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Aquaman
Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	More Fun Comics # 73 (Nov. 1941)
Created by	Mort Weisinger (writer) Paul Norris (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Austin Cundall
Species	Atlantean
Place of origin	Ogre
Team affiliations	[the green bay packers supper bowl 45 champs]
Notable aliases	Orin, The Sea King, the Dweller-In-The-Depths
Abilities	camoflouge aquatic adaptation telepathy healing factor enhanced senses (including darkvision, infravision & electro-magnetic) superhuman strength, agility, dexterity, speed and durability superhuman resistance to extreme cold & heat/energy based attacks superior tools, weapons & crafts bestowed by the technologically advanced race of Atlantis create and hurl bolts of 'hard water' left hand (as bestowed by the Lady of the Lake) is made of water and possesses mystical properties

Aquaman is a comic book superhero who appears in DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title. During the late 1950s and 1960s superhero-revival period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books, he was a founding member of the Justice League of America. In the 1990s Modern Age of Comic Books, Aquaman's character became more serious than in most previous interpretations, with storylines depicting the weight of his role as king of Atlantis.^[1]

Contents 1 Fictional character biography 1.1 Golden Age 2 Publication History 2.1 Silver Age 2.1.1 Allies and foes 2.1.2 End of an era 2.2 Modern Age 2.2.1 Retelling origins 2.2.2 New direction 2.2.3 Hiatus between series 2.2.4 Back to basics 2.2.5 The Missing Year through Final Crisis 2.2.6 "Blackest Night" 2.2.7 "Brightest Day" and updated origin 2.3 Arthur Joseph Curry 2.3.1 Publication history 2.3.2 Fictional character biography 2.4 Powers and abilities 2.4.1 Orin 2.4.2 Arthur Joseph 2.4.3 Justice 2.5 Other versions 2.6 Collected editions 2.7 In other media 2.8 See also 2.9 Notes 2.10 References 2.11 External links

[edit] Fictional character biography

[edit] Golden Age

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.

”

In his early Golden Age appearances, Aquaman could breathe underwater with gills, had superhuman strength enabling him to swim at high speeds, and could communicate with sea life and have them do his bidding. Initially, he was depicted as speaking to sea creatures "in their own language" rather than telepathically, and only when they were close enough to hear him. 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 his base was "an ancient temple of lost Atlantis, kept underwater," in which he kept a solitary throne.^[2]

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, as well as various threats to aquatic life, shipping lanes, and sailors.

[edit] Publication History

-

[edit] Silver Age

+

Starting in 1959, Aquaman's backstory was revised, with various new supporting characters added and several adjustments made to the character, his origins, his powers, and persona.

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. 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. Superboy #171, Jan 1971 revealed that he had, in his youth, adventured as "Aquaboy" and met Superboy (Earth's only other publicly active superpowered hero at the time) on one occasion. 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 believed that their father would always favor Aquaman. Orm disappeared after becoming an amnesiac and would resurface years later as Aquaman's archnemesis, 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^{[citation needed]}). This problem was later^{[volume & issue needed]} explained as a characteristic of all Atlanteans.

[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 supporting cast and rogues gallery began to grow with the addition of Aqualad, an outcast, orphaned youth from an Atlantean colony whom Aquaman takes in and begins to mentor. Adventure Comics #264 (Sep 1959) introduced the submerged fictional city of New Venice, which was later^{[volume & issue needed]} 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 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 archenemies 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 became 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.

- -

- - 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.^{[volume & issue needed]}

- -

[edit] End of an era

- 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 Justice League 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 Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, and Elongated Man, veteran Justice League members willing to fully commit to the team, Aquaman recruited and trained four new and untried members, Gypsy, Vibe, Vixen, and Steel, 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.^[3] 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-May 1986), written by Neal Pozner, featuring Aquaman in a new, largely deep-sea blue, costume. The series was well received and a follow up limited series was in the works, though it was eventually canceled due to creative problems.^{[citation needed]} This series also expanded on several details of the Silver Age Aquaman's origin as well as Aquaman's relationship with his half-brother, Ocean Master, whose origin was retold in more complete detail. The series also added mystical elements to Aquaman's mythology and reinvented Ocean Master as a sorcerer. Aquaman reappeared in his blue costume in the Aquaman Special #1 (1988).

In late 1988, the character appeared in the Invasion! crossover, guest starring with the Doom Patrol, again in the orange and green costume.

[edit] Retelling origins

In 1989, the Legend of Aquaman Special (officially titled as Aquaman Special #1 in the comic's legal indicia, the second Special in back-to-back years) rewrote Aquaman's mythos and origin, though keeping most of his Silver Age history intact. The special was by writer Robert Loren Fleming, with plots/breakdown art by Keith Giffen and full pencil art by artist Curt Swan.

The Modern Age Aquaman is born as Orin to Queen Atlanna and the mysterious wizard Atlan in the Atlantean city of Poseidonis. As a baby, he was abandoned on Mercy Reef (which is above sea level at low tide, causing exposure to air which would be fatal to Atlanteans) 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 fell on deaf ears, 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 (Time and Tide, no. 4). Orin was driven away before he could learn that Kako had become pregnant with his son, Koryak.

Orin then returned to the seas mostly staying out of humanity's sight, until he discovered 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, he 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) (by the same creative team of the 1989 special of Robert Loren Fleming, Keith Giffen, and Curt Swan), which continued a few of the themes from the Legend of Aquaman 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^{[citation needed]}. Significantly, it was in this limited series that the ancient Atlantean characters Orin (after whom Aquaman was named) and Atlan (who was revealed to be Aquaman's father) were introduced.

A new Aquaman ongoing series with creative team Shaun McLaughlin and Ken Hooper (#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" named 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 in the Chronicles 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 1993 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 series after issue #46 (Jul 1998) after working on it for nearly four years.

David began by giving Aquaman an entirely new look, forsaking his former clean-cut appearance. Following his discoveries reading the Atlantis Chronicles during the Time and Tide series, Aquaman withdraws from the world for a time. Garth finds him weeks later, with his hair and beard grown long, brooding in his cave. Soon after (vol. 5 #2, Sep 1994), Aquaman loses his left hand when the madman Charybdis steals his ability to communicate with sea life and sticks Arthur's hand into a piranha-infested pool. This causes Aquaman to become somewhat unhinged, and he begins having prophetic dreams, and then, in need of a "symbol", attaches a harpoon spearhead to his left arm in place of his missing hand. His classic orange shirt is shredded in a battle with Lobo (#4), and rather than replace it he goes topless for a while before donning a gladiatorial manica (#5). After the destruction of the harpoon (#8), Aquaman has it replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic from S.T.A.R. Labs (#9). This new harpoon has a retractable reel that he can fully control.

A major storyline, culminating in #25, concerns the Five Lost Cities of Atlantis. Facing an unearthly invading species linked to the origin of the Atlanteans, Aquaman has to search out and unite the lost cities. This storyline establishes him as a Warrior King, and he becomes a major political power, ruling largely undisputed over all the Atlantean cities. The remainder of Peter David's run focused on Orin coming to terms with his genetic heritage and his role as a king. During this time he discovers the remnants of a sentient alien ship beneath Poseidonis, and is able to take control of it, returning Poseidonis to the surface and bringing Atlantis into greater contact with the outside world. The cultural changes this brings about, including increased tourism, as well as his conflicting duties as superhero and king, bring him into increasing tension with the political powers in his city.

After a brief stint by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, David was replaced as writer by Erik Larsen with issue #50 (Dec 1998) and again by Dan Jurgens in issue #63 (Jan 2000; the series ended with #75 (Jan 2001). During this time his wife Mera returns, now sane again, from the otherworldly dimension where she had been trapped, and Aquaman narrowly averts a coup d'état orchestrated by his son Koryak and his advisor Vulko. His second harpoon is also destroyed, this time in a battle with Noble, king of the Lurkers; he replaces it with a golden prosthetic hand developed by Atlantean scientists which can change shape at his command, thus retaining the powers of the harpoon but being more all-purpose. After a brief war with an island nation, Aquaman expands Atlantis' surface influence by annexing the country to Atlantis.

[edit] Hiatus between series

Aquaman had no regular series of his own from 2001–2003, but his plot went through several developments via his cameo appearances in several other titles.

Aquaman had rejoined the JLA when it reformed^[4] and remains an active, if sometimes reluctant member of that team until the Our Worlds at War event in 2001 (shortly after the cancellation of Aquaman v. 5), during which Aquaman and the city of Poseidonis disappeared and were presumed to be destroyed. In its place was simply a huge rift in the water of the ocean, with a vast spectral statue of Aquaman standing over it.

The Justice League eventually found that the city was still there, just magically shielded, but in ruins and apparently uninhabited. The Atlanteans were trapped in the ancient past, where Aquaman had taken them as a last measure when it appeared that the city would be destroyed. There, however, they were enslaved by their own Atlantean ancestors, led by a powerful sorceress named Gamemnae, and Aquaman himself was transformed into living water and imprisoned in an ornamental pool. Over time, this civilization had collapsed until only Gamemnae herself, now immensely powerful, inhabited the ruins.

After a few months of their time — but fully fifteen years for the Atlanteans — the JLA free Aquaman in "The Obsidian Age" storyline in JLA.^[5] WIth the aid of Nightwing, Hawkgirl, Firestorm, Zatanna and Manitou Raven- the first four being members of the 'reserve JLA' that had been put together by an automatic program created by Batman that kicked in after the League vanished into the past-, Aquaman is freed from his prison in the pool, Firestorm linking the pool to the ocean and Zatanna enhancing his powers so that he can now control the entire ocean as a water wraith. With this power, Aquaman is able to sever Gamemnae's connection to the city by sinking it under the sea again, While he fought Gamemnae, the League members returned the modern Atlanteans to the present where they could begin rebuilding the city, which in the present too was once again at the bottom of the sea.

[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, Tad Williams, and John Arcudi. This series ran 57 issues starting in February 2003; starting with #39 (Apr 2006), following the events of Infinite Crisis, it was renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis.

Aquaman was blamed by his people for the initial decision to take them back in time, and sentenced to death. He escaped, and met the Lady of the Lake, who gave him a new prosthetic hand composed of mystical water with unusual properties. From there he gradually returned to his more traditional look—orange shirt, short hair, and beardless—but did not return to his city for several years.

Later, Aquaman went to San Diego after a massive earthquake plunged half the city into the Pacific Ocean. He discovered that many people had survived the catastrophe, somehow gaining the ability to breathe underwater, and he 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: she was the only one of the Sub Diegans who retained the ability to breathe air as well as water.

Aquaman's exile turned out to have been orchestrated by a sorcerer class who had come to power using knowledge gained in the Obsidian Age; after they were overthrown the city made overtures for him to return as their king. He declined, but 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.

As a metatextual nod to the positive reception of the new series, a scene in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers event shows Aquaman winning the "Best Comeback" award at a popular superhero convention.

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).

[edit] The Missing Year through Final Crisis

Following the One Year Later event (starting with Aquaman (vol. 6) #40 (May 2006)), the series was renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis and taken in an entirely different direction by writer Kurt Busiek. Aquaman is missing and presumed dead. A youth by the name of "Arthur Joseph Curry" is summoned by the mysterious Dweller in the Depths to take up the mantle of Aquaman, but it gradually emerges that the Dweller himself is Aquaman, having lost much of his memory and been strangely mutated, while gaining magical powers. (See the Arthur Joseph Curry section, below.)

These changes were explained only later: during the "missing year" depicted in the weekly comic book 52, Aquaman makes a brief appearance at the memorial for Superboy. Sometime later Ralph Dibny, seemingly accompanied by Dr. Fate's helmet, meets a bearded, long-haired, and 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".^[6]

Orin had made a deal with the gods of the sea in a desperate bid to gain the power to save the lives of several Sub Diego inhabitants who had lost the ability to live in water. Using the bones of his severed left hand in a magical ritual, the sea gods gave Orin the power to raise Sub Diego onto dry land. However, Orin mutated into the Dweller of the Depths (Via the events of "WWIII"/52's Penultimate chapter) as a side effect of gaining his new abilities and lost his memories as a result.^[7] The fate he foresaw for Arthur Joseph Curry was a confused memory of his own past.

In the midst of trying to help his successor, Orin was murdered.^[8] Upon the receipt of Orin's body, members of the Justice League of America, including Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, examine the body in Atlantis and wish the best for Mera and the new Aquaman.^[9]

The Orin Aquaman seemingly reappears in Atlantis during the Final Crisis to fend off the forces of Darkseid, but the Aquaman that appeared is revealed to be from another Earth in the multiverse.^[10][11] The appearance of this Aquaman was later perceived by Hal Jordan and Barry Allen as an unsubstantiated rumor, since the Aquaman was never seen nor heard from again.^[12] Some time between his death and the beginning of Blackest Night, Orin's body was moved and buried on land at Mercy Reef alongside Tom Curry in accordance with his final wishes.^[13]

[edit] "Blackest Night"

This article's plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010)

In Blackest Night #1, Garth returns to Atlantis and tells Orin's wife Mera that he is angry at the notion of Aquaman's body being buried on land. Mera relays to Tempest that Orin felt safe on land and that it is indeed what he wanted. Some time later, a black power ring is seen entering Orin's grave, bidding him to rise.^[13] Aquaman rises with Tula and Dolphin, demanding that Mera reunite with him in death (even offering a chance to see her son again). Garth is killed and joins the Black Lantern Corps. Mera fights back against Orin's reanimated corpse (denying that he's her husband) before fleeing.^[14] In Coast City, after Mera became a Red Lantern, Orin tells Mera that they could be a family and shows her their son. Mera says that she never wanted children and burns her son's body. She then chases after Aquaman.^[15] In the climax of Blackest Night, Aquaman and the other members of the Black Lantern Corps are called in to face the combined Corps of Light. When the White Entity reclaimed the heroes that had been resurrected, it severed the connections of twelve Black Lanterns and resurrected them. Aquaman was among those resurrected, and he was reunited with his wife. Because the Black Lantern Ring helped reconstruct Orin's body, when he was resurrected his hand was returned to him.^[16]

[edit] "Brightest Day" and updated origin

This article's plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010)

Aquaman and Mera spent the night together in the lighthouse of Amnesty Bay, but in the morning, Mera finds Arthur on the dock, looking at the sea and wondering why he was resurrected. Mera comforts her husband and invites him to swim with her, but Arthur is hesitant, seeing only his Black Lantern form reflected back at him in the water.^[17] Later he and Mera intercept a pirate vessel that had kidnapped children from a cruise ship. The pair subdue the criminals but another boat pulls up and opens fire on them. Aquaman calls for sea life to help him and a giant squid answers the call, but when the creature breaks the surface both Aquaman and Mera are horrified to see that the squid has been long dead. The undead squid begins to destroy the boat and kill all the sailors onboard despite Aquaman telling it to stop. When one of the pirates tries to attack them, an undead shark leaps out of the water and drags the man into the sea. Boston Brand had been using his white ring to watch and is unable to explain how Aquaman was able to keep one of his Black Lantern abilities.^[18] To make matters worse, Aquaman causes (through unexplained means) the death of all sea life in areas where he swims.^[19]

Aquaman next appears at a beach with Mera where he is trying to control sealife. He casts out a beam of telepathy and an undead, rotting Killer Whale jumps out of the water and attacks him. He is pulled under the water but quickly defeats the beast. Mera brings up that the scientists in Atlantis could help him with his ability to summon undead sealife but he quickly rebuffs it. He says people only come to him when they need him but cast him out after they are done with him. Mera says she's home with Aquaman, wherever that may be. They embrace, but Mera seems unsure of what he's become.^[20]

While cleaning up an oil spill, he and Mera are attacked by soldiers from Mera's homeworld, and leading them is Siren. As Mera pulls Aquaman away from them, she reveals that she was sent to kill him.^[21] She also hints that, despite the long-lasting exile of her people, Xebel's soldiers had been enemies of Black Manta himself from a distant time, even preceding the first public appearance of Aquaman, and states that, despite Mera's original mission being a solo one, Siren is now backed by the entire Death Squad, elite Xebel soldiers at the orders of the acting princess. Mera explains later that Siren is her younger sister.^[22]

Aquaman is told by the Entity to find Jackson Hyde before a second unidentified group.^[23] Meanwhile, Deadman and Dove are teleported by the white lantern ring directly in front of Aquaman and Mera. After Deadman explains what the White Lantern showed him, Aquaman tells him to go explain it to the rest of the resurected heroes and villains. Aquaman is about to start searching for Jackson's when Mera claims that she knows who he is.^[24] After she tells him, Aquaman leaves to find Jackson on his own, sending Mera instead to get help because he needed time to mull all this new information over. When Black Manta and Siren attempt to kill Jackson's foster father, Aquaman arrives in time to defend them.^[25] He gets Jackson and his father away, but not before both he and Black Manta draw blood. Aquaman takes Jackson's foster parents to safety where they can have everything explained to them.^[26] Using the map from the chest Jackson unlocked, the two discover another sealed chest that only Jackson can open. It is revealed in conversation between the two that Aquaman's Silver Age origin has been reestablished and he is once again the half human son of Tom Curry and an Atlantean queen. After this, the chest is opened, an items which Mera had left for Jackson, notably a Xebelian soldier's uniform and a pair of "Water Bearers", metallic constructs that help him control his water-manipulation abilities. Initially Jackson rebuff's Aquaman, and the two briefly fight until Aquaman tells Jackson how he wouldn't be asking so much of him if he didn't think he could handle it.^[27]

The White Lantern tells Deadman that Aquaman, J'onn J'onnz, Ronnie Raymond, and Carter and Shiera Hall are unique and were brought back to overcome what held them back in their past life. Elsewhere, while swimming along the coast of Florida, Jackson asks Aquaman about his ability to summon dead sea life, and Aquaman tells him his second chance at life isn't going the way he expected. Jackson also askshim if he is going to forgive Mera. Aquaman tells him to focus on the task at hand; suddenly the two of them are ambushed by Siren and the Xebel soldiers. The fight continues onto the beach where innocent citizens get caught in the crossfire. Aquaman step in to a fight between Jackson and Siren, and Siren taunts him by saying she killed Mera. As Aquaman is about to stike back at her, Black Manta springs from the water and cuts off Aquaman's right hand in the process. As Aquaman clutches his severed wrist, Black Manta tells him he should be used to it by now and readies for the kill.^[28]

[edit] Arthur Joseph Curry

Aquaman
Promotional art for Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #54 (Sept. 2007) by Terry and Rachel Dodson.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40 (May 2006)
Created by	Kurt Busiek Butch Guice
In-story information
Alter ego	Arthur Joseph Curry
Abilities	Aquatic adaptation, Enhanced physical attributes, Limited empathic communion with sea life

Arthur Joseph Curry is a fictional character, the second DC Comics superhero to be known as Aquaman. Created by Kurt Busiek and Jackson Guice, he first appeared in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40 (May 2006).

[edit] Publication history

As part of DC Comics' One Year Later event, Aquaman's series was 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.

[edit] Fictional character biography

While awaiting transport to Miami, Florida, a young man named Arthur Joseph Curry is washed out to sea when a storm ruptures the tank he is 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, 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 instead of hair and a left hand made of water. The Dweller urges him to help King Shark, who still bears scars from a previous battle with Aquaman during the recent Crisis. The Dweller, 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. The Dweller reveals that the original Aquaman was "transformed into one akin to a great and terrible enemy of your people and became the vessel of power strange, ancient and terrible."

Arthur's first trip causes him to meet many of Aquaman's supporting characters including Mera, the Sea Devils, Vulko, and eventually Ocean Master. During this adventure, the Dweller progressively realizes that he himself is the original Aquaman, despite having no memory of his former life.

Later, Arthur finds a humanoid squid named Topo, a naive youth attracted by superheroics and seeking to become a sidekick, and Tempest, now amnesiac, unable to breathe water, and implanted with a post-hypnotic suggestion warning of an upcoming battle. The battle soon occurs, and the Dweller/Orin is apparently killed. The Justice League is called in to evaluate Orin's situation, but are unable to determine if he is truly dead, or if he can somehow resurrect himself due to his new magical nature.^[9]

In Sword of Atlantis #57, the series' final issue, Aquaman is visited by the Lady of the Lake, who explains his origins. The original Aquaman had given a sample of his water hand to Dr. Curry in order to resurrect Curry's dead son, Arthur, whom he had named after Orin. When Orin attempted to resurrect Sub Diego, a part of his soul attached itself to the dead body of Arthur Joseph Curry, while Orin mutated into the Dweller. Blaming himself for Orin's death, Aquaman vows to never be called "Arthur" again, refraining from using the "stolen" name, asking only to be called Joseph in the future.^[29]

Joseph is considered as a candidate for the new Outsiders by Batman. After seeing him in action with Metamorpho, however, Batman decides against his induction.^[30]

In their quest to rid the Earth of all forms of kryptonite, Superman and Batman journey deep below the sea and find a large amount of it. The two of them are met with hostility by Aquaman and King Shark. A brief fight ensues, but eventually Joseph allows them to take that for which they came. Before doing so, he points out that not everyone may want Superman to find all of Earth's kryptonite, and that he would have to be at least part human to know that.^[31]

Joseph Curry would continue to be the stand-in king of Atlantis until after the Final Crisis event. It was revealed that Joseph had stepped down from his position due to being unable to deal with the pressure of carrying on Orin's legacy. Tempest later finds Joseph's trident and costume draped over Orin's throne, confirming that he has abandoned his duties.^[32]

[edit] Powers and abilities

[edit] Orin

Aquaman's most widely recognized power is the telepathic ability to communicate with marine life, which he can summon from great distances. Although this power is most often and most easily used on marine life, Aquaman has at times demonstrated the ability to affect any being that lives upon the sea (e.g., sea eagles), or even any being evolved from marine life (e.g., humans).

Aquaman has a number of superhuman powers, most of which derive from the fact that he is adapted to live in the depths of the ocean. He has the ability to breathe underwater. He possesses superhuman durability high enough to remain unaffected by the immense pressure and the cold temperature of the ocean depths, this also makes him tough enough to be invulnerable to machine gun fire.^[33] He also possesses superhuman strength.^[34] He can swim at very high speeds, capable of reaching speeds of 10,000 feet per second^[33] and can swim up Niagara Falls.^[35] He can see in near total darkness and has enhanced hearing granting limited sonar.^[36] Although he can remain underwater indefinitely without suffering any ill effects, Aquaman grows weak if he remains on land for extended periods.^[36]

After the loss of his left hand, Aquaman initially replaced it with a cybernetic retractable hook, then a cybernetic hand. The mechanical hand was replaced by a magical hand made out of water given to him by the Lady of the Lake, which grants Aquaman numerous abilities, including but not limited to: the ability to dehydrate anyone he touches with it, killing them instantly; the ability to change the shape and density of the hand;^[37] the ability to shoot jets of scalding water; healing abilities;^[36] the ability to create portals into mystical dimensions;^[36] the ability to communicate with the Lady of the Lake through the waterbearer hand;^[38] and the ability to nullify magic.^[39]

Following his death in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis and resurrection at the end of Blackest Night, Aquaman has regained his natural hand, but seems to have retained some of his altered powers from the Black Lantern Corps, such as the ability to control undead sea-life. In issue 19 of the "Brightest Day" series, Aquaman's right hand is cut off by Black Manta.

[edit] Arthur Joseph

The new Aquaman has many physical abilities in common with the original Aquaman, including underwater breathing, submarine speed, and superhuman strength. Like the Golden Age Aquaman, Arthur cannot survive outside of water for long. He also gained telepathic powers. He now speaks and understands the 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.^[40]

[edit] Justice

In the Justice (DC Comics) series, Aquaman has regenerative powers. After having brain surgery experiments performed against his will, Aquaman is left for dead and presumed killed. He later appears having healed completely without scarring.

[edit] Other versions

• Earth-Two: In the mid-1960s, following the establishment of DC Comics' multiverse, the Golden Age Aquaman became known as the Aquaman of "Earth-Two", and the modern-day Aquaman became the Aquaman of "Earth-One". In modern-day comics, the original Aquaman appeared only^{[citation needed]} in All-Star Squadron #59-60 (July-Aug. 1986), just before the character was retroactively eliminated from existence via the crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths".
• Aquaduck, a funny animal version published by DC and member of the Just'a Lotta Animals, first appearing in 1983.
• Ceetka: the Deva of the Water and a reflection of God. He watches over the seas and his kingdom in the Supergirl: Wings Elseworld story.
• Barracuda: Aquaman's Crime Syndicate of Amerika counterpart. Last seen leading the armies of Atlantis against the surface world in Florida.
• In the Countdown tie-in The Search for Ray Palmer: Superwoman/Batwoman, a female version of Aquaman is shown to reside on Earth-11. This version is called "Anne", is physically similar to Joseph Curry, and commands the armies of Atlantis.
• In Marvel Comics' JLA pastiche Squadron Supreme, Aquaman's counterpart is Amphibian, a mutant man named Kingsley Rice whose body adapts to the sea by growing more fish-like at increased depths. In the Supreme Power revamp by J. Michael Straczynski, the Amphibian character is female, mute, and obviously non-human, with blue skin, fins, quill-like spines, and no obvious hair.
• In JLA/Avengers, Aquaman is a member of the JLA. He shows his royal attitude many times, especially when he sees the way that Dr. Doom forces his subjects to worship him. He participates in the treasure hunt against the Avengers, but the hunt is all in vain when the villain Krona attacks and mortally wounds both The Grandmaster and Galactus, forcing the Grandmaster to merge the two worlds to stop Krona. When Captain America and Superman, who both sense the changes in the merged universe, attack each other, Aquaman is found by the Avenger Vision, and the two team up to discover what is wrong with the world. The two are ambushed by villains but are rescued by a group of Leaguers and Avengers. He later sees his own hand being devoured when the Grandmaster shows the two teams the true realities. He agrees to battle Krona, and even lends one of his Atlantean ships to the battle. He shows off his immense psychic control over sea life when he single-handedly shuts down the minds of Atlantean soldiers under the control of Attuma. He sticks with the battle to the end and is one of the last JLAers remaining before Krona's stronghold crumbles and the universes separate.
• In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Aquaman is seen as a loud and boorish kind of fellow, quick to tell tales of his undersea "adventures;" his favorite expression being "Outrageous!" When teamed with the Atom in Journey To The Center Of The Bat, he soon had his partner picking up the same annoying mannerisms.

[edit] Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Pages	ISBN#
Aquaman Archives Vol. 1	Adventure Comics #260-280, 282 and Showcase #30-31	224	ISBN 1563899434
Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 1	Adventure Comics #260-280, 282 and 284	544	ISBN 1401212239
Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 2	Aquaman #7-23, World's Finest #130-133, #135, #137 and #139 and The Brave and the Bold #51	544	ISBN 9781401217129
Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 3	Aquaman#24-39, The Brave and the Bold #73, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #115	448	ISBN 9781401221812
Aquaman: Time and Tide	Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4	88	ISBN 1563892596
Aquaman: The Waterbearer	Aquaman (vol.6) #1-4, Aquaman Secret Files	119	ISBN 1401200885
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis	Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40-45	114	ISBN 1401211453

[edit] In other media

Aquaman has appeared in multiple cartoon series, such as The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, Super Friends, and Justice League as well as a live action version appearing in the TV series Smallville. He was also scheduled to be featured in his own series by Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of Smallville, but only a pilot episode was created.

A fictional Aquaman movie played a central role in the second season and part of the third season of the HBO show Entourage.

In 2003, Cartoon Network Latin America aired the spoof series The Aquaman & Friends Action Hour that starred Aquaman as an easily irritated children's television show host and the Legion of Doom as his bankrupt villains.

Aquaman has also been referenced in several episodes of The Big Bang Theory, as has The Flash.

Aquaman is also featured in the song Aquaman's Lament by Mark Aaron James, on the album "Just a Satel-lite".

[edit] See also

• Characters of Aquaman
• Aquaman villains
• Aquaman (TV series) - an animated TV series
• Aquaman (TV program) - an unaired live-action TV pilot
• Amphibian Man

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Index of Aquaman's Earth-1 adventures
• Alan Kistler's Profile On Aquaman

[edit] External links

• The Unofficial Aquaman Site, including the Aquaman FAQ
• The Aquaman Shrine--A Blog Devoted to Aquaman
• AquamanTV: Mercy Reef

v · d · eAquaman Creators Paul Norris · Mort Weisinger Supporting characters Aquagirl (Lorena Marquez · Tula) · Aqualad (Garth · Jackson Hyde) · Aquaman (Arthur Curry/Orin · Arthur Joseph Curry) · Atlan · Cal Durham · Cerdian · Deep Blue · Dolphin · Dane Dorrance · Jim Lockhart · Lagoon Boy · Mera · Neptune Perkins · Tempest · Tsunami Villains Awesome Threesome · Black Manta · Charybdis · Fisherman · King Shark · Ocean Master · O.G.R.E. · Qwsp · Scavenger · Siren Locations Atlantis · Sub Diego · Thierna Na Oge In other media The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967) · Aquaman (1968) · Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis (2003) · Aquaman (2006)

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