Arthur Curry, born with the Atlantean name Orin, is the crown prince of Atlantis, as well as the superhero known as Aquaman.
While initially reserved and content with his isolation from the surface world, Aquaman would eventually be recruited by Batman and Wonder Woman to be a member of the Justice League, in order to help defend Earth against the imminent alien invasion of Steppenwolf and his Parademon army.
Following his recruitment to the League, Arthur played a pivotal role in reviving Superman following his death. With the team now fully assembled, Aquaman contributed to the successful assault against the forces of Apokolips, forcing the alien invasion into retreat. Afterwards, the Aquaman was finally revealed to the world as the protector of the oceans, becoming an official superhero. Simultaneously, Arthur accepted and decided to finally pursue his rightful place in Atlantis.
Arthur Curry was born on January 29, 1979[1], to Thomas Curry and Atlanna, the Queen of Atlantis. This heritage caused Arthur to grow up with incredible powers, including the ability to breathe underwater. However, Arthur's ignorance regarding how to handle these Atlantean powers induced him to become very conflicted, and somewhat reserved, with internal struggles.
Monitored by Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor, in pursuit of proving the existence of extraordinary individuals hidden amongst the general population, kept an eye on Arthur, as he did with other recorded metahumans[2] by hacking into several high-clearance government UUV drones, which recorded a video of Arthur hidden inside a wrecked ship in a Pacific Ocean trench near Tonga. One drone showed Aquaman emerging from the shadows, and then aiming his trident and quickly destroying it while another recorded him swimming away from the site, causing an underwater sonic boom in his wake.[2]
After her Suicide Squad successfully defeated the mystical duo of Enchantress and Incubus in Midway City and saved her, Amanda Waller met up with billionaire Bruce Wayne, asking him to take care of the rumors following the aftermath of the calamitous events, and in exchange, she gave Bruce her files on multiple notable metahumans, including that of the Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, and Victor Stone[1], referring to the information's value as equivalent to 'crown jewels'.
Meeting Bruce Wayne
Arthur meeting Bruce for the first time.
"'The strong man is strongest alone', you ever hear that?" "That's not a saying. That the opposite of what the saying is!"
Arthur was visited by Bruce Wayne in Iceland, who had eventually tracked him down using files given to him by Amanda Waller.[1] Bruce arrived during the winter, during which time Arthur brought fish to feed the hungry, always coming into town on the King tide. On the day afterward, Bruce asked the village's council if he could speak with Arthur, whom he deduced was still around. When Arthur revealed himself to be there, he demanded Bruce talk, during which he informed Arthur that an impending threat was coming to the world, asking Arthur to join the newly founded Justice League under his leadership. Initially, Arthur refused to become involved with, and risk his life for, a group of strangers. He responded with hostility when Bruce made a quip about Atlantis and proceeding to pin Bruce against the wall in an attempt to intimidate him. However, he decided to hear Bruce out, where the latter disclosed that he was Batman.[3]
Bruce commented on the rumors surrounding Arthur, amusingly pointing out his ability to "talk to fish." Afterwards, while Arthur was beginning to depart back to the ocean, he remarked that 'the strong man is strongest alone', to which Bruce, incredulous, commented that Arthur had gotten the actual saying backward.
Assault on Atlantis
Arthur rescued a sailor caught in a storm, taking him to a bar where he deposited him on a table and ordered himself a drink. The sailor, however describe having been attacked by a strange creature, as Arthur look at his own hand and notice a green strange substance in it. Realizing that there was something wrong happening Arthur decides to return to Atlantis.
In his pursuit of the Mother Boxes left on Earth from his previous visit, the New GodSteppenwolf invaded the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, where Arthur and Mera quickly arrived to defend their home.[3]
As the battle began, the Apokoliptian warlord quickly proved his might, subduing Arthur by trapping him under the rubble of a pillar before continuing his search for the Mother Box. With the Mother Box in the hands of Steppenwolf, Mera convinced a reluctant Arthur to retrieve it from Steppenwolf, noting that it is what his mother would've done. With this, Arthur is convinced and asked for the Atlantean armor and Mera’s trident before going after Steppenwolf.
After a intense fight with the team of heroes and having lost some of his Parademon minions, Steppenwolf, annoyed by the heroes intervention, manages to catch one of the missiles in mid-air, shot by Cyborg who was piloting the Knightcrawler, redirecting it to the wall, leaving its structure weak, and releasing all the water above.
As Gotham Harbor was flooding with Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Cyborg inside, Aquaman arrived just in time to save the group by using the Trident's powers to slow down the tide allowing the others to get to the safety of higher ground. As soon as everyone was safe Victor left to retrieve the last Mother Box.
Personality
"You really are out of your mind!" "I'm not the one who brought a pitchfork"
Initially, Arthur Curry is a very conflicted individual, struggling with the fact that he has superhuman powers which he didn't know how to handle, due to him having not been trained in his childhood. Hence, Arthur grew up feeling alienated from both the human and Atlantean worlds, feeling trapped between them, yet having the responsibility of protecting both.[3] In addition, Arthur is very bitter at his mother Atlanna for abandoning him and his father Thomas Curry. Arthur is thus somewhat gruff and reserved, unwilling to accept his place in Atlantean society, and equally unwilling accept Bruce Wayne's offer to join the Justice League at first, as well as getting annoyed with the young and quirky Flash.[3] Surely, Arthur had previously reached an emotional rock bottom during this period in his life, even claiming that he had no concern for the ocean, and by extension, his own people.
Despite his somewhat gloomy and fearsome exterior, however, Arthur is ultimately a selfless and compassionate person, indicated by him frequenting an Icelandic fishing village during the winter in order to feed its hungry inhabitants with fish. He is later seen saving an unconscious fisherman found along the shore, bringing him into the shelter of a local pub in the village. However, he casually shrugged it off by stating that his drinks would be on the fisherman.
When finally visiting Atlantis, his birthright, and speaking with Mera, Aquaman initially pushes back against her reprimands, but upon learning that his mother Atlanna did not abandon him of her own free will, he begins to have a change of heart, and after being unable to stop Steppenwolf from invading Atlantis, Arthur's mind is finally made up and his joins the Justice League. He still clashes with Batman and Flash a few times, but otherwise gets along with the team fairly well, eventually befriending them.
Arthur, while outwardly very serious, occasionally demonstrates a dry sense of humor, notably complimenting Batman on the latter's vigilante suit. When failing to intimidate Bruce due to the latter's profound experience in intimidation tactics, Arthur quickly drops his façade, revealing his laid-back and charming self. While he initially distrusted the isolated Cyborg, Aquaman gradually developed a friendship with him as well, seen when Cyborg assisted him in taking down a group of airborne Parademons. Aquaman is also somewhat of a realist, recognizing that he and the other Justice Leaguers could very well die in a battle against the New God Steppenwolf, and agreeing with Wonder Woman that resurrecting Superman with a Mother Box is too risky.
Despite his gruff appearance and devil-may-care approach to battle, Arthur is quite intelligent and introspective, notably when he quotes Friedrich Schiller's William Tell to Bruce when asked to join the League, stating that 'the strong man is strongest alone', thus further emphasizing his preferred isolation from the surface world. When bound by the Lasso of Hestia, Aquaman reveals that deep down he is very grateful for the team's acceptance, and even developed a slight crush on Diana, despite the Atlanteans having once declared war against the Amazons. Arthur, upon his release, became dismayed upon realizing the circumstances of his confession and forbade Flash from ever sharing it with anyone.
Following the defeat of Steppenwolf and the return of the Superman, Arthur is finally inspired to become an official superhero, and ready to finally pursue his place in Atlantean society.
Hybrid Physiology: Being half-Atlantean (as the son of Queen Atlanna), Arthur Curry is an extremely powerful being, especially when exposed to water. Thanks to his half-human physiology (as the son of Thomas Curry), Arthur can also survive on the surface longer than any Atlantean could.
Super Strength: Arthur has incredible superhuman strength, on par with Ocean Master, King Nereus and Black Manta, though not on the same level as that of Superman or Wonder Woman, making him the third strongest member of the Justice League.[4] His strength allowed him to easily lift and pin Bruce Wayne against a wall (hard enough to make the latter grunt), to easily destroy an underwater NSA drone with a single trident stab[2], to impale multiple Parademons at once with a hurled trident[3], to firmly stay on top of the speeding Batmobile[3], to stand without being moved by the force of huge ocean waves, and to even temporarily hold his own against Steppenwolf and later resurrected Superman, despite being defeated relatively quickly on both occasions. Notably, Aquaman was able to send Steppenwolf flying with a mighty strike with his trident.
Aquaman's incredible strength extends to his legs, making him able to jump immense vertical and horizontal distances, with him leaping from the speeding Batmobile's roof, up at a group of airborne Parademons[3].
Super Durability: Aquaman is incredibly durable, as he is able to withstand immense underwater pressures at over 21,000 feet below sea level[2], as well as to survive unscathed and unwinded after falling from an immense height through several floors of a building.[3] He was able to survive a fight against the considerably stronger Steppenwolf (being thrown into a pillar and smashed by the Electro axe), as well as a fight with the considerably stronger resurrected Superman (being beaten to the ground). With his trident, Aquaman was able to hold off a torrent of water single-handedly.
Super Speed: While underwater, Aquaman can swim at supersonic speeds, managing to thus successfully escape from the NSA's UUV drones and cause a sonic boom in the water.[2] As such, while swimming Aquaman is able to propel himself from the water with the speed of a bullet and onto land, and can travel the ocean faster than any naval vessel. He was also able to leap onto the roof of a speeding Batmobile, riding it until he lunged into a squad of Parademons.
Aquaman has a superhuman level of agility and coordination, allowing him to dodge Steppenwolf's hurled Electro axe while underwater, to balance himself while standing on a falling Parademon body (which consequently crashed through several stories of a building), and to even support himself on the speeding Batmobile's roof.
Super Reflexes: Aquaman is shown to be able to respond to changing tactical situations and react accordingly. He was able to quickly impale a Parademon through the chest after being thrown into a freefall, then follow up by striking down another to use to break his fall, afterward crashing through a building, then maintain his assault on land[3].
Super Senses: As an Atlantean, Aquaman possesses enhanced senses to help him better navigate underwater.
Enhanced Vision: Aquaman's vision is better enhanced to help him see in the darker environment of the sea, with Aquaman's eyes distinctly gleaming as he stood within the dark hull of a sunken ship.[2] From his perspective, the seemingly dark environment of Atlantis is brightly lit, with the vivid and vibrant flora and fauna of the sea being as clear as though he were on land.[3]
Marine Communication: Aquaman is able to telepathically interact with sea life, with him notably threatening to introduce the Flash to numerous piranhas.[4]
Amphibious Adaptation: Arthur, due to his Atlantean heritage, can survive both on land and in an underwater environment.
Aquatic Respiration: Aquaman is able to breathe underwater, thereby meriting his superhero nickname.[4]
Skilled Combatant: Aquaman has established himself a very competent armed combatant (with his trident), notably singlehandedly taking down numerous Parademons in rapid succession, and even temporarily holding his own against stronger opponents, such as Steppenwolf and resurrected Superman, even succeeding to ultimately injure the former with his trident.
Skilled Leader: Aquaman, as the future King of Atlantis, is a proficient and capable leader, though he notably chose to follow Batman's lead when joining the Justice League.
Expert Swimmer: Aquaman, like all Atlanteans, is an extremely skilled swimmer.
Expert Marksman: With his trident, Aquaman has been shown to be an immensely proficient marksman, striking down a number of Parademons with a single throw. Aquaman was able to throw his trident after being launched forward by Cyborg, spearing a distant Parademon in the chest from a substantial distance away.
Intimidation: Aquaman, much like Batman, commands an extremely fearsome presence, able to instill fear into people whom he dislikes, with even Flash being somewhat scared of Aquaman at first. He was not, however, able to frighten Batman, due to the latter's own profound experience in intimidation tactics.
Bilingualism: Arthur Curry, apart from his native English, also fluently speaks Icelandic, as seen during his regular visits to a village in Iceland.
Dehydration: Aquaman's greatest weakness is spending an extended period of time away from water since that will considerably weaken his enhanced Atlantean biology. However, thanks to his human heritage, Aquaman is able to spend considerably longer periods without extensive exposure to water than a full Atlantean. For this reason, Aquaman can be seen keeping himself hydrated while on land by drinking large amounts of liquids.
Atlantean Trident: Aquaman's primary weapon, which, due to its properties, is one of the few weapons that can actually injure the otherwise invulnerable Kryptonian Superman.[5] In addition, the trident is also able to help Aquaman control water, with him notably holding off the torrential force of a wave by repelling it with the trident.[3] The trident also appears to somewhat enhance Aquaman's speed while underwater, causing a massive shockwave of force as he fled from the NSA's UUV drones.[2]
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