Black Manta (2021)

Following his appearance in the Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular, the scourge of the seas now gets his own series. Black Manta is chasing a rare metal with incredible powers, and he’s not the only one who wants to get his hands on it, friend and foe alike! Torrid is a former ally who has escaped hell (literally!) to answer the call of the metal, but can Manta trust her? Hopefully so because he might need her help to fend off Devil Ray, a new competitor for the role of the biggest villain underwater. Both Aquaman: The Becoming #1 and Black Manta #1 feature a connecting variant cover by superstar artist Francis Manapul! INTRODUCING NEW HERO TORRID AND VILLAIN DEVIL RAY!

Black Manta and Gallous pursue a deadly metal, coveted across the seven seas...a metal that kills anyone with Atlantean DNA! Is it this terrible treasure that summons Torrid, a woman from Black Manta’s past, who just literally broke out of Hell to attack him? And how does it connect to Devil Ray, the new bad boy of the oceans, looking to punish the surface world? From the writer of Bitter Root and the artist of Bitch Planet comes a wild new chapter in the story of one of DC’s most iconic villains!

Black Manta and the mysterious Torrid violently collide when the truth of Manta’s link to Atlantis is revealed! Torrid and Manta’s fates violently collide and Manta’s link to Atlantis is revealed! Gallous uncovers Manta’s act of heroism, but will Manta continue on this path? Or will he turn away from good to teach Gallous that ice water in your veins is necessary for survival?

Devil Ray has his sights set on Atlantis, and he races to put his grand plans into motion before Black Manta can unlock the secrets of the mysterious and deadly orichalcum metal. Meanwhile, Torrid forms an uneasy alliance with Manta and Gallous the Goat following their throwdown in Ethiopian airspace. But perhaps her reticence is not unfounded, as Manta’s villainous nature emerges on their quest for the truth.

Black Manta finds himself at the crossroads of good and evil as Devil Ray’s secret origin and Black Manta’s own past collide and erupt! Will Black Manta finally accept his legacy of villainy…and maybe even make the choice to overcome it? Or will Devil Ray’s plans quite literally rip apart not just the seven seas, but the whole world?

Final issue, leading directly into the Aquamen #1 launch! It’s villain versus villain as Black Manta fights to stop Devil Ray, whose eyes are set on Atlantis but whose ambitions might very well bring about the end of the world. Will Manta finally be able to own his roots, his power, and his flaws to save Atlantis…and himself?