Aquaman is the ruler of the Kingdom of Atlantis and king of earth's oceans. Son to an Atlantean princess and the immortal wizard Atlan, Aquaman is gifted with incredible strength and speed as well as the ability to command all sea-life.
A child of two worlds, Aquaman fights to protect both the land and the sea, using his abilities and political influence as a founding member of the Justice League of America.
Background
Queen Atlanna was the wife of King Trevis and together they ruled the underwater city Poseidonis as part of the ruling monarchy of the Kingdom of Atlantis. Unable to produce an heir due to her husband's sterility, Atlanna was unwittingly impregnated during a dream by the immortal Atlantean wizard Atlan as part of a prophecy that stated that the fate of Atlantis would struggled for by two brothers.
Named after the first ruler of Atlantis, King Orin, the child's true parentage soon came to light when it was revealed that he had blonde hair. Immediately decreeing that the child carried the Curse of Kordax, Trevis announced that Atlanna's pregnancy was a miscarriage had the infant left on Mercy Reef, where at low tide the child would be exposed to the air and die. However, the child's ability to communicate with sea-life caused him to be found by Porm, the Queen of Dolphins, who adopted him as her own and named him "Swimmer". Raised amongst the sea-life on Mercy Reef until his teen years, Orin began to feel out of place amongst his dolphin family and left after a fisherman killed his adopted brother Drin. Wandering away from the reef, ultimately finding his way to the Curry Lighthouse in Amnesty Bay. As Orin spied the lighthouse keeper, a human named Tom Curry, catching crabs off of the shore of the island, he attempted to free the crabs but Tom attempted to stop him and, thinking Orin a thief, knocked him unconscious. Tying the boy up and bringing him into the lighthouse, Tom soon noticed that Orin could not survive out of the water and freed him; throwing him back into the ocean. and the two formed a close bond, with Tom adopting Orin as his son and naming him "Arthur Curry". As Tom taught Orin English, he also told him of his youth in Alaska as well as his years as a sailor while Orin told him of life beneath the ocean waves.
Eventually, Orin returned to the sea to visit Porm but upon his return, he found the lighthouse in disarray and his adoptive father missing. Thinking that Tom had abandoned him, Orin swam to Alaska to find him but instead met and fell in love with an Inuit girl named Kako. However, he also met and earned the jealous hatred of her cousin, Orm Marius, who wanted Kako for himself. As Orin was invited to stay and learn their ways, Kako was attacked by the sea goddess Nuliajuk. While Orin saved Kako, her grandfather died from a heart attack that the tribe believed was an act of vengeance by the goddess and drove Orin away before he could learn that Kako had become pregnant with his son, Koryak.
Once again alone, Orin chanced upon the domed city of Poseidonis but was captured by the city's new dictatorial government and placed in a prison where he met Nuidis Vulko and the woman who he subconsciously knew was his mother, Atlanna; who had been exiled from Atlantis following Orin's birth but eventually returned only to be imprisoned. Wishing to speak with her, Orin had Vulko teach him the language and ways of the Atlanteans, however, before he could formally meet her, Atlanna passed away due to illness. Begrieved over his mother's death and his missed chance to discover the origins of his birth, Orin beat down prison's walls and fled the city; shunning all contact with people, opting instead to live amongst the marine life and become their champion; frequently freeing them from fishing nets and trawlers.
While investigating a disturbance on the ocean surface, Orin encountered the Flash (Barry Allen) in mid-battle with the Trickster. Dubbed "Aquaman" by Flash during a press conference in Crescent Shore due to the symbol of his belt looking like an "A", Orin unwittingly became part of the emerging mass of superheroes who were announcing themselves to the public at the time.
Soon thereafter, both Orin and Flash became founding members of the Justice League of America and Orin even led the group for a period of time when they were based in Detroit, Michigan. Leading the team on many adventures Orin eventually left after feeling the need to return to Atlantis for personal reasons.
Upon his return, Orin learned that Vulko had led a revolution following Orin's escape from the prisons and Vulko revealed his mother's identity as Queen and his birthright as the King of Atlantis. As Orin began to slowly introduce Atlantis to the surface world, it was also around this time that Orin discovered and took in another banished child named Garth, who would become known as Aqualad.
Dividing his time between being a king and being a superhero and member of the JLA, Orin met a Queen from an underwater dimension named Mera and the pair became an inseparable couple. Eventually marrying, they had a son named Arthur Curry Jr., however Black Manta later kidnapped and murdered Arthur Jr. which caused a rift to grow between the couple until, consumed by her grief and placing blame on her husband, Mera left Earth's dimension. After freeing Atlantis from an alien invasion, Orin resigned from the JLA in an attempt to devote himself more to his role as king, however, he always found himself thrust back into the superhero role.
Becoming more and more of a solitary figure, Orin eventually fell into a bout of severe depression after learning of the prophecy about himself and Ocean Master's eternal conflict and abandoned his duties; returning to the oceans and distancing himself from Garth and his people.
When Garth sought Orin's help to investigate an undersea radiation leak, Orin is capture alongside a woman named Dolphin by the terrorist Charybdis, who sought to siphon off their undersea abilities for himself. After stealing his ability to communicate with sea life, Charybdis sticks Orin's left hand into a piranha-infested pool. After Dolphin killed Charybdis, Orin returned to the ocean and replaced his missing hand with a harpoon spearhead.
Experiencing the death of his adoptive mother, Porm, at the hand of a Japanese dolphin hunter named Kimon Tanaka, Orin returned to Alaska with Dolphin and meets Kako again, who introduces him to their son, Koryak. Kako is later killed by the Deep Six from Apokolips but is reborn through Gaia as the fire elemental Corona. As Kako is forced to leave with the other elementals, Orin takes Koryak to return with them to Atlantis where Koryak takes the throne and Orin and Dolphin settle into a relationship. However, events occur that sees Orin returning to unite the various underwater cities against a resurrected Kordax and Aquaman returns as a member of the newly reformed Justice League. After Orin gains the Trident of Poseidon after defeating Triton's treachery and returns with Mera after freeing an alternate underwater dimension from alien invaders, Orin is forced to banish Koryak after the latter attempted a coup against him.
While attempting to fight an Imperiex probe during Imperiex War, Orin causes a probe to self destruct over Poseidonis. When Tempest, in a desperate bid to save everyone, transported them 3,000 years backward in time, they are captured by the exiled Atlantean sorceress Gamemnae and enslaved for 15 years, with Orin being converted into a water spirit and trapped within a pool of water. Freed and returned to present time by the Justice League, Mera announces that there must still be a reckoning for the destruction and fifteen years of slavery and Orin is put on trial by his own people for high treason.
Condemn to death by desiccation on Traitor's Reef, Orin barely escapes and finds the extra-dimensional Secret Sea, where the Lady of the Lake restores his health and selects him to be a conduit for channeling the healing energy of the Secret Sea into the Earthly dimension. Naming him "Waterbearer" she gives him a new magical hand of living water and Orin returns to Earth, working in Ireland at the Mizen Head Lighthouse in Cork County, before Tempest finds him to request aid in freeing Poseidonis from despotic sorcerers while at the same time Orin is forced to save the various alter-dimensional rivers from The Thirst, which he inadvertently released after using his magical hand in anger.
Recently, a massive earthquake causes a portion of San Diego to fall into the ocean. However, while searching for survivors within the submerged city, it was discovered that the city's residents were developing gills thanks to the machinations of a scientist who worked at the city's Water Works facility. Fearing the long term effects of global warming, the scientist had perfected a mutative serum that radically altered a human being's anatomy and allowed them to survive indefinitely under water. Having become a puppet for some unknown villain, the scientist introduced the serum into the water supply before the earthquake's occurrence and inadvertently saved numerous residents from potential death.
Aquaman becomes the self-declared protector of Sub Diego and recruits a new Aquagirl to assist him. During the Infinite Crisis incident, after the Spectre destroys Atlantis and Atlantean refugees are forced to move to Sub Diego for refuge, Orin and his allies defend Sub Diego against an attack by the Secret Society of Super-Villains and he is later seen during the Battle of Metropolis confronting a last-ditch effort by the villains to destroy the city.
While stoically bearing the heavy weight of his birthright as king, Orin continues to tend to the needs those in need of his help; whether they be air or water-breathers.
Combat Statistics
- Aquaman (Condemned Shipping Office)
- Aquaman (Atlantean Outpost)
- Aquaman (Vendor)
Involvement
Heroes
- Aquaman is a Vendor for the Magic Iconic Battle Suit: Aegis of Eternity.
- Heroes will face Aquaman and Circe at the Condemned Shipping Office where Aquaman is brainwashed by Circe as she poses as Queen Mera.
- In the Tides of War event, Heroes are recruited by Oracle to assist Aquaman in preventing Ocean Master and his forces from invading and taking over an Atlantean Outpost near Metropolis. If Aquaman is defeated while fighting against Ocean Master and his forces, the Heroes must revive him.
- Following the defence of the outpost, hero players may assist Aquaman’s naval forces board and destroy Ocean Master’s mutineer naval forces in the strait north of Little Bohemia.
- There is an illusion of Aquaman alongside other "heroes" in the Bludhaven mission.
Villains
- In the Tides of War event, Villains are recruited by Calculator to assist Ocean Master in his attempted coup against Aquaman by assisting his forces in invading and taking over an Atlantean Outpost near Metropolis.
- Following the invasion of the outpost, villain players may assist Ocean Master’s mutineer naval forces board and destroy Aquaman’s naval forces in the strait north of Little Bohemia.
Trivia
- Aquaman first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)
- Aquaman is voiced by Jens Andersen.
- Aquaman's costume was based off of the prison uniform he was forced to wear during his first visit and subsequent imprisonment at Poseidonis.
- Aquaman is said to be the fastest being underwater, capable of matching the likes of Flash and Superman in speed. Despite this, Mera claims that she is faster.
- Between his time in Alaska and his discovery of Poseidonis, Orin came across an Amazonian girl being chased by Poseideon's son Triton, who had chosen her as his mate. As she was captured, Orin interfered with the godling's plans and rescued the girl before luring Triton away so that she may escape. While Orin succeeded, Triton later found his way to the girl's home island but encountered a full Amazonian force waiting to drive him off. The girl waited on the shore for Orin to appear and revealed herself as the nation's princess, Diana. While thankful for his kindness, her mother forbade her from being with him and the two parted ways to continue on with their separate lives.
- After the destruction of the initial metal harpoon he wore after the lose of his left hand, Aquaman had it replaced with a cybernetic harpoon from S.T.A.R. Labs that had a retractable reel he could control.
Gallery
See also
External links
- Aquaman Wikipedia
- Aquaman DC Database
- Aquaman Wiki