Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

Black Manta, whose real name is David Kane, harbors a deep desire for revenge against Aquaman ever since their first encounter in the previous film. His thirst for vengeance is the driving force behind his entire arc in this movie, leading him to seek ancient Atlantean artifacts that could give him the power to destroy Aquaman, his family, and his kingdom.

David's vendetta is established early when he begins hunting for ancient Atlantean relics specifically to counter Aquaman.

Black Manta discovers a black trident buried beneath Arctic ice inside an Atlantean ruin. The trident was created by Kordax, an ancient Atlantean king who promises David the power to resurrect his Atlantean tribe and destroy Aquaman in exchange for helping break Kordax's seal. The trident channels Kordax's dark energy into Black Manta.

The trident's discovery in the Arctic sets up the ancient connection between the weapon and Kordax.

Orichalcum is a precious mineral reserves stored in Atlantis that serves as a potent greenhouse gas emitter when used as fuel. Black Manta steals Atlantis's orichalcum reserves to power his ancient restored machines. His misuse of this substance nearly triggers a planet-wide catastrophe similar to an ancient war that destroyed the kingdom of Necrus.

The Atlantean council's opposition to surface contact hints at knowledge of dangerous technologies from their past.

Arthur needs Orm because only someone with Atlan's bloodline can break the seal keeping Kordax imprisoned. As Atlan's descendant through his mother Atlanna, Arthur lacks sufficient knowledge of the ancient Atlantean language needed for the ritual. Orm, also a descendant of Atlan, possesses the linguistic knowledge required to help locate and stop Black Manta's plans.

The revelation that Kordax can only be freed by Atlan's bloodline creates the necessity for Arthur to seek out his imprisoned brother.

Kordax is the brother of Atlantis' founder King Atlan. He was once the ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus, which was sealed beneath Antarctic ice after a devastating war with Atlantis. When the black trident is wielded, Kordax's spirit possesses the wielder to restore Necrus and use its power to conquer both land and sea. His return threatens global catastrophe.

Orm's visions while holding the black trident reveal Kordax's history and his connection to the black trident's power.

After defeating Black Manta and destroying the black trident, Arthur chooses to let Orm go free rather than return him to prison. Arthur fabricates Orm's death story and demands he remain hidden from Atlantis. This decision reflects Arthur's trust in his brother and perhaps acknowledges that Orm, having seen the destruction caused by the black trident, has changed.

The brothers' alliance during the battle in Necrus demonstrates a tentative reconciliation between them.

Black Manta's theft and burning of Atlantis's orichalcum reserves releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases, accelerating global warming and causing extreme climate disruption. This directly threatens both the surface world and Atlantis, creating the urgency for Arthur to stop him. The film parallels this with real-world climate crisis themes.

The timeline mentions climate change escalating five months before the main conflict intensifies.

During the final confrontation in Necrus, Arthur throws the black trident toward himself. Kordax, now possessing Orm, catches the trident and uses it against himself, causing the weapon to shatter and resulting in Kordax's permanent destruction. This self-destruction occurs when Kordax attempts to use the trident's power against Arthur.

The battle between Orm and David for control of the trident sets up the moment where Kordax can be destroyed.

When Arthur offers David a chance to escape Necrus as the kingdom collapses, David refuses and chooses to fall to his death. His refusal represents the culmination of his vengeful path, having lost the black trident and failed in his mission to destroy Aquaman, David would rather die than accept help from his enemy.

David's obsessive pursuit of revenge throughout the film leaves no room for surrender or redemption.

When Orm takes possession of the black trident during the confrontation at Black Manta's lair, Kordax's spirit abandons David and transfers to Orm. This occurs because Kordax, as the original creator of the trident, seeks the most powerful vessel. Orm's royal bloodline as a descendant of Atlan makes him a more suitable host than David.

Kordax's vision reveals his desire to be freed and restored to power through a worthy heir.

At the film's end, Arthur publicly reveals Atlantis's existence to the world at the United Nations. His goal is to unite the surface and underwater worlds to combat the climate crisis together. This marks his fulfillment of his vision to bridge both societies, moving beyond the Atlantean council's opposition to surface contact.

Arthur's longstanding desire to connect Atlantis with the surface world drives this diplomatic moment.

During Black Manta's assault on Atlantis, Mera is injured in the battle while defending the kingdom. Her injury occurs during the conflict where Black Manta successfully steals the orichalcum reserves, establishing him as a serious threat. She later recovers and participates in the final confrontation.

Mera's injury demonstrates Black Manta's increased power and threat level compared to previous encounters.