Requested by daleketchup

DC vs Marvel, when two beings with crimson visors that fires red lasers can't see eye to eye, who would win in this clash of beams?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92H3Mscg7QQ

<Cue: Invader Theme>

Toomi: Laser beams are frequently shown to be used as a weapon in a variety of sci-fi video games and movies.

Megumi: And these two fires those from their eyes!

Toomi: Like Black Manta, the nemesis of Aquaman.

Megumi: And Cyclops, the leader of the X-Men, she's Sachi, Toomi and I'm Megumi

Sachi: And it's our job to analyse their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle

Black Manta submerges into What if Battles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kc4y1fnCBY

<Cue: Sons of Plunder by Disturbed>

Toomi: A notorious treasure hunter, Black Manta was contacted by Doctor Stephen Shin to aquire Atlantean blood to prove the existence of Atlantis

Megumi: More specifically, the blood of Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman.

Sachi: Manta ambushed Arthur in his home, and during the ensuing conflict, Thomas Curry, Arthur's father, suffered a heart attack and died the following day.

Toomi: Consumed by wrath, Arthur found Manta's ship, and killed a man in it

Megumi: And that man is no other than Manta's father.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQISOW7k0-U

<Shows footages of Aquaman leaving Black Manta with his father as water began filling up in the submarine>

Sachi: Having lost his father, Black Manta sworn revenge and after gaining access to Atlantis super weapons, he then developed his signature helmet in hopes of tearing apart everything Aquaman has ever loved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIRIk8_AJE

Black Manta: Killing him is my reward.

Toomi: Being a trained pirate, Black Manta possesses incredible martial arts skills and diver, being adapted to fighting enemies in both land and sea.

Megumi: He's also good with blades, capable of cutting down men and Atlantians with ease and did I mention that he is good with guns as well.

Sachi: And speaking of guns, after modifying an Atlantian laser rifle, David then created his signature Black Manta helmet, a large helmet with bullet proof armor that protects his head from trauma from superhuman level beings like Aquaman and even allows him to fire a powerful red laser from his visors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBi3y4w3oAY

<Shows footages of Black Manta firing a powerful red laser at Aquaman>

Megumi: And his diving suit does more than just diving obviously, it is insulated to withstand the crushing pressure of the ocean depths, protects him from bullets, has a holographic disguise and even a pretty neat Jetpack.

Toomi: Just to note, water pressure increases about one atmosphere for every 10 meters of water depth. At a depth of 5,000 meters the pressure will be approximately 500 atmospheres or 500 times greater than the pressure at sea level.

Sachi: Which in other words, Black Manta's suit allows him to survive a pressure similar to that of a hand crushing a can.

Black Manta

Genius Level Intellect

Brilliant Tactician and Strategist

Enhanced Strength and Endurance

Skilled hand-to-hand combatant

Developed his own personalized fighting style effective in both water and land

Skilled Diver

Experienced Treasure Hunter

Expert Assassin

Black Manta Suit

Red Lasers

Jetpack

Twin Daggers

Toomi: And this are the reasons why Black Manta has been considered to be one of Aquaman's most feared enemy, having went toe to toe and even defeated him, Mera and Aqualad in multiple occasions.

Megumi: He has moved fast enough to react against the speed of the Flash himself and that same speed has allowed him to swim fast enough to be compared to a torpedo by Deathstroke himself.

Toomi: Assuming that the torpedo Deathstroke mentions is similar to a standard British Spearfish, saying that Black Manta's speed is comparable means that David himself can swim at the speed of 100 knots, which is equivalent to 120 miles per hour

Feats

Grapples with Superman who is depowered at the time, but was still strong enough to break through steel with his fists

Became the leader of the Suicide Squad and N.E.M.O

Easily overpowered Aqualad

Survived being attacked by a Megalodon

Reacted fast enough to tag The Flash

Effortlessly beats down Captain Boomerang

Became the first non-founding leader of the Light

Fought evenly with Deathstroke

Survives the shockwaves of several explosions

Killed Deathstroke in the Flashpoint timeline

Nearly caused a war between Atlantis and the United States

Fights evenly with Aquaman on multiple occasions

Survives being stabbed by Aquaman's Trident

Cuts off Aquaman's hand

Murdered Aquaman's son

Kicks down a metal door

Survived being electrocuted by Aqualad

Sneaks up on and kills "Outsider", the Earth-3 version of Alfred Pennyworth

His speed underwater was compared to a torpedo by Deathstroke

Kills Kahina the Seer

Survives the high pressure of a forcibly changed tide

Kills a guard while restrained

Survived having his face bitten off by King Shark

Slits the throat of a guard with nothing, but a coin

Takes down Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang simultaneously

Tanks a beating from Mazahs, an alternate version of Alex Luthor with powers similar to Shazam

Toomi: He has even bested Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang in battle, fought evenly with Deathstroke and once even grappled a depowered Superman.

Megumi: Man, I can see why Ocean Master is even willing to team up with him to take down Aquaman.

Toomi: However, Black Manta's drive to kill Aquaman is his only motivation to do what he do cause on one occasion when it looked like his arch nemesis is dead, David then went on to retire, having no other plans on what to do afterwards.

Sachi: And despite his suit's impressive durability, enough explosive power or blunt force will eventually shatter most of it, leaving him exposed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTD6Hi8DynE

<Shows footages of a grenade explosion leaving David's face fully exposed before Flashpoint Batman and Grifter proceeds to kill him>

Weakness

Questionable sanity

His obsession with Aquaman being only drive, having briefly retired while it appeared Aquaman died.

Is a bit short tempered

Reliance on his gadgets

Somewhat arrogant

Does not have a good relationship with his son, except in Young Justice

Despite his suit's impressive durability, enough explosive power or blunt force will eventually shatter most of it, leaving him exposed

Still only human

Defeated by Wonder Woman despite being underwater

Toomi: And while Black Manta's feats of taking on Aquaman is impressive, Black Manta has often times failed to kill him. And his suit also has a limit as the one time when Wonder Woman crushed Black Manta while he was underwater.

Sachi: And without his gadgets and suit, Black Manta is still a hundred percent human.

Megumi: But one thing's for sure, Black Manta won't stop swimming and pirating until everything in Atlantis goes where he wants it to go, hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGTtZTeraVo

Black Manta: Ignorant boy! This is not a world, a universe, in which a free man can afford to be soft. I will teach you to be ruthless Kaldur'ahm, even if I must beat that lesson INTO YOUR SKULL!

Cyclops Optic Beams into What if Battles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GehfNsFnd9Q

<Cue: Bop Bop Baby by Westlife>

Toomi: Scott Summers was the first of two sons born to Major Christopher Summers, a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and his wife Katherine. Christopher was flying his family home from vacation when their plane was attacked by a spacecraft from the interstellar Shi'ar Empire.

Sachi: To save their lives, Katherine pushed Scott and his brother Alex out of the plane with the only available parachute. Scott suffered a head injury upon landing, thus forever preventing him from controlling his mutant power by himself.

Megumi: With their parents presumed dead, the authorities separated the two boys. Alex was adopted, but Scott remained comatose in a hospital for a year.

Toomi: On recovering, he was placed in an orphanage in Omaha, Nebraska that was secretly controlled by his future enemy, the evil geneticist Mister Sinister.

Megumi: As a teenager, Scott came into the foster care of Jack Winters, a mutant criminal known as the Jack O'Diamonds who was a complete asshole to Scott when he refuses to use his powers to help him.

Sachi: However, Scott's display of power had attracted the attention of the mutant telepath Professor Charles Xavier, who teamed up with F.B.I. agent Fred Duncan in their mutual attempt to find Scott.

Toomi: And with that, Scott then gained the name Cyclops and was enlisted by Xavier as the first member of the X-Men, a team of young mutants who trained to use their powers in the fight for human/mutant equality.

Sachi: Being the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops possesses incredible tactical skills and leadership, being able to lead the X-Men in many of their battles.

Megumi: He's also pretty skilled in unarmed combat and he is peak level in terms of agility.

Toomi: But Cyclops most prominent ability is his Optic Beam, which act as extra-dimensional apertures to a source of pure energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDtFT7lnJ5w

<Shows footages of Cyclops firing his Optic Blast>

Cyclops

Agility

Blast Power

Energy Absorption

Enhance Mutation

Gadgets

Intellect

Leadership

Marksmanship

Stamina

Unarmed Combat

Megumi: And if you ever worry about him losing ammo, well don't cause Cyclops often absorbs sunlight to charge up.

Sachi: The synthetic ruby quartz crystals used in the lenses of Cyclops' sunglasses and visor are resonant to his minds' psionic field, making them the only substance that can effectively block his blasts.

Toomi: The maximum force of Cyclops' blasts is unknown, but a commonly given description is that they can "punch holes through mountains", and he has been shown rupturing steel plates and pulverizing solid rock.

Megumi:  His more powerful optic blasts can demolish fully-armored tanks, severely damage Sentinels, and obliterate entire icebergs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QQUAtpZkX4

<Shows footages of Cyclops destroying Sentinels with his Optic Beams>

Toomi: Not only that but with an even higher scale of power, Cyclops' Optic Beams are strong enough to damage the skin of World War Hulk, something that Wolverine has mentioned to be difficult of cutting.

Megumi: And even better, his Optic Beam did blasted Mjonir out of Thor's hand and right onto Iron Man.

Feats

Cyclops is the first member of the X-Men

His Optic Beams are powerful enough to obliterate Sentinels, destroy mountains and icebergs

He has blasted steel doors off hinges, destroyed tanks, and damage massive sentinels, even from far away.

Wolverine even compared his Optic Beams to being crushed by a mountain

Cyclops can also produce large holes in the ground and quickly. 

Cyclops has managed to further damage Onslaught

Peeled the skin of World War Hulk, which is something even Wolverine said was a bit difficult to cut. 

Obliterate half a giant Krakoa clone.

Grounds falling debris into powder using an optic blast saving some civilians.

Cyclops has blasted Mjolnir from Thor's hands and into Iron Man.

Optic Beams are powerful enough to push back Human Torch's flames

Cyclops manages to dodge some goons shooting at him.

He works around their synthetic ruby quartz armor by finding its weaknesses and using the environment to his advantage.

Melts the ice off Angel's wings use a low intensity beam to generate just enough friction to.

Tagging Beast in a training exercise with enough force to knock him over without hurting him.

Pushes an elephant back without harming it.

Knocks a briefcase out of the Vanisher's hand without harming him or breaking the case.

Briefly possessed the power of the Phoenix Force

Tagged Ice Man with a shot off a mirror

Spatial Awareness allows Cyclops to perform a ricochet shot; destroying all of the Murderworld cars in a single optic blast.

Throws a coin up and hits it dead center.

Shoots the speedster Northstar.

Nails a double ricochet shot to take out 2 guards.

Cyclops always analyzes his targets which allows him to come up with plans near on the fly.

Held his own against the X-Men

His psychic defenses are tough for even powerful telepaths like Emma Frost to penetrate

With the Phoenix Force, Cyclops is able to harm Dormammu

Toomi: And what makes Cyclops really dangerous is not only his powers but his mental capabilities allow him to analyze his targets to the point he can come up with plans on the fly. Which he has once used to hold his own against the X-Men by utilizing their weaknesses and using it against themselves.

Megumi: You know, all of that makes Cyclops look like the Marvel version of Batman.

Toomi: Though the potential of his Optic Beams are limitless, Cyclops stamina however, is not. He can exhaust himself by projecting too much energy for a continuous rate, resulting in his blasts weakening in power

Megumi: And those beams are dead giveaways if Scotty boy here ever gets pervy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiXgkZhbU0o

Jean: Scott, can you stop staring at my boob?

Cyclops: No I'm not!

Jean: Are you sure you are not?

Cyclops: No way!

<Cyclops lifts up his sunglasses, only for his Optic Beams to strike Jean in the boobs>

Weakness

Cyclops can exhaust himself if he uses too much energy at a continuous rate

Due to psychological trauma and a head injury, Cyclops is unable to shut off his optic blasts and must therefore wear ruby quartz lenses at all times to block the beams

Lost the ability to use the Phoenix Force

As Cyclops' powers becomes more and more broken, his Ruby Quartz lens began losing it's efficiency in controlling his powers and thus, has now resorted to wearing an X shaped visor that is attached to his mask to prevent his visor from flying off of his face.

Toomi: And due to the head injury he sustained in the past, Cyclops' has difficulty controlling his powers and he has to resort to wearing ruby quartz lens to block the beams.

Sachi: And overtime, those things ends up flying away from his face.

Megumi: But once Cyclops decided to go all out, it's gotta take real high tier durability to tank a full powered Optic Blast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7cJGGLKO4Y

Cyclops: So you like playing God with mutant flies, well just...KEEP AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!!!

Toomi: Alright, the combatants are set, let's end this debate once and for all.

Sachi: Don't forget to vote, comment what you think of the fight.

Megumi: Yeah, but right now, it's time for a Death Battle!

Fight

Sicily

On the streets of Sicily, Cyclops sat on the side of a fountain, happily holding onto an apple while admiring the view of the ocean.

Cyclops: Ah. Feels nice to get away from the school for a while. I wonder how's Jean doing?

Howerer, right at that moment...

FWOOOSH!!!

Cyclops looks up, his visor glows as he notices something flying right towards a nearby building.

Cyclops: Huh? What the?

Before Cyclops could react, the projectile strikes right into the building, causing it to go off in a fiery explosion.

KABOOM!!!

Jumping back, Cyclops dodges the falling flaming debris before looking up, finding himself facing a black cladded figure with a large dome-shaped helmet, a pair of sinister red eyes glowing beneath the smoke.

Cyclops throws the apple at the figure, watching it bounce off his helmet as he questions.

Cyclops: Hey! Just who the hell do you think you are?

Black Manta: This is none of your business. Surrender this Atlantian to me and I might just spare you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yugKMbIdMkk

<Cue: Downtown by Icona Pop>

Cyclops looks at the picture of a blonde hair man cladded in a orange fish scale bodysuit and to Black Manta's shock, he simply crushes the paper in his hand before tossing his trench coat aside, saying,

Cyclops: Sorry pal, but if you're gonna go on a manhunt for other heroes well you gotta have to go through me!

Announcer: Fight!

Black Manta: HUARRGHHHH!!!

Cyclops: YAAAHHHHH!!!

Both Cyclops and Black Manta sprints forward, closing in onto each other.

Just as Black Manta brandishes his harpoon, Cyclops ducks underneath the weapon before throwing up his fist, knocking the weapon out of his opponent's hand.

Pak!

Black Manta: Imbecile!

Before Cyclops could even react Black Manta slams the tip of his helmet right into his head.

BAM!!!

Cyclops: OOOWWW!!!

As Cyclops staggers back, dazed from the attack, Black Manta activates his jetpack, flying straight towards him.

WHOOSH!!!

BAM!!!

Black Manta tackles right into Cyclops, taking the X-Men up into the air.

Cyclops looks down at Black Manta, his right fist striking the diver repeatly in the helmet.

WHAM!!! BAM!!! POW!!!

Black Manta then throws Cyclops down into a fruit stall.

CRASH!!!

As Cyclops is buried within the debris, Black Manta aims his jetpack down, launching a missile right down onto the fruit stall.

FWOOSH!!!

However, right before the missile could even reach the ruined stall, a powerful blast of red laser flies straight out of the debris, destroying the missile in the process.

VREEEEEE!!! KABOOM!!!

Black Manta:  ARRGHHHHH!!!

Black Manta grunts out in agony as he felt the laser strike him square in the chest.

As Black Manta falls down from the sky, Cyclops sprints forward, throwing a downward punch right onto the diver.

WHAM!!!

Black Manta: ARGHHHHH!!!

Black Manta screams out in agony as he crashes backfirst into a wheelbarrow.

CRASH!!!

Thud!

Cyclops lands footfirst onto the ground, smirking as he questions his opponent.

Cyclops: Had enough?

Black Manta pushes himself up, brandishing his twin daggers before getting into a fighting stance, saying.

Black Manta: Please, we've barely started.

Black Manta sprints forward, swinging his daggers onto Cyclops.

Cyclops swerves his body, dodging the swings before feeling the tip of Black Manta's blade slitting into his skin.

Slit!

Cyclops jumps up, slamming both his fists down onto Black Manta's helmet.

WHAM!!!

As Black Manta staggers back, Cyclops throws multiple strikes onto his opponent.

WHAM!!! BAM!!! POW!!!

However, Black Manta swings his dagger across, cutting right into Cyclops.

SLASH!!!

Cyclops: ARGHHHHH!!!

As Cyclops staggers back, Black Manta's visor glows bright red before unleashing a powerful blast of laser right at him.

VREEEEE!!!

The laser strikes Cyclops right in the chest, sending him rolling back.

Cyclops then grabs a barrel before throwing it across.

Black Manta then pulls out his gun, destroying the barrel with a few good rounded shots.

BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!

As what remains of the barrel crumbles into dust, Black Manta looks up, only to feel a blast of laser strike him right in the chest.

VREEE!!!

BOOM!!!

Black Manta: ARGHHHHH!!!

Black Manta looks up, glaring through the visor of his helmet straight onto Cyclops.

Both combatants stood up, the lens of both their headwear glows red as they faces each other.

WHOOOM!!!

Black Manta: You shall know your place young one!

Black Manta declares out before launching a powerful blast of red laser right at him.

VREEEEE!!!

Cyclops: There's no way the X-Men will fall to the likes of you!

Cyclops screams out before launching a powerful Optic Beam from his eyes right at Black Manta.

VREEEEEE!!!

THOOM!!!

Both red lasers slams into each other, pushing and surging as Black Manta and Cyclops intensifies the magnitude of their lasers.

Cyclops: This ends now!

VREEEEEEE!!!

Cyclops' Optic Beams intensifies as it began pushing backwards, heading straight towards Black Manta.

Black Manta: No...

Black Manta could only watch in horror as the Optic Beam strikes right into him, incinerating him to the very  core.

Black Manta: AAARGGHHHHHH!!!

Black Manta screams out in sheer agony as his entire body disintergrates before going off in a massive explosion.

KABOOM!!!

As the flames dies down, Cyclops pumps his fist in victory as he cheers out to himself.

Cyclops: Score one for Team X-Men!

KO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8NiTs974vY

<Cue: Forever in My Dreams by Really Slow Motion>

Megumi: Damn! Talk about seeing red!

Toomi: Black Manta may have many more experiences  in combat and his martial arts skills certainly does gives him the edge of this battle.

Megumi: But sometimes, martial arts skills is not comparable to raw power itself.

Sachi: Indeed Megumi, Black Manta's eye lasers are certainly impressive enough to destroy small hills, blast through walls and even hurt beings as invulnerable as Aquaman but Cyclops' Optic Beams are at a whole different level with him being powerful enough to blast holes right through mountains and even incinerate icebergs.

Toomi: And what's more, while Black Manta is certainly fast enough to dodge tordepoes, that is nothing compared to Cyclops dodging lightning from Storm. Now assuming that Storm's lightning is as fast as normal lightning, we can conclude that Cyclops dodged it at about 320,000,000 ft per second or about 220,000,000 miles per hour which is about one third the speed of light.

Megumi: And though Black Manta is certainly quick enough to tag the Flash who is way faster, that feat won't really matter if he is still getting beaten by slower enemies like Aquaman.

Toomi: And with Cyclops' having a way higher level of laser power than Manta, or he needs is to go all out and eventually take the win.

Megumi: Looks like Black Manta got tagged by laser in this laser tag. And I guess Cyclops would be beaming by now

Sachi: The winner is Cyclops.

Cyclops: For my love, my friends, and mutants, I can't lose!

Toomi: Hey guys, thank you so much for checking out our battle in What if Battles 2.

Sachi: If you want more content like this, don't forget to add this in your library and comment if you have any idea for a fight.

Megumi: Until then, next time on What if Battles....

Up Next

Lubbock

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Walter

Lubbock vs Walter

Trivia

* The connections between Black Manta and Cyclops is that both combatants are tactical leaders and fighters who possesses red visors that allows them to fire powerful red lasers from their eyes.

* This is the eleventh battle to pit a Marvel character against a DC character, the first being Ego vs Mogo, Captain America vs Deathstroke, Cyborg Superman vs Ultron, Rogue vs Poison Ivy, Miss America vs Supergirl, Hulk vs Darkseid, Captain Marvel vs Green Lantern, Black Widow vs Batwoman and Gwenpool vs Harley Quinn

* This is the ninth time a Marvel character won a What if Battle, the first being Ego vs Mogo, Gwenpool vs Spider-Gwen, Miles Morales vs Izuku Midoriya, Spiderman vs Ruby Rose, Spider-Gwen vs Batgirl, Thor vs Vegeta, Scorpion vs Ghost Rider and Gwenpool vs Harley Quinn

* This is the ninth battle where a DC character loses a What if Battle, the first being Doomsday vs SCP-682, Ego vs Mogo, Toph vs Terra, Batman vs Sub-Zero, Catwoman vs Cassie Cage, Roman and Neo vs Joker and Harley Quinn, Spider-Gwen vs Batgirl and Gwenpool vs Harley Quinn

* The battle takes place in Sicily, the very same place where Black Manta fought Aquaman in the 2018 Aquaman movie