By [ad_1]
As Aqualad observes a somber holiday, one of Jackson Hyde’s most heartbreaking annual traditions is revealed in Aquaman’s 80th Anniversary Special.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, on sale from DC.
While Jackson Hyde may be a prominent superhero in the DC Universe as a trusted sidekick for Aquaman and a prominent member on teams like Young Justice and the Teen Titans, his home life and parentage has connections to one of the biggest supervillains in the DCU: Black Manta. And as much as Jackson stands in opposition to his father, even coming to blows after Jackson claimed the mantle of Aqualad, the two men share a tacit and tragic father-son tradition every year that underscores their familial bond and friction between them.
Jackson recalls that he was kept from water by his adoptive parents until he was a teenager for most of his early years because of his long-lost father being Black Manta, a villain who violently dedicated his life towards destroying Aquaman and Atlantis. Shortly after coming into contact with the ocean for the first time, Jackson learned he was connected to the magical underwater kingdom of Xebel and shared hydrokinesis abilities like Mera. This led to him becoming the new Aqualad and superhero in his own right, putting him at direct odds with his biological father Black Manta. And while it’s clear that Jackson harbors no lost love towards his dad, the short story “Father’s Day” — by Geoff Johns, Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund, Hi-Fi and Josh Reed in the Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 — features a tense tradition between the two in their strained attempt at family.
Given the tabs that Black Manta keeps on his son, he already knows what his son has been up to in his civilian life in his misguided overtures to be a better father. It’s clear that Black Manta’s love for his son is genuine, if one-sided. Black Manta’s own relationship with his father was an especially close one and the death of his father at the hands of Aquaman years ago, in retaliation for a similar attack on Arthur Curry’s father Thomas, resulted in the villainous David Hyde creating the Black Manta supervillain persona in the first place as he swore revenge.
Despite his genuine love for his son, Black Manta is well-aware that Jackson would far sooner see his father in prison to answer for his crimes leading to his use of advanced robotic drones instead of appearing personally. Most heartbreakingly, Jackson indicates this estranged interaction occurs every year on Father’s Day, with the two men at least meeting in some form before this unhappy family reunion leads to a super-powered showdown every time. And for as much as Black Manta loves his son, his own dedication to villainy will forever put the father and son at odds.
About The Author
[ad_2]
