Description[]
Both are African American men who were presumed to be deceased after they were left for dead, but survived their ordeals. Both have a military background, wear the color black in their armor, work for a league of other villains (Talon and Legion of Doom), and seek revenge on a man who hurt them in the past (Solider 76 and Aquaman). This is the Fourth episode of the Eighth season of Dandyclaw's Death Battle.
Interlude[]
Wiz: Rage, Hatred and Aggression. All these emotions are key ingredients that fuel a person who is hellbent on REVENGE.
Boomstick: Whether it is because of betrayal, jealousy, a humiliating defeat, or just because someone never paid you back that $20 you owed them, the desire for Revenge always makes the best types of villains.
Wiz: Like with Black Manta, DC’s treasure hunting psychopath of the Seven Seas.
Boomstick: And Reaper Overwatch’s former agent turned ghostly killer. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE!
Black Manta soaks Death Battle’s waters with Blood[]
Wiz: Every great city needs a hero to defend it from the forces of evil and ugly.
Boomstick: Metropolis has Superman, Gotham has Batman, Central City has the Flash…AHA…and the kingdom of Atlantis has Arthur Currey, better known as Aquman. But every hero needs an archnemesis to give them purpose, keep them on their guard, and push them to get stronger so they’ll never be able to harm the ones they care about.
Wiz: For Superman: it's the cunning and malicious Lex Luthor. For Batman: it’s the sadistic and crazed Joker. For the Flash: it’s the time traveling Reverse Flash. Each one bringing their own style of crazy and danger to the supervillain table.
Boomstick: But for Aqauman, no villain has been a bigger threat to him, his family, and his kingdom than the bloodthirsty and vengeful Black Manta.
https://youtu.be/vlbLLVREBp8?si=PAENOnyeLm6nVJEQ
Wiz: But before he was the scourge of the seven seas, he was known as David Kane, a member of a ruthless gang of high tech modern day mercenaries that scoured the high seas and pulled off jobs for the highest bidders.
https://youtu.be/lN3VgWAPgoA?si=ixMqQphTg4JCg0EF
Boomstick: And he got to all this cool stuff alongside his dad Jesse Kane, ain’t that sweet.
Wiz: Boomstick, they were stealing and killing people for a living.
Boomstick: It’s still spending quality time with his dad, lord knows i never got that. But hero or villain, appreciate your folks while ya have 'em. Ya never know when they're gonna pull a surprise Uncle Ben.
Wiz: On one of their missions to take over a submarine, right after Jesse had passed kwon their family heirloom knife to David, they were interrupted by the arrival of the hero of the seas, Aquaman. David had heard rumors about the legendary Atlantean hero, and relished the opportunity to fight him, mano-a-mano.
https://youtu.be/TrWOORrNo-E?si=TjzoXV4Lqd8lzorI
Boomstick: But this guy was woefully unprepared to deal with a superhero, and he easily wipes the floor with him and his dad.
Wiz: With the submarine flooding and his dad pinned underneath a torpedo, David begged and pleaded for Aquaman to help them. But Arthur showed that he was no Boy Scout, stating that they brought this on themselves when they killed innocent people, and should ask the ocean for mercy. Knowing that he wasn’t going to make it out of this alive, Jesse forced his son to leave him behind after committed suicide by setting off a hand grenade.
Boomstick: Ha! Told you somebody would pull a Ben! Understandably pretty angry about the death of his dad, David blamed Aquaman for ruining his life and set off to exact his revenge under his new alias, Black Manta.
https://youtu.be/DSpHbES1atQ?si=JaXvp5QTPC-G-Z-v
Wiz: So he put together all of the weapons in his arsenal and gathered the most brilliant scientist he could find and forcefully“ persuaded” them help him take down Aquaman by study everything there was to know about Atlanteans to figure out their strengths and weakness so he would be ready the next time he and Arthur crossed paths.
Boomstick: Ever since Manta flew into town, he's been Aquaman’s undoing, but he never truly did have the firepower to go up against a guy who can control the water around him and lift up massive submarines right out of the ocean. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him.
Wiz: Manta is a cunning strategist and mechanical genius who prefers to place his opponents in un-winnable situations. However, if physical strength is required, he dons the mighty Black Manta armor.
https://youtu.be/8vIRIk8_AJE?si=hxR-0O2Ijx_cnYka
Boomstick: Oh I get it, that’s why he is called Black Manta, because his suit is black and so is he, and it swims in the water and looks like a manta head. Man, I should do Science.
Wiz: Well actually it’s because he took the name Manta from his grandfather, who was a frogman back in World War II known for his stealthiness, and the Black part came from his blackened filled heart, but let’s stay on track here. The Black Manta is a powerful battle armor created by Aquaman’s other arch-nemesis, his tyrannical half brother Orm, and it's been further enhanced by Kane’s own designs.
https://youtu.be/nAXJgJEynVc?si=BPm09HNEAp2Br-jJ
Boomstick: When Orm was trying to takeover Atlantis and needed someone to take his brother out without everyone knowing it was him, he reached out to Manta and offered him a deal he couldn’t resist
Wiz: Made from the finest weaponsmith and engineers in Atlantis, Manta's battle armor is no ordinary piece of machinery, for it was made as a prototype for the next generation of Atlantean warfare.
Boomstick: Despite its menacing appearance, it comes equipped with grappling hooks, tein gauntlet blades, an extendable trident, and hydro-pulse blaster that convert water into beams of energized plasma with blast powerful enough to send even the toughest Atlanteans flying.
Wiz: It can also fly through the air with his jetpack, withstand the enormous pressure of the ocean depths, generates an electrical discharge, and has enough strength and durability to go up against Aquaman himself.
https://youtu.be/nfHovGaBGdE?si=w3fbaG4O2LRJgzO0
Boomstick: And we are talking about the same Aquaman strong enough to push around oceanic plates and lift this giant cruise ship weighing hundreds of thousands of tons.
Wiz: The suit is completely bulletproof, gives him increased mobility in the water, and has a helmet with a targeting system, lets him see in infrared, scans the surrounding environment and enemy combatants, and even has 360 degree vision
https://youtu.be/-A8PoxLWgO0?si=cqfS_g28WKCUml-s
Boomstick: Plus it can fire a massive laser from its visor. And he’s always upgrading his armor to make him even stronger and deadlier. He’s like Iron Man, but with more guns! Get a look at that! Harpoon Guns, electrified gauntlets, portable swords, shoulder mounted rocket launchers, the works!
Wiz: His weaponry, strategic mind, and lust for revenge have been more than enough to make Aquaman bleed and keep his guard up whenever Black Manta is lurking within his seas. But despite the numerous times he has tried to kill him, Arthur has made a few attempts to make amends with Kane for what he did to his father.
Boomstick: Unfortunately, no matter how sincere his apologies were, Manta has made it painfully clear that he would rather die than make peace between them.
https://youtu.be/xKhXabE-mC8?si=YOCqCKUekzDUlFye
Wiz: It was his relentless evil and ironclad determination that made Black Manta an ideal candidate to be recruited by villainous organizations like the Secret Society or the Legion of Doom.
Boomstick: Whether it’s the bald psycho Lex Luthor or the mad scientist Gorilla Gordd calling the shots, Manta doesn’t care who is in charge. As long as he’s the only one that gets to mount Aquaman’s head on a stick, he doesn’t care
Wiz: Black Manta was a one-man, one-suit army, and he proved it when everyone from the Justice League to the ruler of the seven seas Aquaman came to pick a fight with him.
Boomstick: He’s fought evenly with Deathstroke, fought evenly with Aquaman on multiple occasions, and once defeated Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang simultaneously. It’s no wonder government boogie-woman Amanda Waller is always wanting to make him join the Sucidie Squad, whether he wants to or not.
https://youtu.be/Fgrqa8Lu0kk?si=KhCXIhucBsoiWEts
Wiz: He’s survived being attacked by a Megalodon, endured the shockwaves of several explosions, and survived having his face bitten off by King Shark.
Boomstick: Yeah I'm guessing he’s not a fan of Shark Week.
Wiz: He kicked down a metal door, reacted fast enough to tag The Flash, and once killed a guard while he was restrained by slitting his throat with nothing but a coin.
Boomstick: This dude can make anything he gets his hands into a weapon, from a sword to pocket change.
https://youtu.be/CpBIykvgm5Y?si=819plJschwzWIO1q
Wiz: Unfortunately, this unquenchable thirst for vengeance caused him to have a falling out with his son Aqualad, who even after finding out about his birth father, only pretended to join his army to help the Justice League take him down.
Boomstick: Well good on him…but wait, I thought Aqualad was Atlantean born and raised, how did that work out.
Wiz: Well after genetically engineering himself and his henchmen to become water-breathers, he sired a child through an imprisoned Atlantean woman named Sha'lain'a. Don’t worry, they occasionally have their father-son moment, which usually involves one of them getting stabbed or electrocuted.
Boomstick: He's one tough son of a bitch, but his mind is just as sharp as his blades. Like the time he once set in motion a series of events that nearly caused a severe case of Global Warming or caused war between Atlantis and the United States. I know I'm American all the way, but against an army of sea monsters and mer-folk, I'm out.
https://youtu.be/Ek-BHxQuSQQ?si=hKRbRFpvOjIn-eBn
Wiz: He was even made the first non-founding leader of the Light, a secretive organization of supervillains dedicated to world conquest through the art of striking from the shadows.
Boomstick: And his feats didn’t just stop in the main universe. This guy has been bouncing all over the multiverse, striking fear into the hearts of anyone stupid enough to get in his way.
Wiz: He once snuck up on and killed "Outsider", the Earth-3 version of Alfred Pennyworth, killed Deathstroke in the Flashpoint timeline, and tanked a beating from Mazahs, an alternate version of Alex Luthor with powers similar to Shazam.
Boomstick: At least there is a good version of him out there named Sting Ray, not to mention a bad version of Aquaman named Barracuda, Damn, even when their from different universes, they’re still sworn enemies.
https://youtu.be/IuFdAiiM28A?si=4TCe3BFltJr9xYE7
Wiz: But it's also that same obsession with Aquaman that serves as Manta’s greatest downfall. Not only is he mainly reliant on his gadgets, but he can also be rather arrogant and short tempered.
Boomstick: He is constantly trying to get his hands around Aquaman’s throat, and a more clever opponent could use his aggression to their advantage and outsmart him. The list of the number of times this guy has been tricked into going into a blinding rage is so long, it’s basically a combination of Santa’s naughty and nice list.
Wiz: And despite his suit's impressive durability, enough explosive power or blunt force will eventually shatter most of it, leaving his vulnerable human body exposed.
Boomstick: Like the time Wonder Woman nearly beat him to death after she got possessed by Deadman. Let’s hope he’s not naked in that thing. Seriously dude, put some pants on! No one wants to see your junk!
Wiz: But no matter what challenges stand in his way or how many innocent bystanders he has to kill, to Black Manta, they will all be worth it. For he will not rest or stop until Aquaman and everything he loves is crushed underneath his bootheel.
Boomstick: This is one ragging lunatic you definitely don’t want to make an enemy out of.
o Black Manta: Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering cities of men.
Reaper lurks in the shadows of Death Battle[]
Wiz: Overwatch, a global peacekeeping organization consisting of the world's best agents and superheroes of all shapes and sizes.
Boomstick: From the skilled motherly sniper Ana Amari to the midget engineer Torbjörn Lindholm, Overwatch is filled with all forms of individuals dedicated to protecting the world from the forces of ugly.
Wiz: But in a world filled with amazing superheroes, you'd just be disappointed if there weren't any supervillains as well. The villains in the Overwatch universe are just as diverse as the heroes.
Boomstick: From the rampaging Doomfist to the femme fatale sharpshooter Widowmaker. But few, if any, are as scary and violent than the masked gunslinging madman known as Reaper. But before he was the living embodiment of the Grim Reaper, he was once a man named Gabriel Reyes, and he originally was a hero.
https://youtu.be/IaVLm11GkvM?si=aeYKJ9dSvsWfr2nX
Wiz: Born and raised in the rough streets of Los Angeles, Gabriel Reyes joined the American military when became of age, and quickly became a respected senior officer among his peers.
Boomstick: They were so impressed with his skills that he was offered an opportunity to sign up for the Soldier Enhancement Program. Because at this point, who doesn’t want to make their own Captain America.
Wiz: But unlike most super soldier experiments, this one actually went smoothly and without fail, and Gabriel’s physical strength and reflexes increased far beyond that of a regular human. It was during the Soldier Enhancement Program that Gabriel befriended another fellow soldier turned superhuman, Jack Morrison.
Boomstick: The two superdudes were like two bullets in a Glock, forming a close bond with each over their shared goal of coming from rough areas and making it to the big league with nothing but their guts and determination.
Wiz: I think the phrase you were looking for was “two peas in a pod”, but that still works. And when the world was under attack during the Omnic Crisis, Reyes and Morrison were among the first picks to become the founding members of the group Overwatch, fighting alongside the likes of Ana Amari, Reinhardt Wilhelm, and Torbjörn Lindholm.
Boomstick: With Reyes and Morrison leading the charge, Overwatch became more than a ragtag squad of heroes, they became a family. Aww, oh sweet, too bad it didn’t last long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRriA5X7Epw
Wiz: With the end of the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch became global peacekeeping protectors, rather than a feared war unit. So changes had to be made to the team's dynamic. Jack became the official face of Overwatch, due to his heroics and inspirational compassion, Reyes got sidelined and became the leader of Blackwatch, the sort of Black Ops division of Overwatch, doing all the behind the scenes missions and dirty work unnoticed to the public eye.
Boomstick: While Jack always saw and treated Gabriel as a fellow hero, Reyes felt like he was denied the rightful role he deserved and was constantly living in Jack’s shadow. Oh Boy, I've got a bad feeling I know where this is heading. Just ask Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Wiz: After 20 years of freedom fighting and loss of numerous of their fellow comrades, Gabriel resentment towards his old friend finally reached a breaking point, which would result with him starting a rebellion within the Overwatch ranks.
Boomstick: And this would result in their headquarters getting blown up, Jack and Gabriel being presumed dead, and Overwatch getting shut down. Did I miss anything?
Wiz: Nope, you're good. But neither man was dead as everyone thought they were, as they both had survived by miraculous means.
Boomstick: Probably thanks to being juiced up from that super soldier program. While Jack went on to become the vigilante known as Soldier: 76, Gabriel got taken in by the terrorist organization, Talon. Kind of reminds of two different puppies getting adopted by different people from the shelter, one going to a good and loving family, the other going to a bad and abusive home.
Wiz: Thanks to Talon’s resident scientist Moira, Reyes was saved thanks to the enhancements and experimentations done on him by the good doctor.
https://youtu.be/PDqyheZbsxg?si=DmH-hwhszDXrVZEt
Boomstick: More like a mad doctor. But Reyes was no longer the man he used to be, for both Moria’s experiments and his hatred for being forgotten by Overwatch had fully blackened his heart. So he turned his back on his former teammates and joined Talon under his new alias, Reaper. I’m both impressed and terrified by his new looks.
Wiz: As you should be. Reaper is a ghostly assassin that literally hides in the shadows to ambush his prey. And it didn’t take long for him to push his way up Talon's ranks, eventually becoming one of their leaders alongside Widowmaker and Doomfist.
Boomstick: The three words that everyone uses to describe this masked psycho are as followed and I quote: aggressive, brutal and merciless.
https://youtu.be/NQMuuCzsv-g?si=LDD-YOyDUZonRepW
Wiz: Thanks to his 20 years of training in the military and experience leading Blackwatch, Reaper is a skilled marksman and hand-to-hand fighter.
Boomstick: But you know you’re in trouble when Reaper is Wraith Mode, courtesy of the big scary science lady, Moria. Wiz, if that ever happens to me, do me a solid and... kill me and put me out of my misery. Because I’d rather die than be one of your science guinea pigs.
Wiz: Are you sure, because one of my experiments just happened to be a way to turn your body into liquid beer.
Boomstick: Okay, I'm in. Anyway, in this form, Reaper turns into a floating black ghostly mist that is completely intangible, making immune to any physical damage.
https://youtu.be/uK4WSF0rCcM?si=wAPvPqAfahTEEAWt
Wiz: He is also slightly faster in this state than in his physical form, allowing Reaper to better flee or chase down his opponents. He can also deactivate it whenever he wants, allowing it to function as both a dodge or to fakeout for enemies.
Boomstick: And it allows him time to 'reload' his weapons safely or fly short distances, which is a bonus.
Wiz: In this state he can also perform a technique called Reaping, allowing him to absorb health from opponents he's hurting and leave them nothing but empty husks as a result.
Boomstick: And the bodies he has left in his wake are proof of that. But he wouldn’t be a true harbinger of death with some serious firepower. This comes in the form of his dual Hellfire Shotguns, and a few grenades. But it’s the guns that make the man, or Boogeyman for that matter. He always has these bad mamma-jamma on hand, even if they tend to just appear out of nowhere when he needs a new pair after 6 rounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwYgBDrv18&list=PLccdmsuKsgbC0x9p4xL42wIEL3j4_HRSw&index=9
Wiz: These shotguns are powerful enough to break through armor of the most heavily protected agents and push back Tanks like Winston, who could endure a punch from Doomfist’s gauntlet that once brought down a skyscraper.
Boomstick: Then there’s the Shadow Step, a move that allows him to teleport 35 meters away in any direction, Though it’ll only take him to places he can visibly see.
Wiz: But most diabolical of all is his super move, the Death Blossom, where he creates a cloud of dark smoke and fires 170 shots per second at breakneck speed that almost always hit their intended target.
Boomstick: Rarely anyone who has fought him directly has lived to tell the tale, which is saying a lot since during his time with Talon he has killed several of his fellow Overwatch members alongside his new teammates: hacker Sombra and heavyhitter Mauga.
https://youtu.be/o40ER-2eK8s?si=4b7vCF39Rdib81I-
Wiz: He has led Talon on various missions, from assassinations attempts on his fellow Overwatch teammates to kidnappings of government officials. And thanks to his time in the military and leading Blackwatch, he’s got the strategic mind and cunning to get the job done.
Boomstick: Reaper survived getting slapped by a giant MECH specifically designed to destroy Omnics, and he sent that bucket of bolts to the scrapyard all on his own. He’s also survived being vaporized by Winston's Tesla cannon, a goddamn laser cannon of pure electricity.
Wiz: She’s gone up against some of Overwatch’s toughest heroes, from veteran sniper Ana Amari to Winston himself, who has traded blows with the likes of Doomfist. And there was time he broke Doomfist out of prison all on his own with little resistance.
Boomstick: And he's always fighting with his number one rival, Soldier 76. Seriously, Reaper is always trying to track down his former army buddy for another rematch, who he almost killed, and is similar in skills when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.
Wiz: Both of these men went through the same super soldier experimentations, meaning both can do and accomplish the same feats as the other.
Boomstick: And don’t get us started on his face. I mean, I know every battle scar tells a story, but just one look at what he calls a “face” is something only a blind gramma could love.
Wiz: But even underneath the black cloak and devilish mask, still lies some small remnants of the honorable man Gabriel Reyes used to be. In fact, every Christmas, a certain black coated man can be spotted observing a certain California family from the shadows.
Boomstick: Too bad Reaper has, and frankly always will, blame Morrison for what happened to him. So I don't think those two are going to kiss and make up anytime soon, even if Jack has a thing for men.
Wiz: With an arsenal of fatal weapons at his disposal and the fearsome reputation to back him up, is it really a question why people run for the hills when the sense his presence sending chills down their spine.
Boomstick: Damn, are you sure this guy isn’t the real Grim Reaper. Because if you ask me, he looks like him, sounds like him, and is down right impossible to put down.
Wiz: Well he does like to claim his victories even before he’s even won the fight, and he loves to hear himself talk his enemies down, even when it leaves him totally open to a counter attack.
https://youtu.be/kYoKcaPZnCc?si=d5LB8mg95U8zdv-x
Boomstick: Not to mention that his guns also aren't very effective in long range combat, meaning he has to get up close or for his enemies to stay within range for them to work.
Wiz: But even with his failure and setbacks, there is a reason why Talon made Reaper one of their top field agents.
Boomstick: Not only does he almost always get his target, but he always strikes fear into the hearts of those around him, making him perfect for an organization dedicated to plunging the world in an endless war.
https://youtu.be/WatEWznRgRE?si=Xo4m7jVYFIJiK8RJ
Wiz: So, at the end of the day, be thankful that you have not made an adversary out of Reaper.
Boomstick: Because if you ever find yourself in Reaper’s crosshairs, don't bother running. Because one way or another, you ARE going to die.
o Soldier 76: Aren’t you supposed to be dead?
o Reaper: Didn’t Take.
Pre-Fight[]
Wiz: all right the combatants are set, lets end this debate once and for all.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fight:[]
On the docks of Metropolis, an exchange is going down behind two criminal organizations, TALON and the Legion of Doom. On the far side of the dock, a helicopter lands, and Talon agent Reaper comes out holding a briefcase and with several of his soldiers. On the end of the dock, a submarine emerges and Black Manta with his troops. The two sides walk closer to each other until they arrive a couple feet from each other.
Black Manta: You must be the one from Talon. You got the goods?
Reaper: And you must be from the Legion of Doom. Yeah I got the goods, do you have merchandise.
Black Manta snaps his fingers and one of his men brings out a briefcase that contains several lantern rings. Reaper holds up his suitcase and shows the money inside. The two men exchange their suitcases and turn and prepare to go their separate way. However, both of them stop midway, after realizing that they have both been played. Reaper is fist to turn around with his massive gun pointed at Black Manta
Reaper: Did you really think you could take us out with a hidden bomb? I’ve handled landmines more well hidden than this.
Black Manta: I was about to ask you the same thing with your foraged money. Guess this means we are doing this the difficult way.
Reaper: I couldn’t agree more.
Black Manta fires a beam from his helmet at the helicopter and Reaper fires his gun at the submarine. Both vehicles explode, leave both sides trapped with each other and with no means of escape.
TBA
Results[]
Boomstick:
Wiz:
Boomstick:
Wiz:
Boomstick:
Wiz:
Boomstick:
Wiz:
Boomstick:
Wiz: The winner is ....
Next Fight[]
Previous Fight[]
Soundtrack[]
The cover name would be "Revenge looks good in Black"