Highly underrated Aquaman villain Black Manta is the star of an amazing new cosplay that was recently shared over Reddit. Black Manta is a high-tech mercenary, known for his large glowing eyes and oversized helmet who appeared in DCEU’s Aquaman in 2018, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Sadly, being a villain to one of DC’s less popular heroes, Black Manta doesn’t get the attention he deserves, although that’s changing gradually, with the villain taking an anti-hero turn in the latest Black Manta miniseries.

Black Manta’s History In DC Comics

Black Manta in DC Comics
Black Manta in DC Comics

Created by Nick Cardy and Bob Haney in 1967’s Aquaman #35, the villain has since had various origin stories, but the most compelling stands the one where his family’s tragic story gets woven with that of Aquaman, creating a complex story of revenge. Black Manta’s son Jackson Hyde currently serves as Earth’s Aqualad and is soon to become Aquaman – and is a trusted ally of his nemesis. A terrifying killer with Batman’s arsenal, Black Manta has always been a threat but takes the henchman role to other villains in most stories.

Thanks to Reddit user, BasiliusKrane, Black Manta is now getting the respect he deserves. While the costume is still under works, it nails the most important aspect – the huge glowing eyes on Hyde’s helmet which also fire devastating rays in the DC comics. Asked by another Reddit user if the helmet is a 3D print, BasiliusKrane revealed that the entire costume is made by hand, with past cosplays of Marvel’s Apocalypse and Star Wars’ Darth Malgus showing the incredible skills of the creator.

[cosplay] Black Manta in progress
byu/BasiliusKrane inDCcomics

Despite having an electrifying design, it’s quite easy to wrong Black Manta’s design artistically – especially by going too far with its helmet and turning him into a caricature. Thankfully, this cosplay strikes the perfect note, giving the villain’s headgear the perfect weight and size without tipping too far into impracticality. To add the cherry to the cake, the eyes even light up with energy.

Hopefully, this cosplay by BasiliusKrane will be developed soon, and the finishing touches will soon represent one of the coolest villain designs in the DC comics. While Aquaman also deserves more credit (and well, less mockery) than he usually gets, this stands double true for his arch-nemesis, Black Manta whose combination of combat skill, tactics, and tech leaves him almost unmatched in the whole DC universe.

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