49 Mysterious Facts About Aquaman Every DC Fan Should Know
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Aquaman is a powerful hero of the DC universe.
His real name is Arthur Curry, and he is a leading figure in DC comics and one of the prominent founding members of the Justice League. From making his debut way back in 1941, this DC hero has evolved dramatically over the years.
Known by different names such as the Ocean Master, Guardian of the Seas, and Mermaid Man, Arthur Curry or Aquaman has entertained comic book fans for a significant part of the 21st century. Aquaman hails from the legendary Kingdom of Atlantis and is of Atlantean royalty.
He has been portrayed as the lost prince in books since he was abandoned soon after birth by his biological mother, the Queen of Atlantis.
Comic book fans were not always friendly towards Aquaman. There was a time when Aquaman was regularly on the receiving end of jokes made by readers of comic books. But all that has changed since Hollywood heartthrob Jason Momoa has taken up the role of Aquaman on the silver screen.
The movie 'Aquaman' was released in 2018, and it went on to become one of the highest-grossing superhero films of all time. The movie even surpassed other DC Universe films like 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.' Not bad for a superhero who wears a green water suit and spends his day talking to fish.
The Origin Of Aquaman
Aquaman began his journey in comic books back in 1941, when writer Mort Weisinger and illustrator Paul Norris joined hands to create this wonderful superhero character. Aquaman comics debuted in More Fun Comics #73, and it was brought into the market by DC Comics or National Periodicals.
Since his first appearance in the comic book world, Aquaman has maintained his unique niche in the superhero market.
Aquaman holds the distinction of being one of the five superhero comic book stars who have consistently appeared in the market ever since its first publication.
The other characters who have also featured regularly since their inceptions are Batman & Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow. Even the World War II years of the '40s could not stop the publication of books featuring these characters.
Although Superman was the first superhero ever to be adapted for an animated show, Aquaman became the second comic book character to appear in a cartoon version in 1967.
Whereas Fleischer Studios took on the task of making animated Superman short films, a film studio named Filmation brought out an animated series in 1967 that had both Superman and Aquaman in starring roles.
This earliest Aquaman cartoon series featured Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad and Aquaman's longtime girlfriend, Mera.
In this animated series, one will get to see both Aquaman and Aqualad traveling across the seven seas to fight sea monsters and other forces of evil.
Aquaman was one of the first comic book characters to get his own action figure. This happened in 1972 when a company named Mego came out with a line of superhero action figures.
Later, in 1975, after the massive success of Steven Spielberg's movie 'Jaws,' the company released a new set of Aquaman action figures with the title Aquaman and the Great White Shark.
In the '60s, Aquaman was given the distinction of becoming one of the first superheroes to get married.
One of the books published in 1964 had Aquaman's storyline to marry his longtime girlfriend Mera. And soon after that, writers added the character of Arthur Jr. or Aquababy in the plot, who was the baby boy of Aquaman and Mera.
In one of his recent avatars, Arthur Curry or Aquaman was part of the hit television series 'Smallville,' which ran for ten seasons, ending in 2011. In an episode from 2005, Arthur Curry is seen as a high-school student studying at the University of Miami.
This episode was centered around Aquaman's involvement in an investigation concerning an illegal military project launched by Superman's chief nemesis, Lex Luthor, that had had detrimental effects on sea life.
Most of us know about Robin, the boy-wonder sidekick of Batman. In a similar vein, Aquaman, too, has been given sidekicks over the years.
The first sidekick that Aquaman had was named Aqualad or Garth. He was an Atlantean orphan boy whose girlfriend Aquagirl or Tula fought crime alongside his partner and leader.
A new sidekick has been added to the Aquaman comic storyline. This female character is named Lorena Marquez, the latest Aquagirl.
In 2011, writers repackaged Garth as the Tempest. So, to fill the gap of Aqualad, the character of Jackson Hyde or Kaldur'ahm was created.
Powers And Abilities
The Lord of the Seas is one of the most vital figures in the entire DC Universe. Aquaman possesses superhuman strength and agility. He can outrun any regular human being on land and jump to unbelievable heights. Aquaman can realize his full potential in water and has reached top speeds of 7,000 mph (11,265.41 kph).
Aquaman has the power to use sonar when he is in the sea. Even on the surface world, Aquaman has quicker reflexes than many of his superhero comrades. He can beat any human-made submarines or other marine devices.
As with all Atlanteans, Arthur Curry or Aquaman can withstand the tremendous amount of pressure generated by water in the deepest regions of the ocean.
In case you are not aware, water pressure at the deepest corners of the oceans can crush human beings and artificial objects in a matter of minutes. So, it is only natural that Aquaman will be able to dodge bullets fired at him on land.
In the earliest days of this comic book hero, the writers attributed one significant weakness to him. Aquaman had to dive into the water once every hour to stay alive. Nowadays, we often see this member of the Justice League travel to outer space with his teammates.
The character has undoubtedly evolved a lot. Perhaps the best-known trait of Aquaman is his ability to communicate telepathically with the creatures of the seas.
Although this feature is common to everyone living in Atlantis, Aquaman can go the distance and assemble an entire army consisting of sea creatures such as sharks, whales, various other fish, octopuses, and seahorses.
The green water suit that we see Aquaman wearing in most books and animated features is an invention of Aquaman's superhero colleague from Justice League, Batman.
The suit's job is to keep Aquaman's water levels inside his body at a standard for a more extended period of time so that he can remain on land for longer hours.
Aquaman is undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings on the planet. His wife Mera also possesses special powers.
Mera was born and brought up in Atlantis and can weaponize water by being able to control its molecular structure. Together, Aquaman and Mera form a superhero power couple.
Unlike many other superheroes of Justice League or otherwise, Aquaman carries a special weapon called the 'trident' with him. It has been described as the Trident of Neptune or the Trident of Atlantis.
The storylines suggest that Aquaman's trident was made by mythical creatures known as cyclops and that it has many special powers.
Aquaman can control water movements, bring about sea tide on land, and create force fields water bolts using his magical trident.
In one of the parallel storylines, Aquaman gets his hand on the actual Trident of Poseidon or Neptune, which turns him near-invincible.
In an incredible feat, Aquaman had used his trident to hit Darkseid, one of the biggest villains of Justice League, on the face.
As King of Atlantis, Aquaman is a sizeable underwater army commander. Another extraordinary power that Aquaman possesses is the ability to break a sleeping curse.
In a new storyline from 2000, Aquaman and the rest of Justice League members are up against the queen from the famous 'Snow White' story.
In this storyline plot, the evil queen puts a spell on Wonder Woman, because of which Wonder Woman falls into eternal sleep. After several attempts to revive Wonder Woman, Aquaman tries his hand at trying to wake the Amazonian princess again.
Unknown to all around him, Aquaman had been the Prince of Atlantis who was lost for a long time. He then proceeds to kiss Wonder Woman to wake her up from her enchanted sleep.
Characteristics
The character of Aquaman has a storied past. In the origin storylines, as a baby, he was actually given the name Orin but was abandoned by his mother, Queen Atlanna of Atlantis.
One of the reasons Queen Atlanna chose to forfeit his son was that the baby was born with blonde hair. After going through several comic book storylines, we find that blonde hair is something of an omen in Atlantean culture.
After he was given away to the ocean, a group of dolphins found baby Aquaman and took him in. He was eventually found by a lighthouse keeper named Thomas Curry.
One of the foremost characteristics that separate Aquaman from other superhero characters of the DC Extended Universe is the fact that Aquaman does not hold back from killing his enemies.
Aquaman has crossed the moral line in many instances and has dislodged his attackers the hard way.
Let's take, for example, Aquaman's longtime enmity with Black Manta, his chief rival in the comic book tradition. From numerous storylines, we learn that Aquaman had killed the father of Black Manta. This becomes the leading cause for Black Manta's hatred towards the guardian of the seas.
Aquaman has the habit of hiding himself away in some remote location to prepare and train for his next adventure.
Aquaman is the type of superhero who restrains from taking on the ultimate act of killing bad guys until he is given a choice.
Once he sees that his opponents have gone too far with their evilness, he does not mind putting the life out of them. Here, Aquaman differs significantly from other iconic DC heroes, like Batman and Superman.
Perhaps the DC hero who has had the most significant family issues is Aquaman. He was abandoned at birth, raised by dolphins, then taken under the care of a lighthouse-keeper on the surface world. However, the tragedy of this ocean prince never seemed to have ended.
Once he found out his Atlantean heritage, he made his way back to the underwater kingdom.
Yet, he was not given the reception that he had expected. Believed to have died soon after his birth, the throne of Atlantis had passed on to the second son of Queen Atlanna, Orm, after her death.
Orm, who also goes by the name of Ocean Master, is one of the leading villains in Aquaman storylines. Both Aquaman and the Ocean Master vie for the throne of Atlantis in countless stories.
Even in the 'Aquaman' movie that came out in 2018, we see the two half-brothers fighting it out to decide who is the rightful ruler of the seven seas.
FAQs
Q: Can Aquaman talk to fish?
A: Yes, Aquaman has the unique ability to talk to fish.
Q: Can Aquaman fly?
A: No, Aquaman cannot fly like other heroes such as Superman.
Q: Is Aquaman for real?
A: No, Aquaman is a fictional comic book character.
Q: Is Aquaman immortal?
A: Unfortunately, Aquaman is not immortal and has died a number of times in the comics.
Q: What is the origin of Aquaman?
Aquaman was brought to life by writer Mort Weisinger and illustrator Paul Norris in 1941.
Does Aquaman need to drink water?
Yes, Aquaman needs to drink water as he was born on the surface world.
How does Aquaman breathe in water?
The specially designed skin of Aquaman, like all other Atlanteans, allows him to extract oxygen from water and breathe comfortably underwater.
Is Aquaman a god?
No, Aquaman is not a god as per comic book storylines. But he resembles the sea god from Greek mythology, Poseidon.
Who is Aquaman's queen?
The name of Aquaman's queen is Mera.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
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