Black Manta
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Real Identity: Unknown
Appearances: Finding Aquaman, A Sticky Situation, Pool Season, and The Great Holiday Escape
Powers/Skills: Armed Combat
Voiced By: J.B. Smoove
Black Manta is the ocean's deadliest supervillain. Aquaman allegedly stole Black Manta's parking space at a marina. Manta parked further away and slipped on the docks and threw out his back. He went to physical therapy twice a week. To make matter worse, his insurance wouldn't cover his medical expenses. He became angry his credit would be ruined from his medical bills piling up. To get revenge, he shrank Aquaman and seahorse Light Breeze, Storm's second cousin, and kept them captive in an aquarium tank in his submarine. One day, Black Manta exited his bathroom and was startled to see the Teen Titans in his living room. Robin ordered him to come clean about his latest crime. Manta claimed he wasn't up to anything he threw his back out last month. He presented on of the underwater dioramas he was working one. He joked it was from time he and Aquaman got into a little tussle and things got out of hand. The diorama showed Aquaman's left hand getting chopped off. Manta laughs chuckled. Raven asked him if he saw Aquaman lately.
Manta claimed he had some important information on Aquaman's whereabouts then got the drop on them and zapped them with his shrink ray then scooped them up in fish net. Manta chided them for breaking into his house while he was sitting on the can, as he considered it a man's private time. He dumped them in his aquarium. Manta got annoyed to see his cat, Mr. Puddles, was loose and tried to coax him back inside. He returned and got annoyed hearing them scheme with Aquaman. Aquaman vowed he would pay. Manta reminded him it was payback for stealing his parking space at the marina. Aquaman inferred he was being a crybaby about it. Manta had enough of him talking. He tapped the aquarium several times to generate earthquakes. He was further annoyed when they took over under clam. He presented his pet betta fish Wrath O'Poseidon but then repeated the reveal of his name but with echos added. He baby talked Wrath O' then dumped him into the tank. He cheered on Wrath O' but cursed Aquaman and the Titans after Robin trapped his fish in the fake treasure chest. His back injury flared up again and he gingerly walked away.
Robin's plan to jam the filter failed and he was sucked into the motor then shot out onto the floor. Manta picked him up, and declared he was a pain in the butt but a noble adversary. He flushed Robin down his toilet then cheered on Mr. Puddles as he swiped at the Titans in the tank. Robin suddenly burst through the floor atop an orca. The orca clamped down on the middle of Manta's back causing him to scream. Manta crawled out and realized his back was fixed. The orca wrapped its tongue around him and pulled him into its mouth then blew him out its blow hole and out of the submarine. As Manta fell into the ocean, he thanked Robin for fixing his back. Black Manta took a bath in his apartment in Jump City. He was naturally scared when the Titan Robot took the roof off and tried to talk to him. Black Manta thought he found a public waste dump in an island off the coast of Jump City and pumped his garbage into it. He was surprised to encounter the Titans outside his submarine and high fived Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire. Robin pushed him away and stated they were not friends then demanded to know why he was pouring garbage into their pool. Manta was confused then realized it was his mistake and apologized. Raven and Cyborg understood why he would make the mistake. Robin didn't care and told him he couldn't park it there. Manta revealed he was sick of moving himself from place to place and needed a spot to chill for a while. He proposed they let him stick around and in exchange, he would build them a new pool. They were intrigued. Manta touched the side of helmet and a projector rose out of the top of his helmet. He showed them slides of what their new pool would look like. Manta dazzled them with an Olympic-sized monster pool with dive platforms, those cool little squirty fountains he loved, flame chests everywhere and super slides all up and down their patio.
Robin bopped his helmet projector and declared they weren't falling for his sales pitch. The others did. Robin pointed out he was a supervillain. Manta told Robin he could tell by the little baby hands that he was scared but he didn't have to listen to them. He implored Robin to listen to his giant heart who knew Black Manata knew his water. Robin caved and warned Manta not to make him regret it. Manta promised they would not even notice he was around. Manta left trash all over the living room, brought in his pets, hung up his stuff, and set up a hammock. After a month of no work done, Robin went with a firm hand and confronted Manta. Manta claimed he was waiting for the building permits to be approved by the city. Robin pointed out he was using all their electricity and eating all their food in the meantime. The others Titans didn't care. Robin threatened to have the Manta Sub towed if he didn't start working. Manta's feelings were hurt and he left for the permit office to see if he could grease the wheels.
A little later, he returned with the permit and started digging up the backyard with a backhoe. In the process, he ruined the power lines and water supply to the tower. He promised it would take a couple days, give or take. Robin tried to fire him but Manta pointed out they would then be stuck with a big ugly hole and reiterated they had to be patient and the new pool would blow their minds. They relented. Manta pitched a new idea: indoor pools that fed into the outer pool. They were into it but Robin objected on account of that taking months. Manta enlisted the help of Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire to help with demolition to speed things up. With pool season ending soon, Robin confronted Manta again. He promised it would be done by next pool season. Fed up with the Black Manta's slow progress building the Titans a new pool, Robin summoned Aquaman with a conch shell to force him into finishing. Aquaman referred to himself as the Lord of the ocean, king of the seas, and the Justice League's hunkiest hero.
Manta scoffed and thought he was the dumbest and boasted his scientific wizardry. Aquaman thought his wizardry was stupid. Manta retorted his outfit was stupid. Aquaman realized there was no reasoning with him and proposed the settle it like men of the ocean with a splash competition. Manta agreed. Aquaman suggested if he lost, he would have to finish his work that day and never come back. Manta suggested if he won, he could like at the Titans Tower forever. Aquaman found it fair. He assured Robin he could definitely probably beat him. Manta went first, shoved Aquaman aside, and performed a cannonball. Aquaman summoned a big red fish who jumped out of the ocean and slapped Manta with its tail fin. Aquaman went next but Manta whistled and a big green crab grabbed Aquaman and bashed him into the cliffside. Manta rode a dolphin. Aquaman performed a synchronized dive with Light Breeze. Manta rode a hammerhead shark out of an orca then high fived it. Aquaman rode a torpedo formed out a school of red fish.
Manta rode a whale. Robin was annoyed with the other Titans giving Manta high scores. Aquaman checked himself in a mirror but was shoved by Manta. Robin panicked at the prospect of losing and encouraged Aquaman. Aquaman assured him he had a plan. He summoned a Kraken and performed a wicked dive bomb that caused a tidal wave to wash over the Titans' island. Manta lost but claimed the wreckage of the Titans Tower loosely matched his vision of indoor pools that fed into the outer pool. He then suggested a game of Marco Polo. Aquaman was up for it and claimed he was the king of it. Manta called him the king of non-fashion and made fun of his suit's orange and green colors. During Christmas, Manta was at the Jump City Prison when the Titans broke Santa Claus out.