Manta and Moray are a pair of amphibious superheroes who first appeared in a segment of the omnibus animated TV series '' Tarzan and the Super 7'' from 1978 to 1980.

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company founded by Lou Scheimer, Hal Sutherland and Norm Prescott in 1962, before closing by Group W Productions on February 3, 1989. Located in Reseda, California, Filmation produced animated ...

produced seven eleven-minute episodes, which were mixed with several other components of the show, including ''

The New Adventures of Batman ''The New Adventures of Batman'' is an animated series that aired on CBS from February 12 to May 28, 1977, featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Dick Grayson, Robin, and Barbara Gordon, Batgirl. The series was a Filmation and DC Comics pro ...

'', ''

Jason of Star Command ''Jason of Star Command'' is a 1978–79 live action television series by Filmation. The series revolves around the exploits of space adventurer Jason (Craig Littler) and his colleagues, including Professor E.J. Parsafoot (Charlie Dell) and the po ...

'' and '' The Freedom Force''.

Plot

Manta (''Monarch of the Deep'') is the last survivor of the ancient civilization of Mu, which used to exist in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. Mu was destroyed by a terrible explosion, but Manta was engulfed by a wave of mysterious radiation, and placed into

suspended animation Suspended animation is the slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. States of suspended animation are common in micro-organisms and some plant tissue, such as seeds. Many animals, including l ...

deep beneath the waves. He was discovered and awoken by Moray, a human female, who became his companion. He is amphibious, but (unlike Moray) cannot be away from water for long periods of time - lest he weaken and die. He can communicate with various animals, on land as well as in the sea. Moray (birth name unknown) was orphaned when her parents' plane crashed into the sea; the young girl was saved, and subsequently raised, by

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

s. Over the next few years, Moray learned to live in the ocean. Then she discovered and revived Manta, who became her companion. Both pledged themselves to protecting the sea-world from any who would threaten it. An excellent swimmer, Moray can hold her breath for incredibly long periods but (unlike Manta) is vulnerable to deep-water pressure. She wears a leg-baring red

wetsuit A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on the water. ...

with white trim, and a matching headband. Manta and Moray's other companions include ''Whiskers'' (a

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

) and ''Guppy'' (a

gray whale The gray whale (''Eschrichtius robustus''), also known as the grey whale,Britannica Micro.: v. IV, p. 693. is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of , a weight of up to and lives between ...

Episodes

# The Waters of Doom - # The Whale Killers - # The Warmakers - # The Souvenir Hunters - # The Freedom Fighters - # The Sunken World - # Sea of Madness -

Voices

* Joe Stern - Manta *

Joan van Ark Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...

- Moray

References

External links

International Hero
{{animation-char-stub Animated duos Aquatic superheroes Superhero duos Television series segments Tarzan and the Super 7 Fiction about suspended animation Fiction about orphans