" A King is a King in every corner of his kingdom... and when he's not in his kingdom? He's still a King. "-- Marlus Randone src
History
Aquaman is the telepathic ruler of Atlantis and the Earth's oceans, an Atlantean with incredible strength and speed as well as the ability to command all sea-life. His unique physiology allows him to survive on land and at the ocean's greatest depths of pressure and temperature. Given the names Orin through his royal heritage and Arthur Curry by his human upbringing, he fights to protect both worlds using his mighty abilities and political influence. He is a founding member of the Justice League of America.
Origins
Originally in Silver Age continuity Arthur Curry was the son of a lighthouse keeper named Tom Curry and a woman named Atlanna. Tom Curry lived in Amnesty Bay, Maine and raised his son with wife in the local Lighthouse. Arthur started to manifest incredible strength and speed at a young age, as well as the abilities to breathe underwater and talk to fish. On her deathbed, his mother revealed that she was an exiled Queen of Atlantis and he would someday inherit rule of the seven seas. His father gave him an education and taught him to control his powers, eventually allowing him to grow up and become the super-hero Aquaman.[1]
His origins were changed when the universe was rebooted during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.[2] Orin was born an heir to the Atlantean Royal Family. His mother Atlanna had been unable to conceive a child with her husband King Trevis, but she was impregnated during a dream by the immortal wizard Atlan. Atlan prophesized the child's future and named him after his ancestor Orin, promising that he would sire another son because two brothers must always struggle for the fate of Atlantis. Trevis immediately knew the child wasn't his because of the blonde hair, a long-held superstition that a child might carry the curse of Kordax. The baby was announced as a miscarriage and left to die on Mercy Reef, where his ability to communicate with sealife allowed him to be raised by Dolphins.[3] His adopted mother was named Porm and she gave him the name Swimmer, although he left this new family after fisherman killed his adopted brother Drin.[4]
His next encounter with humanity was a lighthouse operator named Tom Curry who took him in as a son, giving him the human name Arthur Curry before his death.[5] Spending time in Alaska, he met and fell in love with the beautiful eskimo girl Kako. They conceived a child together, but the demonic god Nuliajuk forced Arthur to leave before he could learn of the pregnancy.[6] His next fight against a God would be Poseidon's son Triton when he rescued Princess Diana from his sexual advances.[7] Returning to Atlantis, he was arrested and sentenced to hard labor in the Aquarium prison. He found mentorship in the former professor Vulko who taught him Atlantean, although he decided to escape when he learned that his birth mother had died.[5] Curry's first encounter with another super-hero was The Flash, who named him "Aquaman" during a press conference in Crescent Shore after they fought the Trickster.[8] Upon his next return, Orin learns that Vulko has led a revolution and claims his birthright as the King of Atlantis.[5][9]
This has supposedly changed during Infinite Crisis, as a conversation with Jackson Hyde during Brightest Day reveals him to be once again the son of Atlanna and lighthouse keeper Tom Curry.[10]
Justice League
Aquaman would go on to become a founding member of the Justice League of America, although their origins have been altered several times in continuity. The original founding members included Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman and Wonder Woman. They met for the first time during an alien invasion by the Appellaxians.[11] This was later amended Post-Crisis to write Batman and Superman out of the story, with Wonder Woman replaced by Black Canary.[12][13]Flashpoint completely changes the course of history, and their origins are completely revised in the new timeline. Aquaman meets the other members of the League during a world-wide crisis caused by Darkseid.[14]
