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Aquaman, also known as Arthur Curry, was created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941).

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Initially, the character was created with plots as backup stories to the DC titles. During the comics Silver Age, Aquaman got a more serious make-over as he became the King of Atlantis and a founding member to the Justice League of America.

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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 beings that live in the sea, 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 and some aliens).

He has also somehow blessed by the Sea God Poseidon, which gave him a protective charm against the foul magics of the Thule dimension.

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He also has the natural ability to breathe underwater and possesses a superhuman physique strong enough for his lungs to work unaffected by the immense pressure and the cold temperature of the ocean depths, also making him tough enough to withstand attacks from superhuman opponents and resist machine gun fire. He also possesses superhuman strength as a result, but his strength is always underrated, considering the company that he keeps.

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After the loss of his left hand, Aquaman eventually received 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 and kill them instantly, the ability to shoot jets of water from his hand, scalding or freezing, healing abilities, the ability to create portals into mystical dimensions acting as spontaneous transport, the ability to control most any body of water he sets his focuses on and the ability to communicate with the Lady of the Lake through the waterbearer hand.

His biological hand was restored when the character was resurrected in Blackest Night #8.

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A Short Deviation

Arthur Joseph Curry is the second DC Comics superhero to be known as Aquaman. Created by Kurt Busiek and Jackson Guice, he first appeared in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40 (May 2006). As part of DC Comics' One Year Later event, Aquaman's series was renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis with issue #40 (May 2006). The new developments include a new lead character, a new supporting cast, and the inclusion of sword and sorcery-type fantasy elements in the series. The character was short-lived, and was not seen much leading up to the revival of Aquaman in the 2010 Blackest Night miniseries, and is not featured in DC continuity at all following its 2011 reboot, The New 52.

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Family and Sidekick

Aquaman's supporting cast and rogues gallery soon began to grow with the addition of Aqualad, an outcast, orphaned youth from an Atlantean colony whom Aquaman takes in and begins to mentor. The young one soon fell in love with Tula (known as "Aquagirl"), an Atlantean princess.

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Aquaman is recognized as the son of Atlanna and is later voted to be the King after the death of the former regent, who has no heirs. By this time Aquaman had met Mera, a queen from a water-based dimension, and marries her shortly after he had become king. They soon have a son, Arthur, Jr. (nicknamed "Aquababy").

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Legacy

Aquaman was listed as the 147th greatest comic book character of all time by Wizard magazine. IGN also ranked Aquaman as the 53rd greatest comic book hero of all time, opining that "even though he'll forever be the butt of jokes thanks to his fishy powers, comic readers have come to love Aquaman as a noble (and very powerful) figure who is forever torn between the worlds of land and sea." In a 2011 reader poll, Parade magazine ranked Aquaman among the Top 10 Superheroes of All Time.

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