A more recent origin has Manta as the son of a pirate captain who was responsible for an assault that led to the death of Arthur’s father Tom. This life of servitude out at sea birthed a fiery resentment in him of the ocean and the Kingdom of Atlantis, with Aquaman as its figurehead. One of the villain’s origin stories is that he was a young boy captured by pirates and forced into menial labor, often tortured for days without food or water. Beaten by not just the king but the entire royal family, Ocean Master slinks away.īlack Manta’s convictions are less concrete and more spiritual. Not one to give up easily, Orm manages to capture Aquaman and Aqualad, but is quickly attacked and defeated by Mera. Aquaman quickly disarms and defeats him, remarking that Ocean Master’s knowledge of the planet’s ocean life is lacking and that he hasn’t gained the trust of his subjects, who would likely revolt if he became their king.

After the birth of Arthur and Mera’s son Arthur Jr., Orm arrives at the celebration to openly challenge his brother to a fight for the throne. Once the crisis is averted, Aquaman confides in Aqualad that the man they just fought is his young half-brother Orm, who grew up with a sense of inadequacy and jealousy, fueled by a bout of amnesia.Īnother early encounter can be found in Aquaman: Time and Tide #4. When Aquaman and Aqualad are called into action, the Arthur seems to be already familiar with his new adversary and is reluctant to hurt him. In his first appearance in Aquaman #29, we’re introduced to the villain as he attacks the Navy. Although continuity has shifted details throughout the years, one thing has remained true from the start: Ocean Master is Aquaman’s younger brother by blood and sees himself better fit to rule Atlantis. The best villains see themselves as heroes in their own stories, and throughout his battles with Aquaman, Ocean Master has only grown more entrenched in seeking honor for his birthright. Both have heavy notches on their belts when it comes to causing Aquaman grief, so let’s put them together to discover who takes the top spot once and for all! But of course, this leaves us with one question: which of them is Aquaman’s number one arch-nemesis?īeing King of the Seven Seas makes one attractive to a whole host of enemies, but none come close to igniting Aquaman’s fury and anguish more than Orm Marius and David Hyde. In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the two villains are set to reappear, reaffirming their spots as Arthur’s biggest foes.

While many viewers may have been familiar with Black Manta from his appearances in shows like Super Friends, much of the conflict depicted in the film was between brothers, with Aquaman and Ocean Master battling it out for supremacy of the Kingdom of Atlantis. In 2018’s Aquaman, audiences the world over were introduced to the hero’s two major archenemies: Ocean Master, Arthur Curry’s half-brother on his Atlantean side, and Black Manta, the vengeful undersea pirate.

Black manta vs batman