Aquaman
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Aquaman is a fictional character, a superhero in DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics # 73 (November 1941). Aquaman possesses the abilities to breathe underwater, telepathically communicate with and control all forms of sea life, and swim at high speeds. He also possesses superhuman levels of strength, speed, endurance and durability, all by-products of his body being adapted to survive unprotected in the tremendous pressures of the ocean depths.
During the Golden and Silver Ages of comic books Aquaman was a minor but durable hero, appearing in back-up stories of comic book series which headlined other characters. As one of the few superheroes extant in the late 1950s in DC Comics publications, he was made a founding member of the Justice League of America, which granted the character further longevity. The modern Aquaman has become a darker and more powerful character, often portrayed as angry and righteous. Aquaman's first animated appearance was alongside his sidekick Aqualad in Filmation's 1967 animated series The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. In the 1970s, he was included in the lineup of the animated Super Friends, helping him become somewhat of a household name. However, perhaps because of his place among such giants as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, Aquaman has often been the subject of mockery for having limited and seemingly useless powers (see popular media references section.)
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[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Golden Age
This early version of Aquaman appeared in More Fun Comics #73-107 (Nov 1941-Feb 1946), at which point the series dropped all superhero stories to become a humor comic book. His feature, along with others, was then moved to Adventure Comics #103-284 as a backup feature to the book's star, Superboy.
Aquaman's first origin story was presented in flashback from his debut, narrated by the character himself:
| “ | The story must start with my father, a famous undersea explorer — if I spoke his name, you would recognize it. My mother died when I was a baby, and he turned to his work of solving the ocean's secrets. His greatest discovery was an ancient city, in the depths where no other diver had ever penetrated. My father believed it was the lost kingdom of Atlantis. He made himself a water-tight home in one of the palaces and lived there, studying the records and devices of the race's marvelous wisdom. From the books and records, he learned ways of teaching me to live under the ocean, drawing oxygen from the water and using all the power of the sea to make me wonderfully strong and swift. By training and a hundred scientific secrets, I became what you see — a human being who lives and thrives under the water. Where in Fact he would DESTROY Batfink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | ” |
In his early Golden Age appearances, Aquaman (named so by his father) had superhuman strength enabling him to swim at superhuman speed and the ability to breathe underwater. He was also shown to have the ability to communicate with sea-life and have them do his bidding. Initially he was depicted speaking to sea creatures (such as porpoises and sawfish) "in their own language," and then only when they were close enough to hear him rather than being telepathic in nature. While he was often described as the "sovereign of the sea," with the waters of the entire globe his "domain," and almost every sea creature his "loyal subject," the title was never an official one. Aquaman's adventures took place all across the world, and the only base he appeared to have was "an ancient temple of lost Atlantis, kept underwater," in which he kept a solitary throne, as seen in More Fun Comics #84's "Raid on Atlantis" (Oct 1942).
During his wartime adventures, most of Aquaman's foes were Nazi U-boat commanders and various Axis villains. The rest of his adventures in the 1940s and 1950s had him dealing with various sea-based criminals -- including modern-day pirates such as his longtime archenemy Black Jack (introduced in Aquaman's second adventure) -- and so forth, as well as various threats to aquatic life, shipping lanes, and sailors. The first recurring supporting characters in the feature were various pets, including Ark, a pet seal who appeared in several of Aquaman's 1940s adventures, and the more well-known Topo, Aquaman's pet octopus who first appeared in Adventure Comics #229 (Oct 1956).
The primary artist for most of the Aquaman stories from the early 1950s to the early 1960s was Ramona Fradon (one of the few female comic artists of that period) whose version of Aquaman set the standard for several years. In the mid-1980s, following the establishment of DC Comics' multiverse, the Aquaman of Earth-Two (a parallel universe) was introduced with the Golden Age Aquaman's powers and origin. The only appearances of the Earth-Two Aquaman were in All-Star Squadron #59-60 (Jul-Aug 1986), just before the character was retroactively eliminated from existence as a result of 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths. He was mentioned (and his image shown to readers) in All-Star Squadron #31 (Mar 1984), however.
[edit] Silver Age
Starting in 1959, the first major revisions to the Aquaman mythos since the Golden Age began, with various new supporting characters added and several adjustments made to the character.
In Adventure Comics #260 (May 1959) and subsequent Silver Age comics, it was revealed that Aquaman was Arthur Curry, the son of Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, a water-breathing outcast from the lost, underwater city of Atlantis (a later version of the story named this underwater city as "Poseidonis," one of a number of underwater cities in the lost continent of Atlantis). Due to his heritage, Aquaman discovered as a youth that he possessed various superhuman abilities, including the powers of surviving underwater, communication with sea life, and tremendous swimming prowess. Eventually, Arthur decided to use his talents to become the defender of the Earth's oceans, first starting a career as "Aquaboy," eventually meeting Superboy (Earth's only other superpowered hero at the time) on one occasion (Superboy #171, Jan 1971). When Arthur grew up, he called himself "Aquaman."
It was later revealed (in Aquaman #29) that, after Atlanna's death, Tom Curry met and married an ordinary human woman and had a son named Orm Curry, Aquaman's half-brother. Orm grew up as a troubled youth in the shadow of his brother, who constantly bailed him out of trouble with the law. He grew to hate Aquaman not only for the powers that he could never possess but also because he knew that their father would always favor Aquaman. Orm disappeared after becoming an amnesiac and would resurface years later as Aquaman's arch-nemesis the Ocean Master.
By the late 1950s, Aquaman's ability to talk with fish had been expanded to full-fledged telepathic communication with sea creatures even from great distances, but in Adventure Comics #256 (Jan 1959) he was also retroactively given a specific weakness akin to Superman's vulnerability to Kryptonite or Green Lantern's vulnerability to the color yellow: Aquaman had to come into contact with water at least once per hour, or he would die (prior to this story Aquaman could exist both in and out of water indefinitely). This vulnerability was later explained as a vulnerability all Atlanteans share.
[edit] Allies and foes
Aquaman was included in the Justice League of America comic book series, appearing with the team in their very first adventure in The Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb-Mar 1960). He was a founding member of the team, as shown in a flashback in Justice League of America #9 (Feb 1962). Aquaman took part in most of the 1960s adventures of the superhero team.
With Adventure Comics #269 (Feb 1960), Aquaman's familiar cast of allies and enemies began to grow with the addition of Aqualad, an outcast, orphaned youth from a colony of Atlantis whom Aquaman takes in and begins to mentor. Adventure Comics #264 (Sep 1959) introduced the submerged fictional city of New Venice, which was later revealed to be based in Florida and which also became Aquaman's base of operations for a time in the early 1980s, beginning with World's Finest Comics #263 (Jun-Jul 1980).
Aquaman continued to appear in Adventure Comics until issue #284 (May 1961), when the feature moved to Detective Comics from issues #293-300 (Jul 1961-Feb 1962), then to World's Finest Comics from issues #125-139 (May 1962-Feb 1964). After four tryout issues in bi-monthly Showcase (#30-33, Feb-Aug 1961), Aquaman gained his own series for the first time with the publication of Aquaman #1 (Jan-Feb 1962).
Aquaman eventually met the Atlanteans and became their ally. He was recognized as the son of Atlanna and later voted to be the King after the death of the former regent, who had no heirs. By this time Aquaman had met Mera, a queen from a water-based dimension, and he married her at the same time he was crowned king of Atlantis, Aquaman #18 (Nov-Dec 1964). They soon had a son, Arthur, Jr. (nicknamed "Aquababy") in issue #23 (Sep-Oct 1965).
The 1960s series introduced other such arch-enemies as the Ocean Master (Aquaman's amnesiac half-brother Orm), Black Manta, the Fisherman, the Scavenger and the terrorist organization known as O.G.R.E. Other recurring members of the Aquaman cast introduced in this series include the well-meaning but annoying Quisp (a water sprite); Dr. Vulko, a trustworthy Atlantean scientist who becomes Aquaman's royal advisor and whom Aquaman eventually appoints to be king after leaving the throne himself; and Tula (known as "Aquagirl"), an Atlantean princess who was Aqualad's primary love interest.
Most of Aquaman's early Silver Age adventures were written by George Kashdan[1] and Bob Haney, while Nick Cardy took Ramona Fradon's place as the primary Aquaman artist. With Aquaman #40, the writer-artist team of Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo brought new levels of sophistication to the characters and stories, beginning with the "Mera Quest" storyline (issues #40-48) featuring a plot by a trusted Atlantean named Narkran to take over the kingdom of Atlantis. The storyline also introduced a prophecy that Atlantis would rise to the surface once more within the next century, but not until well after the year 2000.
The original Aquaman series ended with issue #56 (Mar-Apr 1971). Aquaman was given his own feature again in Adventure Comics #435-437, and #441-452, this time as the main feature in most of these issues. The Aquaman series was restarted with issue #57 (Aug-Sep 1977) and ran until issue #63 (Aug-Sep 1978), when it was finally cancelled. Aquaman continued to appear in Adventure Comics #460-466, when his feature moved to World's Finest Comics from issues #262-264, and back to Adventure Comics (for the final time) from issues #475-478. Aquaman appeared in a backup feature in Action Comics which he shared with the Atom and Air Wave in various issues. Throughout this time Aquaman also appeared in various series (such as Justice League of America, The Brave and the Bold, World's Finest Comics, and DC Comics Presents) in partnership with other superheroes.
After becoming king of Atlantis, Aquaman began a policy of slowly reintroducing the once-secretive Atlantis to the surface world. After he was briefly ousted from the throne by the Shark (whom he defeated), he made the decision to leave the throne to become a more traditional superhero, and Dr. Vulko was elected as the new king.
[edit] End of an era
Eventually, as part of a trap, Aquaman's foe Black Manta kidnapped and ultimately murdered Arthur, Jr. (Adventure Comics #452, Jul-Aug 1977), causing a rift between Aquaman and his wife. They remained married for a few more years and for a while operated out of the submerged city of New Venice, Florida.
In the mid-1980s, after his own feature's demise, Aquaman was briefly made the leader of the Justice League of America. In a storyline told in Justice League of America #228-230, an invasion of Earth by a race of Martians occurred at a time when the core members were missing. Aquaman was thus forced to defend Earth with a League much-depleted in power and capability, and he took it upon himself to disband the JLA altogether in Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984), thereafter reforming it with new bylaws requiring members to give full participation to the League's cases. With the help of a small number of veteran JLA members willing to fully commit to the team, Aquaman recruited and trained four new and untried members, also relocating the team's headquarters to a reinforced bunker in Detroit, Michigan after the destruction of the JLA's satellite headquarters during the invasion. Aquaman's participation in this new version of the Justice League ended in #243 (Oct 1985), when he resigned to work on his marriage with Mera.
[edit] Modern Age
After the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, several short limited series were produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s -- beginning with 1986's, four-issue Aquaman (Feb 1986-May 1986), featuring Aquaman in a new, largely deep-sea blue, costume. The series was well received and a follow up mini series was in the works, though it was eventually cancelled due to creative problems. This series also shed some light on the Silver Age version of Aquaman's origin as well as Aquaman's relationship with his half-brother, Ocean Master, whose origin is retold in fuller detail. The series also added new mystical elements to the Aquaman mythos and reinvented Ocean Master as a sorcerer. Aquaman reappeared in his blue costume in the largely-forgotten Aquaman Special (1988).
[edit] Retelling origins
In 1989, Legend of Aquaman Special rewrote the Sea King's mythos and origin, though keeping most of his Silver Age history intact. The Modern Age Aquaman's origin is as follows:
Aquaman, born as Orin to Queen Atlanna and the mysterious wizard Atlan in the Atlantean city of Poseidonis, was abandoned on Mercy Reef as a baby because of his blond hair, which was seen by the superstitious Atlanteans as a sign of a curse they called "the Mark of Kordax." The only individual who spoke up on Orin's behalf was Vulko, a scientist who had no patience for myth or superstition. While his pleas were to no avail, Vulko would later become a close friend and advisor to the young Orin.
As a feral child who raised himself in the wilds of the ocean with only sea creatures to keep him company, Orin was found and taken in by a lighthouse keeper named Arthur Curry who named Orin "Arthur Curry" after himself. One day Orin returned home and found that his adoptive father had disappeared, so he set off on his own. In his early teens, Orin ventured to the far north, where he met and fell in love with an Inupiat girl named Kako. He also first earned the hatred of Orm, the future Ocean Master who was later revealed to be Arthur's half-brother by Atlan and an Inupiat woman. Orin was driven away before he could learn that Kako had become pregnant with his son, Koryak.
Orin then returned to the seas, crossing paths with humans only occasionally but mostly staying out of humanity's sight, until a fateful day when Orin discovered the city of his birth, Poseidonis. He was captured by the city's then-dictatorial government and placed in a prison camp, where he met Vulko, also a prisoner of the state, who taught Orin the language and ways of the Atlanteans. While Orin was there he realized that his mother was also being held captive, but after her death he broke out and fled. Eventually, Orin made his way to the surface world, where under the name of "Aquaman" he became one of several superheroes emerging into the public view at the time. Upon his return to Poseidonis he was made the king, and sometime later he met and married Mera. The Modern Age Aquaman's history is nearly identical to that of the Silver Age Aquaman from this point on.
As detailed in the five-issue Aquaman limited series (Jun-Oct 1989), which continued a few of the themes from the Special, Mera was eventually driven insane by grief over the death of Arthur, Jr., and was committed to an asylum in Poseidonis. Shortly afterwards, an alien force conquered Atlantis. Arthur was forced to save the city but was hampered by an escaped Mera who personally blamed Arthur for the death of their son. In a fit of rage, Mera left Aquaman's dimension.
The publication of writer Peter David's The Atlantis Chronicles #1-7 (Mar-Sep 1990), which told the story of Atlantis from antediluvian times to Aquaman's birth, successfully revived interest in the character. Significantly, it was in this limited series that the ancient Atlantean characters Orin (whose name was given as Aquaman's Atlantean name) and Atlan (who was revealed to be Aquaman's father) were introduced.
A new Aquaman ongoing series (#1-13) thereafter ran from December 1991 to December 1992, which portrayed Aquaman reluctantly deciding to remain in Poseidonis as its protector once again. For a time, he served as Atlantis' representative to the United Nations but always found himself thrust back into the superhero role. Becoming more and more of a workaholic and solitary figure, Aquaman eventually returned to the oceans. He soon became tangled up in another attempt by Black Manta to destroy Atlantis by dragging it into a war with a surface nation.
Peter David returned to the character in another limited series, Aquaman: Time and Tide, a 1993/1994 four-issue series which further explained Aquaman's origins as he finally learned all about the history of his people through the Atlantis Chronicles (presented as historical texts passed down and updated through the centuries). Aquaman learned that his birth name was Orin and that he and his enemy Ocean Master shared the same father, "an ancient Atlantean wizard" called Atlan. This revelation sent Orin into a bout of rage and depression, setting the stage for later confrontations between the two, as it was said that "two brothers will also battle for control of Atlantis". (The Silver Age Aquaman had always known that the Ocean Master was his half-brother Orm, although Orm's amnesia prevented him from remembering that fact for some time.)
[edit] New direction
Aquaman received his own series again with the publication of the fifth Aquaman #1 (Aug 1994), initially scripted by Peter David, following up on his Aquaman: Time and Tide limited series. This new Aquaman series was the longest-running for the character, lasting until its 75th issue. David left the landmark series after issue #46 (Jul 1998) after working on it for nearly four years.
In Aquaman #2 (Sep 1994), Aquaman lost his left hand when the madman Charybdis stole his ability to communicate with sea life and stuck Arthur's hand into a piranha-infested pool. This caused Aquaman to become somewhat unhinged, and he soon began having prophetic dreams. Soon after, he attached a harpoon spearhead to his left arm in place of his missing hand. This was the start of an entirely new look: the classic orange shirt was discarded for a silvery piece of armor that only covered the upper right half of his chest and part of his right arm. Forsaking his former clean-cut appearance, Aquaman grew long hair and a scraggly beard. After the destruction of the harpoon, Aquaman had it replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic from S.T.A.R. Labs. This new harpoon had a retractable reel that he could fully control.
Atlantis is often taken as synonymous with its major city, Poseidonis, although another Atlantean city of importance at this time was Tritonis. The major storyline of the Peter David run, culminating in #25, was concerned with the Five Lost Cities of Atlantis. Facing an unearthly invading species linked to the origin of the Atlanteans, Aquaman had to search out and unite the lost cities. This storyline established him as a true Warrior King, and he became a major political power. The remainder of the Peter David run was about Orin coming to terms with his genetic heritage and his role as a king.
After a brief stint by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, David was replaced as writer by Erik Larsen with issue #50 (Dec 1998). Larsen's work proved unpopular with readers, however, and with issue #63 (Jan 2000) he was replaced by Dan Jurgens, who saw the series through to its cancellation with issue #75 (Jan 2001).
Aquaman had rejoined the JLA when it reformed and remained an active member of that team until the Our Worlds at War event, during which Aquaman and the city of Poseidonis disappeared and were presumed to be destroyed, in JLA: Our Worlds at War #1 (Sep 2001). The JLA later discovered that Poseidonis and its inhabitants were taken into the ancient past by a powerful Atlantean sorceress named Gamemnae. The people of Poseidonis were made slaves by their Atlantean ancestors, and Aquaman himself was transformed into living water and imprisoned in an ornamental pool.
After a few months of their time -- but fully fifteen years for the Atlanteans -- the JLA freed Aquaman in "The Obsidian Age" storyline in JLA #66-75 (Jul 2002-Jan 2003), and Poseidonis and its people were returned to the present by the JLA, though not before Aquaman was forced to sink ancient Atlantis.
[edit] Back to basics?
A sixth Aquaman series began shortly afterwards, initially written by Rick Veitch who sought to take Aquaman in a more mystical direction. Subsequent writers who contributed to the series include John Ostrander, Will Pfeifer, and John Arcudi. This series ran from issues #1 (Feb 2003) to #39 (Apr 2006) when it was renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis (see below).
As shown in this series, Aquaman's decision to sink ancient Atlantis caused displeasure among some of the city's citizens, and Arthur was once again driven out of Poseidonis. He spent some time in Ireland, where he met the Lady of the Lake, who gave him a new prosthetic hand composed of mystical water with unusual properties. From there he returned to his more traditional look: orange shirt, short hair, and beardless.
Later, Aquaman went to San Diego after a massive earthquake plunged half the city into the Pacific Ocean. He soon discovered that the survivors of the catastrophe were able to breathe underwater and began helping them to rebuild the submerged portion of the city they now called "Sub Diego". During this time, Aquaman picked up a new sidekick named Lorena, who eventually became the new Aquagirl. For a time, it appeared that Aquaman might reconcile with Mera, as he attempted to take her to the surface in order to save her from the Atlantean mages who had transformed her into an air-breather.
Shortly thereafter, during the Infinite Crisis event, Atlantis was destroyed by the Spectre, and many of its citizens were killed, including Aquaman's son Koryak and his oldest friend (and father figure), Vulko. Aquaman led the survivors to Sub Diego in the hope that the two displaced peoples could help each other. When Black Manta attacked the sunken city, Aquaman defeated him and left him for dead, surrounded by carnivorous fish (it was later revealed that Manta survived, although it remains unclear whether Aquaman intended his death).
Aquaman made a brief appearance at the memorial for Superboy in 52. With Aquaman #40 (May 2006), the series was renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis and taken in (yet another) entirely different direction by writer Kurt Busiek.
[edit] The Missing Year
During week 39 of the "missing year", Ralph Dibny - accompanied by Felix Faust disguised as Dr. Fate's helmet - meets a bearded, long-haired and apparently already amnesic Orin in the ruins of Atlantis. The helmet portends that "if he lives... if he lives... it is as a victim of the magicks of legend and the power of the sea". Nevertheless, as this time, Orin hasn't (at least physically) changed into the Dweller.
Dan Didio announced that DC Event "World War Three"- which takes place during week 50 - will deal with Orin's metamorphosis.
[edit] Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis
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As part of DC Comics' "One Year Later" event, Aquaman's series has been renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis with issue #40 (May 2006). The new developments include a new lead character, a new supporting cast, and the inclusion of sword and sorcery-type fantasy elements in the series.
While awaiting transport to Miami, Florida, a young man named Arthur Joseph Curry is washed out into the sea when a storm ruptures the tank he was in. This Arthur Curry, whose origin closely resembles that of the Golden Age Aquaman as well as that of Neptune Perkins, is the son of oceanobiologist Dr. Phillip Curry. Arthur's mother, Elaine, died in childbirth, and Dr. Curry was forced to use a mutagenic serum on his son when he was born three months premature. Arthur has lived his whole life in the main tank of his father's research facility at Avalon Cay — with the exception of a few brief visits to the ocean — his only window to the outside world being television.
Shortly after his arrival in the sea, Arthur is mentally contacted by the mysterious "Dweller of the Depths", a deformed humanoid with tentacles where his hair and beard should be and a right hand made of water which he writes with, who tells Arthur to help King Shark fend off a gang of marauders. After doing so, the pair together go to meet the Dweller, who gives Arthur an Aquaman-like costume and believes Arthur to be the original Aquaman. This enrages King Shark, who still bears scars from a previous battle with Aquaman during the recent Crisis.
The Dweller, still confusing Arthur for Aquaman and calling him his "charge," tells Arthur and King Shark of a prophecy regarding Arthur's future, a prophecy which seems to be a distorted version of the original Aquaman's history. Arthur tells the Dweller that he is crazy, but King Shark points out the resemblance between the prophecy and the previous Aquaman's history, and that Aquaman disappeared some time ago. The Dweller replies that the original Aquaman was "transformed into one akin to a great and terrible enemy of your people and become the vessel of power strange, ancient and terrible."
After Arthur and King Shark leave, the Dweller updates his diary, recording that the events about which he told Arthur must be true, feeling as if he experienced them himself. He writes with his own hand, which is made of hard-water, as was Orin's.
Arthur's first trip causes him to meet many people familiar to the "old" Aquaman, including Mera (cured and now leading a group of Atlantean refugees), the Sea Devils, Vulko (now a ghost) and eventually Ocean Master.
During this adventure, the Dweller progressively realizes that he is Orin, despite having no memory of his former life. When the new Aquaman is critically wounded while fighting Ocean Master, the Dweller uses all his forces to heal him, and we discover at this moment that half of his body is hard-water now. After the battle, he has a discussion with Mera, who has also realised that the Dweller is Orin, in which he says "I hear your concern, and I thank you. But the great powers--they have a purpose for me, one I do not fully know. They have taken whatever I once was, and made me this. And this, for now, is what I must be. (...) Whatever regard you have for me, I beg you. Let me do what I must do." Mera reluctantly agrees but adds that she will contact Vulko and try to find out all she can about the reason for Orin's current state. She then tells young Arthur to take care of her former husband.
Meanwhile, we discover that young Arthur's presumed dead father (he was reported killed by sharks) is still alive and being held prisoner by unknown people in a company named Tri-Dent Industries.
Called back in Atlantis by the Dweller's lingering connection to the mystical realm, he finds a rebooted version of Topo, now a Coleoid Squid-like humanoid, a naive motormouth attracted by superheroics and willing to become a sidekick, and Tempest, now amnesiac, unable to breathe water and implanted with a post-hypnotical suggestion warning of an upcomic battle.
The battle happens, and Issitoq the Narwhal, a mysterious foe, is sent to slay Orin. He apparently succeeds, and Arthur, feeling guilty for his weakness, swore to uphold his memory avenging him and becoming stronger.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Aquaman has multiple abilities, several of which derive from his aquatic physiology. His amphibious lungs allow him to breathe air or water. He can withstand the pressure and cold of the depths which also provides him high durability and super strength out of the water. For instance, he can easily throw a car hundreds of yards without much strain. He is a very fast swimmer which also translates to a high running speed on land. He is able to swim through the ocean at unmatched speeds, so fast that he can create a small tidal wave if the need arises. Arthur has been shown with the ability to throw water with the concussive force of a tidal wave, as well as leaping several stories at a time, either from land or water. He has enhanced senses due to his physiology as well. He can see in near total darkness and has super hearing. Aquaman's touch can also have a dehydrating effect, a consequence of how his body normally absorbs water while in the oceans. Outside of water, Aquaman will gradually dehydrate and his physical abilities and energy will waver in response.
Arthur's most well-known power is his ability to communicate with sea life, which is actually telepathy. His range is unknown since he can summon sealife from undisclosed distances. Psychic battles he's had have reverberated around the world so it is possible that his range is worldwide. Though most often used on sealife, Aquaman has shown the capacity to telepathically affect anything that evolved from marine life including humans and Martians. His telepathy is fairly powerful, at one point helping Martian Manhunter tap into the minds of everyone on the planet. By locating that part of the human brain that mankind shares with its marine ancestors, Aquaman can also disrupt some normal brain functions (walking, speech, etc.) with a seizure. Further, it should be noted that he does not ordinarily mentally control sealife into helping him. When he commands, most help out of respect for Aquaman, while others can also be persuaded or bargained with. Some animals, like piranha will not obey him at all due to their non-social nature.
After the loss of his hand, Aquaman replaced it with a cybernetic harpoon (often mistakenly called a hook) that responded to his thoughts. The harpoon could be fired and stay attached to Aquaman via a long line. At times, Aquaman would replace it with a normal looking cybernetic hand. Later, the harpoon would be replaced by the Waterbearer hand given to him by the Lady of the Lake. The hand was magical in nature and possessed various abilites. Aquaman could control its density, making it very hard. If Aquaman uses the hand in a negative way, it releases the Thirst. Instead he primarily used it to heal as well as cancel magic spells.
[edit] Sword of Atlantis
The new Aquaman has many physical abilities in common with the original Aquaman; underwater breathing, notable submarine speed and superhuman strength, although it's not known for the moment if they are comparable to those of Orin. Like the Golden Age Aquaman, young Arthur can't survive a long time outside of water. At the end of his first arc, it seems he has gained telepathic powers as well; an apparent side-effect of the Dweller mystically healing him caused the powers of an amulet which translated the languages of the sea to transfer directly to Aquaman. He now seems able to speak and understand the spoken languages of the sentient sea peoples unaided, and has a limited ability to communicate with nonsentient sea life; he cannot speak directly to them as his predecessor could, but can send and receive emotional impressions and desires, such as communicating a need for help. He is working to expand the latter ability, and in one instance has been able to "see" through the eyes of nearby fish.[2]
Orin as the Dweller seems to have become an accomplished magician. He easily defeats the mage who served Ocean Master and who earlier attempted to block Mera's powers.
[edit] In popular media
[edit] Notes
- ^ Thursday, June 8, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #49
[edit] External links
- DC Comics Message Boards: Aquaman forum
- The Unofficial Aquaman Site, including the Aquaman FAQ
- The Aquaman Shrine
- AquamanTV: Mercy Reef - Page with news, spoilers, and information about the CW's Aquaman series starring Justin Hartley
- Index of Aquaman's Earth-1 adventures
- Seanbaby Aquaman Page - Parody site dedicated to the uselessness of Aquaman
- Toonopedia's entry on Aquaman
- Alan Kistler's Profile On Aquaman - A retrospective by comic book historian Alan Kistler of www.MonitorDuty.com tracing Aquaman's history from 1941 all the way to the present day.
- The Continuity Pages: Aquaman
- The Unofficial Aquaman Chronology (1941–1955)
- The Unofficial Aquaman Chronology (1955–2006)
- Dc Database
Categories: Articles to be split | Wikipedia articles in need of updating | Aquaman | DC Comics Atlanteans | DC Comics titles | Fictional amputees | DC Comics characters with superhuman strength | Fictional hybrids | Fictional kings | Fictional mermen and mermaids | Fictional empaths | Fictional characters with the power to manipulate water | Golden Age superheroes | 1941 introductions | DC Comics superheroes | Fictional telepaths
