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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page.
Arthur Curry is Aquaman, an adventurer who is half-human and half-Atlantean. This gives him a variety of powers including superhuman strength, telepathic control over marine life, and the ability to survive both in water and on land. He belongs to the royal family of Atlantis, and normally acts as their King. His romantic partner is the princess Mera of Xebel. He is a founding member of two superhero teams, the world-famous Justice League and the clandestine Others.
Early Life
Arthur Curry was born the son of the Atlantean queen Atlanna and the Amnesty Bay lighthouse keeper Tom Curry. Atlanna returned to Atlantis, so Tom was forced to raise Arthur alone. As a child Arthur began to show that he had inherited his mother's gifts. Tom turned to Doctor Stephen Shin, a scientist he saved from a storm, so he could better understand Arthur's abilities.
During the time of Arthur's graduation Shin attempted to release his research to the public, so Tom destroyed all of it except a phial of Arthur's blood which he took. Shin paid a treasure hunter known as the Black Manta to retrieve the phial from the Curry household. However there was a struggle and the stress caused Tom to suffer a heart attack, and he died in the hospital soon after. Arthur then tracked Black Manta down and killed his father, believing it to be Manta himself.[3] He then fled civilization until he was brought to Atlantis by his mother's royal adviser Vulko.[4]
He ruled over Atlantis for a while until he fled his role and his brother Orm took the throne. He went on to form The Others, a team made up of outcasts who would search the globe for the Dead King's Atlantean Weapons so they could be save guarded. After retrieving the artifacts and keeping the Trident of Neptune, Aquaman parted ways with the Others.[5] At some point between leaving the Others and joining the Justice League, Arthur met and fell in love with Mera, a Xebelian princess sent to kill him.[6]
After leaving Atlantis Arthur came across a demon-like being activating a device that opened a portal, dozens of the demon like creatures emerged from the portal and headed to the surface.[7] Upon reaching the surface he witnessed what could only be an invasion force, he then met up with other superheroes such as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814; the Amazonian princess Wonder Woman; the fastest person alive The Flash; and the dark vigilante Batman; and Superman who hailed from a dead planet. The group then proceeded to kill any of the invaders who got in there way as they attempted to find a way to stop the invasion force.[8] The group then meet up with a Cyborg. The Cyborg then tells the group that the leader comes from world-to-world harvesting any organic material. At that point another portal opened and the ruler of the invaders stepped through- Darkseid.[8]
The tyrant used his telekinetic power to crush the whole group, rendering a majority of them unconscious including Arthur. Upon awakening the Flash told the group that Superman had been taken by Darkseid's forces, coordinating there attacks the group attempted to blind Darkseid so his energy beams would be ineffective.[9] While the team was distracting Darkseid Batman travelled to the home base of Darkseid- the planet Apokolips- to save Superman. Cyborg then used his built in mother box to open several portals. All of Darkseid's minions were pushed back through the portal. Wonder Woman and Arthur then blinded Darkseid and with the help of Superman, the team were able to push the tyrant back to Apokolips.[10] After saving the world from Darkseid's invasion the superheroes were heralded as heroes and given the name Justice League.[10]
Arthur took on a ward in the form of a boy named Garth who became the first Aqualad.[11] Aqualad would go on to join the Teen Titans and have many adventures until the world's mind was erased by Mister Twister making them forget about the Teen Titans. This including Aquaman who forgot about raising Garth and taking him on as Aqualad. As such Garth became oblivious to his history and joined the Atlantean Army unaware of his past with Arthur and the Teen Titans.[12]
As Aquaman, Arthur Curry began protecting Boston, having decided to completely abandon Atlantis to pursue a life on land with Mera.[13] Boston was attacked by a carnivorous underwater species called The Trench, and Aquaman and Mera fended off the invasion.[14]
Chasing the Trench, which had taken hostages, to the Marianas Trench, they discovered the predators dying out and desperately trying to feed their children in the remnants of an Atlantean craft. The heroes saved the captives, and Aquaman reluctantly caused the Trench's extinction to prevent further loss of human life. During the U.S. Navy's investigation of the hideout after the fact, Aquaman came in contact with the ship's black box, discovering a centuries old warning inside.[15]
Reuniting with an old ally of Aquaman's named Ya'Wara from his days with the Others, Aquaman and Mera were informed that Black Manta had killed Kahina the Seer, another former member of the Others, and had taken one of the Artifacts of Atlantis - the Seal of Clarity which she was guarding.[16] In order to ensure their safety Aquaman and Ya'Wara began to work together to contact the Others in case Black Manta had gotten to them. First they travelled to the United States Health Center in Heidelberg, Germany in search of Prisoner-of-War before Manta ambushed them, stole Ya'Wara's necklace, and escaped.[17]
Once the Others were finally assembled, one of their members called the Operative informed them that Black Manta planned to steal the Dead King's Scepter. Although the Others tracked down the villain's location and Aquaman managed to defeat Manta, the heroes did not succeed in time to stop Manta from delivering the scepter to a mysterious stranger and Vostok-X was killed.[18]
Arthur and the League took down the villain Spore, an A.R.G.U.S. employee who had been exposed to a virus when an unknown individual stole the Orb of Ra.[19] Over their next few missions the League was followed around by Aquaman's frenemy Green Arrow, who insisted he should join the team, however the League wasn't opening ranks due to their last new addition Martian Manhunter.[20] The Justice League realized soon after this that someone was attacking the League's enemies such as the Key and the Scavenger, to find out the Justice League's weaknesses in both body and mind. After interrogating several of the villains they all gave a single name- Graves.[21]
Shortly after this Aquaman was saving the inhabitants of a sunken cruise ship when he was called to the Watchtower by Cyborg, the Justice League discussed the threat that this "Graves" faced when Graves entered the Watchtower with Steve Trevor's codes and attacked the League, the whole League was defeated by the spirits Graves controlled.[22] Graves then vanished from the scene. They then went to Tracy Trevor's and she explained that Graves was the author David Graves who had previously praised the League after they saved his family during Darkseid's invasion. However Graves's family had gotten sick and died, he then went missing after he gained the sickness, Graves believed that the League caused the illness. After a brief skirmish between Lantern and Wonder Woman over the League's priorities they all headed to the Valley of Souls where Graves had been imbued with his power. They were then set upon by illusions of there biggest losses.[23] The League were soon snapped out of the illusion as Trevor arrived. They then fought of Graves and his Asuran masters, Aquaman was able to break Graves' connection to the Asuras, ending his terror.[24]
After the defeat of David Graves Batman and Aquaman were having arguments about which one of the two of them should lead the Justice League, as the team needed greater stability after Green Lantern left. These arguments were postponed due to the emergence of Wonder Woman's enemy Cheetah who had defeated her enemy and disappeared. The League tracked Cheetah to a jungle where she ambushed them and bit Superman. Superman then fell under her control and attacked the League.[25] Cheetah fled the scene as the tribe of the Cheetah fled. After helping to secure Superman and return him to normal the leader of the tribe explained the origin of the Cheetah. The League then chased Cheetah around the forest until Aquaman apprehended her.[26]
After a series of aggressive moves made by the U.S. government on the area surrounding Atlantis, the underwater state declared war on the surface world. Though Aquaman wanted to stop the conflict peacefully with the help of the Justice League, he soon learned that his own half-brother Orm was leading the invasion.
Conflicted between his loyalties to the Justice League and Atlantis, Aquaman learned by investigating into the matter that Orm had not caused the mysterious attacks by the United States in order to start the war, instead the culprit was Vulko, who was exiled from Atlantis after Curry's departure and wanted revenge.[27]
Battling Orm's oncoming fleet in Boston, Aquaman tried to explain to his brother the conspiracy brought on by Vulko, though Orm refused to stand down. Usurping Orm and declaring himself king once more, Aquaman ended the war on the surface and declared the arrests of both Vulko and Orm.[28]
Once king again, Aquaman soon received news that Mera had disappeared inside the Bermuda Triangle. He traveled to the Triangle and reached the kingdom of Xebel, Mera's homeland, where he came face to face with the Dead King, who had imprisoned the entire city in ice.[29] After freeing Mera and fighting the Dead King,[30] Aquaman and Mera retreated to Atlantis to find the city under attack by the villainous Scavenger's fleet. Aquaman summoned Topo, a massive underwater monster, with his telepathy to destroy the Scavenger's forces, but the strain of controlling the beast caused him to go into a coma just as the Dead King arrived to reclaim Atlantis.
Aquaman awakened six months later under Vulko's care in Antarctica.[31] Returning to Atlantis, Arthur commanded the Trench to liberate his home from its tyrant. After a lengthy brawl, Arthur killed the Dead King, being acknowledged as the king of Atlantis once again. [32]
Aquaman was reunited with the Others when Vostok-X's helmet was stolen from The Living Room by twisted version of animals. The Others tracked the helmet to the location of the thief, where it was revealed that the helmet was stolen by Morgaine le Fey, an immortal sorceress, member of the Immortal Men and sister of Madame Xanadu.
Morgaine wanted the helmet due to its magical properties; the helmet rid the user of the need of sustenance which would allow her to finally leave the Earth. When Arthur and the others arrived Morgaine cast illusions on each of the Others, giving them the chance to join her or die. Arthur, Operative, Prisoner-Of-War and Sky Alchesay all denied but Ya'Wara opted to join her as she believed Morgaine could help her save the Amazon Rainforest. Morgaine was defeated by the Others and Ya'Wara was brought to her senses shortly after.[33]
Some time after defeating Morgaine, the Others came under attack from a covert military force trying to retrieve the Artifacts; all of these attempts were futile as Aquaman and the Others were able to fight them off each time. The operatives then kidnapped Kahina the Seer's sister Sayeh wanting access to her Precognition.[34] Arthur and the others were then ambushed by Anton Solokov and his sister Darya who were behind the attacks. They then transported the Others to their castle in Trezygstan where they met the true enemy, Legend.[35]
Legend revealed that he was from the time of the Dead King and that he had stolen his father's enchanted gold and then murdered him. Atlan then used the Gold to forge the Atlantean Weapons, and Legend had been trying to get the gold back since then. Ya'Wara was teleported to the moon in the conflict and discovered a clone of Vostok which after returning to Earth helped Aquaman and the Others defeat Legend and the Solokov twins, killing Legend in the process.[36] Sayeh and Vostok 2 joined the Others after the battle.[37]
After the fight with Legend, Operative was ambushed during a deal by the KGBeast who threw him off a building. Operative was saved by Vostok, and continued to fight with the KGBeast until he was overwhelmed by both opponents. Cheshire then helped the Beast escape as Aquaman appeared on the scene. Cheshire and KGBeast then met up with the rest of their team, a group of villains known as Mayhem whose members included Maelstrom, Strangehold, Braze, Cheshire, KGBeast and NKVDemon.[38]
With the drive retrieved from the conflict with Operative - which contained nuclear launch codes - Mayhem planned to threaten the World and usurp whatever they wanted from it. To make matters worse for Arthur the Prisoner-Of-War became possessed by one of the soldiers he absorbed. However Aquaman and the Others were able to contain the soldier and free the Prisoner-Of-War. Operative corrupted the launch codes before Mayhem could fire any Nuclear Missiles. The Others and Mayhem then fought on an abandoned Prison Island ending the threat.[39]
Months after Orm's invasion of the surface the Justice League began considering opening their ranks to new membership. After a semi-audition of the heroes who had assisted the League during the invasion the League picked three new members- Firestorm, Element Woman and The Atom (Rhonda Pineda).
Superman crippled by Kryptonite
Around this time the League watchtower was hacked with a message- have a nice day.[40] On the day of the new members' introduction the Batcave was attacked by a mysterious figure who had defeated Red Hood and Alfred and taken a Kryptonite Ring. Upon investigation Batman and Aquaman weren't able to find a possible culprit, meanwhile the new members were fighting off the villain Despero who had entered the Watchtower- causing it to crash down to Earth, however the heroes were able to defeat the alien when they discovered that it bore the kryptonite ring.[41]
After the League arrived on the scene Batman and Cyborg noticed that a microscopic slither of kryptonite was missing from the ring. While Superman and Wonder Woman were imprisoning Despero they were met upon by the woman who let evil upon the World Pandora who gave Superman her box as she hoped that his pure heart would activate the box sealing all evil up once again, however this failed so she vanished.[42] Shortly after this the League received a message that a superhero had entered Kahndaq which was against the law. The Justice League entered Kahndaq and attempted to apprehend Shazam with the help of Zatanna before the situation escalated. Soon after this the government supported Justice League of America arrived on the scene, the arrival of this team quickly lead to conflict after Superman killed Doctor Light with his Heat Vision. Superman quickly ended the fight and ordered the Justice League of America to arrest him.[42]
While Superman was in custody Wonder Woman met with the Justice League Dark, as she believed they could help her find Pandora's Box which she thought had corrupted Superman.[43] Believing nothing good would come of Wonder Woman finding the box, Amanda Waller sent the JL and JLA to apprehend Wonder Woman.
The Crime Syndicate
Upon locating Wonder Woman she was able to convince several members of the JL teams to help in her search, including Aquaman.[44]. Eventually the team tracked Pandora down to Lex Luthor's cell where the box began corrupting the League members one by one.[45]John Constantine was able to get the box and teleported away before any more harm could be done. Upon tracking down the box to where the team was thrown into turmoil once more. At that moment the mysterious leader of the Secret Society of Super-Villains known as the Outsider took the box. Atom then revealed that it was her that planted Kryptonite in Superman's brain- causing him to kill Doctor Light, as she was a mole for the Outsider called Atomica. Cyborg was then expelled from his body by one of his programs calling itself Grid who was working for the pair and had hacked the Watchtower.[46] Outsider then activated the box revealing it to be a portal to another world and a figure who looked like Aquaman came out and instantly died. Then more evil versions of the Justice League came out of the portal with Outsider and Atomica joining them, they attacked the heroes claiming the World as property of the Crime Syndicate.[46]
As the Justice Leagues began fighting the Syndicate Deathstorm, the evil counterpart of Firestorm, blasted Firestorm causing him to have a nuclear reaction. This reaction dragged almost every hero present into the Firestorm Matrix including Arthur. The Syndicate then put Firestorm in the hands of Despero who created illusions for each hero so they wouldn't have a chance of escaping the Matrix and stopping the Syndicate.[47] Aquaman was thrown in an illusion where all sealife had been killed by humans that put him in an endless cycle of sorrow and rage.[48] Months later Batman was able to take down the Crime Syndicate with the help of a group of villains including Black Manta called the Injustice League and free the League. As a result of the conflict Black Manta, Ocean Master and many other villains escaped imprisonment and all the Crime Syndicate members had died apart from Grid, Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman. Also Lex Luthor and Captain Cold were taken into consideration for Justice League membership due to their heroic actions in the invasion.[49]
Power Ring
Shortly after the invasion the League began hunting various members of the Secret Society while trying to find evidence that Luthor hadn't reformed.[50] Agreeing that they needed to know what had happened to the Crime Syndicate's Earth they began hunting down the ring used by the deceased Syndicate member Power Ring as it held information on the upcoming threat. Eventually the team were able to locate the Ring in Oregon where it had found a new host in the form of Jessica Cruz When they arrived on site Cruz was wreaking havoc due to the ring controlling her and their was another team on the site- The Doom Patrol.[51] Upon approaching the team their leader The Chief said he would bring the girl in to keep her from hurting anyone. The teams clashed with Aquaman fighting Robotman, the fighting stopped when Batman was able to calm Cruz down- freeing her from the ring's influence temporarily.[52] They then took Cruz back to base where Arthur and Barry watched over her. At the same time Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman decided to allow Luthor in the League to keep an eye on him.[53]
After saving some Atlantean workers from lava vents an alert was triggered that a giant creature was attacking the coast. This creature turned out to be the Karaqan a legendary Atlantean guardian, despite this Aquaman killed the beast to halt it's rampage. Aquaman tracked a piece of the Karaqan's brain to an underwater facility called Triton Base (that had siphoned a piece of the brain from the Karaqan's corpse) where he proceeded to save a diver named Coombs from some sharks although he was critically injured in the attack.
Aquaman and Wonder Woman against the Giant-Born
On a trip to the surface world the Trident of Neptune was stolen by a researcher named Daniel Evans so he could learn more about ancient Atlantis, Aquaman was not able to stop him from accidentally unleashing the dreaded Giant-Born upon the world from an artifact. The beasts, who recognized Aquaman's Atlantean royal symbol, attacked him for associating with the ancient family who once imprisoned them.
Though he managed to fend off the Giant-Born, also unleashed from that artifact was the ancient hero Hercules, whose mind had been warped after having such an extended stay in the hellish landscape he was trapped in. He, too, was defeated by Aquaman, who sent him back into the artifact and swore that he would one day find a way to help the man reclaim his sanity.[54]
Tracking the escaped Giant-Born to Carcassonne in France, Aquaman enlisted the help of Wonder Woman who with the help of Daniel Evans put a stop to the evil abominations.[55]
An unstoppable Algae monster had begun terrorizing the ocean, killing everything in its way. Looking for a solution to the problem Aquaman and Ya'Wara went searching for the Swamp Thing in hopes of answers. However when confronting the Avatar of the Green no answers were given and he simply fled.[56]
When Aquaman returned to combat the monster Swamp Thing was trying to commune with it, he then had Swamp Thing eaten by Sea-cows before turning to the Algae monster. Aquaman called on his Atlantean forces to destroy the creature but then it fell apart. It turned out Swamp Thing had learned that it was a part of the uber-consciousness of all plant life that split off and formed a baby reality called Kreuzblütler, which Swamp Thing was able to destroy internally.[57]
In Triton Base, one of the scientist's attempts to create a hybrid creature out of the Karaqan's brain and Coombs' remains was successful, however the creature escaped the base and began its search for the King of Atlantis.[58]
The creature, now calling itself Chimera, reached out to Arthur through marine telepathy and overpowered Aquaman's connection to sea life, making them attack him.[58] The connection broke and Aquaman looked for answers about his experience which led him to a hospital boat where Stephen Shin was staying ever since Chimera escaped captivity.[59] Chimera attacked Arthur on the boat and overpowered him, but the creature was defeated by an ignited fuel tank which blew it up.[60]
Atlantis was suffering a chain of seaquakes so Aquaman employed the surface researchers Stephen Shin and Daniel Evans to assist in the investigation. It was soon discovered that the reason for the quakes was because the city did not see Aquaman as its true ruler; this meant that Atlantis never recognized that Atlanna had died. Aquaman discovered her body was not in her tomb.[61] He then proceeded to open an investigation with the help of the Martian Manhunter. This led him to the The Maelstrom Gate where he opened a portal in search of answers.
Aquaman and Mera are defeated by Atlanna
The portal opened in Gorilla City where he was greeted by Lord Solovar ruler of the city. He asked if anyone had come through the portal years ago and Solovar told that Grodd had the answers, after quickly dispatching Grodd he was told that a woman came through some 15 years ago.[62] He then reentered the portal.
The portal led to the Polynesian seas where Aquaman and Mera were directed to a portal guarded by Fire Trolls. They defeated the Trolls and entered the portal travelling to a hidden island named Pacifica.[63] They were then attacked by Atlanna and her Atlantean tribe who did not believe who Arthur was. After Aquaman was knocked unconscious by Atlanna, she attempted to sacrifice him to Karaku the Volcano God and ruler of the Island. However he escaped and Karaku attacked the tribe out of anger, sending legions of fire trolls on them. The God was then defeated by Mera and Atlanna realized Aquaman is her son. After abruptly departing from Pacifica Aquaman received a message in the form of a Shell of Sounds from his mother.[64]
Arthur heard rumors of alien structures and poisoned water in the kingdom so lead an investigation team to one of the sites. The water it emitted stung to the touch so the team destroyed the structure. As they realized more structures were appearing Arthur speculated that it was an invasion force from another dimension.[65] While investigating, Arthur determined that the particular structure harbored refugee Atlanteans who had escaped the torment of the other dimension and were led by a warlock named Extriax.[66]
Upon returning to Atlantis, Aquaman was attacked by Mera who believed not destroying the structures due to the possible refugees inside would cause the downfall of the World. Cast out from Atlantis, Aquaman visited Poseidon hoping to receive the strength to stop the invading dimension and take back Atlantis. As a response Poseidon gave him the powers of lightning, earth, water, ice and flight as well as a trident.[67]
Aquaman, Garth and Mera invading Atlantis
Continuing to destroy as many structures as he could on land and in sea, while fighting off any forces coming through the portals, Aquaman continued to run from Atlantis and saved as many refugees as possible. He learned that the alternate dimension was known as Thule, and that during King Atlan's rule an organization of sorcerers known as the Coven of Thule orchestrated wars so they could rule in the shadows, however the King put a stop to this so they created a pocket dimension where they could rule indefinitely. The Coven then built up an invasion force, conquering worlds on their plain so they would be ready when the spell was lifted.[67]
After escaping an Atlantean task force led by Garth Arthur visited Mera to try to convince her of his cause. However Mera revealed that she was not actually Mera, but her sister Hila who was working as ruler of Atlantis for the Coven of Thule. After escaping from Atlantis, the Justice League sought out Arthur as they wanted to know what was causing the worldwide calamity. After filling the League in, Arthur instructed them to destroy any invading forces in countries across the world. While the League was spearheading the defense, Arthur was to invade Atlantis.[68]
Aquaman attacked Atlantis using sea monsters to help him topple the large quantities of enemies. After saving Mera from captivity the pair defeated Hila and headed to the Coven's lair. With the help of Garth, Murk, Swatt, his step-sister Tula and Mera, Aquaman was able to destroy the Coven and all portals across the World, sacrificing his blessings in the process. After the war was over Arthur inducted the refugees into Atlantis.[69]
Some time after the Thule invasion Aquaman began to develop relations with the surface world by creating Spindrift Station, an Atlantean embassy on American soil. He appointed Mera as head of relations between Atlantis and the surface world under the guise of Aquawoman. Meanwhile he assisted the F.B.I. in the investigation of multiple murders related to an unknown sea creature which the press was calling Dead Water.[70]
During this investigation he was attacked by the creature who could teleport through water bodies. He was able to defeat the creature and it was revealed that he was a normal man who had worked for Scavenger named Jonah Payne and was lashing out against people who had wronged him as Dead Water. Aquaman, now knowing this, confronted Scavenger and defeated him. He was then informed that Jonah Payne had disappeared months earlier during a salvage op in a strange water body. Aquaman and Scavenger were then attacked by Dead Water and Payne was killed in the fight.[71]
Rao's Invasion
Arthur and Diana battling Rao's Prophets
While making delegations with representatives regarding a Mutual Defense Pact between his home nation of Atlantis and the rest of the world, he made a statement of how it was little more than an excuse for people of power to study atlantean craft while their respective nations kept WMD's pointed at his waters.[72]
As he reassured them Atlantis held no malice to the surface so long as the rest of the world leaves them in peace, Arthur receives word of a foreigner in his kingdom searching for a way into Olympus. Reaching his kingdom, the emissary proclaims the time of false gods is over and that he is there to free Atlantis and it's people from their yoke. debating about the presence of gods whom Arthur doesn't believe in. He leaves the prophet among his people, having faith that they would be no more interested in serving Rao than they were in the worship of the long abandoned Poseidon.[73]
He quickly comes to regret this decision however when he and his wife see a prophet convert a resisting citizen into one of their flock. After Mera worriedly asks about his leaving one of the prophets in Atlantis, Arthur immediately demanded him to leave.[74] Only to find the situation had escalated and his people quickly turned on him when he reacted violently to the Prophets acclaiming Roa's sovereignty over his home. After the Prophets failed attempt at destroying what was left of Olympus, Arthur wakes up alongside Wonder Woman on the newly restored home of the gods.
The latter stating since the mindset of Olympus's ruler shapes the environment, it reflects whatever she; as the Goddess of War and sole god remaining there, wishes it to be.[75] In wake of current events, the two head to the armory in order to prep for war against Rao and his followers. Heading into Ares' old munitions bunker, Diana cops several weapons of the gods from the arsenal, even handing Aquaman the relic of Atlantis's former sea god.
As Superman battles Rao in the arctic circle, Diana manages to port herself and Arthur into the fray. Dealing critical blows to the would-be god with their divine instruments, but soon relent when Kal-El reveals that any damage the mad deity suffers kills all of those who're under his thrall, as it is their life-force which feeds and sustains him.[76] Through Batman's planning, use of Parasite teamed with the rest of the League, they were able to sever their adversaries link to the enslaved populace of the earth. But at the cost of Clark's life. Aquaman does his best to console his teammate, when Wonder Woman struck his body with the Bolt of Zues; Arthur and the others were surprised and gladdened to find Clark was among the living again.[77] Just as Rao reconvenes with old world Krypton, bringing it back with him to present day in Earth's Orbit with an army of Kryptonians at his beck and call.
As the league struggles to deal with the steadily empowering Kryptonian army set against them, Arthur rebuts the invading Dwalu who dismiss him as a fish-man whose god long since abandoned him. Right around when he uses the Trident of the old Sea Monarch to summon a tidal wave to sweep them all aside.[78] With help from the Infinity Corporation execs, the yellow sun of earth is turned into a Red giant through the Stones of Life. Depowering all the Kryptonian forces, while Rao was undone by his younger self as the Justice League assembles where the tyrant met his demise.
Garth was reunited with his former friends on the Teen Titans and together they were able to defeat Mister Twister and get their memories back after years. This meant Arthur remembered adopting Garth and having him as Aqualad. With his new found friends Garth went on to form a group known as the Titans.[12] During Wally West's attempt to escape the Speed Force Arthur brought Mera to Paradise Island near where they first met. Here he proposed to her and she said yes.[79]
Arthur heard news of a threat to the surface world: a group of Atlantean extremists known as the Deluge led by Corum Rath, who wanted nothing to do with the surface world. The group was heading up stream to Boston with enough fusion charges to level the whole city. Fortunately Aquaman was able to stop this from happening as he defeated the terrorists before they could cause another war between Atlantis and the Surface World.[80]
Aquaman and Mera facing off against Superman
During a diplomatic meeting in Spindrift Station a bomb went off and Aquaman was attacked by Black Manta, who was attempting to ruin Atlantis' negotiations with the surface world. Aquaman and Manta fought to a stand still until Aquaman allowed Manta to kill him, believing that Manta wouldn't as it would render his life meaningless.[81] Black Manta chose to surrender and Arthur met up with Mera to check on her well-being. When he returned to the embassy it was on lockdown by the U.S. army due to the terrorist attack.[82]
Aquaman and Mera travelled to the White House and met with the Chief of Staff to get Spindrift up and running again. However Arthur was arrested after a U.S. warship named Pontchartrain was sunken by a group of "Atlanteans" claiming to be the Deluge. In order to stop a war from taking place Aquaman agreed to go along with the United States' wishes.[82] However tensions grew worse as the Drift had been caught investigating the wreckage of the Pontchartrain, causing U.S. forces to attack them. This prompted Mera to break Arthur out of jail[83] and the two fought through battalions of U.S. soldiers in an attempt to reach the open ocean. However this was stopped when Superman arrived and tried to convince Arthur to stand down.[84] Not convinced by Superman's plea, Arthur began to attack him until the Atlantean forces arrived to protect him. After receiving an order from Superman to fix the conflict Aquaman retreated to Atlantis and began to look for a way to halt the forthcoming war.[85]
Upon return to Atlantis, Murk displayed one of the helmets used by the Deluge during the attack on the Pontchartrain, it was at this moment that Arthur realized someone was trying to start a war between Atlantis and the surface world and that they were surface dwellers as the Atlantean helm had breathing apparatus on it.[86] After making this discovery Arthur interrogated Corum Rath about the helmet but learnt he knew nothing, so he had F.B.I. agents Reagan Irving and Arni Ajar investigate the gear on the surface world.
Aquaman learnt of a giant monster heading towards Atlantis that was believed to have been released by the organization behind the conflict. When Arthur went to investigate the creature it attacked him and laid waste to him and all of his forces. Arthur realized that the monster was a creature known as the Shaggy Man, an unstoppable being that had gone toe to toe with the whole Justice League at once.[87] After carving a path through Atlantis the monster headed to the surface world where it began laying waste to Amnesty Bay. Arthur faced the creature alone for the fate of the world and managed to defeat it by teleporting it into space using his Justice League teleportation card, seriously injuring himself in the process.[88]
When Mera visited him in hospital she told him that she had spoken to Lieutenant Joanna Stubbs of the British Navy who had told her that a shadow organization known as the National Enforcement Macrocosmic Order (N.E.M.O.) was behind the conflict. After receiving this information Arthur informed the Justice League who helped ease the tension by heralding Aquaman as a hero. As relations began to take a more positive turn, news of an Atlantean invasion hit the world.[89]
The Aquamarines attempt to kill King Arthur
N.E.M.O. had invaded several cities along the coast using Atlantean weaponry and tactics, making it seem like Atlantis was attacking the surface world. As a result of this America declared war on Atlantis destroying any Atlantean vessels they found.[90] As the conflict rose and N.E.M.O. continued attacking American soil, the Justice League agreed to help Aquaman by attempting to prove N.E.M.O.'s existence. As the Justice League and Tula (The Regent of Atlantis) headed to the White House with the proof the F.B.I agents found, Arthur travelled to fend off U.S. forces invading Atlantis. Arthur discovered that his adversaries were actually N.E.M.O. and not Americans. He attempted to capture them as proof of N.E.M.O.'s involvement, however their heads exploded from a coral implant in their heads which was triggered by a strong signal.[91]
After learning about the League's failure to negotiate with the President, Arthur consolidated with his council on what to do next but was attacked by a covert group of U.S. soldiers known as Aquamarines, who were biologically engineered to kill the King of Atlantis. Aquaman survived the assassination attempt and incarcerated the Aquamarines, it was then that Aquaman realized he could track the signal put off by the coral brain bombs to their source, leading him to the leader of N.E.M.O.. Aquaman tracked the signal to its source where he discovered that Black Manta was the "Fisher King" who had orchestrated the entire war.[92] After defeating Manta and his N.E.M.O. forces, the Fisher King blew himself and his men up in an attempt to leave no proof of N.E.M.O.'s existence, seemingly killing him and his lieutenant Black Jack. After having a meeting with the President and providing proof of N.E.M.O.'s existence, Aquaman was able to redevelop peaceful relations with the surface world.[93]
After his conflict with N.E.M.O. and Manta, Arthur began a campaign of peace between Atlantis and the Surface World. This was going smoothly until he heard a mind in great pain, and after tracking it to its source at Beckman College, Aquaman found what seemed to be a machine. He was then attacked by people the Machine was controlling, and after he managed to defeat them the machine attempted to control Arthur. Aquaman learned that the robot was a man named Siyu who was experimented on to become the cyborg known as Warhead. As Warhead, he was leased to the Kahndaqi military and sent to target rebels. When victory was achieved, the Kahndaqis ordered Warhead to wipe out all the rebels but he refused as he saw it as an act of vengeance. The Kandaqi military was not pleased that he didn't follow orders and tried to destroy him. Warhead escaped and traveled across the world, seeking safety. Eventually, he fled to New York to find a secure location to begin repairs.[94] Now knowing the truth, Aquaman brought him to Atlantis where he could recover.
After negotiating with Warhead Aquaman was contacted by the Leader of the Aquamarines Major Ricoh of the reemergence of the Dead Water problem. She informed him that Scavenger had woken from his coma and told the government the location of the strange water, or 'H2.0' as it was being called. Unfortunately a U.S. base was already set up at the location and the research team had gone missing. Aquaman agreed to help and he, Mera and the Aquamarines rendezvoused with Scavenger and the F.B.I. agents Ajar and Irving at the research base.[95] Upon investigation the team discovered a device that the researchers had been building before they went missing. Suddenly Specialist Ollie was murdered by a new Dead Water.
Aquaman at the mercy of Dead Water
After fighting off the Dead Water Aquaman and Mortimer began finishing the device, which believed would hurt the new Dead Water. Meanwhile the Aquamarines prepared a mini nuke to blow the sinkhole in case the situation got out of hand. Dead Water reemerged so Aquaman activated the device turning back into a human who was then shot by one of the Aquamarines. After I.D.ing him as one of the researchers Laurence Quinn Aquaman decided to go investigate the sinkhole with Mera.[96] Within the sinkhole Arthur and Mera discovered a portal to another planet, upon entering the planet told Arthur through Marine Telepathy that it was called Tethys.[97] After analyzing water samples from the lagoon the team discovered that the other researchers were in the water shredded.[96]
It turned out that Tethys was trying to make contact but was keeping any non-marine life out as a defense mechanism. It was doing this by generating fear in intruders, if they kept close to the border for too long and got too scared they would transform into a Dead Water. On the surface the Scavenger set the nuke to blow to stop the Dead Waters from coming. However this made Agent Ajar transform into a Dead Water[97], which in turn made Scavenger transform as well. To stop them from causing the death of everyone Aquaman threw the nuke into the portal severing the connection between Earth and Tethys. This ended the Dead Water problem once and for all as Scavenger and Ajar transformed back.[98]
After the events of H2.O the people of Atlantis became slowly more upset with Arthur's actions. The people set Corum Rath free and he and his followers attacked Aquaman and Mera. After being broken up by the high council, Arthur discussed the necessity of connecting to the surface world for the Atlantean people. However the council disagreed and had Tula imprisoned while the people decided on Arthur's fate.[99]
After Mera and Tula returned to the lighthouse, Arthur was voted out of the throne by the council and Corum Rath was crowned. Using an Atlantean artifact known as the Crown of Thorns, Rath placed a massive energy shield around Atlantis so that no one could get in or out. Arthur attempted to escape Atlantis so he could formulate a plan, but the authorities caught up with him and he was seemingly killed by Murk.[100]
After being stabbed by Murk under Rath's orders, Arthur somehow survived and began defending people from Rath's regime in the Ninth Tride. During his time in the Tride he met a mutant named Dolphin who helped him escape the local authorities.[1] Dolphin took Arthur to one of the mutant havens in the Ninth Tride where Aquaman listened to their strife. Meanwhile Mera was using all of her hydrokinetic power against the barrier to no avail, and Vulko was plotting a way to break down the barrier and get help after he escaped prison during Corum Rath's release. A mutant crime lord named Krush caught wind of the rumors of Arthur's survival and sent a rogue Magician named Kadaver after the Dead King.[101]
Aquaman and Dolphin fought Kadaver but were eventually overwhelmed and captured.[102] After learning that Krush intended to use Arthur as a power play with the King, Arthur and Dolphin escaped Kadaver and fled the area. At the same time Atlantean warlocks were attempting to arrest Mera and Tempest after she had employed him in helping take down the shield. Also Vulko had gained the alliance of the Widowhood who were trying to break down the Crown from the inside.[11]
While Arthur was deciding his next move, Mera and Tempest fought off the Atlantean warlocks but were quickly overwhelmed by the warlocks' superior power. Tempest managed to grab a pendant from one of the warlocks which allowed the user to travel through the Crown of Thorns - with this pendant Mera was finally able to break into Atlantis.[103] During this time Vulko was able to retrieve the Trident of Neptune which he intended to use against the Crown. When Krush went to meet with Corum Rath and tell him that Aquaman was still alive he was killed by Commander Murk.[103]
Arthur rescued a group of rebels from drift forces who were led to the beastmaster of Atlantis Jurok Byss. Upon rendezvousing with the rebellion, Vulko returned the Trident of Neptune to Arthur who became the figurehead of the rebellion.[104] Meanwhile, a complication with the pendant made it so Mera couldn't breathe after she passed through the barrier, and she was captured by King Shark who intended to become the next big crime boss in Krush's place.[104]
Aquaman and the rebel group- the Undercurrent continued to save people from Rath's rule, as he was now exterminating all life in the lower trides of Atlantis attempting to purge Atlantis of its petty people. Fortunately all the magical energy in the air empowered Arthur and his relic of power making him even more formidable then before. Aquaman and the Undercurrent concluded that to take back Atlantis they would need to bring down the Crown of Thorns so people would join their cause. Arthur and Dolphin travelled to meet with King Shark to negotiate a deal for his support. King Shark attacked Arthur but Aquaman was able to convince him to help the cause.[105] He then noticed that Dolphin had let off her Photokinesis ability so he rushed to help her, Dolphin had discovered Mera with breathing apparatus.[106] After breaking Mera out Arthur followed an Undercurrent member- Ondine to the Tower of the Widowhood. It turned out that Ondine was an agent of the Widowhood who was reporting back to Reverend Mother Cetea.[106]
Cetea told Arthur that they were keeping Mera stable but the magic halting her breathing would kill her in ten hours, and that in order to stop this she would need to be taken to the surface to recuperate. Cetea said that Mera was to be the next Queen of Atlantis as she would be perfect for the role, but first they would need to save her and take down King Rath. With the Undercurrent and King Shark refusing to assault the Crown of Thorns, Aquaman went after the artifact himself.[106] Aquaman ran into heavy resistance from Magister Loke's Silent School who served as the protectorate force to the Crown of Thorns, and were on the verge of being overrun by their magics. King Shark rallied his Ninth Tride gangs and came at the last second to aid the Undercurrent rebels and their leader, causing enough of a distraction for Aquaman to undo the enchantment holding up the Crown, but time was quickly running out for Mera. Aquaman, after being further empowered by the Quindent, managed to escort his wife away from the sea just in time to keep her from drowning. As she awoke he told her that he loved her and always would, just as Tula came up to them by the shore of their lighthouse at Amnesty Bay. His beloved now safe on land, Arthur told his half-sister that he was returning to Atlantis, seeking to dethrone Rath once and for all.[107]
The Chinese Justice League
The Justice League were alerted of a unwarranted presence on American soil and went to investigate. They discovered that it was a malfunctioning mech piloted by the Justice League of China and after bringing the mech down the Chinese Superman told the team that he was looking for a Chinese artifact that would imbue him with enough power to take down the embodiment of YangAll-Yang. Superman and Superman travelled to the location while Aquaman and the other Leaguers clean up from the battle.[108] However this didn't go to plan as All-Yang was able to open a portal to the demi-god dimension causing Asuras to come through and reek havoc. Due to their nature the Asuras couldn't be harmed by anything either League could throw at them. However the Chinese Superman was able to channel the power of both Ying and use it to defeat both All-Yang and the Asuras.[109]
After taking down Corum Rath, Aquaman helped Batman with saving a covert Wayne Enterprises research team from a natural disaster. He asked Batman what he was hiding from him and the League, a question to which he got no answer.[110] A while later Arthur and the rest of the League were forced to fight in an arena for their lives by Mongul while wearing suits of armor fitted to greatly weaken each member of the League, however this was not enough for them to lose the fight as they were able to defeat Mongul and get back to Earth. Upon return Arthur and the rest of the League travelled to Gotham where according to Alfred Pennyworth a giant mountain had uprooted.[111]
After investigating the mountain Arthur and the League were greeted by the Blackhawk Squadron, a covert team created to deal with apocalyptic events. After travelling to Blackhawk Island, Lady Blackhawk (the leader of the team) explained that the island was once home to Carter Hall, a detective who was stabbed by a special dagger which made him and Lady Blackhawk immortal, who had been looking to discover the location of the impossible metal's (known as Nth Metal) origin. She said that during this investigation Carter Hall and his associates had discovered the existence of a Dark Multiverse much vaster then the Multiverse which housed an evil entity known only as Barbatos - it was at that point when Carter Hall disappeared. Learning that Batman would be the portal that would let the evil into the Multiverse, Aquaman and the over Leaguers tried to restrain Batman but Red Tornado interfered allowing him to escape.[111] After failing to capture him a second time Batman accidentally opened the gateway to the Dark Multiverse allowing Barbatos and his "evil Batmen" to come through.[112]
Resisting Barbatos
The Drowned- an evil Batman/Aquaman Hybird
Days later Amnesty Bay came under attack by a mysterious figure who could command the sea. When Aquaman and Mera came to defend the town they came into direct contact with the strange woman. This being turned out to be an evil Batman from the Dark Multiverse calling herself the Drowned who intended to transform Amnesty Bay into the Gotham she lost. Mera and Aquaman attacked the Drowned but soon discovered she was superior to them in every way, using her strange abilities to dampen Mera's Hydrokinesis and summon an army of Dead Water's from her world which began to swarm Arthur and Mera. The Drowned then proceeded to infect Mera, turning her into a monstrous minion who began to attack Arthur. Just before the Drowned could kill Arthur he was teleported away by Doctor Fate[113] and brought to the Oblivion Bar where remaining heroes like the Flash and Green Lantern were taking refuge after they had been assaulted by evil versions of themselves.[114]
Aquaman was then informed that an army of Demons led by Barbatos and his Dark Knights has invaded and that the Knights were probably looking for the Bar.[114] Soon after this Superman and Wonder Woman arrived at the bar and the remaining heroes devised a plan in which Green Arrow said that only items made of Nth Metal could harm the creatures of the Dark Multiverse.[114] The heroes then fled from the bar as the Dark Knights arrived, with Nightmaster sacrificing himself so everyone could escape. After this Aquaman and Deathstroke were tasked with finding a piece of Nth Metal in the Marianas Trench.[114]
While searching for the Nth Metal, Cyborg attempted to create a link between the search teams for better coordination, however Aquaman was suddenly whisked through a portal to a nightmarish Batcave where the Drowned resided.[115] After a brief struggle with the Drowned and the Dead Water-infected Mera, Arthur was captured and taken to the Cosmic Tuning Fork where the other members of the League had also been captured by their respective Nightmare Batmen.[116] Barbatos intended to hook the League up to the Tuning fork which would provide enough energy to open a portal that would allow the full might of the Dark Multiverse to come forth.[117] However after tapping into the full power of his Mother Box, Cyborg was able to break free the Justice League, the Resistance, and Raven, leaving the Teen Titans and Task Force X behind. From this Aquaman and Deathstroke continued their search.[117] They traveled to the tomb of one of Atlantis' first Kings Arion in search of Nth Metal.[118] There, he and Deathstroke were attacked by Black Manta who revealed he had allied with the Dark Knights.[119] After a short amount of time Arthur and Deathstroke were defeated and captured by the Knights alongside other members of the resistance. At this point Barbatos was able to successfully drag the Multiverse down into the Dark Multiverse.
The horrors of the Dark Multiverse
Shortly afterwards Arthur and the others broke free and began fighting back Barbatos' minions. They then began clearing a path for Wonder Woman to make her way up the mountain and kill Barbatos with Hawkman's Mace. Towards the end of the fight The Flash arrived with Batmen from around the Multiverse to face down Barbatos. At this point Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman emerged from the forge of existence with Tenth Metal.[120] The trio then gave tenth metal to Arthur and Green Lantern while Doctor Fate freed the remaining heroes. Hawkman as the new guardian of the forge battled Barbatos as the team defeated the Dark Knights wit Arthur killing the Drowned. The group came together and connected every mind in the multiverse with their new powers. With the substantial might gained the League dragged the Multiverse free of the Darkness and banished the Bat god to the forge.[120]
After the invasion the team gathered at the Wayne Manor for a party where they discussed dreams they received due to the Tenth Metal including visions of Atlantis rising once again. Also giving troubling words about the state their universe was in as the Source Wall had been broken during the conflict.[120]
Atlantis Uprising
The Revolution Commences
As the rebellion gets underway, Aquaman now joined by Byss, King Shark and the Undercurrent movement waylaying a contingent of the usurper King's Drift squadrons sent to purge the ninth tride. Aquaman soon lends his assistance when the necrolized Kadaver, cursed and sent aid his master's forces empowered by the Abyssal Dark. Had cast the dark magics afflicting him upon the drift; turning them into undead sea warriors.But Arthur soon finds himself assaulted by his former comrade Murk, whom sends the accursed drift after what remains of the rebel movement as the former Drift commander deals with his quarry.
The two mariners get into a heated argument about the current state of affairs and about how everything in Atlantis fell apart because of Mr. Curry's weak rule or Rath's tyranny.[121] While admitting he hated the way his former king ran the kingdom, Murk mentioned how he purposely missed Orin's vitals when he seemingly betrayed and killed him at Rath's ascent to the throne. Hoping he would simply disappear and appease the corrupt council who elected it's new king.
The Aquaman then retorts that his absence of rule and rise of an unstable dictator in his place, lead to the detrimental collapse the sea faring city now faces. But instead of murdering his would be assailant, Aquaman chooses to lend a helping hand; requesting his former confidants aid in overthrowing Rath and his despicable autocracy by using Murk's status as Kings Guard Commander to sneak him into the palace as a prisoner of war.[121] On Approach to the palace Aquaman and Murk dispatch the squad of Drift soldiers overseeing Arthur's prisoner transfer, only to be quickly battered into submission by the duo at the front gate.
As Murk went off to assassinate the king, Arthur ran into the pro Rath administrate Urcell fleeing the royal chamber.[122] Having survived the vicious onslaught of the now hideously monstrous King Rath; whom had been transformed by the power of the Abyssal Dark and slaughtered the council in their attempt to dethrone him. Rushing in at the last second, Aquaman saves murk by engaging the seachanged Rath. Only to be quickly overpowered by the abomination standing before him, even with his magical augmentations.[122]
Murk soon returns the favor but is grievously wounded in the attempt to save the former kings life. Seeing his ally's poor state of being, Orin temporarily stunned the behemoth in order to escape with the wounded. Back at the widowhoods base of operations, Arthur is further chastised by the reverend mother for failing to take advantage of his weakened adversary's state.[123] But He goes onto say that all the magic in his ceremonial weapon still wasn't enough to deal with the problem, as Cetea losses hope in stopping the calamity revolving around the Abyssal Dark. Vulko and co return to the fold having been backed by the spirits of former Atlantean Elders bringing the corrupted remains of the former underworld enforcer Kadaver along with them.
Elder Null disclosed the full histoy of the power behind Corum Rath, that the Abyssal Dark entity was a negative byproduct of the Silent School's magical practice from the early days of Atlantis. A demon either born from or drawn by the first mystics of the lost continent which sought to plague mankind and the world. Having sealed it away after a ferocious mystic war, it sent out a sirens call to those susceptible to its influence for centuries eventually finding the Atlanteans new monarch to be the perfect recipient.[123]
Just as the past elders endow Orin's quindent with the remnants of their own protective magics. Rath starts laying siege to the Tower of The Widowhood, as it was the fulcrum of the undersea capital. Knowing that if it were to fall, all of Atlantis would crumble and die; Arthur moved out against his rival throne bearer. Emboldened by the various enchantments bestowed upon his armament, but to no avail. The grotesque effigy snapping Aquaman's ancestral keepsake like a twig, having been cast aside by the puppet of the dark, Arthur is soon met by Dolphin whom was also wounded by Rath when she tried to help him.[124] Arthur apologizes to his silent partner for failing to be the hero she wished him to be.
The fallen hero soon gets his second wind after seeing Mera come in backed by a Xebelian armada, watching both his beloved and all of his friends fight side by side spurs Orin to stand back up and get in the fight. Urging his seachanged friend to find cover and rescue everyone she can before leaping into the fray and plunging whats left of his broken symbol of power right into the eye of his hated enemy, driving the Abyssal Dark out of the tyrant monarch leaving him more fish than man.
As Mera closes in for the killing blow Arthur notices this and uses his marine telepathy to command him into a deep dark crevice somewhere. Remembering the dying words of the mystic force which possessed Rath, Mera questions what it meant when the Dark said that it was it's magical influence that kept a tragedy from taking place. Misery which Arthur was responsible for in the first place, still pondering the meaning behind it's ominous words, Arthur and Mera are soon jilted by the violent earthquakes taking place just as everything began to calm down.[124] At the exclamation of King Shark at the tumult at hand, Aquaman soon remembers back to when he and the Justice League fought back Barbatos and his Dark Knights.
In saving the multiverse using the Tenth Metal, Arthur subconsciously wished he could have a place to call home, one that was both of the land and of the sea much like himself.[120] Thus causing Atlantis to rise up into the surface world.
Personality
Arthur baring his responsibilities alone
As a young man Arthur Curry was a very social person, having a collective group of friends in school. However this was shattered when his father died as he fled from his life and everybody he knew. As Arthur traversed the world looking for Atlantis he began to harbor a lot of hatred for humans as he felt like an outcast; this hatred grew when he found Atlantis and was fed anti-human propaganda by the Atlanteans. When he fled Atlantis because he didn't want the responsibility which came with being King, Arthur became the superhero Aquaman and his faith in humanity was restored by the good people he met across the seas.
Soon after becoming Aquaman, Arthur met Mera and they soon fell in love; this made Arthur a happier man and gave him someone to open up to. When he became King again Aquaman became a lot more serious, rarely stopping to have any form of fun. His dedication to Atlantis gave him little room for a social life so his only friends were the Justice League and his old friend from school. Arthur never truly opened up to anyone besides Mera, only ever confiding in her. Though normally a calm and introspective man, when provoked Arthur can be possessed by a great rage.
Relationship with Allies
Tula: Even though Tula is Arthur's step-sister she still usually treats him in a very formal way, leaving very little space for bonding. However while spending time with her away from her duties in The Drift she tends to be a lot more open.[70] After becoming Arthur's regent she becomes a lot more loyal and informal with Arthur.
Vulko: Before he staged the war between the surface world and Atlantis Arthur was very friendly to Vulko, treating him like an old family friend as he was grateful for everything he had done for him and his mother. However Arthur viewed Vulko as a traitor to him and Atlantis once he staged the war, even though Vulko did it to put Arthur back on the throne. Arthur would often begrudgingly visit Vulko in his prison cell to seek knowledge as he knew Vulko was still loyal to him.
Atlanna: Arthur had little memory of his mother as a child, instead he grew up hoping that his mother was still out there. When Orm told him that their mother was dead he was distraught. Years later when he was faced with the possibility of his mother's survival he stopped at nothing to get her back. When Arthur met Atlanna she originally viewed him as an impostor, however he was able to convince her in the end and Aquaman left her feeling good about what his mother had become.
Commander Murk: When Arthur became King of Atlantis again after the war with the surface, Murk was one of the soldiers closely associated with Arthur. Murk would often share his xenophobic opinions on the surface world with Arthur which greatly irritated him. He would also talk often about how he believed Orm was a greater King then Arthur ever would be. However as time progressed Arthur and Murk grew to respect one another; Murk even went as far to let Aquaman go against King Corum's orders.[125]
Dolphin: Dolphin found herself and her fellow outcasts being harassed by The Drift. Forced to reveal her mutation, Arthur came to their aid and she's stood by his side ever since. Having been able to deduce the former king's identity long before Crush had captured and interrogated them, Dolphin chose to stick with Arthur in the hopes that he would take back Atlantis from its cruel usurper.
People of Amnesty Bay: A great many people of Amnesty Bay dislike Arthur for the trouble he's caused them, however they maintain an odd relationship with him as they tend to cover for their hometown hero when people come looking for him. Due to it being his home for a large portion of his life, most of Arthur's friends live in Amnesty Bay as he keeps a professional relationship with the Atlanteans. He occasionally attends town events, such as an annual sea festival and a school reunion, though he usually has to be pushed to do this. He tends to deal with people he's familiar with like Erika Watson: a childhood friend on the force, and Jenifer Posey who looks after Arthur and Mera's pet dog Salty.
The Others: Arthur puts on a rough exterior when around the Others. The team as a whole were his only allies after his father's death for a time, and as such has very strong feelings for each member of team- viewing them all as his friends. In their original get together Arthur was de-facto leader of the team and was very hateful towards humans, not caring if they lived or died. However after meeting Mera and becoming a hero Aquaman became a much more empathetic person- something that several members of the team disagreed on.
Atlanteans: Arthur and the Atlanteans have a very unstable relationship. They respect him for his love of the oceans and his warrior prowess. However many in Atlantis disrespect him for his love of the surface world, as many believe Arthur favors the land dwellers over his own people. Also they dislike the fact that he doesn't wear his crown as they believe he doesn't care about his heritage. All of these factors lead to the Atlantean people deposing Arthur, favoring Corum Rath. The people of the lower Trides do have a positive opinion on Aquaman as he values them unlike many of his predecessors.
Romances
Ya'Wara: During his time in the Others Aquaman formed a bond with his teammate Ya'Wara. Ya'Wara was attracted to his violent personality and the pair held a telepathic connection with each other. The pair split at the same time the Others disbanded as the team was the only reason they were together. Years later Ya'Wara showed discontent at Arthur's change in personality but still initially tried to rekindle their relationship, which Arthur turned down because of his commitment to his girlfriend Mera.
Mera: Although Mera was originally tasked with assassinating Arthur she couldn't go through with it due to his good heart.
Arthur and Mera
The pair formed an instant connection with one another and they soon fell in love. Mera would go on to fully commit her life to Arthur by abandoning her kingdom and moving to Amnesty Bay where she lived with Arthur in his lighthouse. Arthur taught Mera the customs of the surface world as best he could as he believed that she should feel comfortably with her new life. Upon his return to the throne of Atlantis Mera showed disdain for their new life on several occasions, even going as far as to temporarily leave him due to role. When Mera was going through the trials of the Widowhood they foresaw that Arthur would die and Mera would become the tyrant queen, sinking the surface world, this put strain on the relationship between the pair as Mera felt that if she got too close to Arthur she would create chaos. When Mera was prophesized to become the Queen of Atlantis the pair had to put their relationship on hold while they figured out their places in the world.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Atlantean Hybridized Physiology: Like most Atlanteans, Arthur Curry is an offshoot homo sapien who is biologically adapted to the deep ocean environment. For most Atlanteans, this means they can breathe underwater, endure the pressures of the deep (among other adaptations), and can only spend a very limited time out of water. However due to either Aquaman's hybrid nature or his royal heritage, he possesses a number of traits others of his mother's side of the species do not; for instance he can spend an elongated time on dry land with little ill effect and is shown to be 20–50 times stronger, faster, tougher and more or less tireless compared to others of his race. Also akin to other amphibian life is his ability to not only function indefinitely within water but to easily withstand the crushing depths of the ocean deep, as well as the harsh environment of the sea itself. These powers make Arthur among other things a super-Atlantean as well as superhuman.
Superhuman Durability: Tough enough to resist small arms fire with minor injury, the teeth of most trench dwellers break upon contact with his body. He survived an RPG blowing in his face and can thrive in the darkest, deepest bowls of the ocean deep suffering no discomfort. He even lived through falling back to Earth after being launched into orbit by Mera, coming back down hard on top of a sea monsters head, without injury.[126]
Energy and Heat Resistance: Arthur has taken and lived through multiple energy blasts in the past, including being flash frozen by the dead king's ice magic. His ultimate resilience was tested when he dipped into an open lava bed beneath the sea and emerged unscathed.[32]
Superhuman Stamina: Aquaman is able to function much longer than any human, without tiring or becoming weak.
Superhuman Senses: Aquaman's senses are several times more acute than human capacity; he once even heard a police siren from several miles away.[13]
Superhuman Reflexes: Aquaman's reflexes are heightened to levels far beyond that of any human.
Superhuman Speed: Arthur is phenomenally fast be it while running or swimming. In the sea he was able to outrace a spy plane owned by The Operative which can travel up to speeds of Mach 5.[127]
Superhuman Strength: Aquaman's super-Atlantean status enables him to bench insurmountable amounts of weight, for instance towing around fishing boats while tidal waves were crashing down upon them.[16] He is capable of knocking the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman several dozen feet away with singular blows,[128] lifting a 160000 ton Sea Liner barehanded, and lifting and throwing a sunken cargo ship.[29][30] Some of his greatest feats of might include pushing a tectonic plate over the entrance to the trench's lair, the heft of which is roughly 4.0678242e+22 kg. or 44 quintillion metric tons,[129] and matching the legendary Hercules blow for blow.[130][54]
Super-Leaping: Aquaman can make use of his powerful bodily muscles to launch himself into the air, either jumping on and off land or propelling himself out of open water like a torpedo.[13]
Accelerated Healing: Aquaman is able to recover from wounds far quicker then any human. It took him a matter of days to recover from his fight with the Shaggy Man.[89]
Marine Telepathy: Despite popular belief, Aquaman doesn't actually talk to fish or other aquatic fauna, but he can redirect the thought processes of their brains to compel them into helping him when he needs it.[13] He is capable of sending out worldwide telepathic broadcasts if and when necessary.[28] He was able to assume control over the mind of the great sea Leviathan Topo but with extreme levels of difficulty as the stress of such an act left him comatose for six months.[31] It seems Aquaman has developed better control over his power as commanding Topo to sunder a dreadnought from Thule wasn't as difficult as it used to be.
Magic: Aquaman is able to manipulate magical power through his Quindent, being able to create bundles of arcane energy to attack his enemies with. Arthur's arcane power is usually accompanied with a bright golden glow in his eyes.[107] His magical abilities are likely due to his regal inheritance. He has already been able to overthrow the Crown of Thorns using his innate magical power as well as resist the effect of others' spells and enchantments.[105]
Magic Explosions: Arthur can combine his magic and that of the Quindent to execute great explosions of magic; these explosions are capable of destroying Atlantean fortresses.
Eldritch Blast: Through his Quindent Arthur can discharge potent blasts of raw esoteric power which can put down even the most savvy of magic practitioners.
Force Fields: He is able to generate barriers of energy through his Quindent.
Magic Resistance: Arthur is more resilient against arcane forces thanks to his dormant magical capacity.
Physical Augmentation: The magic of his Quindent seemingly made Arthur all the more powerful as he absorbed its mystical energies.
Former Powers
Aquaman bearing Poseidon's blessings
Divine Empowerment: After receiving the blessing and trident from the Olympian God of the seas, Poseidon, Aquaman gained various mystical powers.[66]
Weather Manipulation: Aquaman states control over the storm, rain, wind, thunder, and lightning was bestowed upon him.[66]
Electrokinesis: Aquaman was capable of summoning bolts of lightning from his trident.[66]
Electro-Blast: Aquaman could project powerful bolts and arcs of electricity from his trident.[66]
Hydrokinesis: Through both his blessings and the Trident given to him, Arthur was able to bend and manipulate water around himself for various purposes.[65]
Hydroportation: With an extent water source, Arthur could teleport global-interplanetary distances at will.[131]
Cryokinesis: Aquaman was able to use his trident to summon large icicles from the ground, and freeze an Atlantean by grabbing him.
Thule Magic Resilience: With the blessing he received from Poseidon, Aquaman was granted a degree of defense against magic, most prominently the magic of Thule users.[67]
Bane Field Manipulation: Even before receiving Poseidon's gifts Arthur showed a limited capacity to bend the poisonous aura of Thule realm structures.[66]
Flight: By Poseidon's blessings, Arthur could fly unaided.[132][69]
Dehydration: Aquaman dehydrates at a rate greater than an average human.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Shell of Sounds: Given to him by his mother. A relic that can contain recorded memories and dialog from the user, in order to convey their memories to future generations.[134]
Tenth Metal Armor:(Formerly) During his final battle with the Dark Knights and Barbatos, Aquaman had been gifted with the element of creation itself.[120] The Tenth Metal which enables the changing and reshaping of all reality, using Element X all of Arthur's natural powers are greatly bolstered. Tenth metal can also change and morph it's physical shape and with it, also bring the wearers thoughts and desires into reality, like secretly wishing Atlantis out of the ocean into open air.[123]
Weapons
Trident of Neptune:(Formerly) Forged from enchanted gold by Atlan, first king of Atlantis, the Trident of Neptune serves as a symbolism of the royal line. Arthur wields the Trident as both his right to rule and as a lethal weapon which can pierce mystical defences and draw blood from New Gods like Darkseid. He eventually lost this trident when the villainous Siren, posing as Mera, usurped his leadership and kingdom, but he has since regained it.[67] Arthur eventually learned his trident is empowered by magical energies.[1][104] The Trident of Neptune strengthened him by awakening his own dormant mystical capacity, enabling to combat magic in many forms.[107] The item currently sits broken by the power of the Abyssal Dark possessed Rath.[124]
Trident of Poseidon: A divine blessing bestowed upon him by its previous wielder Poseidon. The trident given to Arthur blessed him with a host of mystical powers and enchantments as a means to help him battle the invading force known as the Thule. He eventually sacrificed it in order to destroy the encroachment of dimensions,[69] but has been lent a replacement by the gods since then.[135] He put this to full use in the League's war against the mad god Rao, conjuring a massive tidal wave teaming with sea horses.[136]
This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.
