Thursday, November 17, 2011

Aquaman? You like Aquaman?


Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.  In fact, I think that I have more Aquaman comics than any other (barring Superman and Nightwing).  I know, I know, most people think Aquaman is a useless superhero, but I don’t agree.  I first really got into the character with the Time and Tide miniseries, where they retold his origins as a set-up for the new on-going series by Peter David.  This is the series that had Aquaman lose his hand early on and replace it with the infamous hook.  Between this book and JLA: Year One, it really fleshed out a character that I really had only known from Super Friends.  Plus, once your read how they treat him in Justice, it’s hard not to have a huge amount of respect for the guy, even if you thought he was a joke going in.  So, let’s take a look at the Aqua-Powers:

        1. Command Sea Life – Yes, I said “Command” not “Talk to”.  He doesn’t have a conversation with fish, he tells them to do what he wants.

2.       2. Super Strength – No, he’s not on the level of Superman or Wonder Woman, but he is able to impale a speeding van on the end of his “trident”* (without being pushed back, I might add) and flip it up and over himself, landing it on its roof.  That’s pretty dang strong.

3.       3. Invulnerability – Again, not on the level of Superman, but here he is one up on Wonder Woman.  Where Diana will have the same injury you or I would if she got shot (luckily she has those bracelets and super speed to save her), Arthur can take multiple bullet strikes and only have a few scrapes.  Quite good, if you ask me.

4.       4. Super Speed Swimming – The guy can swim up to 1,000 feet per second (682 miles per hour) and can swim UP Niagara Falls.  Wow. 

5.       5. Breathing Underwater – This is the one I always wanted as a kid.  Of course, growing up at the Shore I swam like a fish anyway, and I was able to hold my breath for a good, long time, but I always wanted to be able to dive down and explore for more than a couple of minutes at a time.  Not that there was much to see, mind you.  New Jersey water ain’t anywhere near as clear as the Bahamas.

6.       6. Absolute Ruler of 2/3 of the Planet – Don’t think this is a super power?  Just try getting your goods to market by boat if he doesn’t want you to.  In fact, in the series I mentioned above, Atlantis actually invaded a surface country and kicked the snot out of them.

Now, after his treatment in Blackest Night and Brightest Day, Aquaman has become one of the premiere characters in the DC Universe.  If you haven’t checked the new comic out yet, I would recommend it.  And don’t take my word for it, check out The Aquaman Shrine (who were kind enough to induct me into the Friends Of AquaMan, aka FOAM, recently) for all the up to the minute Aqua-News.

2 comments:

  1. Arthur can take multiple bullet strikes and only have a few scrapes

    Aquaman's real name is Arthur? I never knew that.

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  2. Arthur Curry, Jr. Named for his Lighthouse Keeper father. Now, whether he was Aquaman's real or foster father depends on what series you're going by.

    Oh, and the King of Atlantis being named Arthur has been the fodder of many a storyline, to the point that he even met the Lady of the Lake.

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