all!" - Doc - 12:10
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Lady of the Lake - Anthony - 13:10
• Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo - Tourette's scene - Anthony - 22:04
• South Park - "Le Petite Tourette" - Anthony - 22:10
• The Root/Michael Harriot - Anthony - 32:55
• The Good Place - Anthony - 38:26
• Temple Grandin - Doc - 44:03
• "Peaches" by Presidents of the United States of America - Anthony - 58:00
• "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers & Grover Washington - Anthony - 58:19

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