Aquaman Index

The Earth-One Index
Aquaman Adventure Comics No. 215
August 1955
Story: “The Aqua-Mailman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (of Earth-One; Arthur Curry; first appearance; chronologically earlier appearances in flashbacks in issues #260 and 268 and SUPERBOY #171; origin revealed in issue #260)
Intro: Jim Blake (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of smugglers (first and only appearance)
Comment: Even though there is no distinct textual transition from Earth-Two to Earth-One Aquaman stories, we have chosen this as the beginning of Aquaman’s Earth-One adventures, since he switches to green gloves in this story and Aquaman of Earth-Two, as shown in previous issues and in ALL-STAR SQUADRON, wears yellow gloves.
Synopsis: Aquaman lends a hand to an old friend who runs a marine mail service, and a gang of smugglers plans to turn events to their advantage.
Adventure Comics No. 216
September 1955
Story: “The Invasion of the Sea-Men” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Penciller: Ramona Fradon
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villains: Alien invaders (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman uses his telepathic powers to stage a ruse that fools some aliens intent on invading Earth’s seas.
Adventure Comics No. 217
October 1955
Story: “The Day Aquaman Couldn’t See” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Penciller: Ramona Fradon
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Character: Aquaman
Adventure Comics No. 218
November 1955
Story: “Aquaman, Outlaw of the Sea” (6 pages) Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Adventure Comics No. 219
December 1955
Story: “The Greatest Show on Water” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Synopsis: When a carnival barge is wrecked, Aquaman and his sea subjects provide entertainment for a group of children.
Adventure Comics No. 220
January 1956
Story: “The Coward and the Hero” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Johnny Blake (only appearance)
Comment: Aquaman is shown rescuing Johnny Blake during “the war”. This may be the Korean War, rather than World War II, and Aquaman may have been Aquaboy at the time.
Synopsis: Johnny Blake, former Navy pilot and expert swimmer, is afraid of the water now and is branded a coward. Since he is a double for Aquaman, the sea king decides to pose as him and do great diving and swimming feats to save Johnny’s reputation. But Aquaman’s costume is found and his hoax is exposed. Aquaman explains to Johnny’s detractors that he was downed by enemy fire in an airtime battle during his Navy pilot’s service, spent days in the water clinging to wreckage before being saved by Aquaman, and developed a phobia of water. Later, when Aquaman attempts a dive from a great height into a water tank, he appears to slip, and Johnny unthinkingly leaps into the water to rescue him. Aquaman reveals that he pretended to slip to get Johnny in the water, and now Johnny’s phobia is cured.
Adventure Comics No. 221
February 1956
Story: “The Boy Who Refused to Swim” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Johnny Hartley, Jr., Capt. John Hartley (only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman tries to help a young boy get over his apparent fear of water.
Adventure Comics No. 222 March 1956
Story: “A Rival for Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: The Seaman, Captain Craven (only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman is upstaged in his super-deeds by the Seaman, a new aquatic hero, who scoops him time after time.
Adventure Comics No. 223
April 1956
Story: “The Sunken City of Gold” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: A group of scientists (only appearance)
Villains: A group of thieves (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: An underwater quake appears to reveal a city of gold to a diver, and Aquaman is asked to lead a group of diving-suited scientists to investigate it. When they near the city, they are met by a group of what appear to be fish-men, who are nonetheless frightened back by the sight of an air-gun in Aquaman’s hands. The sea king chases them to the surface, where the “creatures” unmask, reveal themselves as human thieves, and are captured by the rest of the expedition. However, Aquaman tells them that the “city of gold” is neither a city, nor gold, just glittering fossil remains.
Adventure Comics No. 224
May 1956
Story: “The Seventh Wonder of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Jim Travis (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Comment: This story reveals that the lost continent of Mu exists on Earth-One.
Synopsis: Aquaman helps a photographer snap pictures of the seven wonders of the ocean world.
Adventure Comics No. 225
June 1956
Story: “The Undersea School” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman Synopsis: Aquaman holds classes for his sea subjects to teach them how to aid him in his deeds.
Adventure Comics No. 226
July 1956
Story: “The Showoff of the Seven Seas” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Jim Slade (only appearance)
Villains: T.N.T. Dillon and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman appears to go on a publicity spree after not being named Seaman of the Year.
Adventure Comics No. 227
August 1956
Story: “A Day in the Life of Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villains: Joe and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A gang of crooks pose as a TV documentary crew to film a day in the life of Aquaman and discover how he learns of emergencies at sea.
Adventure Comics No. 228
September 1956
Story: “The Floating Hall of Fame” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Captain John (only appearance)
Villains: Hubert Reese and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman agrees to help safeguard a collection of driftwood carvings during their delivery, and learns that they are being used to smuggle diamonds.
Adventure Comics No. 229
October 1956
Story: “Aquaman’s Undersea Partner” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo (an octopus; first appearance)
Villains: Various crooks (first and only appearance for all) Synopsis: Aquaman tries out various sea creatures as his “partners” while rounding up escaped crooks.
Adventure Comics No. 230
November 1956
Story: “The Tom Thumb Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Intro: Willy (only appearance)
Villains: Four smugglers (including Willy’s father; first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A criminal’s shrinking ray turns Aquaman into a tiny being.
Adventure Comics No. 231
December 1956
Story: “Three Fates for Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman learns from an electronic prediction machine that he will soon suffer “dying at the hands of a fish”.
Adventure Comics No. 232
January 1957
Story: “Aquaman Joins the Navy” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo (named in this story)
Intro: Admiral Hanley, Chief Petty Officer Freems (only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman joins the navy as a favor to an admiral friend to contribute to a recruiting drive, and uses his fish friends to help on duties.
Adventure Comics No. 233
February 1957
Story: “The Sea Clown” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Intro: Wackyman (only appearance)
Villains: Two pirates (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: A clown who poses as a funny Aquaman uses mechanical “fish” in his act, but two pirates kidnap him to force him to use his phony fish to help them commit crimes.
Adventure Comics No. 234
March 1957
Story: “The Super-Aquarium” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Shrudlu and another alien (only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman finds himself an inhabitant of an alien aquarium as one of the wonders of Earth’s sea.
Adventure Comics No. 235
April 1957
Story: “The Show-Off of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Intro: Mr. Stone (only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman agrees to enact famous fictional sea roles before a live TV audience, but keeps messing up the takes with the aid of his fish.
Adventure Comics No. 236
May 1957
Story: “The Iceberg of Doom” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Otto Binder
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Adventure Comics No. 237
June 1957
Story: “The Secret of the Sea King” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Roy Mason, Aquaman Fan Club, Swanson (only appearance for all) Synopsis: Aquaman appears to be a secret tyrant, and his old friends begin to spurn him.
Adventure Comics No. 238
July 1957
Story: “The Floating Doom” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: A gang of seagoing crooks masquerade as scientists distributing what look like mines, but what they claim are actually scientific instruments encased in plastic, meant for measuring ocean tides. Aquaman is initially persuaded to help them and see them on their way, which allows the crooks to seed the ocean with real mines, in hopes of wrecking a buillion-carrying ship. But a piece of metal sticking to one of the “plastic” mines tips off Aquaman, and he is able to quash the operation.
Adventure Comics No. 239
August 1957
Story: “The Voyage of the Good Ship Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Captain Wakely (only appearance)
Synopsis: A sea captain launches a rescue ship dubbed the Aquaman, but finds that his experimental rescue devices inexplicably foul up.
Adventure Comics No. 240
September 1957
Story: “The Alphabet Book of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: J. Oswald Sinker (only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman rescues J. Oswald Sinker, a children’s book writer who lives on Christmas Island, and thus gets himself entangled in helping Sinker write a rhyming alphabet book based on the sea. The book starts out with “A is for Aquaman”, and the sea king helps him find other things to use for letters: Blackbeard’s treasure, Catfish, Dogfish, Electric eels, Flying fish, Guppies, the Island of Atlantis, Kissing fish, Latimeria, Manta ray, Needle fish, Oyster, Porpoise, Starfish, Tuscarora Trench, Viperfish, and Walking fish. But Sinker is stumped for an entry for X until Aquaman realizes that X is for Xmas Island. (And no, we don’t know what stood for H, J, Q, R, U, Y, or Z, either.)
Adventure Comics No. 241 October 1957
Story: “The Mutiny Against Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Roger Curtis (only appearance)
Villain: Horace Forrest (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman saves diver Roger Curtis from a shark and learns of his dilemma: his late father, a circus owner, put a clause in his will bequeathing the circus to him provided he train four of the most dangerous fish in the ocean and put on a show in a tank under the big top. Lawyer Horace Forrest is opposed to the plan, and Aquaman admits that the sea creatures are almost untrainable, but helps out by ordering a shark, a squid, a swordfish, and a whale to perform with him. However, a chemical dumped in the water maddens the sea creatures, and Aquaman is barely able to stop them from killing him during the show. Afterwards, Horace Forrest is caught with the chemical container in his hands, and admits that the elder Curtis’s will would leave the circus to him if Roger was unable to fulfill his father’s wishes.
Adventure Comics No. 242
November 1957
Story: “The Amazing Feats of Aqua-Melvin” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Melvin (a clown; becomes “Aqua-Melvin” in this story; only appearance), a doctor and a state governor (only appearance for both)
Villain: Captain Cuttle (first and only appearance)
Comment: There’s something about an Aqua-Melvin man. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Synopsis: A clown named Melvin is knocked unconscious on a friend’s ship and requires a transfusion, which Aquaman provides. The infusion of blood gives Melvin Aquaman’s powers for 24 hours. Aquaman takes him on patrol and intends to have him help, but Melvin’s practical jokes (such as having a squid paint a large portrait of a governor on an iceberg with his ink) usually foul things up. However, a seagoing crook called Captain Cuttle and his crew loot a treasure Aquaman had earmarked for charity, threatening to blow up sea life with depth charges if he interfered. But their boat runs aground in shallow waters when they mistake the light of a lantern fish for the lamp of a nearby lighthouse. Aquaman captures them, and explains that the “pranks” Melvin played were a cover for the operation; he placed a lantern fish on top of the iceberg Melvin painted.
Adventure Comics No. 243
December 1957
Story: “Aquaman’s Amazing Bets” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: Kipp, Jonesy (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman sets out to teach a lesson to a sailor who gyps his friends out of their money in rigged bets.
Adventure Comics No. 244
January 1958
Story: “The Copy Cat Creature” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Intro: Myron (a monster; only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman acquires a sea-monster “pet” that causes great trouble.
Adventure Comics No. 245
February 1958
Story: “The Sorcerer of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Lt. Jason Deeter (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Jason Deeter, a man who claims to be a magician, seems to have the power to make Aquaman do whatever he manipulates a tiny Aquaman doll to do. Accordingly, he is kidnapped by a gang of modern pirates whom Aquaman has been trailing, and is made to manipulate Aquaman into pulling off a gem robbery. But the “manipulation” turns out to be a hoax, Jason Deeter is revealed as a policeman, and Aquaman nabs the crooks, who had tipped their location off by kidnapping Deeter.
Adventure Comics No. 246
March 1958
Story: “The Town That Went Underwater” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Mayor and citizens of Beachcroft (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman creates an underwater amusement park for the people of Beachcroft, ignoring calls for help that would take him away.
Adventure Comics No. 247
April 1958 Story: “Aquaman’s Super-Sea Squad” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Synopsis: A nuclear device intended to explode in outer space has fallen into the ocean, and Aquaman has only three hours to get it to Pierce Island for disarming before it explodes and destroys all sea life with radioactive contamination. Using his finny friends to get past the obstacles, Aquaman conveys the device to its destination just under the deadline.
Adventure Comics No. 248
May 1958
Story: “The Traitor of the Seven Seas” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Intro: Jim Ward, Lopo (an octopus; only appearance for both)
Villains: A band of aliens (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aliens threaten Aquaman with death unless he stocks their aquarium with fish from Earth.
Adventure Comics No. 249
June 1958
Story: “Wanted--Aqua-Crook” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Otto Binder
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: The Barnacle Gang (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: An amnesiac Aquaman is duped into working with a gang of crooks.
Adventure Comics No. 250
July 1958
Story: “The Guinea Pig of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Dr. Arvy Rush (only appearance)
Comment: Aquaman’s statement that he himself doesn’t know where his super-powers come from is obviously false. He may be trying to mislead Dr. Rush deliberately in order to conceal the secret location of Atlantis, as seen in issue #259.
Synopsis: Dr. Arvy Rush is so intent on subjecting the willing Aquaman to a battery of tests to learn the secret of his powers that he imprisons the Sea King in a steel cage when he tries to leave on a mission.
Adventure Comics No. 251
August 1958
Story: “A World Without Water” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Admiral Brunt, Zed-3 (only appearance for both)
Villain: Dr. Varn (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman is thrown into the year 6958 A.D. by an accidental atomic explosion. There he is revived by Zed-3, a scientist, who informs them they have done limited time travel experiments, but that almost all water on Earth evaporated in a nova eruption 1000 years ago. The sea creatures adapted to life on land, and Earthmen invented pills to replace moisture content, which sustain Aquaman. Just as Zed-3 is about to send Aquaman back to 1958 with a time machine, criminal scientist Dr. Varn breaks in and attempts to hijack the device. Aquaman commands the land-dwelling whales, manta ray, octopi, and flying fish to defeat Varn and his gang. Then Aquaman is sent back to his normal era.
Adventure Comics No. 252
September 1958
Story: “The Robinson Crusoe of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villain: Captain Troy (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman frees a trapped ship from a reef, but exposes himself to spilled chemicals in the process and develops a deadly allergy to sea salt. He finds himself marooned on a small island, but enlists the help of his fish allies to create a “Robinson Crusoe” existence for himself. He also uses them to attack and defeat pirate Captain Troy from a distance. Later, Topo the octopus squirts water on Aquaman and reveals to him that the effect of the chemicals has worn off.
Adventure Comics No. 253
October 1958
Story: “The Ocean of 1,000,000 B.C.” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman Synopsis: Aquaman travels back in time to the age of the dinosaurs.
Adventure Comics No. 254
November 1958
Story: “The Menace of the Electric Man” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villain: Electric Man (Roy Pinto; first appearance; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5)
Synopsis: Roy Pinto, an escaped convict, poses as “Roy Peters”, an aquarium owner who specializes in electric eels. He discovers that his handling of the eels has made him impervious to electric shock, and that he can conduct and direct electric shocks through his body from outside sources. He uses the ability for crime, as the Electric Man, and, for a time, Aquaman is stumped as to how to capture him. Finally, he has his octopi plunge their tentacles into a ship’s cargo of liquid rubber, and they are able to nab the villain.
Adventure Comics No. 255
December 1958
Story: “Aquaman’s Double Trouble” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Other Character: Neptune (last chronological appearance in AQUAMAN #17; next appears in WONDER WOMAN #131)
Synopsis: Faced with choices as to which aquatic emergencies to respond, Aquaman finds that in each case, an unknown person handled the jobs he couldn’t do...and left three holes in each area.
Adventure Comics No. 256
January 1959
Story: “The Ordeal of Aquaman” (6 pages)
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman is captured by a gang of crooks and stranded in the desert to die.
Adventure Comics No. 257
February 1959
Story: “The Imitation Aquaman” (6 pages)
Writer: Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in flashback in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #144)
Villains: Hadley, Doc (first and only appearance for both)
Intro: Mrs. Van Klyst (only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman teams with the heroes of Earth to fight Commander Blanx in the case that leads to the formation of the Justice League of America, as shown in flashback in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #144.
Synopsis: Doc, a criminal surgeon and scientist, performs an operation that gives a crook named Hadley all the abilities of Aquaman, including the power to breathe underwater with gills. Hadley dons an Aquaman costume and begins a crime career at sea. At first, Aquaman is blamed for the robberies, and searches out Hadley, but is hard-pressed to escape the villain’s spear gun. Soon, however, he lures Hadley into an area of fresh water, which Hadley cannot breathe, and captures him.
Adventure Comics No. 258
March 1959
Story: “The Incredible Fish of Doctor Danton” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Dr. Danton (only appearance)
Synopsis: When nuclear fallout from an experiment mutates a whale, a sawfish, an octopus, and an electric eel owned by scientist Dr. Danton, they gain incredible powers and wreak havoc until Aquaman and his legion of sea creatures can subdue them.
Adventure Comics No. 259
April 1959
Story: “The Octopus Man” (6 pages)
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (wears yellow gloves in this story)
Villain: Roland Peters (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: A criminal scientist puts Aquaman’s mind into the body of an octopus.
Adventure Comics No. 260
May 1959
Story: “How Aquaman Got His Powers” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Robert Bernstein
Feature Character: Aquaman (origin revealed in this story in flashback, as is his real name, Arthur Curry; see also the retelling in SHOWCASE #30; first chronological appearance in flashback; see also Aquaboy appearances in issue #268 and SUPERBOY #171)
Intro: Tom Curry (Aquaman’s father; dies in this story), Atlanna Curry (Aquaman’s mother; last chronological appearance in flashback in ACTION COMICS #519; appears to die in this story, but returns in flashback in ACTION COMICS #519, her next chronological appearance)
Intro: The Atlanteans (in flashback), Commander Haskel (only appearance)
Comment: This is the origin of the Earth-One Aquaman, and is distinguished from the Earth-Two Aquaman’s origin as presented in MORE FUN COMICS #73. He admits that his origin happened “over twenty years ago”; thus, he is over twenty but probably not thirty years old at this point.
Synopsis: When a U.S. Navy submarine attempts to test nuclear depth charges in a certain area of the sea, the charges are intercepted and disarmed by Aquaman. He then tells the sub commander his reasons for doing so, and the story begins with his origin.
Aquaman reveals that his father was Tom Curry, an ex-sailor and lighthouse keeper, who saved a mysterious blonde girl named Atlanna who was washed up on a raft by a storm on Curry’s island home. The two fell in love and were married two weeks later, and had a son, Arthur Curry. But Tom was astonished at young Arthur’s swimming prowess, and was flabbergasted at the realization that his son could breathe water and extract oxygen from it, like a fish. Even more mysterious was the fact that even sharks did not harm him. A few years later, Atlanna died, but revealed the truth of her origin on her deathbed: she was an Atlantean, an amphibious human, exiled from the sub-sea realm because of her desire to visit the surface world, and Arthur has inherited her powers to live underwater, “to communicate with sea creatures...to perform great water feats...and to become ruler of the oceans!”
Later, Tom Curry helped the young Aquaboy develop his telepathic command over sea life, and gained total obedience from the creatures of the sea when he directed his “troops” in saving a trapped squid. By the time Tom Curry passed away and was buried at sea, the teenage Aquaboy had learned well how to become King of the Seas.
Commander Haskel thanks Aquaman for his confidence, and promises he will not reveal the story, but asks Aquaman why he interrupted their tests. Aquaman reveals one final secret in a whisper: below them, in the test area, lies the domed city of Atlantis, home of his mother. Haskel vows to keep that a secret as well, and promises he will select another area for testing. Later, Aquaman swims by the city of Atlantis, and decides that, someday, he may visit it.
Adventure Comics No. 261
June 1959
Story: “Aquaman Duels the Animal-Master” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villain: Gustave the Great (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman encounters a criminal animal trainer who uses his beasts against Aquaman’s sea creatures.
Adventure Comics No. 262
July 1959
Story: “The Undersea Hospital” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon Feature Character: Aquaman
Villains: A band of pirates (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman opens a hospital in the ocean to take care of injured sea creatures.
Adventure Comics No. 263
August 1959
Story: “The Great Ocean Election” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman
Intro: Vic Wake, Adm. Wallace (only appearance for both)
Villain: Gov. “Big Jim” Mason (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: When Aquaman sees a blimp which advertises Vic Wake for governor of the island of Comstock shot down, he contacts Wake. The candidate tells him that he was the former treasurer, but was fired when he learned Governor “Big Jim” Mason was embezzling from public funds. Aquaman uses his sea creatures to help Wake campaign, but Mason uses his control over government services to block them at every term. Finally, at a “gala fish show” Aquaman is putting on, Mason is thwarted in his attempt to sabotage it, and, after being thrown in the water and treated to an Aquaman-made whirlpool, confesses his crime of embezzlement in public. Vic Wake is later elected governor of Comstock.
Adventure Comics No. 264
September 1959
Story: “Aquaman and His Sea-Police” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in flashback in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9 and 97)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps several other super-heroes battle the Appelaxians, after which they form the Justice League of America, as shown in flashbacks in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9 and 97. He then helps change Lois Lane temporarily into a mermaid in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #12.
Intro: Mayor Lyndon and citizens of New Venice (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #263)
Villains: Assorted crooks (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: The coastal city of New Venice has become a city of canals since a seaquake flooded the streets six months ago, and the townspeople have adapted to waterways instead of streets. But Mayor Lyndon confesses to a visiting Aquaman that they have not found ways to handle speeders in fast boats, pickpockets, and the like. The sea king uses his aquatic legions to nab the offenders or to discourage antisocial behavior, and is made temporary police chief of New Venice. Another crack in the ocean floor threatens to drain the water from New Venice, disappointing the townspeople, so Aquaman and his fish friends plug the crack in time. Later, during a parade through the canals in his honor, Aquaman gives his badge back to the grateful mayor.
Adventure Comics No. 265
October 1959
Story: “The Secret of the Super-Safe” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #12)
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: Roxroyd, two crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman agrees to sink a huge safe in the ocean, but later learns its maker was a counterfeiter.
Adventure Comics No. 266
November 1959
Story: “Aquaman Meets Aquagirl” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (origin retold in flashback)
Cameo appearances: Tom and Atlanna Curry (Aquaman’s parents; in flashback)
Intro: Aquagirl (Lisa Morel; only appearance; not to be confused with Aqua-Girl in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133 or the Aquagirl who first appears in AQUAMAN #33), Dr. Hugo Morel (Aquagirl’s father; only appearance)
Comment: This is the first story to mention the “purple eyes” trait of some Atlanteans which Aqualad has.
Synopsis: When Lisa Morel, daughter of famed ichthyologist Dr. Hugo Morel, sees Aquaman trapped by a giant clam underwater, she dives in and frees him with an electric torch, spending over five minutes submerged without taking a breath of air. She admits her behavior was instinctive, but Aquaman tests her later and discovers she has the same water-breathing, super-swimming, and fish-commanding powers as he does. He tells the Morels his origin story, but Dr. Morel maintains that he himself is not from Atlantis, so that does not explain Lisa’s new powers. Later, after Lisa discovers she can no longer remain out of water for more than an hour, she designs a costume for herself patterned after Aquaman’s, and dubs herself Aquagirl. She aids him in his tasks, despite his insistence she must remain on land or be endangered...and, a few days later, she almost drowns underwater. Aquaman saves her and reveals her origin secret: that her purple eyes betray her as an Atlantean throwback, a child who will briefly manifest sea-powers, but lose them just as quickly. Such infants are sent to the surface in waterproof lifeboats. Dr. Morel admits that he lied, and that he actually found Lisa some 20 years ago in just such a lifeboat. Lisa thanks Aquaman, and says she will never forget her brief career as Aquagirl.
Adventure Comics No. 267
December 1959
Story: “The Manhunt On Land” (8 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in the Green Arrow story in this issue)
Villains: Shark Norton, The Wizard (Horace Kates; not to be confused with the Earth-Two villain; first and only appearance for both)
Comment: This story continues in the Green Arrow story in this issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman’s old for “Shark” Norton and Green Arrow’s nemesis The Wizard both escape from state prison on the same night. They vow to vary their modus operandi, with Shark pulling crimes on land while the Wizard takes to plundering the seas. When the police learn of the escapes and the crooks’ new m.o.’s, they ask Aquaman to help them catch Shark, even if he is operating on land. Aquaman dons a water helmet and takes along some octopi, swordfish, and other sea denizens with him in a big water tank on the back of a truck, and is thus able to corral Shark and his gang.
Adventure Comics No. 268
January 1960
Story: “The Adventures of Aquaboy” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Character: Aquaman (also appears in flashback as Aquaboy; flashbacks take place between flashbacks in issue #260 and SUPERBOY #171)
Intro: Captain Harte (only appearance)
Comment: Since Captain Harte has been out of touch with the world for 12 years, it is obvious that Aquaman’s existence has been known publicly for less than 12 years at this point.
Synopsis: Aquaman saves a blind man who is trying to drown himself because he has lost the chest of pearls he has been gathering for years in order to finance an operation to restore his sight. But Harte refuses to believe in Aquaman, thinking he is a thief out to get him to reveal the spot where he lost the pearl chest in the sea. Aquaman recognizes the man as Captain Harte, whom he once saved at sea secretly as Aquaboy, years ago. The head injury Harte sustained in that sea wreck caused him hallucinations and possibly resulted in his blindness. Harte still refuses to credit his story. Aquaman remembers what a hard time he had convincing people that an Aquaboy really existed. Finally, when a seaquake wrecks the reef they are standing on and hurts Aquaman, the sea king summons a large whale to rescue them both. Feeling the whale’s teeth, Harte finally realizes that Aquaman is real. Days later, Aquaman recovers the chest of pearls and returns them to a grateful Captain Harte.
Adventure Comics No. 269
February 1960
Story: “The Kid from Atlantis” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Jack Miller? (Also attributed to Robert Bernstein)
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28), Aqualad (Garth; first appearance; origin in part; origin details revealed in issue #455)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Starro in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28. Synopsis: Aquaman meets Aqualad, a purple-eyed reject from Atlantis, and tries to help the boy conquer his fear of fish.
Adventure Comics No. 270
March 1960
Story: “The Menace of Aqualad” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Intro: Prof. Tyson, a fortune teller (only appearance for both)
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: When Aquaman saves the life of a fortune teller, she repays him with a prophecy that someone new who has entered his life will imperil him and replace him. After Aqualad gets hit in the head and begins acting strangely, Aquaman fears the prophecy may indicate his new partner turning traitor. Finally, he learns the truth: that Aqualad has been fixing up an underwater cavern as their new home, just in time for Aquaman’s birthday.
Adventure Comics No. 271
April 1960
Story: “The Second Deluge” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29), Aqualad
Villains: Captain Noah and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Weapons Master in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad meet the seagoing Captain Noah, who predicts a second deluge will soon doom the world, and asks for permission to take two sea creatures of every species and put them on his ark. The two think he is a harmless crackpot, and grant him permission, but are astonished soon afterward when violent storms endanger ships and planes at sea. It happens that Captain Noah is actually a scientist who has perfected a way of extracting gold from seawater by pumping millions of gallons of cold ocean water through a nuclear-driven apparatus into the clouds, where the cold water “seeds” the clouds and creates dangerous storms. Aquaman deduces that Captain Noah is not what he seems when he sees several sea creatures in his “ark” are mislabelled, and arrests him for endangering people at sea from the storms caused by his device.
Adventure Comics No. 272
May 1960
Story: “The Human Flying Fish” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29), Aqualad
Villains: The Human Flying Fish (Bragg; first and only appearance; an other-earth Human Flying Fish appears first in SUPER FRIENDS #1), Dr. Krill (first and only appearance)
Comment: There are some indications that the heroes depicted in the SUPER FRIENDS title are actually the Earth-One heroes, but it is our contention that they live on another Earth.
Synopsis: A criminal scientist, Dr. Krill, operates on gangleader and ex-swimming champ Bragg to give him the power to survive underwater, swim at great speed, and fly through the air for short distances as the Human Flying Fish. The new villain outwits Aquaman in several robberies at sea, until the hero lures him into a trap and defeats him with electric eels.
Adventure Comics No. 273
June 1960
Story: “Around the World In 80 Hours” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #30), Aqualad
Intro: Captain Kryle (only appearance)
Villains: Smugglers, Inc. (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Professor Ivo and Amazo in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #30 and has a brief encounter with Superman in SUPERMAN #138.
Synopsis: To help out an author who has written a book about a swimmer who circles the globe in 80 hours, Aquaman agrees to duplicate the feet, but a gang of smugglers uses it to their own advantage.
Adventure Comics No. 274
July 1960
Story: “Aqua-Queen” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN #138), Aqualad
Intro: Dale Conroy (only appearance)
Comment: This story is recycled from issue #187, an adventure of the Earth-Two Aquaman.
Synopsis: When a contestant in a women’s swimming competition is passed over for honors by Aquaman, she vows to prove her abilities in water are greater than Aquaman’s, and apparently does so.
Adventure Comics No. 275
August 1960
Story: “The Interplanetary Mission” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: A group of moviemakers gone bad tries to trick Aquaman and Aqualad into retrieving a Kryptonite meteor from the sea by disguising themselves as aliens seeking help.
Adventure Comics No. 276
September 1960
Story: “The Aqua-Thief of the Seven Seas” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Intro: King Tai and his son (only appearance for both)
Villains: Two crooks (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Aquaman is called on to recover a chest of diamonds which has been stolen from the sea, but is soon accused of being the thief himself.
Adventure Comics No. 277
October 1960
Story: “The Underwater Olympics” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1), Aqualad
Villain: Bart Horval (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Despero in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad stage an “underwater Olympics”, commanding two separate teams of sea-creatures which compete against each other in selected events. The contest seems even, with conscienceless “salvage” expert Bart Horval spying on the events in hoping of finding something from which he can profit. In the last event, Aquaman deliberately makes a detour around a bed of seaweed instead of going through it, thus keeping himself from racking up enough points to unseat Aqualad. The sea prince wins, and Bart Horval goes home. Later, Aquaman reveals only to his fish friends the real reason for his detour: a Kryptonite meteor was lying within the seaweed. If he had gone through the seaweed bed, the Kryptonite would have been revealed to Horval, who could have sold it to enemies of Superman. Instead, Aquaman’s allies dump the meteor into a deep ocean trench.
Adventure Comics No. 278
November 1960
Story: “Aqualad Goes to School” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 / 2), Aqualad
Intro: Mr. Tracy, Miss Pine (only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Simon Magus and other magicians in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #2.
Synopsis: Aquaman enrolls Aqualad in a school on land. The principal allows him to attend for two weeks, with a test to be given at the end of that time to determine which grade he belongs in. Aqualad proves his intelligence during classes, but, the day before the entrance exam is to be given, takes a bad blow to the head while rescuing a boater. He gains temporary amnesia as a result, but the principal says he may be faking, and orders the test to go on. While Aqualad is being asked the questions, Aquaman secretly prompts him from afar to jog his memory, and Aqualad passes the test.
Adventure Comics No. 279
December 1960
Story: “Silly Sailors of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #2; next appears in ACTION COMICS #272), Aqualad (next appears in ACTION COMICS #272)
Intro: Jim Hale, Eddie, Roy, Tom, and another boy (only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps out Superman by posing as Mental Man, with Aqualad’s help, in ACTION COMICS #272.
Synopsis: When four boys take a sailboat for a day at sea without asking the owner’s permission and without having sufficient sailing know-how, Aquaman and Aqualad teach them a lesson by subjecting them to a whirlpool, a phony sea serpent, an artificial “storm”, and a faked-up pirate ship. Abashed, the boys return to land, make amends with the boat owner, and agree to get lessons on seamanship.
Adventure Comics No. 280
January 1961
Story: “The Lost Ocean” (7 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (last appearance for both in ACTION COMICS #272; both next appear in SHOWCASE #30)
Intro: Jim Flood, Tim Flood, a TV show director, and a lighthouse keeper (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: When Jim and Ted Flood, the stars of TV’s Sea Chase, get the bends and have to spend time in iron lungs, Aquaman and Aqualad take their places to save the show from being cancelled. They use their aquatic powers to create spectacular stunts for the show, and, after completing the assignment, agree to keep their work on it secret from the world at large.
Showcase No. 30
January-February 1961
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. Trino and other amphibious aliens //Dick Dillin? / Ramona Fradon?
Story: “The Creatures From Atlantis” (Chapter 1; 9 pages)
Chapter 2: “Prisoner of Atlantis” (9 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Battle of the Sea Creatures” (7 pages) Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #280; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #3), Aqualad (between ADVENTURE COMICS #280 / 282)
Origin: Aquaman (retold in detail from ADVENTURE COMICS #260)
GA: Tom and Atlanna Curry (Aquaman’s parents; in flashback)
GS: Atlanteans
Villains: Trino and other amphibious aliens (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Adam Strange fight Kanjar Ro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #3 and MYSTERY IN SPACE #75.
This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “Strange Denizens of the Deep”.
Synopsis: Aquaman is summoned by enslaved Atlanteans, from whose realm he has been banished by an outsider. But he is also taken prisoner by the villain Trino and other amphibious aliens from another dimension, who force him to labor with the Atlanteans on a weapon which can melt all metal and which Trino intends to use to conquer the surface world. Aquaman manages to get a telepathic message to Aqualad, who brings an army of aquatic creatures to free his mentor. Aquaman, Aqualad, and the sea creatures defeat Trino and his cohorts, and the grateful Atlanteans declare Aquaman a Hero of Atlantis and grant him and Aqualad admission into their undersea kingdom.
Adventure Comics No. 282
March 1961
Story: “One Hour to Doom” (13 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in MYSTERY IN SPACE #75; next appears in SHOWCASE #31), Aqualad (between SHOWCASE #30 / 31)
Villains: Jed Rowe and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: In pursuit of a smuggler, Aquaman and Aqualad repeatedly reach their one-hour limit out of water, and must find means of resaturating themselves or die.
Showcase No. 31
March-April 1961
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. prehistoric fish //Howard Purcell / Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Sea Beasts From One Billion B.C.” (Part 1; 9 pages)
“The Creature Army” (part 2; 8 pages)
“The Menace of the Future Fish” (part 3; 8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #282; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4), Aqualad (between ADVENTURE COMICS #282 / 284) Intro: Professor Richards (only appearance)
Villain: John Cook (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League initiate Green Arrow and battle Carthan in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad must deal with a criminal who has stolen a device to devolve and control fish.
Adventure Comics No. 284
May 1961
Story: “The Charge of Aquaman’s Sea-Soldiers” (13 pages)
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Writer:
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4; next appears in SHOWCASE #32), Aqualad (between SHOWCASE #31 / 32)
Villains: Professor Enos Snark and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: After this story, the Aquaman strip continues in DETECTIVE COMICS.
Synopsis: Aquaman has several run-ins with Prof. Enos Snark, a criminal scientist who operates on the high seas, but beats him every time with the help of his aquatic allies. Snark creates a desalinization machine that removes the salt from seawater for a certain distance. Thus, when Aquaman’s fish and marine allies try to attack his ship, they are unable to do so, their strength sapped by the fresh water. To counter this, Aquaman has special diving-tank equipment built for the fish, filled with salt-water tanks. Thus armed, the allies of Aquaman are able to capture Snark.
Showcase No. 32
May-June 1961
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad captured by the “Creature King” //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Creature King of the Sea” (Part 1; 8 pages)
Part 2: “Captives of the Criminal Creature” (9 pages)
Part 3: “The Deadly Land Trap” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #284; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5), Aqualad (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #284; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #293)
Intro: Wilo the Wizard (in flashback; only appearance)
Villain: The “Creature King” (“Jed Coombs”; first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Dr. Destiny and six other villains (including Electric Man) in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad battle a criminal who uses an ancient wizard’s treasure to transform himself into a powerful sea creature.
Detective Comics No. 293
July 1961
Story: “The Sensational Sea-Scoops” (6 pages) Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5; next appears in SHOWCASE #33), Aqualad (between SHOWCASE #32 /33)
Intro: Mr. and Mrs. Ken Wall (only appearance for both)
Villains: The Phantom Sea Raider (Captain Scobey) and his crew (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: When the publisher of the Maritime News is injured by a pirate who wishes to stop an upcoming edition, Aquaman and Aqualad step in to make the paper deliveries with their finny friends.
Showcase No. 33
July-August 1961
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Mermor imprisoned in underwater cells by Venusian guard //Dick Dillin / Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “Prisoners of the Aqua-Planet” (6 pages)
Part 2: “The Alien Creature Ambush” (11 pages)
Part 3: “King of the Land Creatures” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #293; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6), Aqualad (between DETECTIVE COMICS #293 / 294)
Intro: Mermor and other Venusians (only appearance for all)
Villains: Naeco, Lor (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Amos Fortune in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad come to the aid of Venusian refugees fleeing a tyrant on their home planet, but are captured with them and taken to Venus.
Detective Comics No. 294
August 1961
Story: “The Fantastic Fish That Defeated Aquaman” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6; next appears in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #55), Aqualad (last appearance in SHOWCASE #33)
Villain: Harry Black (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman gives Jimmy Olsen temporary aqua-powers in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #55.
Synopsis: Harry Black, a modern-day pirate and old enemy of Aquaman’s, seemingly has his old foe beaten with fish that obey his commands. But Aquaman exposes Harry’s “fish” as robots, and defeats him by short-circuiting his control box with electric eels.
Detective Comics No. 295
September 1961
Story: “The Curse of the Sea Hermit” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #55; next appears in SUPERMAN #148), Aqualad
Cameo appearance: Chitaq (an Aztec sorcerer; in a story; first and only appearance)
Villains: The “Sea Hermit” and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps Superman pay his taxes in SUPERMAN #148 and then aids the Justice League in their fight against aliens from Angellax in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad deal with the phenomenon of a houseboat owner who seems to affect all who come near him with a strange and deadly curse.
Detective Comics No. 296
October 1961
Story: “The Mystery of Demon Island” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7; next appears in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #29), Aqualad
Villain: The Sea Demon (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps Lois Lane and the Justice League save Superman in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #29.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad capture the Sea Demon, a crooked skin-diver extorting tribute from islanders by dressing up in a demon costume, imitating a legendary demon, and using an electrically-gimmicked trident.
Detective Comics No. 297
November 1961
Story: “Aqualad, Stand-In for a Star” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: unknown
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #29; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8), Aqualad
Intro: Barry Blaine, Linda (only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Pete Ricketts and the Top Ten in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8.
Synopsis: Aqualad agrees to do stunts for a young movie star playing “Sea-Boy”, an aquatic hero, but finds working for the pampered actor something of a burden.
Detective Comics No. 298
December 1961
Story: “The Secret Sentry of the Sea” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8; next appears in AQUAMAN #1), Aqualad (next appears in AQUAMAN #1)
Intro: Diplomats from two warring nations (only appearance)
Villains: Agents of the warring nations (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad protect diplomats from two warring nations while they work out a peace treaty on a ship at sea, supposedly in secret but attacked time and again by belligerents from both nations. Eventually, Aquaman discovers that the ship has been located by a mechanical “fish” with a transmitter, and destroys it.
Aquaman No. 1
January-February 1962
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and fire-trolls //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Invasion of the Fire-Trolls” (Chapter 1; 9 pages)
Chapter 2: “One Hour to Doom” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Sinister Secret of the Fire Trolls” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (both between DETECTIVE COMICS #298 / 299)
Supporting Character: Quisp (first appearance; next appears in issue #4)
Intro: Water Sprites
Villains: The Fire Trolls (first and only appearance)
Comment: This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “Wonders of the Water World.”
Synopsis: Quisp, a Water Sprite, summons Aquaman and Aqualad to help deal with Fire Trolls who have emerged from the fissure of an erupting underwater volcano. The Fire Trolls are impervious to anything except extreme cold, and a freezing solution created by a scientist is in too small supply to defeat them. However, when a combination of the freezing spray and Quisp’s power temporarily shrinks Aquaman and Aqualad, the two heroes are inspired to defeat the Fire Trolls by the same means and seal them back into their fissure forever.
Detective Comics No. 299
January 1962
Story: “Aquaman’s Secret Teacher” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in AQUAMAN #1; next appears in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #30), Aqualad (last appearance in AQUAMAN #1)
Intro: Captain Bean, Mabel (his granddaughter; only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman aids Superman in helping out Lois Lane in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #30, then helps the Justice League celebrate their anniversary in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9.
Synopsis: Captain Bean, an old retired mariner, has a habit of spinning tall tales to local children in Seaville of how he taught Aquaman everything he knew. His granddaughter, Mabel, isn’t pleased and asks Bean to stop telling the kids such stuff, despite the fact that it makes him a hero to them. When Aquaman and Aqualad come ashore to see a plaque Seaville has put up to honor them, they meet the captain, much to the latter’s flusterment. But when a typhoon threatens a small ship offshore, Bean makes a suggestion that gives Aquaman a way of saving it. Afterward, Aquaman thanks the Captain for his advice in front of an audience of children, and Mabel says that she’ll never again stop him from spinning yarns about Aquaman.
Detective Comics No. 300
February 1962
Story: “The Mystery of the Undersea Safari” (6 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9; next appears in AQUAMAN #2), Aqualad (next appears in AQUAMAN #2)
Intro: Prof. Peters (only appearance)
Villains: Jeffers and his cohorts (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: This is the last Aquaman story in DETECTIVE COMICS.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad are deceived by a crook named Jeffers and his cohorts, posing as members of Professor Jeffers’s expedition, into running a gauntlet of traps set by the ancient keepers of the golden Idols of Idora in order to find Jeffers, whom they fear has been harmed. In reality, the gang was only intent on getting Aquaman and Aqualad to spring and defeat the traps, which they do; Jeffers, having a map with the hazards clearly marked, is safe and in possession of the idols. When Jeffers and his men hold Peters, Aquaman, and Aqualad at gunpoint, Aquaman fakes a final trap with the help of octopi and scares Jeffers into surrendering in return for defeating the last trap.
Aquaman No. 2
March-April 1962
Cover: Aquaman vs. giant Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “Captain Sykes’ Deadly Missions” (Chapter 1; 9 pages)
Chapter 2: “Prisoners of Pecos Island” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Menace of the Genie-Creatures” (8 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE COMICS #300)
Villain: Captain Sykes (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: By capturing a ship and its crew, the pirate Captain Sykes forces Aquaman and Aqualad to go on a quest to bring back a wizard’s magic chest to him.
Aquaman No. 3
May-June 1962
Cover: Aquaman commanding fish to snatch arrows fired by Persians //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Aquaman From Atlantis” (chapter 1; 7 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Double Doom” (9 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Battle of the Fish Armies” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10), Aqualad (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #125)
Intro: Stamar (king of Atlantis; named in issue #7, his next appearance)
GS: Atlanteans
Villain: Pomoxis (first appearance; next appears in issue #7)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League of America fight Felix Faust, the Lord of Time, and Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10-11.
Synopsis: An Atlantean villain named Pomoxis tricks Aquaman into a time-warp that inserts him into a battle between ancient Persians and Greeks, while he impersonates Aquaman and begins raiding ships for loot.
World’s Finest Comics No. 125
May 1962
Story: “Aquaman’s Super Sidekick” (7 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #11 / 12), Aqualad (last appearance in AQUAMAN #3)
Villains: Captain Claw and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Dr. Light in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #12.
Synopsis: Since Aqualad is the only witness to an act of piracy committed by Captain Claw, the pirate’s gang makes an attempt to kill him before he can testify on the morrow. Aqualad and Aquaman are exploring a wrecked ship when vapors engulf the lad from an old chest with an inscription that the opener will gain super-strength for 12 hours. Neither one believes the legend, but both pretend in public that it is true, to ward off Claw’s assassination attempts, and Aquaman uses his sea creatures to secretly make it look as though Aqualad has incredible strength. However, members of Claw’s gang, in secret, overhear Aquaman admit the hoax, trap him, and try to ram him with a sub. As it turns out, Aqualad really does have super-strength from the vapor exposure, and is able to wreck the sub and tow it to the surface. But, minutes later, the deadline expires and he returns to his normal strength again.
World’s Finest Comics No. 126
June 1962
Story: “Aquaman’s Super Sea Circus” (7 pages) Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #12; next appears in AQUAMAN #4), Aqualad (next appears in AQUAMAN #4)
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad stage a sea circus for charity, but Topo the octopus botches things by grandstanding. When Aquaman is knocked unconscious by one of Topo’s blunders, thieves steal the proceeds, and both Aquaman and Aqualad are trapped by the crooks when they follow. But Topo clambers out of the sea, single-handedly (with eight tentacles) defeats the villains, and releases Aquaman and Aqualad. Aquaman tells Topo that he’s a big ham, and that his audience at the circus is waiting for him.
Aquaman No. 4
July-August 1962
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Quisp vs. Suvians //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Menace of Alien Island” (chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “Quisp’s Last Stand” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Undersea Trap” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #126; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #126 / 127)
Supporting Character: Quisp (between issues #1 / 6)
Intro: The Suvians (only appearance)
Villains: Suvian criminals (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League defeat the Robot Justice League in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13.
Synopsis: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Quisp help a group of alien scientists battle criminals of their race who have gained control of a terrible weapon.
World’s Finest Comics No. 127
August 1962
Story: “Aquaman’s Finny Commandos” (7 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13; next appears in AQUAMAN #5), Aqualad (between AQUAMAN #4 / 5)
Villains: Captain Rader and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman trains new schools of fish to help him cope with Captain Rader, a pirate, but one of Rader’s men spies on them, within a midget submarine disguised to look like a large puffer fish. Rader makes preparations for Aquaman’s tactics, but, instead, when Aquaman and Aqualad turn up to battle him, they use new forms of fish as allies that Rader has not prepared himself for. The defeated pirate asks Aquaman how he knew about his preparations, Aquaman replies that a real puffer fish floats upside down, unlike the phony puffer Rader’s man used.
Aquaman No. 5
September-October 1962
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. Merder //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Haunted Sea” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Deadly Trap in Coral Mountain” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “A Sorcerer Rules the Waves” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127 / 128)
Intro: Baron Debois (in flashback; only appearance)
Villains: Merder, Freedloy, and their minions (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League induct the Atom and battle Mr. Memory in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad are tricked into restoring an evil sorcerer from a micro-world to his full size, whereupon he menaces them and the sea world.
World’s Finest Comics No. 128
September 1962
Story: “The Trial of Aquaman” (7 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14; next appears in AQUAMAN #6), Aqualad (between AQUAMAN #5 / 6)
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Intro: Captain Alvin Stone and other witnesses (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman commits acts of thievery, is caught, jailed, tried, and convicted. But a gang of crooks frees him from the police and take him to their hideout, where they have Aqualad as a captive, having forced him earlier to commit the crimes or risk harm to his partner. Now they think Aquaman is a true ally--but he takes the opportunity to free Aqualad and capture the gang. Later, he reveals the entire operation was a hoax to lure the crooks out of hiding and rescue Aqualad.
Aquaman No. 6
November-December 1962
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. Quisp and Quink //Nick Cardy
Story: “Too Many Quisps” (Chapter 1; 7 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Beasts From the Water World” (9 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Water-Sprite Raider” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #128; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #15), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #128 / 129)
Supporting Character: Quisp (last appearance in issue #4)
Intro: Quink (Quisp’s brother; only appearance)
Villains: Quirk (first appearance; next appears in issue #10), Captain Slade (first and only appearance)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League deal with untouchable aliens in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #15.
This issue also contains the two-page feature “The First Frogmen” (Art: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito) and the one-page text feature, “Mystery Denizens of the Deep”.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad run afoul of a hostile Water Sprite they take to be Quisp. However, when they encounter the real Quisp later, he informs them that the other sprite is his brother, Quink, who isn’t even mischievous. That thesis gets tested roughly when the threesome find Quink keeping company with Captain Slade, a pirate, who turns Quink’s power against them. As it happens, Quink is on the trail of Quirk, a criminal Water Sprite who has been reported working with an Earth pirate. When Quink encountered Slade, the pirate deceived him into thinking that Aquaman was the pirate. The foursome join forces and finally take down Slade and Quirk.
World’s Finest Comics No. 129
November 1962
Story: “The Menace of the Alien Fish” (7 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #15 / 16), Aqualad (last appearance in AQUAMAN #6)
Intro: A Vulcan space pilot (only appearance)
Villain: An evil Vulcan (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League deal with the case of the Maestro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16.
Synopsis: When three giant fish with incredible powers escape from a spacecraft from the planet Vulcan and begin wreaking havoc on Earth, Aquaman and Aqualad help round up the creatures on behalf of a Vulcan who claims to be their keeper and the pilot of the Vulcan craft. But the heroes soon learn that the Vulcan is a villain who hopes to use the fish to gain power on his homeworld, and the real pilot is captive aboard the ship. Aquaman uses giant turtles to help capture the evil alien, and the pilot thanks them and promises to take the criminal and the fish back to Vulcan.
World’s Finest Comics No. 130
December 1962
Story: “King of the Land Beasts” (7 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16; next appears in AQUAMAN #7), Aqualad (next appears in AQUAMAN #7)
Synopsis: While Aquaman is directing salvage operations on a cargo of chemicals, Aqualad falls asleep and dreams that Aquaman is mutated by the chemicals into an alien-faced villain with control of all land beasts.
Aquaman No. 7
January-February 1963
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. spiked sea beast //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Sea Beasts From Atlantis” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “Doom on Clay Island” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “Prisoners of Atlantis” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #130; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #130 / 131)
Supporting Character: Quisp (next appears in issue #10)
GS: Atlanteans, Stamar (last appearance in issue #3; last appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Tornado Tyrant in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17.
Villains: Pomoxis (last appearance in issue #3; last appearance), Captain Clay (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Pomoxis uses a surface criminal and Quisp as pawns to distract Aquaman and Aqualad so that he may seize power in Atlantis.
World’s Finest Comics No. 131
February 1963
Story: “The Man Who Controlled Water” (7 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17; next appears in AQUAMAN #8), Aqualad (between AQUAMAN #7 / 8)
Villain: Professor Polloy (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Professor Polloy, a criminal scientist, commits acts of piracy with a molecular ray that enables him to harden water and form it into any shape he chooses. Aquaman and Aqualad have a tough battle against their new adversary before destroying Polloy’s ray machine with the help of a giant manta ray.
Aquaman No. 8
March-April 1963
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Syx vs. sea creatures on Oceanus //Nick Cardy Story: “The Plot to Steal the Seas” (Chapter 1; 7 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Double Doom on Planet Oceanus” (9 pages)
Chapter 3: “Marooned in Space” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #131; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #18), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #131 / 132)
Intro: Syx, Phrygians (only appearance)
Villains: Lemur and his minions (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Dr. Destiny and the Super-Justice League in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #18.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad must stop an alien from robbing Earth’s water, but help another alien siphon water from another world to his parched planet.
World’s Finest Comics No. 132
March 1963
Story: “The Fish in the Iron Mask” (7 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #18; next appears in AQUAMAN #9), Aqualad (between AQUAMAN #8 / 9)
Supporting Character: Topo
Villain: Merdo the wizard (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: When Topo the octopus finds a large iron helmet in a cave and tries it on, he becomes possessed by the spirit of Merdo the wizard, whose mind was imprisoned in the helmet centuries ago by another wizard for trying to overthrow his king. Merdo’s spirit gives Topo great strength and the ability to communicate in English, and Aquaman is unable to remove the helmet from Topo against Merdo’s will. Since Merdo wishes to take over the body of Aquaman, the hero pretends to be defeated so that Merdo will order Topo to take off the helmet and place it on Aquaman’s body. An instant after Topo takes the helmet off, Aqualad commands the octopus to drop the helmet, and Topo obeys. Later, Aquaman has the helmet crushed by a giant clam.
Aquaman No. 9
May-June 1963
Cover: Captain Crane as “King Neptune” vs. Aquaman and Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Secret Mission of King Neptune” (chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Menace of the Aqualad-Creature” (7 pages)
Chapter 3: “The End of Aqualad” (10 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132 / 133)
Intro: Captain Crane (only appearance; transformed into “King Neptune” for a time), King Neptune (in flashback; a sorcerer; dies before this story begins)
Comments: The “King Neptune” of this story is not the Olympian god, but a sorcerer of ancient times.
Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League of America fight the protectors of Starzl in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19.
Synopsis: The sea appears menaced by a being called King Neptune, who commands the animals of the oceans and changes Aqualad into a great beast.
World’s Finest Comics No. 133
May 1963
Story: “Aquaman’s New Partner--Aqua-Girl” (7 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19 / 20), Aqualad (last appearance in AQUAMAN #9)
Intro: Aqua-Girl (Selena; only appearance; marries Merlon in this story; not to be confused with the Aquagirl who appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #266, or the Aquagirl who first appears in AQUAMAN #33), Merlon (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of pirates (first and only appearance for all)
Other Characters: The Atlanteans
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman and the Justice League fight Spaceman X in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20.
Synopsis: When Aqualad takes ill and is taken to Atlantis to recuperate, Aquaman fills the gap by taking on a new partner, a girl Atlantean named Selena, whom he dubs “Aqua-Girl.” The new Aqua-Girl performs well as Aquaman’s ally, arousing the jealousy of Aqualad, who fears he will be permanently replaced, and the interest of Merlon, a male Atlantean whom Selena had a crush on but who couldn’t be bothered with her earlier. In the end, Merlon marries Selena, Aqualad heals and is accepted as Aquaman’s partner again, and Aquaman reveals to Aqualad that part of the plan was to make Merlon jealous enough of Aquaman that he would propose to Selena...which he did.
Aquaman No. 10
July-August 1963
Cover: Quirk vs. Aquaman and Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “The War of the Water Sprites” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Doom of Quisp” (9 pages)
Chapter 3: “Aquaman’s Last Chance” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #135), Aqualad (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133 / 135) Supporting Character: Quisp (last appearance in issue #7)
GS: Water Sprites (last appearance in issue #1)
Villains: Quirk (last appearance in issue #6; last appearance), Quilp and another criminal Water Sprite (first and only appearance for both)
Comments: This issue also features the one-page text feature, “City Under the Ice”.
Synopsis: When the criminal Water Sprite Quirk and two of his followers invent a weapon that can take away and restore a sprite’s powers, and discover a strange strain of seaweed which, when eaten, can expand their size and powers gigantically, Quisp follows them to Earth to try and get Aquaman and Aqualad to defeat them. Initially, the evil Water Sprite trio’s powers prove too much for Aquaman and his allies. But, by stealing Quirk’s weapon and then by changing themselves into giants, Aquaman and Aqualad manage to defeat Quirk and his men.
World’s Finest Comics No. 135
August 1963
Story: “The Creatures That Conquered Aquaman” (10 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (both between AQUAMAN #10 / 11)
Intro: Lador (only appearance)
Villains: A group of dimensional alien criminals (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad come upon a band of four green-skinned aliens wearing strange metallic headbands that give them power to project bolts of electrically-based force. The aliens are looting a warehouse, but when the two heroes send whales to block their exit, the outworlders blast the whales aside and are about to do the same to Aquaman when Lador, one of their number, parries their blasts with his own. Lador and Aquaman are taken prisoner by the other aliens and imprisoned in a “cage” of electricity, after Lador’s headband is removed. Lador tells Aquaman that he is from a parallel dimension, inventor of a warp-machine that allows them entry into Aquaman’s world. The alien criminals tricked him into crossing over to Earth to gain elements that would perfect the headbands. When this was done, they declared their intention to loot the Earth. Aqualad diverts the alien crooks’ attention with an assault of sea creatures, then dons Lador’s discarded headband and frees Aquaman and Lador. After some trickery, Aquaman, Aqualad, and Lador strip the villains of their headbands and capture them. Lador destroys the headbands, and tells Aquaman and Aqualad he will take the villains back to his world.
Aquaman No. 11
September-October 1963
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Mera trapped in whirlpool by Leron and his minion //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Doom From Dimension Aqua” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Super Sea Sleuth” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “Prisoners of the Water World” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #135; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #21), Aqualad (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #135)
Supporting Characters: Mera (first appearance; next appears in issue #13), Quisp (last appearance)
Intro: Xebel (next appears in issue #58), other people of Mera’s dimension
Villain: Leron (first appearance; next appears in issue #58)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Aquaman helps the Justice League and Justice Society fight the Crime Champions in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #21-22.
Synopsis: Mera, a water-world queen from another dimension with the power to shape water to her will, is pursued into Earth’s oceans by Leron, an usurper from her world, and she seeks the aid of Aquaman and Aqualad.
Aquaman No. 12
November-December 1963
Cover: Aquaman vs. Xuvia //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Menace of the Land-Sea Beasts” (12 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #22), Aqualad
Intro: Dr. Cyrus Beard (only appearance)
Villain: Kirk (first and only appearance)
Comments: This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “Strangest Denizens of the Deep”.
Synopsis: An evolutionary ray created by Dr. Cyrus Beard appears to be accidentally leaking radiation that turns land animals into savage, amphibious monsters. Aquaman and Aqualad are hard-pressed to deal with the beasts, until they discover that Dr. Beard’s assistant Kirk is behind the animal transformations, looting ships that the beasts destroy. The undersea avengers manage to capture Kirk and use the device to restore the animals to normalcy.
Story: “The Cosmic Gladiators” (13 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears, behind the scenes, in SUPERMAN #165), Aqualad (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #137)
Intro: Styz, Myrot, and other water-beings, Starra and other Sidians (only appearance for all)
Villains: Tiros, Xuvia (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman saves Superman behind the scenes in SUPERMAN #165, helps the Justice League battle the Queen Bee in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 and then briefly appears in THE ATOM #8.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad are kidnapped, along with water-beings from other worlds, to serve as gladiators in the games of Tiros, an alien tyrant from the world of Sidius. But Aquaman rallies the other combatants to lead a revolt against Tiros and, with the help of rebels led by Starra, Tiros--and the traitorous gladiator Xuvia--are defeated, and Aquaman and Aqualad are returned to Earth.
World’s Finest Comics No. 137
November 1963
Story: “The Day Aquaman Lost His Powers” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in THE ATOM #8; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #51), Aqualad (last appearance in AQUAMAN #12; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #51)
Intro: Captain Toby (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Aquaman and Aqualad team with Hawkman and Hawkgirl to defeat Tyros (not Tiros) in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #51, then Aquaman helps the Justice League and Adam Strange battle Kanjar Ro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #24.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad are hard-pressed to deal with a band of scuba-diving pirates when a shot of strange fumes from an undersea dragon-urn depletes their super-powers. But a second dose of the fumes restores Aquaman’s powers, and he takes the opportunity to catch the crooks and then restore Aqualad’s powers as well.
Aquaman No. 13
January-February 1964
Cover: Mera vs. Aquaman and Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “Invasion of the Giant Reptiles” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “Queen Mera vs. King Aquaman” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “Aquaman Strikes Back” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #24; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139), Aqualad (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #51; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in issue #11)
Villains: Niccol and two other criminals (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A gigantic seaquake opens a multiple time-warp that admits aquatic dinosaurs from the ancient past and Niccol and other criminals from the year 2098 into Aquaman’s present. The seaquake is even felt in Mera’s fourth-dimensional world, and she comes to Earth to investigate. The criminals take control of Mera and the dinosaurs with a thought-control ray from their era and briefly turn them all against Aquaman and Aqualad, until the two heroes seize the weapon and free them from the villains’ domination. The dinosaurs and criminals are restored to their proper eras, and Aquaman destroys the futuristic weapons.
World’s Finest Comics No. 139
February 1964
Story: “The Doom Hunters” (10 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Jack Miller Artist: Ramona Fradon
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (both between AQUAMAN #13 / 14)
Villains: Wally Welky and two gunmen (first and only appearance for all)
Intro: Tom Blake and other members of the Daredevil’s Club (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: After Aquaman and Aqualad refuse to place prize markers for an undersea treasure hunt in dangerous areas, Wally Welky, head of the Daredevils’ Club, goes ahead with it on his own. Aquaman has to rescue one of the contestants from a whirlpool, thus indicating the need for he and Aqualad to look after the others. When Tom Blake, another member, almost dies from a deliberately-set trap, Aquaman lures Welky into revealing his intentions to murder Blake, his cousin, and thus gain Blake’s uncle’s wealth by inheritance. The heroes capture Welky and his confederates.
Aquaman No. 14
March-April 1964
Cover: Aquaman trapped in goo and deserted by Aqualad, Mera, and Atlanteans //Nick Cardy
Story: “Aquaman’s Secret Powers” (13 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (last appearance for both in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139)
Intro: An old man (dies in this story), Jenkins (only appearance)
Synopsis: Before he dies, a grateful old man sprinkles Aquaman with a magic powder that enables him to transform his body four times into different shapes.
Story: “The Tyrant Ruler of Atlantis” (12 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Jack Miller
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #26), Aqualad
Supporting Character: Mera
GS: Atlanteans
Comment: Shortly after this story, Aquaman aids the Justice League in their battle against Despero in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #26.
Synopsis: Aquaman suffers a concussion that causes him to believe he is the tyrannical king of Atlantis, and that Mera is his queen.
Aquaman No. 15
May-June 1964
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad menaced by Deering’s machine //Nick Cardy
Story: “Menace of the Man-Fish” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Underwater Puppets” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Water Breathers of Sunken City” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #26 / 27), Aqualad (next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54)
GS: Mera
Villain: Dr. Deering (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle “I” in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 and monitor Green Lantern’s battle with the Protonic Force in GREEN LANTERN (2nd series) #29. Then Aqualad teams up with Robin and Kid Flash to battle Mr. Twister in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54, in which Aquaman also briefly appears. Then Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Headmaster Mind and other villains in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28.
This issue also contains a one-page text feature, “Underwater Oddities”.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad are present when Dr. Deering, a scientist, is turned into a water-breather by a backfired experiment. Deering, who has also created a gigantic underwater construction machine, is maddened by his fate, uses his machine to steal skyscrapers, and then builds a “city” of his own beneath the sea. When he tries to populate it with persons from a stolen ship, Aquaman and Aqualad intervene. Deering captures them, but Mera arrives on a visit from her world and frees her friends. Finally, Deering’s ability to breathe underwater wears off, as does his madness, and Aquaman saves his life. Aqualad helps put back the skyscrapers with Deering’s machine.
Aquaman No. 16
July-August 1964
Cover: Rovere (as Aquaman), Syrene, Mera, and Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Duel of the Sea Queens” (8 pages)
Chapter 2: “Aquaman’s Last Battle” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “Marooned in Space” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28; next appears in ACTION COMICS #314), Aqualad (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54; next appears in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #78)
GS: Mera
Intro: Rovere, Sirene (two aliens; only appearance)
Villains: Stellor and his gang (first and only appearance)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aqualad helps Superman test Jimmy Olsen in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #78, then Aquaman helps the Justice League investigate possible alternate origins of Superman in ACTION COMICS #314.
Synopsis: Rovere and Syrene, two green-skinned aliens with chameleon-like changing powers and water-shaping powers like Mera’s, arrive on Earth, in flight from Stellor, a revenge-seeking bandit from their world with whom Rovere was once involved. Rovere briefly imprisons and impersonates Aquaman to try and throw Stellor off his track, but Mera and Aqualad defeat both him and Syrene, learn their story, and force them to bring back Aquaman. Stellor arrives on Earth with his gang. Aquaman and his four allies eventually defeat him, and Rovere and Sirene return to their world.
Aquaman No. 17
September-October 1964
Cover: Poseidon vs. Mera, Aquaman, and Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Man Who Vanquished Aquaman” (8 pages)
Chapter 2: “The Golden Apple of Doom” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “The Creature That Went Berserk” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #314; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29), Aqualad (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #78)
Supporting Character: Mera
Villains: Poseidon, Proteus (first and only appearance for both)
GS: Zeus, Olympian gods
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman briefly appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29 and helps initiate Hawkman in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31.
This issue also contains a one-page text feature, “Underwater Masters of Disguise”.
Synopsis: Poseidon, Olympian god of the sea, peers into the future with the help of Proteus, his court sorcerer, beholds Mera, and wishes to take her for a wife. Proteus provides Poseidon with “time pods” that allow him to travel back and forth in time. When Poseidon abducts Mera, Aquaman steals one of the Olympian’s time pods and follows him. Zeus proposes a contest to retrieve a golden apple beneath the sea, with Mera going to the winner. Despite Poseidon’s cheating, Aquaman manages to win the contest. Angered, Poseidon takes Mera and flees to Aquaman’s time. Aquaman and Aqualad follow, with the help of Zeus, and save both Mera and Poseidon from a berserk creature created by Mera. Poseidon vows to mend his ways, and Aquaman gives him a pod with which he can travel back to his normal era.
Aquaman No. 18
November-December 1964
Cover: Atlantean minister, Batman, Atom, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Hawkman, J’onn J’onzz, Green Arrow, Aqualad, and Robin at the wedding of Aquaman and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Wife of Aquaman” (25 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; becomes king of Atlantis and marries Mera in this story), Aqualad
GA: Atom (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; next appears in THE ATOM #16), Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #333), Hawkman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; next appears in HAWKMAN #5), Flash, J’onn J’onzz (last appearance of both in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; both next appear in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #56), Superman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #145), Wonder Woman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31; next appears in WONDER WOMAN #151;all teamed as the Justice League of America; between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31 / 32), Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #167; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #333)
Supporting Character: Mera (loses her powers and marries Aquaman in this story)
GS: Atlanteans
Villain: Oceanus (first and only appearance)
Comments: Green Arrow appears on the cover of this issue but not in the story proper. It is probable that he does attend Aquaman’s wedding, even though he is not shown among the guests on page 25.
This issue also features a one-page text feature, “Escape to the Sea”.
Synopsis: With the death of their previous king, the Atlanteans crown Aquaman as their new monarch. Atlantean law demands the king be married to an Atlantean, and they insist Aquaman choose a bride. But he stalls, not being in love with any Atlantean girl. Soon they discover Mera, who has chosen exile to Earth, since the portal between their worlds cannot be opened for a long time to come. She has been followed by Oceanus, a desperado from her world who removed her water-shaping powers with a ray. Aquaman tells Mera he cannot marry her, though he does not tell her why, and she leaves, broken-hearted.
Mera opts to throw in with Oceanus, who uses his water-shaping powers to conquer Atlantis and make himself and Mera its king and queen. When Aquaman and Aqualad return, Oceanus almost destroys them, but Mera has their lives spared on condition they become servants. Later, when Aquaman and Aqualad try to capture Oceanus, he threatens to kill them with a water-creature of his making. Mera wrests the power-sapping ray-gun from Oceanus and intends to use it on him, still being in love with Aquaman. Oceanus makes a deal: if she allows him to escape and does not use the ray on him, he will destroy his creature. Mera agrees, and Oceanus honors his end of the bargain. Later, Aquaman explains his reason for not agreeing to wed Mera, and she understands. But Aqualad suggests a way out of their dilemma: Aquaman, as king, can declare Mera an honorary Atlantean, and thus marry her. The sea king makes the proclamation, and then proposes to Mera. She accepts.
Shortly afterward, Aquaman and Mera are wed, with Aqualad, Robin, and most of the Justice League of America in attendance.
Aquaman No. 19
January-February 1965
Cover: Aquaman and Mera threatened by sea beast as Nikkor escapes through dimensional warp //Nick Cardy
Story: “Atlanteans For Sale” (25 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33), Aqualad
Supporting Character: Mera
Intro: Zoraster (only appearance), Kreon (next appears in issue #25)
Villains: Nikkor (first appearance; dies in this story), I. I. Taggart (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle the Alien-Ator in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33. Synopsis: An opportunist from Mera’s dimension enslaves her with a potion to make himself king of Atlantis, while a crooked land-based promoter forces Aquaman and his subjects to perform for him in a sea-show.
Aquaman No. 20
March-April 1965
Cover: Kaltor-beast, Aqualad, Mera, and Aquaman //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Sea King’s Double Doom” (25 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33; next appears in flashback in TEEN TITANS #53), Aqualad (next appears in flashback in TEEN TITANS #53)
Supporting Character: Mera
Origin: Aquaman (details; in flashback)
Intro: Kaltor, Starene (only appearance for both), Sea Imp (also called Imp; Aqualad’s sea horse)
Villain: Lukhan (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman and Aqualad become involved in the Justice League’s and Teen Titans’ battle against the Antithesis, as told in flashback in TEEN TITANS #53. Then Aqualad helps the Teen Titans fight Kravik and DIABLO in TEEN TITANS #4.
This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “They’re Real, Live Fish!”.
Synopsis: When an Atlantean is menaced by a great two-headed beast, Aquaman rescues the man, and meets a newcomer--Kaltor, an Atlantean who trained him in the use of his powers when he was a teenager. Now Kaltor claims that his fighting strength has waned, and makes Aquaman swear a sacred oath two destroy the two-headed monster. But Kaltor’s daughter Starene arrives, and is sorrowful that her father has made Aquaman swear the oath. Later, the monster kidnaps Mera, but Aquaman refuses to let Aqualad destroy it, opting to capture it instead. As the sea king deduced, the two-headed beast soon metamorphoses into Kaltor. The Atlantean tells Aquaman that, since being exposed to strange fumes in an underwater mine, he has been transformed periodically into the monster, and fears the next change will be permanent. Kaltor becomes the beast again, and, after Aquaman finds Mera, the sea king steels himself and slays the creature. But the monster transforms back into a living Kaltor, who is reunited with his daughter Starene. Aquaman says that the “death” of the monster was evidently the antidote to Kaltor’s curse.
Aquaman No. 21
May-June 1965
Cover: Aquaman (as a giant), Mera, Aqualad, Atlanteans //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Fearful Freak From Atlantis” (25 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #53 (flashback); next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #4; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #60)
Supporting Character: Mera GS: Atlanteans
Intro: Professor Brant (dies in this story)
Villains: The Fisherman and his gang (first appearance for all; next appears in issue #24)
Comment: This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “Serpents, Serpents Everywhere!”.
Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League of America fight Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans battle the Separated Man in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #60, in which Aquaman also briefly appears. Then Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Brain Storm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #36.
Synopsis: Aquaman is turned into a giant when a growth serum created by his friend Professor Brant accidentally splashes on him. Brant is killed by members of a gang headed by The Fisherman, an underwater bandit. The Fisherman steals the serum and uses it to menace Atlantis, which he hopes to loot. Aquaman fights off the Fisherman, who also makes himself a giant for a time. Both Aquaman and the Fisherman are later restored to their normal size.
Aquaman No. 22
July-August 1965
Cover: Mera and Hila menacing Aquaman //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Trap of the Sinister Sea Nymphs” (25 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #36), Aqualad (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #60)
Supporting Character: Mera (regains her water-shaping powers in this story)
Intro: Hila (Mera’s twin sister; only appearance), Prof. Kreon (last appearance in issue #19; last appearance)
Villains: Kandor (first and only appearance; not to be confused with the Kryptonian city in SUPERMAN), Armadillo Men (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: When Mera’s twin sister Hila is exiled with her lover Kandor for a crime that they did not commit, Kandor uses her to lure Aquaman into a trap to try to wrest from him the secret of the Seven Golden Eels. The Eels, when grasped, confer incredible powers on their holder. Aquaman refuses, and runs a gantlet of traps. Meanwhile, Mera’s water-shaping powers are restored by Professor Kreon of her dimensional world. Eventually, Kandor, Hila, Aquaman, and Mera find themselves allied in battle against the menacing Armadillo Men. After their victory, they are approached by Aqualad, who tells them that Kandor and Hira have been cleared in their world. The two lovers decide to return home.
Aquaman No. 23
September-October 1965
Cover: Aquaman, Mera, Aquababy, and a monster-fish //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Birth of Aquababy” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy (Arthur Curry, Jr.; first appearance; born in this story; Aquaman’s and Mera’s son)
Intro: Storm (Aquaman’s sea horse; named in issue #?)
Villains: Sinquo, the Sirens (first and only appearance for all), the Horrkas (first appearance; all die in this story)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman briefly appears with the Justice League in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38.
This issue also contains the one-page text feature, “History On the Rocks”.
Synopsis: Aquaman learns from an Atlantean doctor that Mera, who is about to deliver his child, will be doomed by a hereditary disease which runs in Aquaman’s family (as will the baby), if she does not receive an antidote made from an anemone root in the Gulf of Terrors, far from Atlantis. The sea king and Aqualad complete a perilous odyssey to the gulf and get the antidote from an exiled criminal of Atlantis, Sinquo. Mera receives the antidote in time and safely bears their son, Arthur Curry, Jr., alias “Aquababy”. However, Aquababy has been given strange powers by the serum, which threaten Atlantis. Aquaman opines that Sinquo added something to the serum that gave his son the out-of-control powers. The Atlanteans demand that Aquababy be taken away from the city, and Aquaman, Mera, Aqualad, and Aquababy go into exile. But when the mutant Horrkas attack the family, Aquababy blasts them away, exhausing his powers in the process. Thus, Aquaman and his family are able to return to Atlantis.
Aquaman No. 24
November-December 1965
Cover: The Fisherman, Karla, and the Un-Thing vs. Aquaman and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “Aquaman, Save Our Seas” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40), Aqualad (next appears in SHOWCASE #59)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Villains: Karla (first and only appearance), the Un-Thing (first and only appearance), the Fisherman (last appearance in issue #21; next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #443; all three teamed as the Terrible Trio), “Them” (two aliens; first appearance; both die in this story)
Comment: This issue also contains a one-page text feature, “Power From the Seas”.
Shortly after this story, Aquaman helps the Justice League deal with the machinations of Andrew Helm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40. Then Aqualad helps the Teen Titans deal with the phony Flips in SHOWCASE #59, in which Aquaman also briefly appears. Then Aquaman helps the Justice League battle the Key in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41.
Synopsis: Two alien invaders in a flying saucer wish to conquer Earth for the expansion of their people, but, since water is deadly to their race, they assemble a group of three super-villains--the Fisherman, fire-haired Karla, and the invisible Un-Thing, known collectively as the Terrible Trio--to help them steal the seas from Earth with a satellite’s power. The Terrible Trio run afoul of Aquaman, Aqualad, and Mera, but later ally themselves with the heroes against the aliens, who are destroyed by their own satellite. Aquaman turns the villains over to the authorities, but asks that they be lenient.
Aquaman No. 25
January-February 1966
Cover: Aquaman and Aquaboy II vs. Attucka //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Revolt of Aquaboy” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer:
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41 / 42), Aqualad (last appearance in SHOWCASE #59; next appears in TEEN TITANS #1)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy (briefly becomes Aquaboy II in this story)
Intro: Storm, Sea Imp (Aquaman’s and Aqualad’s sea horses)
Villains: Tamerkhan, Liat, Attucka (first appearance for all; all die in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Metamorpho fight the Unimaginable in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42, and Aqualad aids the Teen Titans in their confrontation with the “beast-god” in TEEN TITANS #1 (in which story Aquaman and Mera briefly appear) and with Garn in TEEN TITANS #2. [Aquaman’s brief appearance in THE FLASH #158 also goes around here]
Synopsis: An ancient wizard, his daughter, and a four-armed warrior from Genghis Khan’s time invade Atlantis, age Aquababy into a teenage Aquaboy, and mentally control him to gain dominance over Atlantis.
Aquaman No. 26
March-April 1966
Cover: Huntress vs. Aquaman and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “From O.G.R.E. With Hate” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #1)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #1)
Villains: The Huntress (first and only appearance; not to be confused with the Wildcat villainess from Earth-Two or her Earth-One counterpart, or the Justice Society / Infinity, Inc. heroine), Typhoon, the Supreme One (first and only appearance for both), O.G.R.E. (Organization for General Revenge and Enslavement; a criminal organization; first appearance; next appears in issue #31)
Comments: This issue contains the first letters column.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera go undercover as “Mr. and Mrs. Waterman”, a vacationing couple, to help American intelligence discover the current plot of O.G.R.E., a criminal band. The Supreme One, a high-level O.G.R.E. agent, sends his operatives The Huntress and Typhoon to attempt assassination of them. After an initial battle with the villains, Aquaman and Mera succeed in turning the Huntress and Typhoon to their side. The Supreme One, who had discovered and taken over a deserted secret atomic rocket factory, is apprehended and unmasked as the manager of a hotel at which Aquaman and Mera were staying.
Aquaman No. 27
May-June 1966 Cover: Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad vs. giant Aquaman and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Battle of the Rival Aquamen” (8 pages)
Part 2: “The Aquarium of Space” (8 pages)
Part 3: “The Underwater Round-Up” (9 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #44), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #2 / 3)
Supporting Characters: Mera
Villains: Xen and his minions (first and only appearance for all)
Intro: The Blubber Man, the Shell-Back Man, the Eel Man, and the Fluorescent Water-Man (only appearance for all)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Unimaginable in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #44 and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans battle Ding-Dong Daddy Dowd in TEEN TITANS #3.
Synopsis: Xen, an alien from another solar system, is collecting specimens of underwater beings from the worlds in Earth’s solar system. By using a device to create huge duplicates of Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad, he adds the trio to his captive exhibit. But the threesome rally their fellow prisoners, battle and defeat Xen, and see their allies returned to their native worlds.
Aquaman No. 28
July-August 1966
Cover: Dr. Starbuck and Aquababy watching as Boduhr’s hands hold trident over Aquaman //Nick Cardy
Story: “Hail Aquababy, New King of Atlantis” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #44), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #3)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy (exhibits water-hardening powers in this story)
Intro: Captain “Forty-Knot” Bradley, Ed, Mac (only appearance for all)
Villains: Dr. Starbuck, Boduhr (a gorilla), Krakka (an eagle; first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Dr. Starbuck, a scientist who has given himself and his pet gorilla and eagle amphibian capabilities, takes over Atlantis in Aquaman’s absence with Aquababy as regent and begins a tyrannical reign.
Aquaman No. 29
September-October 1966
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. Ocean Master //Nick Cardy
Story: “Aquaman, Coward-King of the Seas” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (next appears in TEEN TITANS #5) Villain: The Ocean Master (first appearance; Orm Marius, nee Orm Curry; Aquaman’s brother; next appears in issue #32)
Origin: Aquaman (details)
Intro: Captain “Forty-Knot” Burke (only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aqualad and the Teen Titans encounter the Ant in TEEN TITANS #5.
Synopsis: When the Ocean Master endangers all shipping via a booby-trapped whale that causes aquatic disasters, Aquaman and Aqualad are called upon to stop him. But Aquaman refuses to fight the Ocean Master, though he and Aqualad do destroy the whale. The Sea King explains that Ocean Master is really Orm, his half-brother. Tom Curry, Aquaman’s father, remarried after the death of Aquaman’s mother and had another son, who was jealous of his older sibling and got into trouble repeatedly. A blow to the head caused him amnesia, after which he eventually became the Ocean Master. Though the villain gets away, Aquaman knows that he will face him again in the future, and does not know what his course of action will be.
Aquaman No. 30
November-December 1966
Cover: Aqualad, Mera, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Metamorpho, and Hawkman at duplicate Aquaman’s funeral //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Death of Aquaman” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #50), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #5 / 6)
GA: Superman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #342; next appears in SUPERMAN #191), Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #356; next appears in BATMAN #186), Flash (last appearance in FLASH #165; next appears in BLACKHAWK #228), Hawkman (between HAWKMAN #16 / 17; all teamed as the Justice League of America; between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #49 / 50), Metamorpho (between METAMORPHO #8 / 9)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Intro: A duplicate Aquaman, Professor Larcher, an alien scientist (all die in this story)
Villains: Mongo, the Cruel One (an android), warriors of Necrus (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Lord of Time in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #50, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans and Beast Boy fight Baltzer and Vorna in TEEN TITANS #6.
Wonder Woman is seen on the cover but not depicted in this story.
Metamorpho is not depicted clearly in the story but a shadowed figure does appear bearing Aquaman’s body on page 21, panel 1 in the precise position in which he is depicted on the cover, so we assume that this is intended to be him.
Synopsis: Even though Aquaman is imprisoned by Mongo, the tyrant of the evil undersea city of Necrus, he is able to employ an alien duplicator device to create a second Aquaman to save Atlantis from the villain. But the duplicate Aquaman dies in battle.
Aquaman No. 31 January-February 1967
Cover: Aquaman vs. O.G.R.E. agents //Nick Cardy
Story: “O.G.R.E. Strikes Back” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #50 / 52), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #6 / 7)
Supporting Character: Mera
Intro: The Tall Man, Lt. Blake
Villains: Krako (first and only appearance), O.G.R.E. (between issues #26 / 53)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman appears briefly in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #52, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans battle the Mad Mod in TEEN TITANS #7.
Synopsis: Krako, the twin brother of Aquaman’s American intelligence contact the Tall Man, impersonates his brother and tricks Aquaman into “safeguarding” the United Nations with an impenetrable water barrier that actually imprisons them. O.G.R.E., Krako’s organization, attempts to extort money from member nations for their delegates’ release. Aquaman briefly becomes a fugitive due to his part in the plot, however inadvertent. But, with Mera’s help, Aquaman releases the delegates, clears his name, and foils O.G.R.E. once again.
Aquaman No. 32
March-April 1967
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. giant hand of Dr. Tryton //Nick Cardy
Story: “Tryton the Terrible” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #52), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #7 / 8)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Villains: Dr. Tryton (first appearance; dies in this story), Ocean Master (between issues #29 / #35)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aqualad aids the Teen Titans in their battle against Karl Larner in TEEN TITANS #8.
Synopsis: Aquaman faces double dangers--the Ocean Master, who has stolen an American atomic missile, not knowing the device is primed to detonate soon, and Dr. Tryton, an ancient Atlantean scientist transformed into a maddened giant. Nonetheless, Tryton wrests the weapon away from the Ocean Master and smothers its detonation with his own body, dying in the process. The Ocean Master escapes, swearing vengeance on Aquaman.
Aquaman No. 33
May-June 1967
Cover: Aquagirl and Aqualad towing police launch into bell buoy; Aquaman vignette //Nick Cardy
Story: “Aqualad’s Deep-Six Chick” (24 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #74), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #8 / 9)
Intro: Aquagirl (Tula; also spelled Aqua-Girl; origin; next appears in issue #40; not to be confused with the Aquagirl who appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #266 or Aqua-Girl, who appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Villain: Dr. Dorsal (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman briefly appears with the Justice League in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #74, then helps them fight a weapons thief in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #53, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans fight Captain Tiger in TEEN TITANS #9.
Synopsis: Aqualad, feeling unappreciated and lonely, encounters Tula, an Atlantean girl who has fallen for him, and the two decide to leave Atlantis and strike out on their own. Tula designs a brief two-piece costume for herself, and Aqualad renames her “Aquachick”, later amended to Aquagirl. The twosome get a gig as go-go dancers for Dr. Dorsal’s underwater discotheque. Dorsal, a renegade from Mera’s world, hypnotizes Garth and Tula into committing crimes for him. Aquaman infiltrates Dorsal’s gang, disguised as “Old Shellpicker”. When Aquaman is injured by a depth charge blast, the sight shocks Aqualad and Aquagirl back to normalcy and they chase Dorsal back to his own dimension.
Aquaman No. 34
July-August 1967
Cover: Aquabeast vs. Aquaman and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “Aquabeast the Abominable” (23 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #53; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #9 / 10)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy (both next appear in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73)
Villains: Aquabeast (Peter Dudley), Hammuri (first and only appearance for both; both possibly die in this story)
Intro: Dr. Hans Ludorf (only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aqualad helps the Teen Titans against the Scorcher in TEEN TITANS #10, Aquaman and Aqualad team up with the Atom to battle Galg in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73, and Aquaman attends the first Flash-Superman race in SUPERMAN #199.
Synopsis: When playboy millionaire Peter Dudley falls in love with Mera, he hires scientist Dr. Hans Ludorf to turn him into a duplicate of Aquaman. Unfortunately, the process goes awry, and Dudley is turned into a hulking, super-powerful, distorted version of Aquaman, who calls himself “Aquabeast”. Aquabeast invades Atlantis, defeats Aquaman in battle, and abducts Mera. But the villain runs afoul of Hammuri, an alien invader on the ocean floor, and does battle with him to keep him from harming Mera. Both Aquabeast and Hammuri fall into a crushing whirlpool and do not emerge. Mera is reunited with Aquaman.
Aquaman No. 35 September-October 1967
Cover: Aquaman vs. Black Manta and Ocean Master //Nick Cardy
Story: “Between Two Dooms” (23 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN #199; next appears in THE FLASH #175), Aqualad (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73; next appears in TEEN TITANS #11)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy, Dr. Vulko (last appearance for all in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73)
Villains: Black Manta (first appearance; next appears in issue #42), Ocean Master (between issues #32 / 37)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman and the Justice League witness the second Superman / Flash race in THE FLASH #175 and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans aid Willie Gregson in TEEN TITANS #11.
The Atlanteans are turned into air-breathers in this story, and remain such through issue #43.
Synopsis: Black Manta attacks Atlantis, and coats its dome with a substance that causes water to boil. The Atlanteans pump the water out of their dome, and Dr. Vulko, Atlantis’s head scientist, inoculates the population with a serum to make them air-breathers. Aquaman, Mera, Aqualad, and Aquababy remain water-breathers, though. In response, Black Manta lures Mera and Aquababy into a trap and kidnaps the child, demanding Aquaman’s surrender.
At that point, the Ocean Master appears, unknowing of what has transpired, and sees Aquaman surrendering to Black Manta. Enraged that his hated enemy should be defeated by another, Ocean Master attacks Manta’s ship. Both enemy craft are destroyed. Black Manta and Ocean Master battle, with Manta deciding to flee. Ocean Master returns Aquababy to an unconscious Aquaman, disdaining to attack his foe in his helpless state, and leaves.
Aquaman No. 36
November-December 1967
Cover: Aquaman held captive by Magneto and Claw //Nick Cardy
Story: “What Seeks the Awesome Threesome?” (23 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #59), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #11 / 12)
GS: Aqua-Girl
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Villains: Magneto, Claw, and Torpedo-Man (the Awesome Threesome), an alien criminal (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Impossibles in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #59, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans battle The Deliverer in TEEN TITANS #12.
Synopsis: At the Atlantean Pavilion of the 21st Century Fair, Aquaman, Aqualad, Aqua-Girl, Mera, and Aquababy are attacked by three powerful robots.
Aquaman No. 37
January-February 1968
Cover: Aquaman, Mera, Aqualad, and Tusky in a decaying sea //Nick Cardy
Story: “When the Sea Dies” (23 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #59 / 60), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #12 / 13)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy
Intro: Tusky (a walrus)
Villains: Ocean Master (last appearance in issue #35; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #82), the Scavenger (first appearance; next appears in issue #59)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Batgirl fight the Queen Bee in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #60, Aqualad joins the Teen Titans in their battle against Mr. Big in TEEN TITANS #13, and Aquaman rejoins the Justice League to fight Dr. Destiny and his minions in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #61.
Synopsis: After a brief battle with Ocean Master, Aquaman meets the Scavenger, a villain whose strange, impenetrable craft can cause sections of the sea to rot and decay. He demands Aquaman help him find a “time decelerator” left by warring aliens in the Earth’s seas, or he will destroy the oceans. Since the time decelerator may be able to confer immortality on its possessor, Ocean Master fights the Scavenger for the right to take it, but does not prevail. However, the Ocean Master finds the device and tries to lure the Scavenger into a trap, though Aquaman prevents his half-brother from springing it. The Scavenger uses the time decelerator on himself and, unexpectedly, de-ages back to infancy, and then to nothingness.
Aquaman No. 38
March-April 1968
Cover: Aquaman vs. the Liquidator //Nick Cardy
Story: “Justice Is Mine, Saith the Liquidator” (23 pages)
Editor: George Kashdan
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #61), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #13 / 14)
Supporting Character: Mera
Intro: The Liquidator (only appearance)
Villain: Lord Ragnar (first appearance; dies in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aqualad aids the Teen Titans in their fight with the Gargoyle in TEEN TITANS #14.
Synopsis: The mutant avenger of the seas, the Liquidator, comes to Atlantis to punish a murderer, who appears to be Aquaman himself.
Aquaman No. 39
May-June 1968
Cover: Aliena vs. Aquaman //Nick Cardy Story: “How to Kill a Sea King” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Nick Cardy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #63), Aqualad (between TEEN TITANS #14 / 15)
Supporting Character: Mera (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #65)
Villains: Aliena, Ka’arl (first appearance for both; both die in this story)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League defeat the Key in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #63 and Dr. Anomaly in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #240 and helps the JLA and Supergirl substitute for Superman in ACTION COMICS #365-366, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans fight Captain Rumble in TEEN TITANS #15. After that, Aquaman helps the Justice League battle T. O. Morrow in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #65. Then Aqualad helps the Teen Titans in their battles against aliens from Dimension X, the Mad Mod, Andre Le Blanc, and Punch in TEEN TITANS #16-19 page 22.
Synopsis: Ka’arl, a Venusian space pirate, uses his beautiful confederate Aliena to induce Aquaman into burying a lode of uritrium, an element whose rays are deadly to Venusians. When the task is done, Ka’arl gives Aliena orders to lure the sea king into a deathtrap. But Aliena is endangered by the trap herself, and Aquaman frees both her and himself. Finally, in a last battle between Ka’arl and Aquaman, Aliena uncovers the uritrium and uses it to kill both herself and Ka’arl, to save the life of Aquaman, with whom she had fallen in love.
Aquaman No. 40
July-August 1968
Cover: Aqualad, Aquaman, and Mera //Nick Cardy
Story: “Sorcerers of the Sea” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #65; next appears in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #115), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #19 pg. 22)
Supporting Characters: Mera (abducted in this story; last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #65; next appears in issue #45), Aquagirl (last appearance in issue #33), Prof. Vulko, Aquababy
Intro: The Queen of a sub-sea people
Villains: The Sorcerers (first and only appearance), Atlantean thieves (first appearance; identity revealed in flashback in issue #46)
Comments: This is the first chapter of the Mera Quest story.
Shortly after this story, Aquaman helps Superman and Jimmy Olsen battle Proteus in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #115.
Synopsis: Aquaman and his family are sleep-drugged and Mera is abducted, but not before Aquaman attempts to save her and is knocked unconscious by a man wearing a five-sided ring on his hand. Aquagirl finds Aquaman, Aqualad, and Aquababy and revives them. Thus, Aquaman and Aqualad begin a quest to find and recover Mera.
The two heroes come upon an underwater medaeval-style city, which is ruled by a group of magicians called “the Sorcerers” and whose queen is a dead ringer for Mera. When Aquaman attempts to snatch the queen, he and Aqualad are taken captive, and Aqualad gets a sword wound in his arm. Aquaman breaks both of them out of jail and gets Aqualad back to Atlantis, where he is hospitalized. Then he returns to the medaeval city, fights past a sorcerous guard, and breaks into the Queen’s private chambers. But Aquaman quickly determines that the Queen is not Mera, only a look-alike with differently-colored eyes, and leaves to begin the quest for Mera anew.
Aquaman No. 41
September-October 1968
Cover: Aquaman being battered by fish //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Trail of the Ring” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #115; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #68), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Aquagirl, Aquababy, Prof. Vulko
Villains: Narkran (first appearance), undersea gnome-creatures (first and only appearance)
Intro: Zancol, inhabitants of an undersea city (only appearance for all)
Comments: This is the second chapter of the Mera Quest.
Immediately after this story, Aquaman interrupts his quest to help the Justice League combat Neverwas in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #68, then is aided by Batman against the Ocean Master in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #82. Ironically, the “one-day” journey Aquaman attempts in this story probably takes over a week.
Synopsis: After Aquaman returns empty-handed, he asks Zancol, an undersea traveller, about the five-sided ring. Zancol replies that such rings can be found in the land of the Maarzons, three days’ journey from Atlantis, except for one direction, through the perilous, unexplored Depths, which will cut his journey down to one day’s duration. On his way, Aquaman first encounters strange yellow gnome-creatures who telepathically induce fish to batter him. Then he comes upon a strange city, where he kills a glowing monster who was about to devour a woman and is arrested for it. Aquaman learns that the monsters provide the city with heat and light, and are allowed to kill the occasional human in return. Before he can be imprisoned, Aquaman breaks free, jumps astride another monster, and rides it out of town, threatening to kill it if the populace doesn’t allow him to leave. Once in the clear, Aquaman leaves the monster, jumps on his sea horse, and resumes his journey.
Aquaman No. 42
November-December 1968
Cover: Aquaman vs. Black Manta //Nick Cardy
Story: “Is This My Foe?” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #82), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Aqualad, Aquagirl, Aquababy
Villains: Black Manta (between issues #35 / 51), Maarzons (first and only appearance), Narkran Cameo appearance: Carmine Infantino (pg. 14, panel 4)
Comments: This is the fourth chapter of the Mera Quest.
Synopsis: Aquaman finally makes it to the land of the Maarzons, a tribe of hostile, primitive underwater people who attack all outsiders. In the midst of the battle, he is astonished to see Black Manta, his old enemy, who has gained dominion over the tribe. When Black Manta learns Aquaman is searching for the missing Mera, he says that Aquaman shall learn of her if he fights him in a personal duel. Aquaman agrees, but is wounded in the arm during the duel. Nonetheless, he defeats Black Manta. The villain manages to become invisible and escape in his undersea craft, but tells Aquaman before he departs that he knows nothing of Mera’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Aqualad is still recuperating from his own wound, and Narkran, whom Aquaman has left as ruler in absentia, is becoming tyrannic.
Aquaman No. 43
January-February 1969
Cover: Aquaman bound to the shoe sole of an undersea giant //Nick Cardy
Story: “To Win Is To Lose” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (appears on pg. 23 of TEEN TITANS #19 between pages 2 and 3 of this story)
Supporting Characters: Aquagirl, Prof. Vulko
Villains: Narkran, the Elfdurians (first appearance)
Intro: Phil Darson (next appears in issue #49), a race of giants (only appearance)
Comment: This is the fifth chapter of the Mera Quest.
Synopsis: While Aquaman encounters a race of slow-moving giants and is taken in by Phil Darson, a surface man in a submarine, Aqualad recovers from his wound and attempts to track down Aquaman, first going to the site of the Sorcerors’ city. But the city has faded into another realm, and the young hero is taken captive by hostile purple beings, the Elfdurans, who force him to fight in their arena as a gladiator. Aqualad fights valorously, but is eventually kayoed. The Elfduran ruler believes Aqualad may be strong enough to defeat the Bugala, a monster that has killed many of their people. Meanwhile, in Atlantis, the populace suffers an earthquake.
Aquaman No. 44
March-April 1969
Cover: Aquaman chained over water by crooks //Nick Cardy
Story: “Underworld Reward” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Villains: Members of a crime syndicate (including Redman and Reynolds; first appearance for all), Max (first appearance; dies in this story), Elfdurians, the Bugala (first appearance; a monster)
Intro: A girl
Comment: This is the sixth chapter of the Mera Quest.
Synopsis: Aquaman, searching for Mera’s abductors on dry land, stumbles onto the aftermath of a gangland killing before accidentally knocking himself out. The triggerman reports to his boss, who believes (mistakenly) that the victim told Aquaman secret information before dying. Thus, the gang-boss puts out a contract with all the members of his syndicate for Aquaman’s death. Aquaman revives in the care of the woman into whose apartment he had inadvertently broken, and sends her to the police with the report of the murder. Then he stumbles into the street, where he is soon beset by assassins seeking his life. After a tough battle, Aquaman returns to the seas, intending to resume his quest for Mera again. But he finally opts to clear up the case into which he has stumbled first, and returns to dry land. However, the girl has been seen by a stool pigeon passing Aquaman’s note to the police, and she is soon captured and held as bait for Aquaman. And Aqualad, in the realm of the Elfdurans, encounters the Bugala for the first time.
Aquaman No. 45
May-June 1969
Cover: Aquaman and girl //Nick Cardy
Story: “Underworld Reward: Part 2" (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in issue #40)
Villains: Reynolds, Harlan (first appearance), a scientist (first appearance; dies in this story), members of the crime syndicate (some possibly die in this story; others, including the leader, next appear in issue #54), the Bugala
Other Characters: the girl (last appearance) and her friends (first and only appearance)
Comments: This is the seventh chapter of the Mera Quest.
This issue also contains Fact File #7: Detective Comics #27, a one-page text feature by Mark Hanerfeld.
Synopsis: Aquaman learns of the girl’s abduction by the underworld, finds her, frees her after defeating the crooks in a battle, and gets her to safety. Then he tracks down another member of the syndicate and forces him to reveal the location of the gang’s head. Aquaman goes there, knocks the crime-boss unconscious, witnesses the death of a criminal scientist, and follows a trail that leads him out of the hideout, into an underwater whirlpool that renders him senseless. When he revives, Aquaman is astonished to see Mera before him. Meanwhile, Aqualad begins his battle against the Bugala.
Aquaman No. 46
July-August 1969
Cover: Aquaman, Mera, and Viking-helmeted villain //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Explanation” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko, Aquagirl
Villains: Narkran, members of the crime syndicate (in flashback), Atlantean thieves (in flashback; happens isochronally with issue #40), the Bugala, Dex (first appearance; name revealed next issue), Mupo (first appearance; named in issue #55), Atlantean rebels (first appearance)
Comments: This is the eighth chapter of the Mera Quest.
Even though the gang boss on page 8 says that Mera will be helping them in an act of piracy in “a few days” after her abduction, several weeks have passed since her capture, and she has not been called upon to do so, thus his statement is inaccurate.
There is no viking-helmeted villain in this issue, despite the cover illustration.
Synopsis: Mera gets Aquaman into an ambulance and rides with him to a hospital. On the way, she reviews what has happened to her recently: she was abducted by exiled Atlantean thieves working hand-in-hand with the crime syndicate. The syndicate had recently gained the services of the now-dead scientist, whose invention allowed them to create artificial whirlpools, and, with Mera’s hard-water powers, the criminals could easily loot ships at sea. Mera was told (falsely) by the syndicate boss that Aquaman was also their captive, and would be harmed if she refused to help them. Finally, she was freed from her cell when a thug Aquaman fought against slammed into the release mechanism. She fought past her guards, managed to return to the sea, and found Aquaman, rescuing him with her powers as the whirlpool mechanism in the crooks’ headquarters malfunctioned and exploded.
In the meantime, Vulko tells Narkran that Atlantis may return to the surface if the quake activity continues, and Narkran is overjoyed, telling the scientist that Narkran shall rule over a surface kingdom. Aquagirl is taken in by rebels who wish to end Narkran’s increasingly despotic rule, and Aqualad still battles with the Bugala.
Aquaman No. 47
September-October 1969
Cover: Aquaman and Aqualad vs. the Bugala //Nick Cardy
Story: “Come the Revolution” (16 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquagirl, Prof. Vulko
Villains: Narkran, Dex, Mupo, Atlantean rebels
Comment: This is the ninth chapter of the Mera Quest story.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera go in search of Aqualad and find him in battle with the Bugala. Meanwhile, Aquagirl is caught up in the rebellion against Narkran, and is wounded by the tyrant when she escapes from him. Narkran and the Mupo, the rebel leader, close in hand-to-hand combat.
Story: “The Adventures of Aquaboy” (7 pages)
Comment: This is an Aquaman story; reprinted from ADVENTURE COMICS #268
Aquaman No. 48
November-December 1969
Cover: Aquaman, Aquagirl, and Atlantean rebels //Nick Cardy
Story: “A Kingdom to Re-Build” (16 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #189), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquagirl (next appears in TEEN TITANS #30), Aquababy (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #444), Prof. Vulko
Villains: Narkran, Atlantean thieves, Atlantean rebels, the Elfdurians (last appearance for all), Mupo (next appears in issue #55), the Bugala (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #436)
Comment: This is the tenth and final chapter of the Mera Quest story.
Shortly after this story Aquaman rejoins the Justice League to attend Superman’s mock funeral in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #189 and then helps them fight Dr. Light and learns his fellow members’ secret identities in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #122.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera arrive in time to help Aqualad repel the Bugala. Aquagirl revives and has her wound tended by Prof. Vulko, shortly before another tremor rocks Atlantis. Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad arrive in time to stop the uprising, defeat Narkran’s henchmen, and depose Narkran. Later, Vulko confirms to Aquaman that Atlantis is rising a bit with every tremor it experiences. Mera refers to an old legend that claims Atlantis will rise above the seas again, but Vulko says that it will be many years before that happens. Aquaman says that Atlantis must be rebuilt without towering structures which would be toppled by the earthquakes. With that in mind, the rebuilding of Atlantis begins.
Story: “How Aquaman Got His Powers” (7 pages)
Comment: This is an Aquaman story (the origin of the Earth-1 Aquaman), reprinted from ADVENTURE COMICS #260.
Aquaman No. 49
January-February 1970
Cover: Aquaman vs. Phil Darson //Nick Cardy
Story: “As the Seas Die” (23 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #122; next appears in TEEN TITANS #25), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko
Intro: Prof. Dan Davidson (only appearance)
Villains: Phil Darson (last appearance in issue #43; dies in this story), Miles Leland (first appearance; dies in this story), Ocean Master (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #82; appears chronologically after Deadman strip in next issue)
Comment: Aquaman says that only two weeks have passed since he and Darson last met, in issue #43.
Shortly after this story Aquaman and the Justice League reprimand the Teen Titans (but not Aqualad, who is not with them) in TEEN TITANS #25.
Synopsis: A masked saboteur has been blowing up sections of factories whose wastes have been polluting the sea and killing oceanic life. After Aquaman and Aqualad get a summons from their old friend Prof. Dan Davidson, an oceanographer, they have to battle a mass of chemically-maddened fish. Then they run into Aquaman’s new friend Phil Darson, who tells them of the occurrences and the pollution menace. Davidson asks Aquaman and Aqualad to investigate the factory sites of Miles Leland, whose plants have been targeted by the mysterious saboteur. The culprit proves to be Phil Darson himself, who dies shortly after killing Leland in a fight. With his dying breath, Darson explains to Aquaman that he committed his crimes to save the seas from being polluted by Leland. Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Ocean Master appears to Mera and demands to speak to Aquaman.
Aquaman No. 50
March-April 1970
Cover: Aquaman attacked by bubbles from city //Nick Cardy
Story: “Can This Be Death?” (8 pages)
“The City on the Edge of Nowhere” (part 2; 8 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #25), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera
Intro: A girl, Brother Warnn, and inhabitants of The City
Villains: Ocean Master, unnamed aliens (first appearance)
Comment: This story crosses over with the Deadman story in this issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad return to Atlantis to encounter Ocean Master with Mera. After Ocean Master reveals that he knows he and Aquaman are brothers, he tells them that he has come to warn him about “them”. Before anything more can be said, a spacecraft and two aliens emerge from a space-warp nearby them and Aquaman is hit by a ray-blast that renders him unconscious. When he awakens, he is in another realm, where the atmosphere has the consistency of water. He saves a girl from a strange one-celled life-form and follows a telepathic trail to a city nearby, accompanied by the girl, who remains telepathically silent. After he fights his way past a guard, Aquaman enters a kind of church, filled with telepathic people. The girl, who enters behind him, explains that, by their beliefs, communication can only take place in this sacred place. However, she can only tell him that they are in “The City”, and she knows nothing except that and the wilderness beyond. Before much else can be said, they are confronted by the Citizens’ leader, Brother Warnn.
Story: “Deadman Rides Again” (9 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer, artist: Neal Adams
Feature Character: Deadman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #86; see comment below; origin retold in flashback)
Supporting Characters: Rama Kushna, Taj Ze (last appearance for both in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #86; both next appear in ?)
Intro: Tatsinda (as a “sddire”; name and true form revealed next issue)
Villains: Ocean Master (last chronological appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #82; next chronological appearance in last issue), the unnamed aliens (Pfall and Thhime named in this story; first chronological appearance; next chronological appearance in the Aquaman story of this issue)
Comment: In the later New DC Earth, the events chronicled in DEADMAN #1-4 take place between BRAVE AND THE BOLD #86 and this story. But on Earth-1, this is probably the first appearance of Deadman after BRAVE AND THE BOLD #86. This story takes place before last issue.
Synopsis: Deadman is sent by Rama Kushna to the submarine craft of Ocean Master, who meets with aliens bent on conquest of the Earth. Ocean Master reveals that his half of the bargain involves them killing Aquaman. In order to save the sea king, Deadman possesses Ocean Master, but finds one section of his mind seemingly walled off. Deadman concentrates his efforts on breaking through the barrier, and finally succeeds, though the effort so tires him that he has to depart Ocean Master’s body for a “breather”. But his actions have freed Ocean Master’s repressed memories, and he finally recalls that Aquaman is his brother. In remorse, he speeds off to Atlantis to warn him. Figuring that Aquaman will be safe now, Deadman returns to the aliens, and learns they are planting devices that will reduce the mentality of Earthlings by 25 percent. He takes over the body of Pfall, an alien, but inadvertently reveals his possession to the other aliens, who have experience with “non-entities”. The aliens release a “sddire”, a “rat-cat” being whose strange psychic powers drive Deadman out of the alien’s body and out of Earth’s dimension.
Aquaman No. 51
May-June 1970
Cover: Aquaman and the girl Citizen //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Big Pull” (16 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko
Villains: Ocean Master, the unnamed aliens, Black Manta (last appearance in issue #42)
Intro: Steev and Jimm (cartoon versions of Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo), cavepeople in Mera’s ring-world
Other Characters: Brother Warnn, the people of the City (last appearance for all), the girl Citizen
Comments: This story crosses over with the Deadman story in this issue.
Synopsis: Mera reveals that, after determining the truth of Ocean Master’s story, she let him go. But Atlantis is now menaced by Black Manta, and Mera, despairing, tries to will Aquaman to return. Meanwhile, in the other realm, Aquaman finds that Brother Warnn cannot help him. Despite the girl Citizen’s attempts to induce him to stay in their church, Aquaman leaves, battling his way past guards, and is followed by the girl, who now regards him as her friend. Later, a long distance from the city, they encounter a tribe of caveman-type telepaths. The girl, offended that they use sacred telepathy outside a church, fires at them, though Aquaman deflects their shot. Her folly has now stirred the cave-tribe against them, and Aquaman prepares to do battle.
Story: “The World Cannot Wait for a Deadman” (8 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer, artist: Neal Adams
Feature Character: Deadman
Intro: D’Ronal and Liana (Tatsinda’s brother and sister; only appearance)
Other Character: Tatsinda (name and real form revealed in this story)
Villains: Riders of the Depth-Crabs (first and only appearance)
Comment: This story crosses over with the Aquaman story in this issue.
Synopsis: Deadman finds himself in another dimension, in which he is a tangible being again, beside a beautiful girl named Tatsinda, who reveals to him that, in his home dimension, she was the sddire. She explains that the aliens capture her kind to deal with “non-entities”, that she was their prisoner for two years, and that she “rode” him to her homeworld. The two are soon joined by D’Ronal and Liana, Tatsinda’s brother and sister, but are quickly menaced by riders of giant “Depth-Crabs”, who take Tatsinda prisoner. Deadman uses his acrobatic skill and strength to defeat the crab-riders and rescue Tatsinda. In gratitude, she “rides” him back to the Earth dimension.
Aquaman No. 52
July-August 1970
Cover: Aquaman being carried off by cavemen //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Traders’ Trap” (16 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
GA: Deadman (crosses over with second story in this issue)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko
Villains: Black Manta, the unnamed aliens (next appear in TEEN TITANS #29), alien slavers (first appearance; next appears in issue #55), the caveman tribe (last appearance)
Other Character: The girl Citizen (last appearance)
Comment: This story crosses over with the Deadman story in this issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman’s and the girl’s battle with the caveman tribe is cut short by the arrival of a spaceship controlled by alien slavers who transport the two of them inside their craft, intending to make them slaves. When he recovers, Aquaman is able to break free of the tube imprisoning him, and defeats the slavers in battle, though he has to leave the girl behind when he escapes. At that point he runs into the caveman tribe again, is knocked unconscious, and is bound for their “extermination chamber”. When he revives, he does battle with them again.
At the same time, Mera is in consternation about the presence of Black Manta outside Atlantis’s walls, and, when Prof. Vulko suggests what Aquaman would do if he were here, she shouts out a despairing command for her husband to return. Astonishingly, Aquaman finds himself growing in size, emerging from the realm in which he had been lost--a subatomic universe in Mera’s ring--and rejoining Mera. After their reunion, Aquaman learns of Black Manta’s presence, and prepares to send the villain an ultimatum.
Story: “Never Underestimate a Deadman” (9 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer, artist: Neal Adams
Feature Character: Deadman (next appears in CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #74)
GA: Aquaman, Mera, Prof. Vulko (crossover with first story in this issue)
Villains: Ocean Master (next appears in TEEN TITANS #28), the unnamed aliens (next appear in TEEN TITANS #29)
Other Character: Tatsinda (last appearance)
Comment: This story crosses over with the Aquaman story in this issue.
Page 8, panels 1-5 are written by Steve Skeates and drawn and lettered by Jim Aparo, and are reprinted from pg. 12 panels 4-6, pg. 13 panel 4, and page 14 of the Aquaman story in this issue. Synopsis: Deadman and Tatsinda, in her sddire form, emerge on Earth near Ocean Master, who is bewailing his fate. Sighting the alien craft some distance away, Deadman possesses Ocean Master and enters the aliens’ vessel, conversing with them and learning of their plot to conquer Earth by blasting it with intelligence-destroying rays. He also learns that, since they do not believe in taking life, they merely sent Aquaman into a subatomic universe in his wife Mera’s ring. Deadman uses Ocean Master’s body to attack them, but the aliens ray down Orm’s body and place themselves in a trance, closing themselves to any possession attempts. Deadman rages for a moment, seeing the location of the ray-amplifiers on a globe of Earth, and knowing they are far from human habitation. However, he realizes that he can use the bodies of animals to destroy the amplifiers, and proceeds to do so. Still, the radiation device might still work without the amplifiers, and Deadman, seeking someone who can enter the alien ship, opts to bring back Aquaman. By possessing Prof. Vulko and making him remind Mera of Aquaman, he causes Mera to demand Aquaman’s return...and her will is powerful enough to accomplish it.
But the deadline for activation of the ray-device is at hand, and Deadman fears he is too late to stop the aliens. When he arrives on the scene, though, he finds that the device backfired and stupefied the aliens, who are barely able to pilot their ship back home. An indignant Tatsinda informs Deadman that, if she hadn’t swum out to the ship and ripped through the device’s cables, they would “all be gibbering idiots by now!”
Aquaman No. 53
September-October 1970
Cover: Aquaman saving Californians //Nick Cardy
Story: “Is California Sinking? (24 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #130), Aqualad (next appears in TEEN TITANS #28)
Supporting Character: Mera
Intro: Eliot Harlanson, Honey James and other government agents (only appearance for all)
Villains: Black Manta (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #435), O.G.R.E. (last appearance in issue #31; last appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight the Dharlu in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #130, and Aqualad helps the Teen Titans fight Ocean Master in TEEN TITANS #28-29 and then teams with Aquagirl for the adventure recounted in TEEN TITANS #30.
Eliot Harlanson is named for famed science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison.
Synopsis: Millionaire Californian industrialist Eliot Harlanson has been convinced by agents of O.G.R.E. that the state will sink unless Atlantis is razed by a nuclear bomb to prevent it from rising. Black Manta has been employed by O.G.R.E. to keep Aquaman busy while this is going on. Government agents nab the O.G.R.E. hoods, but Harlanson has already chartered a private sub to bomb Atlantis, which he does not know to be an inhabited continent. However, Harlanson’s girlfriend is also a government agent, and has seen to it that the “bomb” Harlanson drops is a dud. Aquaman lets Black Manta go, feeling that his knowledge of having been used as a pawn is enough punishment for him.
Aquaman No. 54
November-December 1970
Cover: Aquaman menaced by Thanatos //Nick Cardy
Story: “Crime Wave” (7 pages)
“Aquaman Battles Thanatos” (part 2; 6 pages)
“Showdown in Rusdic” (part 3; 10 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #130 / 86)
Supporting Character: Mera (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #86)
Villains: Thanatos (first and only appearance), the crime syndicate leader (last appearance in issue #45)
Intro: John and Paul (two policemen), Edwin Maxwell and other victims (only appearance for all)
Comment: This issue also contains a one-page text feature by Steve Skeates, “The Story Behind the Stories.”
Shortly after this story Aquaman rejoins the Justice League to fight Theo Zappa in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #86.
Synopsis: The head of the crime syndicate which once kidnapped Mera has a new scam: kidnapping Aquaman and various surface people and subjecting them to a brainwashing process. The process involves confronting them with Thanatos, a monstrous version of themselves which battles them and saps their strength, in a mental fantasy world. After the process is complete, each thinks he has been killed by Thanatos, and operates as a zombie, stealing for the syndicate at the leader’s will. Aquaman has a tough time with Thanatos, but finally defeats him in the mind-world shortly before the police crack the case, apprehend the syndicate head, and free Aquaman and the others.
Aquaman No. 55
January-February 1971
Cover: Aquaman shrinking into Mera’s ring, Mera, Aqualad //Nick Cardy
Story: “Return of the Alien” (15 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #86), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #30; next appears in TEEN TITANS #36)
Supporting Characters: Mera (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #86 / 88), Prof. Vulko (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #435), Aquagirl (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #30)
Other Characters: Mupo (last appearance in issue #48; next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #448), the girl Citizen (last appearance in issue #52; last appearance)
Cameo appearances: Hawkman, Atom, Batman, Superman, Flash
Villains: The alien slavers (last appearance in issue #52; last appearance), Noxden (first and only appearance)
Comments: Shortly after this story, Aqualad meets the “girl of the shadows” in TEEN TITANS #36, a story whose end has never been told. Then he rejoins the Teen Titans to fight Black Moray and Nirka McDuff in TEEN TITANS #40.
Synopsis: In order to check on the girl Citizen, whom he left in the hands of alien slavers during their last meeting, Aquaman has Mera send him back into the universe within her ring. There Aquaman discovers the girl has learned from her slavers how to overcome her prejudice against communicating anywhere except in her “church”, and that she is now happy with her lot in life. Aquaman is pulled back into his own realm by Mera. Meanwhile, Aquagirl has become upset with what she calls the “reactionary ravings” of Mupo, the former rebel leader, and is turned off by Aqualad’s being too busy to see her, and Noxden, an Atlantean politician, starts making anti-Aquaman speeches and insisting on a democratically elected leader for Atlantis.
Story: “Computer Trap” (8 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #88)
Villain: A computer (first and only appearance)
Intro: People of an underwater city (in flashback; only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle the people of Mu in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #88.
Synopsis: Returning from a trip to the surface world, Aquaman comes across a deserted metropolis underwater. He is quickly paralyzed by the power of a computer, which, in ages past, had controlled the minds of anyone over 30 years of age and made them into work-drones. The young people left the city, and their elders eventually died off. The computer intends to make Aquaman its new slave, but he telepathically summons an electric eel to short out some of its circuits and free him. Then he has other fish cause a cave-in at the cavern in which the computer is situated. Aquaman then leaves, feeling the menace is over, but the computer, though damaged, is still active.
Aquaman No. 56
March-April 1971
Cover: Aquaman vs. moss-creature //Nick Cardy
Story: “The Creature That Devoured Detroit” (20 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #88 / 89)
Villains: The Crusader (Don Powers; first appearance; dies in this story), Shorty Thomas (first and only appearance)
Other Characters: Warren Savin, Neal Dennis (characters based on Steve Skeates and Denny O’Neil), Dr. William Neilson, Don, Ethel and her husband (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League in a case involving Harlequin Ellis in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #89.
This issue crosses over with SUB-MARINER #72 (published by Marvel Comics).
After this issue, AQUAMAN is suspended until the August-September 1977 issue.
Synopsis: Don Powers, who fights crime in Detroit as a costumed super-hero called the Crusader, has been hampered at night by his poor eyesight, but has devised and sent into orbit a mirrored satellite which provides daylight to the city at night and makes it possible for him to fight crime during those hours. However, the added daylight has caused algae to grow at an incredible rate in the area, and the mossy growth is threatening to engulf the city. When Aquaman hears of the problem, he immediately goes to Detroit and learns of Powers’s part in the plot. At first he is repelled by the Crusader’s employees, but he later manages to destroy the satellite and thus halt the growth of algae. The Crusader is accidentally killed in a fall.
Story: “The Cave of Death” (2 pages)
Editor: Dick Giordano
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquagirl (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #446)
Synopsis: Aquagirl stops an Atlantean youth from entering the legendary Cave of Death, from which no human supposedly returns alive.
Interim Aquaman appearances
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #89
WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #203
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #90, 92, 94, 95, 97-99
ADVENTURE COMICS #423
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #102
SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #128
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #104-106, 109, 110-112
Adventure Comics No. 435
September-October 1974
Story: “As the Undersea City Sleeps” (7 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist: Mike Grell
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #112; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #114)
Supporting Character: Prof. Vulko (last appearance in AQUAMAN #55; next appears in issue #441)
Villain: Black Manta (last appearance in AQUAMAN #53)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps Batman against Joe Angel in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #114.
Synopsis: Black Manta and his gang have been raiding Atlantean farms. When Aquaman attempts to battle the villain, he finds himself inexplicably weaker than Black Manta, who easily defeats him. Both Aquaman and Dr. Vulko deduce that Black Manta is using a chemical in the waters to drain the sea king’s strength. However, when the Manta gang next strikes, Aquaman is equipped with an air tank from which he breathes, nullifying the effects of the villain’s chemicals. He easily defeats and repulses the Manta and his gang.
Adventure Comics No. 436 November-December 1974
Story: “The King Is Dead; Long Live the King” (7 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist: Mike Grell
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #114), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #40; next appears in issue #446)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #110)
Villains: Weisbogg (first and only appearance), the Bugala (last appearance in AQUAMAN #48; destroyed in this story), Black Manta, a robot Aquaman (first appearance; destroyed in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League battle Anakronus in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #114, Mars in WONDER WOMAN #215, and the Queen Bee, Ocean Master, and other villains in ACTION COMICS #443.
Synopsis: Weisbogg, an Atlantean scientist, provides Aquaman with a robot double of himself to serve at boring state functions. Shortly afterward, the Bugala attacks Atlantis. Aquaman finds himself unable to defeat the monster, until he deduces that Weisbogg is a traitor, the Bugala is a robot, and the controls to the robot are inside the automaton Aquaman. He destroys the Aquaman robot and, with it, the Bugala. Then he apprehends Weisbogg and tries to get him to spill the name of his secret backer. Weisbogg refuses, but the Black Manta, who hired him, realizes something has gone awry.
Adventure Comics No. 437
January-February 1975
Story: “A Quiet Day in Atlantis” (7 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist: Mike Grell
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #443; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #116)
Supporting Character: Mera (next appears in issue #441)
Villain: Black Manta (next appears in issue #446)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Golden Eagle battle the Matter Master, the Equalizer, and the Adaptoids in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #116-119, and attends the wedding of Adam Strange in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #121.
Synopsis: Aquaman ostensibly takes a day off, but it is filled with danger: coping with Black Manta, fighting off ocean beasts, and saving an Atlantean child. He ends up in a hospital bed with a case of exhaustion, and the doctor insists he take a day off...for real.
Adventure Comics No. 441
September-October 1975
Cover: Aquaman, Mera, and fish vs. Captain Demo and his men //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Pirate Who Plundered Atlantis” (11 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #121 / 123) Supporting Characters: Mera (last appearance in issue #437), Prof. Vulko (last appearance in issue #436)
Villains: Captain Demo and his henchmen (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League, the Justice Society, and Elliot S! Maggin fight the Injustice Society and Cary Bates in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #123-124, the Weaponers of Qward and Two-Face in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #125-126, and Nekron in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #129, all before next issue.
Synopsis: When Captain Demo, a surface-world pirate operating underwater, attacks Atlantis, Aquaman first battles him, then, inexplicably, gives in to him. Unknown to the Atlanteans, Aquaman has surrendered because Demo has planted bombs around Atlantis and has threatened to ignite them with a radio signal from his hook-hand if opposed. The people of Atlantis are forced to pay tribute to the pirate, until Aquaman foils him by placing a large oyster over his hook-hand with a radio-jamming device inside. He then easily defeats Captain Demo and frees Atlantis.
Adventure Comics No. 442
November-December 1975
Cover: Aquaman vs. The New Order //Jim Aparo
Story: “H Is For Holocaust” (12 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #129)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko
Intro: General Horgan (next appears in issue #449), Oconn (next appears in issue #478)
Villains: The New Order (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: A cargo ship holding radioactive material is hijacked by a terrorist group, the New Order, and NATO General Horgan decides to have it bombed before it can reach its destination. The bombing would scatter nuclear waste over Atlantean farmlands, so Horgan contacts Aquaman to have him evacuate the area. Rather than lose the farmlands, Aquaman opts to intercept and disable the NATO missile himself, and then attacks and defeats the terrorists. At the same time, a faction of Atlantean politicians is beginning to speak up against Aquaman’s rule.
Adventure Comics No. 443
January-February 1976
Cover: Aquaman riding dolphin as Fisherman attacks //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Dolphin Connection” (12 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Plotter: Paul Levitz
Scripter: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Topo
Villains: The Fisherman (last appearance in AQUAMAN #24; next appears in issue #447), The Shark (as Karshon; last appearance in ACTION COMICS #456) Synopsis: On his way to see General Horgan, Aquaman stumbles across a heroin-smuggling operation using dolphins as couriers. This leads him to the mastermind behind the plot, his old foe, the Fisherman, who captures him and strands him in a chamber being emptied of air. Aquaman signals his octopus Topo to break him free of the chamber, then defeats the Fisherman. But in Atlantis, a vote has been taken, and the rulership has been given to a man named Karshon.
Adventure Comics No. 444
March-April 1976
Cover: The Shark (as Karshon) and a shark vs. Aquaman //Jim Aparo
Story: “And Death Before Dishonor” (17 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Plotter: Paul Levitz
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #126)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Prof. Vulko, Aquababy (last appearance in AQUAMAN #48)
Villains: The Shark (as Karshon), Ocean Master (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #443; next appears in AQUAMAN #62), Jurgin (first and only appearance)
Intro: Jarsen
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps Batman battle Baron Mannheim in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #126.
This issue also contains a one-page “Aquafamily” feature, with information about Aquaman, Aqualad, Mera, and Aquababy.
Synopsis: Aquaman is forced by the Ocean Master to go to Atlantis and get Serum X, which can change air-breathing humans to water-breathers, and deliver it to him, or his fleet will destroy Monaco. When Aquaman arrives in Atlantis, he is attacked by soldiers and brought to Karshon, who informs him that he has been elected ruler in place of Aquaman. Karshon refuses to give him Serum X. Mera, in private, suggests he steal Serum X from the place in which it is kept. He almost does so, fighting Karshon and Karshon’s pet shark to gain admittance, but finally realizes that the ends do not justify the means. Aquaman leaves without the serum, uses the denizens of the sea to cut Ocean Master off from contact with his fleet, closes with Ocean Master, and defeats him in combat. When Ocean Master attempts to fire three missiles at Monaco, Mera stops them with a hard-water shield.
Later, Mera, Aquaman, and Aquababy take stock. She informs him that Prof. Vulko has decided to stay in Atlantis. But Aquaman has been framed, falsely, for stealing Serum X. Aquaman vows to find out who is framing him, and Mera promises to help him.
Adventure Comics No. 445
May-June 1976
Cover: Aquaman vs. giant squid //Jim Aparo / ?
Story: “Toxxin’s Raiders” (11 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: David Michelinie?
Artist: Jim Aparo
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #126)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy Villains: Toxxin (first and only appearance), Krakor (a “plant-thing”; first appearance; dies in this story)
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera are abducted from their new headquarters by emissaries of Toxxin, a high priest of an underwater village. The village is surrounded and protected...at present...by Krakor, a “plant-thing” which uses the villagers as bait for sharks, which it catches and devours. According to Toxxin, a prophecy of old declares that a mermaid and a champion, who will later die, will destroy Krakor. Thus, they employ Aquaman and Mera to do so, and Aquaman succeeds in strangling Krakor to death. But when Krakor attempts to kill Aquaman to fulfill the rest of the prophecy, Aquaman knocks him flat. Aquaman and Mera begin their journey home.
Adventure Comics No. 446
July-August 1976
Cover: Aquaman, Aqualad, and Black Manta; Aquaman vignette // Jim Aparo
Story: “The Manta-Ray Means Murder” (11 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Plotter: Paul Levitz
Writer: Marty Pasko
Artist: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad (last appearance in issue #436)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy (real name, Arthur Curry, Jr., revealed in this story), Aquagirl (last appearance in AQUAMAN #55)
GA: Robin (last appearance in XXX; next appears in XXX)
Villains: The Shark (as Karshon), Black Manta (last appearance in issue #437)
Synopsis: Aquaman finally finds a missing Aqualad and Aquagirl captive of Black Manta on a Mississippi river boat, where the villain has been undertaking smuggling operations. The sea king frees his two younger partners and defeats Black Manta, but discovers evidence that Black Manta has been running laser weapons to Atlantis.
Adventure Comics No. 447
September-October 1976
Cover: Aquaman vs. The Fisherman //Jim Aparo
Story: “Prelude to Armageddon” (11 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Plotter: Paul Levitz
Writer: Marty Pasko
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Feature Characters: Aquaman, Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy, Aquagirl
Villains: The Shark (as Karshon), Black Manta, the Fisherman (last appearance in issue #443; next appears in AQUAMAN #57)
Synopsis: Aquaman tracks down the source of the laser-rifles at a Confederate Civil War emporium, where he is lured into a trap by The Fisherman. However, Aquaman springs the trap and defeats his old foe. While this has been going on, Karshon, the real mover behind the scenes, has captured Mera and Aquababy with the help of two psi-powered sharks, and intends to use them as bait for Aquaman.
Adventure Comics No. 448
November-December 1976
Cover: Aquaman vs. The Shark (as Karshon), a shark, and Atlanteans //Jim Aparo
Story: “Crown, Crisis, and Cataclysm” (17 pages)
Editor: Joe Orlando
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #131), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy, Prof. Vulko (gains the throne of Atlantis in this story; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142), Aquagirl
Other Character: Mupo (last appearance in AQUAMAN #55)
Intro: Mcaan [isn't this Mcann?] and his wife (Aqualad’s parents)
Villains: The Shark (revealed at last; transformed back into a shark; next appears in issue #459), Black Manta (next appears in issue #452)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Supergirl fight the Queen Bee, Sonar, and Despero in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #132-133, then aids the Justice League and Adam Strange against Kanjar Ro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #138-139, then helps the JLA fight Captain Cold and his allies in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #139, and then briefly appears during the Justice League’s battle with the Calculator in DETECTIVE COMICS #468.
Synopsis: Aquaman finds his wife and son gone from his new headquarters, and he is captured by the Black Manta, who has been waiting for him there. He learns Karshon accused him falsely of stealing Serum X to sell to corporations in the surface world, when Atlantean guards bring him before Karshon. Aquaman breaks free and battles Karshon, who finally transforms himself back to his normal identity...that of The Shark, one of Green Lantern’s deadliest foes. The Shark shows him a trapped Mera and Aquababy, menaced by sharks in a tank, and declares that his objective has always been to hunt “the most powerful prey”. Since Superman and Green Lantern defeated him with “secrets I couldn’t know”, he has turned to hunting a sea-dweller, Aquaman. Now, with Aquaman’s family as hostage, the Shark begins a hunt with Aquaman as prey, promising to free his family if the sea king can evade him for an hour. Aquaman is wounded during the hunt, but lures the Shark to a nuclear waste dump, where the radiation reverses his mutation and he becomes a normal shark once again.
Adventure Comics No. 449
January-February 1977
Cover: Marine Marauder on whale, Aquaman, Mera //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Menace of the Marine Marauder” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #468), Aqualad Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquagirl
GA: Flash (last appearance in XXX; next appears in XXX)
Villain: The Marine Marauder (first and only appearance; not to be confused with the Outsiders villain), Mcann
Intro: Senator Storm (only appearance)
Other Character: General Horgan (between issues #442 / 452)
Synopsis: A new villain, the Marine Marauder, appears, with the power to control air-breathing sea creatures by radio waves from transmitters concealed in his costume. The Marauder uses a school of whales to help him hijack a vaccine shipment at sea. Aquaman and Mera are called in to stop a second hijacking, but fail. However, the Marauder’s radio waves produce a signal that can be tracked by a ship’s sonar, and Aquaman uses this to help him locate the Marauder. The Marauder manages to escape, but Aquaman retrieves the vaccine. Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Aquaman and Aquagirl are confronted at gunpoint by Mcann, who accuses Aquaman of stealing his son.
Adventure Comics No. 450
March-April 1977
Cover: Weather Wizard vs. Mera and Aquaman //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Watery War of the Weather Wizard” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142), Aqualad (next appears in TEEN TITANS #45)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Aquababy, Aquagirl
Villains: Weather Wizard (last appearance in DC-SUPER STARS #10; next appearance in THE FLASH #254), Mcann
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League and Willow fight the Construct and the Injustice Gang in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142-143, then briefly appears in TEEN TITANS #49. Aqualad rejoins the Teen Titans and takes part in their adventures in TEEN TITANS #45-52 during this time.
Synopsis: The Weather Wizard uses his weather-altering wand to hijack a plane which is carrying an experimental vibrational device he intends to use on the Flash, bringing it down in mid-sea and keeping the ocean away from it by creating an artificial tidal wave. Aquaman and Mera investigate, and, after a brief battle, Aquaman defeats the Wizard by reflecting his wand’s power back at him.
In the meantime, Aqualad defeats Mcann. But, since Mcann holds the key to Aqualad’s unknown past, he opts not to take him to the Atlantean police, but to go back with him in order to uncover his heritage.
DC Special No. 28
June-July 1977
Cover: Batman, Aquaman, Phantom Girl, Brainiac 5, and Timber Wolf in an earthquake //Al Milgrom
Story: “A Creature of Death and Darkness” (12 pages) Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Dan Adkins
Colorist: Bob LeRose
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #49; next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #451)
Villains: The “Amoeboids” (first appearance; destroyed in this story), a gang of pirates (first and only appearance)
Intro: An admiral, a commodore, and other members of the U.S. Navy (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A spill of radioactive chemicals off Hawaii in 1957 joins with an oil spill from a wrecked tanker in 1975 to create, by 1977, two “Amoeboid” creatures of living oil that threaten to devour anything in their path. Aquaman and the U.S. Navy encounter the creatures after defeating a gang of pirates who had a high-pressure acid spray gun. The Navy seems unable to stop the Amoeboids by conventional means, and are about to unleash an atomic bomb on them, when Aquaman destroys the creatures in a way used to control regular oil slicks, by spraying corrosive acid on them.
Adventure Comics No. 451
May-June 1977
Cover: Aquaman vs. Starro //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Secret of the Sinister Abyss” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in DC SPECIAL #28)
Supporting Characters: Mera (next appears in AQUAMAN #58), Aquababy
GA: Green Lantern (last appearance in DC SUPER-STARS #14; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142) [this contradicts ADVENTURE COMICS #450 above]
Intro: Sett, Thoran, and another Idylist
Villain: Starro (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #65 / 189)
Cameo appearances: J’onn J’onzz, Flash, Wonder Woman (in flashback), Aqualad
Synopsis: Hunting for his octopus Topo, who has inexplicably kidnapped Aquababy, Aquaman and three purple-eyed Wanderers from another area of the undersea run into Starro the Conqueror, old foe of the Justice League. Starro reveals to Aquaman that, when he initially landed in Earth’s seas, he left a small part of himself behind, to generate into a full-sized Starro should he fail in his campaign against Earth. The remnant’s powers to comply were not great enough, however, until pollutants entering the area of sea it was in strengthened it and allowed it to become a new Starro. To combat it, Aquaman commands a mass of fish to swim in and bring with them fresh water to inundate the starfish villain. With his power sapped by the dilution of the pollutants, Starro finds himself no match for Aquaman and is defeated, and later carted away by Green Lantern.
Later, Aquaman asks the three newcomers whom they were seeking. They inform him they were seeking Aquaman, because a great hero returned to them, but is now endangered...and the hero they describe is Aqualad.
Adventure Comics No. 452
July-August 1977
Cover: Aquaman vs. Aqualad and Black Manta and his gang //Jim Aparo
Story: “Dark Destiny, Deadly Dreams” (17 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in AQUAMAN #57), Aqualad (last appearance in TEEN TITANS #52)
Supporting Characters: Aquababy (dies in this story), Topo
Other Characters: Sett, Thoran, and other Idylists, General Horgan (last appearance in issue #449; next appears in AQUAMAN #57), Mcann (last appearance), Syan (in flashback; first and only appearance)
Villains: Black Manta (last appearance in issue #448; next appears in AQUAMAN #57) and his gang (first appearance for these particular members, including Cal Durham, who is named during their next appearance, in AQUAMAN #57)
Comment: Aquaman’s story continues in issue #57 of his own magazine, while Aqualad’s story continues in the next issue of Adventure Comics.
Synopsis: Black Manta and his gang have taken control of the Idylists’ city and have captured Aqualad. Before long, they add Aquaman and the Idylist trio sent to find him to their catches. In prison, Aquaman learns from Mcann that Syan, his young, purple-eyed son, ran away years ago, and he mistakenly thought Aqualad could be his son. Black Manta, who reveals himself to be an African-American out to make himself and his gang “masters below” (of the undersea kingdoms), controlled Topo with a telepathic device, and now has Aquababy in a globe filling with air. The water-breathing baby will suffocate within five minutes unless Black Manta presses a control in his hand, and he refuses to do that until Aquaman and Aqualad engage in gladiatorial combat with tridents and one of them lies dead.
The two heroes do begin battle, since Aquaman feels there is no other alternative. But after a few blows are dealt out, Aquaman deduces that Topo can still follow his commands, and breaks off the fight, causing the octopus to destroy Black Manta’s control box. Aquaman hurls his trident at Aquababy’s glass prison and shatters it. But the action comes too late. Aquababy is dead.
Black Manta gets away in the confusion. When the grieving Aquaman tells Aqualad that they can catch him if they try, Aqualad sadly refuses. He realizes the reason why his mentor tried to kill him, but it has still changed things between him. He opts to stay and help Mcann find his son. Bitterly, Aquaman sets off in search of Black Manta and revenge.
Adventure Comics No. 453
September-October 1977
Story: “Aqualad, Who Is Thy Father?” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Carl Potts
Inker: Joe Rubinstein
Feature Character: Aqualad Other Characters: Sett, Thoran, and other Idylists
Cameo appearances: Mcann, Aquaman, Aquababy, Black Manta (in flashback)
Synopsis: Aqualad tries to discover the truth of his origin by questioning the pacifistic Idylists from the valley of purple-eyed Atlanteans. But they refuse to give him answers, even when he threatens violence. Later, he tries to break into their hall of records to find information, but the Idylists had anticipated this tack and are there to rebuff him. The sea prince swims away, determined to find answers on his own. Behind him, Sett and Thoran remark that if Aqualad learns the secret of his origin, the Hidden Valley is doomed.
Adventure Comics No. 454
November-December 1977
Story: “Sins of the Father” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Carl Potts
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Morris Waldinger
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Aqualad
Intro: An old man; Thar (Aqualad’s father; cameo; in a picture; dead before this story begins)
Other Character: Thoran
Synopsis: Aqualad kills a shark which he thinks is attacking an old Atlantean. But the old man explains that the sharks are his brothers, and he has been living in exile ever since he killed the king of Hidden Valley, Thar. Aqualad sees a picture of Thar, and believes, thanks to a striking resemblance, that he could be his lost father. He returns to Hidden Valley and tries to extort the truth from Thoran, but gets nowhere. Angrily, Aqualad promises he will seek vengeance for the Idylists’ supposed murder of his father.
Adventure Comics No. 455
January-February 1978
Story: “Legacy” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Carl Potts
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Debra Schulman
Colorist: Bob LeRose
Feature Character: Aqualad (origin revealed; next appears in AQUAMAN #62)
Intro: Berra (in flashback; Aqualad’s mother)
Villain: Thar (in flashback), a robot guard (first appearance; destroyed in this story)
Synopsis: Aqualad finds a robot in a hidden cavern full of deadly weapons. The robot is armed with a ray-weapon and dealing out death to anything that crosses its path. He destroys the robot after a battle, and thus automatically triggers a video unit that warns him to flee and leave the weapons alone, and tells of their would-be user, King Thar. Thar had been king of the pacifists, but wished to lead them into a war of conquest. To stave that off, the Idylists killed him. But they let his wife Berra go, who was pregnant with Garth, the baby who would later become Aqualad. Aqualad realizes the Idylists held back the truth from him out of shame for their sin of killing Thar, and heads out to find Aquaman and explain what he has learned.
Aquaman No. 57
August-September 1977
Cover: Aquaman vs. Black Manta and his gang //Jim Aparo
Story: “A Life for a Life” (17 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #452)
Villains: Black Manta (between ADVENTURE COMICS #452 / ADVENTURE COMICS #477) and Cal Durham and his gang (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #452; last appearance), the Fisherman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #447)
Supporting Character: General Horgan
Comment: This story continues from ADVENTURE COMICS #452. [Aquaman's appearances in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #146, 150, 151, 155, and 156 are missing from this index]
Synopsis: Aquaman goes in search of Black Manta, battling his henchmen undersea, while Manta himself deals with a problem posed by the potential rebellion of his lieutenant, Cal Durham, who is angered that the villain has not made good on his promise to make an underwater refuge for oppressed blacks. Manta uses a mechanical squid to trap Aquaman, while having Durham ejected into the open sea. Luckily, Durham has gill implants that allow him to take in oxygen from water. Aquaman is placed in a deathtrap by Black Manta, but Durham frees him from it. Aquaman then attacks Black Manta and is on the point of ripping away his airhose and killing him. But Black Manta begs for mercy, and Aquaman lets him live. Later, Durham discovers he cannot live in air again, and must remain in the sea. Aquaman now faces the hard task of telling Mera that her son is dead.
Aquaman No. 58
October-November 1977
Cover: Fisherman vs. Aquaman //Jim Aparo (signed)
Story: “Through a Past, Darkly” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Aquaman (origin retold)
Cameo appearances: Tom and Alanna Curry (in flashback)
Villain: The Fisherman, Kobra (unrevealed; last appearance in DC SPECIAL SERIES #1)
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: The Fisherman traps Aquaman while the latter is searching for Mera, and traps him upon the lighthouse that the Sea King’s father once kept.
Story: “Return to Disaster” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Juan Ortiz
Inker: Vince Colletta
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Mera (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #451)
Supporting Characters: Vulko (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142), Aquababy
Other Character: Xebel (last appearance in issue #11)
Villain: Leron (last appearance in issue #11)
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: With Aquababy dying, Mera goes to her native dimension in search of a cure Xebel may have perfected, only to learn he is a captive of her old enemy Leron, and now, so is she.
Aquaman No. 59
December 1977 / January 1978
Cover: Aquaman, NATO ship, Scavenger’s craft, the Fisherman (four vignettes) //Jim Aparo (signed)
Story: “Prey Precious” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Artist, letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in DC SPECIAL SERIES #1)
Villains: The Fisherman (next appears in BLUE DEVIL #17), the Scavenger (last appearance in issue #38), Kobra (unrevealed)
Synopsis: Aquaman has a showdown with the Fisherman and encounters the Scavenger as well while trying to salvage a sunken ship.
Story: “Kingdom of Doom” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Juan Ortiz
Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: Milt Snapinn
Colorist: Liz Berube
Feature Character: Mera
Other Character: Xebel
Cameo appearance: Aquababy (in flashback)
Villains: Leron (last appearance), Yarto (first and only appearance)
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: Mera defeats Leron in battle and consequently drives him insane, but discovers from Xebel that Leron is the only one who knows where the healing device is hidden.
DC Special Series No. 1
1977
Cover: Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Batman //Neal Adams Story: “A King Without a Sea” (12 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciller: Dick Dillin
Inker: Jack Abel
Colorist: Bob LeRose
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in AQUAMAN #59; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #146)
Villain: Sunburst (Omar Pairut; first appearance)
Other Characters: Karhum (first and only appearance), Alexander the Great (in flashback), a Scythian slave (in flashback; first appearance; dies in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman and the Justice League are taken in by a plot of the Parasite in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #246. Then Aquaman aids the Atom and Captain Comet in their battle against the Wind Pirate in SUPER-TEAM FAMILY #13.
Synopsis: Omar Pairut, an Iranian, wishes to make the Persian Empire a reality again, and sets out to do so by taking on the power of the Sun Stone from the days of Alexander the Great, transforming him into the fire-blasting Sunburst. Aquaman encounters Sunburst and is initially defeated and left stranded in the Iranian desert. He manages to locate enough water to sustain him until he can get to the city of Bakushi, where he confronts Sunburst again and defeats him by reflecting his power back at him with a mirror.
Aquaman No. 60
February-March 1978
Cover: Aquaman, dying Atlanteans, and Scavenger //Jim Aparo (signed)
Story: “Scavenger, Ravenger, Plunderer, Thief” (11 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: John Celardo
Letterer: Milt Snapinn
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in DC SPECIAL SERIES #1)
Supporting Character: General Horgan
Intro: Zornn, Malko
Villains: The Scavenger (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #475), Kobra
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: While Aquaman battles the Scavenger, Kobra retrieves deadly cargo from the sunken ship.
Story: “The Edge of Nowhere” (6 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Juan Ortiz
Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: Bill Morse
Colorist: Jerry Serpe Feature Character: Mera (next appears in issue #62)
Other Character: Xebel (last appearance)
Supporting Character: Aquababy (in cameo appearance; dies in this story), Vulko
Villains: The Elementals (destroyed in this story)
Synopsis: Mera defeats four guardian creatures based on the four elements of Wind, Fire, Air, and Earth to recover the healing device, only to learn when she returns to Atlantis that her baby has just died.
Aquaman No. 61
April-May 1978
Cover: Kobra and the Cobra Cult vs. Aquaman and Batman //Jim Aparo
Story: “The Armageddon Conspiracy” (17 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Bob McLeod
Letterer: Milton Snapinn
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in ACTION COMICS #480)
GS: Batman, Green Lantern (last appearance in THE FLASH #258; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #153)
Supporting Character: General Horgan
Villains: Kobra (next appears in SUPERMAN #326), the Cobra Cult (last appearance in DC SPECIAL SERIES #1; next appears in SUPERMAN #326)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Amazo in ACTION COMICS #480.
Synopsis: Kobra takes possession of hostages in a church in Lisbon, Portugal, threatening to destroy the population of the country by releasing deadly fluorocarbons from a ship he has hijacked. Aquaman enlists the aid of Batman and Green Lantern to help him in dealing with the threat. The heroes manage to defeat Kobra and thwart his plot, but the villain escapes.
Aquaman No. 62
June-July 1978
Cover: Aquaman, Mera, Vulko, and other Atlanteans at Aquababy’s gravesite //Jim Aparo (signed)
Story: “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down” (17 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Bob McLeod
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #480), Aqualad (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #455)
Supporting Characters: Mera (last appearance in issue #60; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #142), Vulko (last appearance in issue #60; next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #461) Villain: Seaquake (a robot; first appearance; destroyed in this story), Black Manta (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #444) [are you sure Black Manta appears in this one?]
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman returns to face Mera’s wrath for his absence during Aquababy’s death, but both must soon face the menace of a villain named Seaquake.
Aquaman No. 63
August-September 1978
Cover: Aquaman and fish vs. Ocean Master //Jim Aparo (signed)
Story: “My Brother’s Keeper” (17 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: David Hunt
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in SHOWCASE #100), Aqualad (next appears in DC SPECIAL SERIES #11)
Villain: Ocean Master (next appears in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aqualad appears with the other Teen Titans at Wally West’s graduation ceremonies in DC SPECIAL SERIES #11, then Aquaman and Aqualad join a large group of heroes to save the world in SHOWCASE #100, then Aquaman encounters Batman in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #142. Then Aquaman joins the Justice League and Supergirl to battle the Siren in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #157, appears briefly during the Justice League’s, Justice Society’s, and a group of time-lost heroes’ battle against the Lord of Time in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #160, then helps the Justice League against the Treasurers and the War-Kohn in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #210-212.
This is the last issue of the first series of Aquaman.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Aqualad reunite just in time to battle Ocean Master, who has found his way to some super-weapons cached in the original city of Atlantis.
Adventure Comics No. 460
November-December 1978
Story: “The Hunt” (13 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Milton Snapinn
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #212)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #157)
Villains: Colin Landau and his men (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Aquaman is called in to bring down Colin Landau, a big-game hunter who has taken to slaughtering whales and other sea life outside the legal limit for land authorities. Landau nonetheless tries to bag a whale, but, despite Aquaman’s efforts to save him, dies trying.
Adventure Comics No. 461
January-February 1979
Story: “The Hand That Feeds the Earth” (12 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5), Aqualad (last appearance in SHOWCASE #100)
Supporting Characters: Mera (next appears in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5), Vulko (last appearance in AQUAMAN #62; next appear in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5)
Villains: Universal Food Products (first appearance), Mal, O’Connor, Ralph and other guards (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Immediately after this story, Aquaman teams with Superman to fight the Ocean Master in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera return to Atlantis and find that the algae farms there have increased production by over a thousandfold. King Vulko tells them that Atlantis has gone into partnership with Universal Food Products, a land-based firm which is helping them with their crops. Aquaman is suspicious about the arrangement, however, and breaks into the U.F.P. headquarters to rifle their records. When Aqualad joins him later, Aquaman confides to his partner that the U.F.P. project may be destroying Atlantis.
Adventure Comics No. 462
March-April 1979
Story: “Executive Action” (12 pages)
Editor: Paul Levitz
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Bob Smith
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Gene D’Angelo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5), Aqualad
Supporting Characters: Mera, Vulko (last appearance for both in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5)
Villains: Universal Food Products, Mr. Amos (first appearance)
Synopsis: After breaking into one of Universal Food Products’ installations in Atlantis, Aquaman obtains proof that U.F.P.’s atomic reactors, which supply energy to their equipment, are heating up the seas and threatening to boil Atlantis alive. But when he presents his evidence to Vulko, Aquaman is told that this is already known, and U.F.P. and Atlantean scientists are laboring on a solution to the problem. The sea king’s protests are in vain. Later, Aquaman infiltrates U.F.P. again, overhears its head, Mr. Amos, admitting that Atlantis’s farmlands will be laid waste through overproduction in a year, but that by that time they will know how to do underwater farming on their own. Aquaman is captured, but fights his way out. When he goes to Vulko again with the new information, Aquaman is again rebuffed, and Vulko orders his guards to put Aquaman under arrest.
Adventure Comics No. 463
May-June 1979
Story: “Climax” (12 pages)
Editor: Ross Andru
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Joe Giella
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Gene D’Angelo
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #164), Aqualad (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #262)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Vulko
Villains: Mr. Amos, Universal Food Products (last appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League induct Zatanna and fight Anton Allegro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #164.
Synopsis: Aquaman has to fight Vulko’s guards, Mera, and Aqualad to close in on with Amos and Universal Food Products. But when Aqualad, in hiding, hears Amos boast about how he intends to “accidentally” obliterate Atlantis and the evidence of his wrongdoing, he comes to realize that his mentor was right. Aquaman manages to destroy the U.F.P. operation and save Aqualad from an explosion. Later, Vulko, Mera, and Aquaman are reconciled, and Vulko reveals that Amos has been “persuaded” to sever business ties with Atlantis.
Adventure Comics No. 464
July-August 1979
Story: “Invaders From Above” (10 pages)
Editor: Ross Andru
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Bob Smith
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (between JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #164 / 170)
Supporting Character: Vulko (last appearance in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5)
Villain: Stavros Markos (first appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman briefly appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #170.
Synopsis: Aquaman finds Stavros Markos, a Greek shipping magnate, in command of the Detox, a ship ostensibly removing pollutants from the sea. Actually, it is a cover for Markos’s gang of scuba-diving crooks to loot Atlantis. Aquaman defeats the gang and repulses Markos, both of them promising the other that this is not their last meeting.
Adventure Comics No. 465
September-October 1979
Story: “Ice Pact” (12 pages) Editor: Ross Andru
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Characters: Mera (last appearance in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5), Vulko
Villains: Helga (first appearance), a Helga-clone (first appearance; dies in this story) Prof. Graen (first and only appearance), Nazis (first appearance; some die in this story)
Synopsis: While trying to save an American sub from a sea monster off the coast of Antarctica, Aquaman is knocked unconscious. He revives in a community miles beneath the Antarctic Ice, made temperate by the super-science of Helga and a group of descendants of Nazis who relocated there 35 years ago. Helga can breathe underwater for short periods of time, thanks to a gill transplant, and tries to seduce Aquaman and to persuade him to make the Atlanteans the Nazis’ partners...both with no success. Aquaman is trapped, and Helga goes to Atlantis with a hologram-Aquaman impersonating him, opening negotiations with Vulko. He finally breaks free, and Helga looses a nuclear torpedo at him which he deflects back at her, after which she appears to die in its explosion.
Adventure Comics No. 466
November-December 1979
Cover: Aquaman and Mera vs. Nazis; Deadman and Abe Gold; Flash vs. Weather Wizard //Jim Aparo
Story: “Death on Ice” (10 pages)
Editor: Ross Andru
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #174)
Supporting Characters: Mera, Vulko (next appears in issue #478)
Villains: Helga and the Nazis (last appearance for all)
Comment: After this issue, Aquaman’s strip continues in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #262.
Shortly after this story, Aquaman briefly appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #174, then helps the Justice League battle Despero in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #177-178.
Synopsis: Aquaman is decoyed by a clone-Mera into a trap set by the Antarctic Nazis, during which he discovers Helga is still alive, only a clone of herself having been killed earlier. However, he is able to escape with the help of a mutant sea horse created by the Nazis, and defeats Helga and her aides.
World’s Finest Comics No. 262
April-May 1980
Story: “Siren of the Sargasso” (10 pages)
Editor: Jack C. Harris Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Don Newton
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #178), Aqualad (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #463; next appears in issue #264)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #466)
GA: Hawkman (last appearance in XXX; next appears in XXX)
Intro: Atlena (Aquaman’s aunt and Atlanna’s sister; last chronological appearance in flashback in ACTION COMICS #519; next appears in ACTION COMICS #520), Senator John Lyndon, and other captives of the Sargasso Sea
Synopsis: Aquaman goes to find a senator who reportedly dove into the sea and vanished. When he arrives at the point indicated, he is lured into another dimension by a ghostly woman who firms into full materiality when the dimensional barrier is crossed. The place into which he emerges is the legendary Sargasso Sea, full of wrecked ships and the people who were on them. The woman proves to be Atlena, an Atlantean scientist who existed there at the time of the continent’s sinking. She says that she created a device which was intended to shift Atlantis into the limbo-world they now inhabit, but the machine only sent her into that realm and now, still extant on Earth, traps other men and women in that dimension periodically, despite Atlena’s ghostly appearances intended to warn them away. The force of the whirlpool above them stops them from returning to Earth, but Aquaman is able to manage it. With the help of Mera and Aqualad, Aquaman almost manages to bring the Sargasso Sea inhabitants back to Earth, but fails. He promises to try again in the future.
World’s Finest Comics No. 263
June-July 1980
Story: “Return to New Venice” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack C. Harris
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Jose Delbo
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (origin retold; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #179)
Cameo appearances: Arthur and Atlanna Curry, Ocean Master, Hawkman, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Mera, Aquababy, Aqualad (in flashback)
Supporting Character: Mayor Lyndon (Sen. Lyndon’s brother; last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #264)
Villains: A gang of bank robbers (first and only appearance)
Comments: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League initiate Firestorm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #179, and then helps them battle the new Star-Tsar in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #181.
Synopsis: Aquaman returns to the city of New Venice, whose flooded streets are a counterpart of the canals of Venice, Italy. After informing its mayor that his brother, Senator Lyndon, is still in the other dimension, and then defeating a gang of scuba-equipped bank robbers, Aquaman is taken on a tour of the Aquaman Museum set up by the citizens. Deciding that he and Mera need people around them, he promises that he and Mera will return soon to live in New Venice.
World’s Finest Comics No. 264
August-September 1980
Story: “What Light Through Underwater Breaks?” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack C. Harris
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Jose Delbo
Inker: Kim DeMulder
Letterer: Milton Snapinn
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #475), Aqualad (last appearance in issue #262; next appears in BEST OF DC DIGEST #18)
Supporting Characters: Mera (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #475)
Villain: Dr. Light (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #174; next appears in NEW TEEN TITANS (first series) #3)
Other Character: Mayor Lyndon (next appears in ADVENTURE COMICS #477)
Comments: Aquaman’s strip continues in ADVENTURE COMICS #475. After this story, Aqualad rejoins the Teen Titans in BEST OF DC DIGEST #18, and his further appearances are tracked in THE OFFICIAL TEEN TITANS INDEX.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera set up housekeeping in New Venice, only to be attacked by Dr. Light, who is motivated to kill Aquaman by his knowledge that the members of the Justice League will cause his death in the future, unless he kills them first. The sea king defeats Dr. Light by realizing his underwater light-weapon is powered by a stolen lantern-fish, which he telepathically orders to turn off its light.
Adventure Comics No. 475
September 1980
Cover: Plastic Man, Aquaman, and Starman //Brian Bolland
Story: “Scavenger Hunt” (8 pages)
Editor: Len Wein
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Dick Giordano
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #264)
Supporting Characters: Mera (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #264), Topo
Villain: The Scavenger (last appearance in AQUAMAN #60; last appearance)
Cameo appearance: Atlena (in flashback)
Synopsis: Mera comes down with a disease that causes her high temperatures and delirium. Aquaman sets out for Atlantis, seeking Dr. Vulko. On the way, he is stopped by Topo the octopus, who takes him to the site of Atlena’s dimension-warping machinery. Unfortunately, the Scavenger is also on hand, and tries to steal it. After losing a battle to Aquaman, the Scavenger destroys the machine, rather than let his enemy have it. When Aquaman returns to his New Venice home, he finds that Mera has gone.
Adventure Comics No. 476
October 1980
Cover: Aquaman vs. Poseidon and sea creatures //Ross Andru / Dick Giordano
Story: “The Poseidon Adventure” (8 pages)
Editor: Len Wein
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villain: Poseidon (first appearance; an android programmed with Tom Curry’s memories; last chronological appearance in flashback in ACTION COMICS #519; next appears in ACTION COMICS #518; not the Greek sea god)
Cameo appearance: Mera
Synopsis: Aquaman, tormented by Mera’s disappearance, abruptly encounters an Atlantean called Poseidon, bearing a trident and convinced that he is really the legendary god of the sea. The hero gives battle, but is overwhelmed by the newcomer’s great telepathic powers, which force Aquaman and all sea creatures he commands to do Poseidon’s bidding. Poseidon begins a war in New Venice against the surface men who pollute his “domain”, but Aquaman deduces that his power emanates from a telepathic amplifier in his trident. He then sends a telepathic command to a dolphin to snatch away and destroy the trident, which it does, but the stress caused by the conflict between Aquaman’s and Poseidon’s commands kill the dolphin immediately thereafter. Aquaman defeats Poseidon in battle, but later mourns the dolphin and is joined by the other sea creatures in his grief.
Adventure Comics No. 477
November 1980
Cover: Aquaman disgraced by New Venice citizens; Starman and Mn’torr; Plastic Man vs. Roxanne Roller //Ross Andru / Dick Giordano
Story: “The Outrage” (8 pages)
Editor: Len Wein
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Mera
GA: Clark Kent (Superman; last appearance in XXX; next appears in XXX)
Other Characters: Mayor Lyndon (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #264), Cal Durham (last appearance in AQUAMAN #57), Cal Durham’s cousin (first and only appearance)
Villains: Black Manta (last appearance in AQUAMAN #57), Gus D. Tyrone (first appearance)
Synopsis: Aquaman is scorned by the citizens of New Venice after attacking their town under Poseidon’s domination. However, one little girl asks him to come and see her cousin, Cal Durham, a water-breather and a former associate of Black Manta’s. Cal tells Aquaman that he was released from prison a week ago and had come to stay with his New Venice relatives, but, on the way, discovered that Black Manta was in operation again at his old stamping grounds. On the way there, Aquaman and Cal are captured by one of Manta’s mechanical fish. The villain holds them captive and informs them that he has built a new underwater army from former winos and derelicts, and intends to use them to invade Atlantis. His only motivation: to spite Aquaman. Elsewhere, a delirious Mera phases into an unknown location.
Adventure Comics No. 478
December 1980
Cover: Aquaman, Black Manta and his forces invading Atlantis, and missiles nearing New Venice //Rich Buckler / Dick Giordano
Story: “Grand Illusion” (8 pages)
Editor: Len Wein
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Penciller: Dick Giordano
Inker: Steve Mitchell
Letterer: Milton Snapinn
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in ACTION COMICS #517)
Supporting Characters: Mera (next appears in ACTION COMICS #517), Vulko (last appearance in issue #466), Oconn (last appearance in issue #442)
Villains: Black Manta (next appears in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #6), Gus D. Tyrone
Other Character: Cal Durham (next appears in ACTION COMICS #517)
Synopsis: Black Manta has set nuclear weapons aloft, on a course for New Venice, while he and his men go to attack Atlantis. Aquaman and Cal Durham are released from their prison by a short-circuit. Aquaman proceeds to use dolphins to broadcast sound waves at the missiles that knock their guidance systems off-balance. They explode harmlessly, though the noise wakes up Mera. Black Manta’s troops are halted by Aquaman and Vulko, who give them the chance to become citizens of Atlantis. They lay down their arms and accept the offer. Mera shows up and places “Black Manta” in a hard-water shell, having been brought there from her New Venice home by Cal. But, abruptly, the “Black Manta” in their custody proves to be a booby-trapped robot, which explodes.
Action Comics No. 517
March 1981
Cover: Superman and Aquaman //Ross Andru / Dick Giordano
Story: “Brother Rat” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Don Heck
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #478)
Supporting Characters: Mera (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #478), Vulko (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #478; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #217) Villain: Ocean Master (last appearance in DC COMICS PRESENTS #5)
Other Character: Cal Durham (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #478)
Comment: This story continues from ADVENTURE COMICS #478.
Synopsis: Aquaman learns from Vulko that Mera will die unless she returns to her other-dimensional world before long. Nonetheless, she accompanies her husband to New York City, where they fight Ocean Master, who leaps off a building to his apparent death.
Action Comics No. 518
April 1981
Story: “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Don Heck
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Characters: Mera, Cal Denham
Intro: Inspector Erwin
Villains: Ocean Master, Atlanna (called Amphitrite in this story; last appearance in flashback in next issue), Poseidon (last appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS #476)
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: Ocean Master survives the fall, but Amphitrite, who now commands him, sends Poseidon in his place to fight Aquaman, who now suspects that Ocean Master’s mother (his father’s second wife) may still be alive. The villain defeats Aquaman and his friends in battle, but suddenly regains his memory and holds back from killing him, and proclaims that Aquaman is his son.
Action Comics No. 519
May 1981
Story: “Family Plot” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: J. Marc DeMatteis
Artist: Don Heck
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Aquaman (origin retold in detail)
Supporting Characters: Mera (next appears in issue #536), Cal Durham (last appearance)
Other Characters: Poseidon (origin revealed in this story in flashback, his earliest chronological appearance, preceding ADVENTURE COMICS #476; not a villain in this story), Tom Curry (in flashback; isochronally with ADVENTURE COMICS #260), Atlena (in flashback, preceding her first appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #262)
Intro: The Delphius Oracle (only appearance)
Villains: Atlanna (origin revealed in this story in flashback, her earliest chronological appearance, preceding ADVENTURE COMICS #260; also appears in flashback, between ADVENTURE COMICS #260 / last issue), Ocean Master
Comment: This story continues in the next issue. Synopsis: Aquaman, Mera, and Cal Durham learn the strange history of Aquaman’s mother: that Atlanna was a survivor of the original Atlantis, thanks to her taking a serum of her own invention that made her amphibious and nearly immortal; that her sister, Atlena, was a priestess of the Delphius Oracle, which proclaimed that a savior would be born to become king of sea and land people; that Atlanna did not really die in Aquaman’s childhood, but was merely rendered comatose, from which state she awoke, having become mad; that Poseidon himself is an android programmed with Tom Curry’s memories; and that she believes Aquaman is the prophesied savior, and she wishes to kill him with Ocean Master’s help.
Action Comics No. 520
June 1981
Story: “The End” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Plotter: J. Marc DeMatteis
Scripter: Len Wein
Artist: Don Heck
Letterer: Milton Snapinn
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #187)
Other Characters: Poseidon (destroyed in this story), Atlena (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #262; last appearance)
Villains: Atlanna (dies in this story), Ocean Master (next appears in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #5), robot duplicates of the Shark, Black Manta, the Fisherman, and several other Aquaman villains (first appearance for all; all destroyed in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight Proteus in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #187-188 and Starro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #189-190.
Synopsis: Aquaman and Poseidon have a final encounter with Atlanna, Ocean Master, and a horde of villainous robots.
Action Comics No. 521
July 1981
Story: “Grow, Little Growfish” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #192), the Atom
Comment: Shortly after this story Aquaman helps the Justice League fight T. O. Morrow in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #192-193, and appears briefly during the Justice League / Justice Society teamup in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #195. Then he aids the Justice League in their battle with the Appelaxians in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #200.
Synopsis: The Atom and Aquaman encounter a strange amoebic sea-creature that increases from microscopic to large size in response to receiving telepathic brain waves.
Action Comics No. 527
January 1982
Story: “Air Wave Under the Waves” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Dennis Jensen
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Feature Characters: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #200), Air Wave
GS: Green Lantern (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #200)
Supporting Character: Jan Jordan
Intro: The sea-dwellers of Vortuma
Villains: The Land-Masters (first appearance), Ace and his partner (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: After defeating a couple of crooked students, Air Wave is suddenly hit by a transporter beam that teleports him into an undersea realm. There he rescues a six-armed octopus-like creature who is being attacked by costumed humanoids. Air Wave abruptly phases back to Earth, but finds a small version of the “hexapus” creature has been caught in his cape. He places it in his aquarium and, when Hal Jordan comes calling, gets Green Lantern to contact Aquaman. The sea king and GL deduce that the transporter beam must be similar to Adam Strange’s zeta-beam. Green Lantern’s ring detects a similar beam about to strike them again. Aquaman takes the fish tank with the hexapus and, with Air Wave’s and Green Lantern’s help, rides the beam back to the underwater world.
Action Comics No. 528
February 1982
Story: “Land-Masters of the Sea” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Feature Character: Aquaman
GA: Green Lantern (next appears in PHANTOM ZONE #2), Air Wave
Villains: The Land-Masters
Other Characters: The sea-dwellers of Vortuma
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman finds himself teleported to the world of Vortuma, where he communicates with another hexapus and learns about their society. While on a tour of their city, Aquaman witnesses the Land-Masters, human tyrants who terrorize the sea-dwelling hexapi, make an attack on the hexapus governor. He fights off the Land-Masters, but the governor insists he hide, since the tyrants will demand his death for the deed. Aquaman decides to help the hexapi gain their freedom from the Land-Masters, but is abruptly confronted by an entire Land-Master army.
Action Comics No. 529
March 1982
Story: “Death If By Land, Death If By Sea” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Pablo Marcos
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Feature Character: Aquaman
Villains: The Land-Masters
Other Characters: The sea-dwellers of Vortuma
Comment: This story continues in the next issue.
Synopsis: Aquaman fights off the Land-Masters of Vortuma and helps the hexapi get to safety, but is knocked unconscious by the tyrants. He awakens in a desert, confronted by Land-Masters. When he tears the tunic of one of the Land-Masters, Aquaman finds himself inundated by life-giving water. He trails the Land-Masters and discovers they are really hexapi in humanoid suits, after which he leads an assault on them by the good hexapi and defeats them. However, Aquaman fears that the transport beam which brought him to Vortuma may wear off and leave him stranded on that world for life.
Action Comics No. 530
April 1982
Story: “Home, Home on the Waves” (8 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Feature Characters: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #202), the Atom
Villains: The Land-Masters (last appearance)
Supporting Character: Jean Palmer
Other Characters: The sea-dwellers of Vortuma (last appearance)
Comment: After this story Aquaman briefly appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #202, then teams up with Superman to fight alien octopi in DC COMICS PRESENTS #48, helps the Justice League fight the Royal Flush Gang in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #203-204, congratulate Air-Wave in ACTION COMICS #535, and then helps the Justice League, Justice Society, and All-Star Squadron fight Per Degaton and the Crime Syndicate in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #207-210 / ALL-STAR SQUADRON #14, 15.
Synopsis: Aquaman and one of the hexapi try to find a means of “energizing” Aquaman so that he may return to Earth on the transport beam. The hexapus tells Aquaman about the vibrus, an underwater animal that gives off high-levels of vibration energy when attacked. Aquaman locates a vibrus, fakes an attack on it, and is hit by the animal’s vibration-blast, which energizes him enough to catch the transport beam and go back to Earth. He is recovered after splashdown by The Atom and Jean Palmer, who have been waiting for his return.
Action Comics No. 536
October 1982
Story: “I Talk to the Seas, But They Don’t Listen To Me” (7 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ann Kaye
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Feature Character: Aquaman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #215)
Supporting Character: Mera (last appearance in issue #519)
Intro: Dr. Todd Carmel, Admiral Murphy
Villain: Vlana (first appearance; in Mera’s body)
Synopsis: Aquaman has a dream of Mera calling to him for help. After he awakens, he keeps an appointment to see Dr. Todd Carmel and Admiral Murphy at a S.T.A.R. sea station. They hope to learn how Aquaman telepathically “talks” to sea creatures, so that normal men will be able to do the same, by using a “brain-print” machine on Aquaman. When Aquaman asks if the device can be used to tap into a person’s memories, and is told it might be possible, he has Carmel use it on him to focus on his memory of Mera’s dream. When the readout on the dream-memory is compared to a real memory he has of Mera, the two readings match. This indicates that Mera’s communication was real, and not just a dream.
The process is interrupted by a quake that rocks the sea station. Aquaman checks outside and sees that the water around the station has turned solid, but is being ripped apart by tidal action. He breaks through its hard surface layer and discovers that the water below it is liquid. Aquaman summons whales to steady the sea station and rescues a helmeted diver trapped in the solid water. When he gets the diver back on the surface and the diver’s helmet is removed, Aquaman is astonished to learn the person’s identity: Mera.
Action Comics No. 537
November 1982
Story: “Something Fishy” (7 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Joe Giella
Letterer: Albert DeGuzman
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Mera
Other Characters: Dr. Todd Carmel, Admiral Murphy
Villain: Vlana (in Mera’s body) Synopsis: Mera tells Aquaman that she is Lt. Miriam Bridgeman, and Adm. Murphy explains that Lt. Bridgeman joined them several weeks ago. Aquaman kisses her to find out if she is really his wife, and is satisfied by the response that she is, though she has no memory of being Mera...and the hard-water around the sea station convinces him further that she is really Mera. When she is hooked up to the brain-print machine, her readings come out garbled. As a final test, Aquaman has Lt. Bridgeman change into a bikini and leap into the sea with him. She finds out that she can breathe water and has telepathic powers, though she still does not remember her Mera identity. But when she tries summoning other fish, she and Aquaman are beset by attacking dolphins, and she mistakenly encases most of Aquaman’s body in hard water.
Action Comics No. 538
December 1982
Story: “Mera, Mera, On the Wave, Who’s the One You’ve Got To Save?” (7 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Frank McLaughlin
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Mera
Villain: Vlana (in Mera’s body)
Synopsis: Aquaman and Mera are beset by the attacking dolphins, and Mera’s continued attempts to communicate telepathically with them electrify the porpoises like electric eels. Aquaman manages to get three of the dolphins to smash into his hard-water block, freeing him. But a dolphin’s electric charge stuns Mera, and, going to her rescue, Aquaman receives Mera’s image and her call for help in his mind. The Mera-image declares that she is trapped, “imprisoned somewhere else!” When Mera (as Bridgeman) awakens in his arms, she says that the real Mera is her prisoner, and that she shares Mera’s body, but dominates it. Then she starts to strangle Aquaman.
Action Comics No. 539
January 1983
Story: “Help! I’m a Prisoner in My Own Body!” (7 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Feature Character: Aquaman
Supporting Character: Mera
Villain: Vlana (revealed in this story)
Synopsis: Even though Aquaman cannot bring himself to hit Mera, he has swordfish swim about them at such a speed it creates a whirlpool, dizzying Mera and enabling him to break her grip. She passes out, and Mera is thus able to override her captor’s dominance and send Aquaman telepathic messages. He learns that the woman in possession of Mera’s body now is Vlana, the woman who ruled her dimensional world of Xebel after she left to marry Aquaman. When Mera returned, she found Vlana unwilling to leave the throne, but removed her by force and incurred her wrath. Later, she lured Mera into a trap, and used her enhanced mental powers to take over Mera’s body telepathically. After that, she warped into Earth, assumed the Miriam Bridgeman identity, and infiltrated the S.T.A.R. project to learn how to communicate with fish, so that she could use them as “troops” to help her retake Xebel. Aquaman takes himself and Mera through the warp that admits them to Xebel. When she awakens, Aquaman fears that he will be facing Vlana again, but the crossing has returned Mera’s control of her own body to her. Mera leads Aquaman to Vlana, who now has fish-summoning powers and draws an army of octopi, sharks, swordfish, and electric eels through the warp to menace them. Aquaman is stunned by her telepathic strike, and Vlana tells Mera to choose which fish shall kill her.
Action Comics No. 540
February 1983
Story: “Water-War One” (7 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bob Rozakis
Penciller: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Joe Giella
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Feature Character: Aquaman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #217)
Supporting Character: Mera (next appears in THE SHADOW WAR OF HAWKMAN #3)
Villain: Vlana (dies in this story)
Comments: This is the last solo story of the Earth-One Aquaman. After this story, his further appearances are tracked in the OFFICIAL JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA INDEX.
Synopsis: Mera and Vlana engage in a vicious hand-to-hand fight, though Vlana cheats by using members of her fish “army” to attack her rival. To prevent the interference, Mera creates a sphere of hard water around herself and Vlana, keeping out the fish. Then she and Vlana continue their battle, until the bikini-clad Mera finally defeats her. Aquaman breaks through the hard-water sphere a few seconds later, and an electric eel follows and kills Vlana with its charge. Mera tells Aquaman that Vlana must have committed suicide by ordering the eel to shock her when she realized she would be defeated. Later, back in her regular outfit, Mera once again gives up the throne of Xebel to return to Earth with Aquaman, the man she loves.

Aquaman’s later appearances:

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #217
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ANNUAL #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #218
THE FLASH #327-329
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #221-223
SUPERGIRL #20
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #24 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #228-230
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ANNUAL #2
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #233-239
NEW TEEN TITANS (2nd series) #6
SHADOW WAR OF THE HAWKMAN #3
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #241-243
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #5, 6, 9-12 (last appearance)
The New Earth Aquaman first appears in AQUAMAN (2nd series) #1.