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Friday, February 11, 2011

Aquaman


Aquaman is a comic book superhero who appears in DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted inMore Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title. During the late 1950s and 1960s superhero-revival period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books, he was a founding member of the Justice League of America. In the 1990s Modern Age of Comic Books, Aquaman's character became more serious than in most previous interpretations, with storylines depicting the weight of his role as king of Atlantis.
Arthur Joseph Curry
Arthur Joseph Curry is a fictional character, the second DC Comics superhero to be known as Aquaman (the original Aquaman is Orin!!!!). Created by Kurt Busiek andJackson Guice, he first appeared in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40 (May 2006).
While awaiting transport to Miami, Florida, a young man named Arthur Joseph Curry is washed out to sea when a storm ruptures the tank he is in. This Arthur Curry, whose origin closely resembles that of the Golden Age Aquaman as well as that of Neptune Perkins, is the son of oceanobiologist Dr. Phillip Curry. Arthur's mother, Elaine, died in childbirth and Dr. Curry was forced to use a mutagenic serum on his son when he was born three months premature. Arthur has lived his whole life in the main tank of his father's research facility at Avalon Cay, his only window to the outside world being television.
Shortly after his arrival in the sea, Arthur is mentally contacted by the mysterious "Dweller of the Depths," a deformed humanoid with tentacles instead of hair and a left hand made of water. The Dweller urges him to help King Shark, who still bears scars from a previous battle with Aquaman during the recent Crisis. The Dweller, confusing Arthur for Aquaman and calling him his "charge," tells Arthur and King Shark of a prophecy regarding Arthur's future, a prophecy which seems to be a distorted version of the original Aquaman's history. The Dweller reveals that the original Aquaman was "transformed into one akin to a great and terrible enemy of your people and became the vessel of power strange, ancient and terrible."
Arthur's first trip causes him to meet many of Aquaman's supporting characters including Mera, the Sea Devils, Vulko, and eventually Ocean Master. During this adventure, the Dweller progressively realizes that he himself is the original Aquaman, despite having no memory of his former life.
Later, Arthur finds a humanoid squid named Topo, a naive youth attracted by superheroics and seeking to become a sidekick, andTempest, now amnesiac, unable to breathe water, and implanted with a post-hypnotic suggestion warning of an upcoming battle. The battle soon occurs, and the Dweller/Orin is apparently killed. The Justice League is called in to evaluate Orin's situation, but are unable to determine if he is truly dead, or if he can somehow resurrect himself due to his new magical nature.
In Sword of Atlantis #57, the series' final issue, Aquaman is visited by the Lady of the Lake, who explains his origins. The original Aquaman had given a sample of his water hand to Dr. Curry in order to resurrect Curry's dead son, Arthur, whom he had named after Orin. When Orin attempted to resurrect Sub Diego, a part of his soul attached itself to the dead body of Arthur Joseph Curry, while Orin mutated into the Dweller. Blaming himself for Orin's death, Aquaman vows to never be called "Arthur" again, refraining from using the "stolen" name, asking only to be called Joseph in the future.
Joseph is considered as a candidate for the new Outsiders by Batman. After seeing him in action with Metamorpho, however, Batman decides against his induction.
In their quest to rid the Earth of all forms of kryptonite, Superman and Batman journey deep below the sea and find a large amount of it. The two of them are met with hostility by Aquaman and King Shark. A brief fight ensues, but eventually Joseph allows them to take that for which they came. Before doing so, he points out that not everyone may want Superman to find all of Earth's kryptonite, and that he would have to be at least part human to know that.
Joseph Curry would continue to be the stand-in king of Atlantis until after the Final Crisis event. It was revealed that Joseph had stepped down from his position due to being unable to deal with the pressure of carrying on Orin's legacy. Tempest later finds Joseph's trident and costume draped over Orin's throne, confirming that he has abandoned his duties.
Powers and abilities
Orin (Original Aquaman!!!)
Aquaman's most widely recognized power is the telepathic ability to communicate with marine life, which he can summon from great distances. Although this power is most often and most easily used on marine life, Aquaman has at times demonstrated the ability to affect any being that lives upon the sea (e.g., sea eagles), or even any being evolved from marine life (e.g., humans).
Aquaman has a number of superhuman powers, most of which derive from the fact that he is adapted to live in the depths of the ocean. He has the ability to breathe underwater. He possesses superhuman durability high enough to remain unaffected by the immense pressure and the cold temperature of the ocean depths, this also makes him tough enough to be invulnerable to machine gun fire. He also possesses superhuman strength. He can swim at very high speeds, capable of reaching speeds of 10,000 feet per second and can swim up Niagara Falls. He can see in near total darkness and has enhanced hearing granting limited sonar. Although he can remain underwater indefinitely without suffering any ill effects, Aquaman grows weak if he remains on land for extended periods.
After the loss of his left hand, Aquaman initially replaced it with a cybernetic retractable hook, then a cybernetic hand. The mechanical hand was replaced by a magical hand made out of water given to him by the Lady of the Lake, which grants Aquaman numerous abilities, including but not limited to: the ability to dehydrate anyone he touches with it, killing them instantly; the ability to change the shape and density of the hand;  the ability to shoot jets of scalding water; healing abilities; the ability to create portals into mystical dimensions; the ability to communicate with the Lady of the Lake through the waterbearer hand; and the ability to nullify magic.
Following his death in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis and resurrection at the end of Blackest Night, Aquaman has regained his natural hand, but seems to have retained some of his altered powers from the Black Lantern Corps, such as the ability to control undead sea-life. In issue 19 of the "Brightest Day" series, Aquaman's right hand is cut off by Black Manta.
Arthur Joseph
The new Aquaman has many physical abilities in common with the original Aquaman, including underwater breathing, submarine speed, and superhuman strength. Like the Golden Age Aquaman, Arthur cannot survive outside of water for long. He also gained telepathic powers. He now speaks and understands the languages of the sentient sea peoples unaided, and has a limited ability to communicate with nonsentient sea life. He cannot speak directly to them as his predecessor could, but can send and receive emotional impressions and desires, such as communicating a need for help. He is working to expand the latter ability, and in one instance has been able to "see" through the eyes of nearby fish.
Justice
In the Justice (DC Comics) series, Aquaman has regenerative powers. After having brain surgery experiments performed against his will, Aquaman is left for dead and presumed killed. He later appears having healed completely without scarring.
Aquaman has appeared in multiple cartoon series, such as The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, Super Friends, and Justice League as well as a live action version appearing in the TV series Smallville. He was also scheduled to be featured in his own series by Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of Smallville, but only a pilot episode was created.
A fictional Aquaman movie played a central role in the second season and part of the third season of the HBO show Entourage.
In 2003, Cartoon Network Latin America aired the spoof series The Aquaman & Friends Action Hour that starred Aquaman as an easily irritated children's television show host and the Legion of Doom as his bankrupt villains.
Aquaman has also been referenced in several episodes of The Big Bang Theory, as has The Flash.
Aquaman is also featured in the song Aquaman's Lament by Mark Aaron James, on the album "Just a Satel-lite".





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