Aquaman
I am your king.
Abilities
- •Atlantean/Human hybrid — superhuman strength capable of lifting hundreds of tons and trading blows with Superman
- •Can survive and thrive at the crushing pressures of the deepest ocean — virtually invulnerable on the surface
- •Swims at speeds exceeding Mach 5 — the fastest being in the ocean
- •Marine telepathy — can communicate with and command all sea life across the planet
- •Wields the Trident of Neptune — an indestructible magical weapon capable of piercing any material
- •King of Atlantis — rules an undersea kingdom with a military that rivals any surface nation
- •Can breathe both underwater and on land indefinitely
- •Enhanced senses adapted for deep-sea environments — can see in total darkness and hear across vast distances
- •A founding member of the Justice League — one of DC's most powerful and important heroes
Powers & Abilities
Biography
Arthur Curry is Aquaman — King of Atlantis, founding member of the Justice League, and ruler of the ocean that covers seventy percent of Earth's surface. He is the son of Tom Curry, a human lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis. Born between two worlds, he belongs fully to neither — too human for Atlantis, too Atlantean for the surface. He chose to protect both.
Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger in More Fun Comics #73 (1941), Aquaman is one of DC's oldest heroes. Nick Cardy's Silver Age run gave him Mera, his warrior queen; Ocean Master, his treacherous half-brother; and Black Manta, his greatest enemy. The death of his infant son at Manta's hands in Adventure Comics #452 (1977) is one of the most devastating moments in DC history — the tragedy that transformed Aquaman from a smiling sea king into a broken, furious monarch.
Peter David reinvented Aquaman in 1994 with a beard, a harpoon hand, and a warrior king attitude that proved the character could be dark and compelling. Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis' New 52 Aquaman (2011) is the definitive modern run — Johns directly confronted the jokes about Aquaman in the very first issue, then spent 25 issues proving that the King of Atlantis is one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe.
Jason Momoa's portrayal in the DCEU — from Justice League (2017) through Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) — made Arthur Curry a global icon and a billion-dollar franchise. But in the comics, Aquaman has always been what Momoa showed the world: a king who can trade punches with Superman, command every creature in the ocean, and defend a kingdom that contains more power, history, and mystery than every surface nation combined.
First Appearances
More Fun Comics #73
1941First appearance of Aquaman — Arthur Curry, the son of a lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean queen, debuts as a Golden Age superhero who can breathe underwater and command sea life. Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger create the King of the Seven Seas. A Golden Age grail.
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Adventure Comics #260
1959Aquaman's origin retold — the Silver Age updates his origin. He is Orin, son of Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis, and Tom Curry, a human lighthouse keeper. The mythology that defines the modern character.
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Aquaman #1
1962First Aquaman solo series — Arthur Curry gets his own ongoing title for the first time. The Silver Age Aquaman launches. Nick Cardy draws. The beginning of Aquaman as a headlining hero.
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Silver Age Aquaman — Nick Cardy Era
Aquaman #11
1963First Mera — the warrior queen from Dimension Aqua debuts. She becomes Aquaman's wife and one of the most powerful characters in DC. Nick Cardy draws. A major Silver Age key.
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Aquaman #18
1964Aquaman and Mera's relationship deepens — Cardy writes and draws the royal romance. Their partnership defines Atlantis.
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Aquaman #29
1966First Ocean Master — Orm Marius, Aquaman's half-brother, debuts as his arch-nemesis. The sibling rivalry that defines Aquaman's mythology. A significant Silver Age key.
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Aquaman #35
1967First Black Manta — Aquaman's greatest enemy debuts. The masked villain who wages war on Atlantis becomes one of the most iconic villains in DC. A major Silver Age key.
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Justice League
The Brave and the Bold #28
1960First Justice League of America — Aquaman is a founding member alongside Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter. A landmark Silver Age key. One of the most important DC issues.
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Justice League of America #1
1960First JLA ongoing — Aquaman on the roster from issue one. Gardner Fox writes. Mike Sekowsky draws. The team that defines DC.
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Justice League #1
2011New 52 Justice League — Geoff Johns and Jim Lee relaunch the team. Aquaman is a central member. Johns writes Arthur as a powerhouse who commands respect.
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The Death of Aquababy
Adventure Comics #452
1977The death of Arthur Curry Jr. — Black Manta kidnaps and kills Aquaman's infant son. The most devastating Aquaman story. The event that destroys Arthur and Mera's marriage and defines Aquaman as a tragic hero. David Michelinie writes. Jim Aparo draws.
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Aquaman #57-63
1977Aftermath — the final issues of the original series deal with the fallout. Arthur's grief and rage transform him. He is no longer the smiling Sea King. He is a broken king.
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Peter David's Aquaman
Aquaman vol. 5 #1
1994Peter David's Aquaman — the definitive 90s reinvention. David writes Arthur as a bearded, brooding warrior king. He loses his hand to piranhas and replaces it with a harpoon. Martin Egeland draws. The most radical Aquaman transformation.
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Aquaman vol. 5 #2
1994The harpoon hand — Arthur loses his left hand and replaces it with a harpoon prosthetic. David writes the most iconic Aquaman visual of the 90s. The sea king becomes a warrior.
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Aquaman vol. 5 #25
1996David's run at its peak — Arthur navigates Atlantean politics, surface-world conflicts, and his own rage. David writes the most complex Aquaman characterization.
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Aquaman vol. 5 #46
1998David departs — his run concludes after 46 issues. He proved Aquaman could be dark, complex, and compelling. The book that made people take Aquaman seriously.
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Geoff Johns' Aquaman — New 52
Aquaman vol. 7 #1
2011Johns' Aquaman — the most acclaimed modern run. Johns directly addresses the jokes about Aquaman in the first issue. Arthur eats at a seafood restaurant. People mock him. Then he stops an armored car robbery with one hand. Ivan Reis draws. The book that made Aquaman cool.
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Aquaman vol. 7 #4
2012The Trench — Johns introduces the horrifying deep-sea creatures. They are blind, ravenous, and terrifying. The most successful new Aquaman villains in decades.
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Aquaman vol. 7 #14-16
2013Throne of Atlantis — Johns writes the crossover with Justice League. Atlantis invades the surface world. Ocean Master leads the attack. The biggest Aquaman event of the modern era.
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Aquaman vol. 7 #25
2013Johns' finale — he concludes his run. Johns proved that Aquaman is one of DC's most powerful and compelling heroes. Reis draws the definitive modern Aquaman.
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Aquaman & Mera
Aquaman #11
1963First Mera — the warrior queen who becomes Arthur's wife. She controls water with hydrokinesis. One of the most powerful women in DC. Cardy draws.
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Aquaman vol. 8 #25-30
2017Dan Abnett writes — Arthur and Mera's relationship is central. Their love story defines Atlantis. Abnett writes them as the most powerful couple in DC.
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Aquaman vol. 8 #49
2019Arthur and Mera marry — the royal wedding of Atlantis. Kelly Sue DeConnick writes. The king and queen are united at last.
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Aquaman & Black Manta
Aquaman #35
1967First Black Manta — the masked villain who becomes Aquaman's greatest enemy. Their rivalry is personal, violent, and permanent. A major Silver Age key.
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Adventure Comics #452
1977Manta kills Aquababy — the act that makes their rivalry unforgivable. Arthur can never forgive. Manta can never stop.
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Aquaman vol. 7 #7-8
2012Johns writes Manta — the New 52 Manta is motivated by his father's death at Aquaman's hands. Their cycle of revenge is inescapable. Johns writes the most nuanced version.
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Aquaman's Defining Moments
More Fun Comics #73
1941The debut — the King of the Seven Seas is born. Norris and Weisinger. Golden Age royalty.
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The Brave and the Bold #28
1960Founding the Justice League — Aquaman stands alongside Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. He belongs.
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Adventure Comics #452
1977The death of Aquababy — Black Manta kills his son. The most devastating moment. The tragedy that defines him.
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Aquaman #1 (1994)
1994Peter David reinvents — the harpoon hand. The beard. The warrior king. Aquaman becomes dark and compelling.
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Aquaman #1 (2011)
2011Johns makes Aquaman cool — directly addresses the jokes. Proves he is one of DC's most powerful heroes. The run that changed everything.
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Collector Highlights
More Fun Comics #73
1941The holy grail — first Aquaman. Golden Age. Norris/Weisinger. One of the most valuable DC Golden Age keys. Elevated by Jason Momoa's DCEU portrayal.
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Aquaman #1 (1962)
1962First Aquaman solo — Cardy art. The Silver Age launch. A major DC key.
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Aquaman #11
1963First Mera — warrior queen. A major Silver Age DC key.
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Aquaman #29
1966First Ocean Master — Orm. Arthur's half-brother. A significant Silver Age villain key.
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Aquaman #35
1967First Black Manta — Aquaman's greatest enemy. A major Silver Age key. Elevated by the DCEU.
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Aquaman #1 (2011)
2011Johns/Reis — the run that made Aquaman cool. Essential modern DC collecting.
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