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| “ | Free me from my prison and I will grant you the strength to kill the man who murdered your father. You will take from him what he stole from you. His home will burn, and his kingdom will fall before my legions. | „ |
| ~ Kordax manipulating Black Manta into taking the Black Trident going along with his plans. |
| “ | Atlan: I've stolen nothing from you brother! All I've ever wanted was for our nations to live in peace with one another. Kordax: Yes, of course. With you ruling over them all! |
„ |
| ~ Kordax and Atlan arguing |
Kordax is the overarching antagonist of the 2023 DC Extended Universe superhero film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to the 2018 film Aquaman. He is the tyrannical ruler of Necrus, the brother of King Atlan of Atlantis, and the original wielder of the black trident.
During his rule, he exploited a powerful but volatile fuel known as Orichalcum to make his kingdom a superpower but at the cost of polluting all of Earth, leading Kordax to get into conflict with his brother King Atlan. Centuries later, King Kordax made a deal with Black Manta to destroy Aquaman in exchange for his escape from Atlan's prison.
He was portrayed by Pilou Asbæk, who also played Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, Wafner in Overlord, Ethan Sacks in Run Sweetheart Run, Cyrus/Nemesis II in Samaritan, Owen Paddock in Hidden Strike, and Richard Straker in Salem's Lot (2024). While possessing Black Manta, he was portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who also played Doctor Manhattan in the Watchmen HBO series and Candyman's form of Anthony in Candyman (2021). While possessing Ocean Master, he was portrayed by Patrick Wilson, who also played Jim in American Dad!, Agent Lynch in The A-Team, a possessing The Bride in Black in the Insidious films, Jeff Kohlver in Hard Candy, Alex Murphy in The Commuter, and Ross Humboldt in In the Tall Grass.
Personality[]
Kordax is a vain and ambitious conqueror/warlord like no other. Through the use of Orichalcum, Kordax notes about its potent power and uses this to transform his kingdom, Necrus, into becoming a superpower, but this has also instilled a sense of greed and manic onto Kordax, who promptly becomes a brutal tyrant towards his own people. Hungry for more power and paranoid over his control, Kordax is an absolute psychopath and maniac who refuses to acknowledge that his actions will destroy the world, equating his brother's heartfelt pleas for Kordax to stop the madness with the orichalcum as a personal slight against him, turning against his own family in the process as he seeks to be at the ultimate top.
Kordax also lacks any sort of ethical boundaries owed to his psychopathic nature, willing to ravage the world entirely through an ecological disaster no longer, harming both the surface and the seas in the process, or even targeting helpless infants. However, the most dangerous aspect over Kordax is not the vast power he has or the armies in his possession or the orichalcum he has to poison the planet, but it is his manipulative nature.
Compared to the Devil by Black Manta, Kordax is a highly manipulative being who peers into the souls of all who touches his trident, using their hate and desires to make them serve Kordax and free him from his prison. However Kordax's pride and greed proved to be his downfall, leaving him off-guard for Aquaman to throw his trident to destroy the Black Trident and Kordax, and so could only enjoy mere seconds of freedom.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Before the Great Fall of Atlantis, Kordax was the younger brother of Atlantis' first king, Atlan, and soon became the ruler of one of the other seven kingdoms, Necrus. Unlike his brother, however, Kordax ruled Necrus with an iron fist and began overexploiting the use of Orichalcum to create numerous war machines and fuel his kingdom, rapidly making it a superpower. This consequently came at a high rise, as Kordax' usage of Orichalum resulted in a large emission of greenhouse gas that increased global temperature to a disastrous level, leading to the poisoning of not only the sea but also the land. Seeing that his brother has gone too far, King Atlan confronts him in his throne room and pleads with him to stop using of Orichalcum before it causes an irreversible climatic cataclysm. Unfortunately, this proved to be in vain, as the overexploiting of Orichalum poisoned Kordax's mind, leading him to believe his brother was trying to steal the power from him. In his hatred, he angrily rebuffs him.
To combat any threat that would try to attack him and his kingdom, Kordax used the power of Orichalum and dark magic to forge the Black Trident before using its forbidden power to turn his people into undead monsters. Kordax himself also turned into an undead lich, losing his humanity in the process. Learning of what became of his brother and the people of Necrus, King Atlan was left with no choice but to launch an invasion on the Black City. As the two brothers went to war with each other, Kordax and his people were ultimately defeated and the Black Trident was cut in two during the battle while Kordax lost his right hand. The latter was then chained to his throne as Atlan used blood magic to imprison his brother and Necrus as a whole in ice. To ensure Kordax's dark power would be forever hidden, all traces and records of Necrus were erased and the use of Orichalcum was permanently banned. In the years that followed, the kingdom of Necrus came to be known as the Lost Nation or the Lost Kingdom.
Recruiting Black Manta[]
Thousands of years later in 2022, Black Manta and his Manta Men unknowingly discovered Necrus while searching for parts to repair Black Manta's armor. The latter finds the broken Black Trident, allowing Kordax to make contact with him. He makes a deal with Black Manta in which he'll offer him the strength that will allow him to not only kill Arthur Curry Sr./Aquaman but also destroy his home and kingdom, so he could avenge his father Jesse Kane. Still seeking revenge against Arthur for his father's death, Black Manta accepts the deal. Kordax proceeded to use his corruptive influence on the latter and his men, instructing them to obtain Orichalum to melt Kordax's icy prison. They then made progress by obtaining weapons and ships of Necrus soldiers in an ancient refinery that refines Orichalum.
Initiating a grand plan that has been lasting 5 months, Kordax gives Black Manta the knowledge he needs and dispatches him to raid nearly all the 12 storage vaults for orichalcum and burn them, leading to the oceans being poisoned and lethal plagues running rampant that have killed thousands, including Aquaman's mentor Vulko, on the oceans and equally as much casualties through climate change related disasters on the surface world, pushing the world to the point of being destroyed through a cataclysmic disaster. He then sends Manta to conduct the final raid near Atlantis that threatens countless civilians across, but much to Kordax's fury, this attracted Aquaman's attention who now learns of Manta's presence and the threat he poses.
As his prison weakens through the global warming triggered by orichalcum, Kordax sends Black Manta to kidnap Aquaman's infant son, Arthur Jr. so he could kill him and use his blood to finally release Kordax from his prison. When Aquaman and his allies attack Necrus, the former confronts Manta, who has now been possessed by Kordax completely. Before he could kill Arthur Jr., Kordax then mocks Arthur for only being a half-breed and being a poor imitation of his brother before throwing his trident at Mera who was holding Arthur Jr., but Orm managed to catch it. Deciding to abandon Black Manta completely, Kordax sadistically forces Arthur to fight a brainwashed Orm, playing on the latter's hate for Arthur and forcing Arthur to either kill his brother or be killed.
Death[]
This leads to Orm smashing Arthur's head and spill his blood to break Kordax from the prison. Aquaman then continues to talk Orm out of Kordax's possession, which succeeds and Aquaman tries to toss the Black Trident onto Kordax who catches it with ease. However, Orm tosses Arthur his trident who throws it at the Black Trident, which not only smashed it but also impales Kordax, destroying him, his army and his kingdom and ending his threat to the world for good.
Appearance[]
Kordax as an Atlantean was of light skin, blue eyes, scruffy hair and a prominent beard. He dons a golden plated armor with a conical helmet. Upon becoming a Lich, Kordax has an obviously undead appearance with all his skin and flesh seared off for a skeletal structure fused with his original armor, all with greenish-black color. Meanwhile his eyes and internal organs glow in a green light, while his teeth have become pointy akin to a shark. Eventually when he fought against his brother Atlan, he ends up losing one of his hands due to being cut by Atlan using his trident.
Powers/Skills[]
- Superhuman Reflexes: Kordax is able to instantly react to sudden attacks, best seen on his final scene when Aquaman suddenly throws the Black Trident onto him to which he swiftly catches it before he could be killed.
- Immortality: Compared to other Atlanteans, Kordax, owing to his undead nature, and so is unable to be killed by conventional means used to kill any human, and could only be destroyed by the destruction of his trident.
- Dark Atlantean Magic: Kordax is skilled on the dark arts which he uses to forge the Black Trident to wreck havoc amongst the Seven Kingdoms and then the world.
- Monstrification: Using the Black Trident, Kordax is able to turn everyone in his kingdom into twisted undead abominations that serve only him, and even uses it on himself.
- Possession: Whenever a person touches the Black Trident, due to its psychic link with Kordax, he is able to influence their lives, and even control and brainwash them, to fit his own design.
- Physical Augmentation: Through his possession and link, Kordax was able to make Black manta far more durable, stronger and faster than he was on his own, that he could take down an Atlantean with his bare hands.
- Vision Giving: Using his magic, Kordax is able to show the potential future of those who embrace the Black Trident's power.
- Knowledge Bestowal: As seen numerous times when Black Manta, Dr. Shin and Orm touch the Trident, Kordax is able to bestow knowledge upon them on Atlantis' past or the storage vaults for Orichalcum.
Quotes[]
| “ | Atlan: All I've ever wanted was for our nations to live in peace with one another. Kordax: Liar! And Necrus will never bow to you! |
„ |
| ~ Kordax turning against King Atlan |
| “ | But you're not ready yet. You involved him far too soon. I sense him closing in on us. | „ |
| ~ Kordax warning Black Manta after the Atlantis raid draws too much attention |
| “ | You wear my brother’s armor and wield his trident, but you’re only half the man he was. (Chuckles) How pathetic. | „ |
| ~ Kordax possessing Black Manta and comparing Aquaman to his brother Atlan before trying to kill him. |
| “ | Kordax (through Orm): Now this is certainly an improvement. Powerful, Atlantean body. And this one hates you more than the other one did. Aquaman: This isn’t true! Come on little brother, I know you're in there Kordax: Don't you see, you can't win. Either you kill your brother, or you'll die. |
„ |
| ~ Kordax possessing Orm to fight Aquaman. |
| “ | By Atlan's blood, this magic is broken. My Eternal Night has ended. | „ |
| ~ Kordax breaking the spell that imprisoned him. |
| “ | Don't let him take it. Hasn't he taken enough already? | „ |
| ~ Kordax trying to manipulate Orm. |
| “ | You were foolish to think he could ever change. | „ |
| ~ Kordax trying to manipulate Aquaman. |
| “ | I live again! I have waited countless centuries in the dark for this moment! | „ |
| ~ Kordax's final words as he is finally freed from his prison |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, Mongo is the ruler of Necrus instead of Kordax.
- Kordax is a negative reflection of what Orm would have become, had his paranoia, hunger for power, and tyranny consumed him to such levels.
External Links[]
- Kordax on the DC Extended Universe Wiki
- Kordax on the Pure Evil Wiki
