History Characters / Aquaman

''Aquaman'' refers to a superhero that appears in several media. For characters from each version, see:

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!Protagonists

[[folder:Aquaman I]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:Aquaman Pre-Flashpoint]]
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[[caption-width-right:300:Aquaman Post-Flashpoint]]

->''"I know there are certain benighted souls who think I'm some kind of '''third-rate hero''', Scavenger -- but I'd think that '''you''' of all people -- would know '''better'''! But since you seem a bit '''confused''' -- let me make this '''perfectly clear'''... I was in the world-saving game when people like '''Firestorm''' and '''Black Lightning''' were still in '''diapers'''... I've worked '''hard''' to earn the '''respect''' and '''trust''' of every living creature beneath the '''waves''' -- and I take my job '''very seriously'''... so get '''this''' through your head, punk... '''I'm Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas'''... and I'm the '''BEST'''!"''

Pre-Flashpoint, the most well-known aquatic superhero, Aquaman is the king of Atlantis. Known underwater as King Orin, and by surface-dwellers as Arthur Curry, he strives to protect the seas and the surface using his abilities.

He disappeared sometime after ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' due to making a deal with the water gods to save the inhabitants of Sub Diego, after which he became the Dweller in the Depths, the mentor to the second Aquaman, Arthur Joseph Curry. Orin died at the end of the ''Sword of Atlantis'' series, murdered by the undead assassin Narwhal, but during the events of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', he was brought back as Aquaman thanks to the [[Characters/GLOtherLanternCorps White Entity]].

Post-Flaspoint, Arthur Curry is the son of Atlanna, the Queen of Atlantis, and Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper from Amnesty Bay. Atlanna returned to Atlantis soon after Arthur was born, but his father spent the rest of his life waiting for her. Arthur was raised to learn responsibility, and was trained in his powers by his father's friend Stephen Shin. However, after the death of his father and Shin revealing him to the world, he leaves the surface after finding his mother's former adviser Vulko and discovers Atlantis. There, he met his half-brother Orm, and became the King of Atlantis. Eventually, he abandons his duties after falling in love with Mera, the Princess of Xebel, and decides to fully commit to superheroing on the surface world, even founding the Justice League. Eventually, circumstances force him to return to the throne, to be the ruler of a people half of which hate him.

!!Pre-Flashpoint
* AbdicateTheThrone: More times than he can count, usually on dumb trumped up charges or reasons by his own people no less.
%%* AntiMagic: One of the perks that come with the Water Bearer hand. Useful when dealing with mystic monstrosities.%%What is?
%%* ApparentlyHumanMerfolk: Just look at him.
* AnArmAndALeg: His hand was eaten by piranhas.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Aquaman is the King of the Seas and he is a huge ''badass''.
* BadassBoast: Even though Arthur is pretty humble, you can expect him to throw one of these towards anyone who underestimates him.
-->'''Aquaman:''' I know there are certain benighted souls who think I'm some kind of third rate hero, Scavenger, but I think you of all people would know better! But since you seem a bit confused, let me make this perfectly clear... I was in the world saving game when people like Firestorm and Black Lightning were still in diapers... I've worked hardto earn the respect and trust of every living creature below the waves, and I take my job very seriously... so get this through your head, punk, I'm Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas... and I'm the BEST!
* BarbarianLonghair: To go with his badass beard.
%%* BashBrothers: With ComicBook/MartianManhunter.
%%* BattleCouple: With Mera.
* BreakTheCutie: Atlantis' FantasticRacism got so bad that he eventually swears off his "king of Atlantis" shtick indefinitely after the whole [[ApocalypseHow Thirst debacle]] and the [[TheIlluminati coven of wizards]] who secretly pushed for his exile/execution and their attempted [[KillAllHumans extinction of the surface world]], going so far as to angrily rebuffing Vulko's invitation back to the throne preferring to stick to the sunken city merpeople he'd come to associate with instead.
* CainAndAbel: The Abel to Orm, the Ocean Master's Cain.
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Inverted, while venomously rebuking Vulko's offer of monarchy. Orin found himself without choice but to return to Atlantis after finding out [[BigBadWannaBe prime minister Hagen]] [[EvilIsPetty cursed his wife with lungs before his imprisonment.]]
* DeadGuyJunior: Post-Crisis, he's given the name "Arthur Curry" from his adoptive human father.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Constantly. Aquaman throws down with Gods and Lovecraftian Horrors on the reg. He apparently has a yearly pact with ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} to drive down a very Cthulhu-like beast down to its home.
* DisabilitySuperpower: His grappling-hook hand, liquid-metal hand and, later, his magical water hand.
* ElementalEmbodiment: Occasionally on the rare happenings when Aquaman gains water abilities, he also becomes a physical representation of his element.
* ExtradimensionalShortcut: The Waterbearer can traverse the borderline dimension of the secret sea; the primordial ocean where all ideas spring from in shared imagination, enabling him to travel across the world in record breaking time.
%%* FantasticRacism: This is the reason why he was left abandoned on mercy reef as a babe and exiled numerous times after taking the throne by his more than ungrateful subjects; this coming prior to losing his hand, wife, firstborn son and a bit of sanity on his part.%%What is the reason?
* FightsLikeANormal: He used to, until his writers started rigging the SuperpowerLottery in his favor.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Well, all seafood, anyway.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Like Wonder Woman, he is very unambiguously a force for good above all else, but he is also easily one of the worst members of the League to piss off because, like Wonder Woman, he's one of the most brutal and uncompromising members of the League, and if you piss him off enough, he may just opt to kill you. The likelihood of this happening increases ''exponentially'' if you [[PapaWolf bring any harm to his family]].
* GrapplingHookGun: He has these built into his harpoon and mecha hands, shooting them along a length of tungsten steel cable like a harpoon.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: While born of yet shunned by both Atlantis and The Surface. Aquaman will always stand up, if not for himself, than for others in need in order to do the right thing.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Was the son of the Atlantean Atlanna and lighthouse keeper Tom Curry in the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]]. This was retconned back into continuity when Orin came back in ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* HealingHands: Hand to be more precise, the waterbearer can heal most anything that ails ya if given direct contact. Doubles as HealItWithWater.
* HeartbrokenBadass: Following the death of his son and subsequent crumbling of his marriage to Mera.
* HeroesWantRedheads: During the events of the "Flashpoint" continuity, when put into an [[CursedWithAwesome arranged marriage to Wonder Woman]], it's implied that he already loved Mera more, marrying her very quickly after the arranged marriage fell through.
* HeroicBastard: In ComicBook/PostCrisis continuity, he was the bastard son of Atlanna and the wizard Atlan. This was later retconned back to his Silver Age origin after ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis''.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Martian Manhunter, due to their kinship as outsiders.
* HookHand: His left hand is replaced with a hook.
* HourOfPower: Subverted, He could only stay out of water for only one hour in the Silver Age. In the modern age this was either retconned, edited out or eventually he got over it in due time.
* HowDoIShootWeb: In all the hubbub over whether Mera should stay in Atlantis or on dry land while finding a way to undo her hex. It never occurred to Aquaman he could just nullify it with his water hand.
* InASingleBound: Being fully adapted to live in the pressure of the deepest sea trenches, he's able to leap miles at a time through the air, with ComicBook/IncredibleHulk-like jumps.
* KnightInSourArmor: Most modern depictions of Aquaman have him somewhat grumpy and anti-social, but at the same time he can be very empathic towards others and does care a lot for the well being of both humans and Atlanteans, even if he has a hard time showing it.
* LightningBruiser: Impossibly fast and agile in the sea (and still far faster than any normal human on land), and can take blows from Superman like it was nothing.
* ManlyFacialHair: First grew a beard in the 90's, and it looked awesome. Sometimes he shaves it off, but he always ends up growing it back.
%%* {{Mentors}}:
%%** To Arthur Joseph Curry, the second Aquaman.
%%** To both Aqualads too.
* OrganAutonomy: A unique attribute of the water bearer hand is that Arthur can detach it from his body and utilize it as an independent limb.
* PapaWolf: Fuck with his kids or Atlantis and you'll have to answer to him before the day is over, and by "answer to", expect to either have to fight him or run like hell and hide behind someone who can handle him in a direct fight.
* PowerCableAttack: As one of the tricks that come with his grappling-hook prosthetic, Arthur can [[ChainLightning electrify the wiring]] tethered to his spear giving those bored into a heavy shock.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: Favors a trident, or sometimes a pentadent. In his time he wielded both the mystical tridents of Poseidon Greek God of the sea and Neptune Roman God of Oceans, both of which like their namesakes gave Aquaman access to vast meta-mystical powers affording him control over the waters and the storms they equate.
* PunnyName: He is a [[Myth/KingArthur king named Arthur]].
* RaisedByWolves: Porm, the dolphin who acted as a surrogate mother to Aquaman.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Compared to most xenophobic, ruthless, or incompetent former kings he is this.
* RequiredSecondaryPowers: Due to adapting to living at the bottom of the sea, he's got SuperStrength and SuperToughness when out of the water. It's enough to combat Franchise/{{Superman}} with, who has those two as primary powers.
* {{Retcon}}: Twice. His parentage post-Crisis is changed to full blooded Atlantean with Atlan as his father and his name Orin. Sometime around Final Crisis, he returns to his [[HalfHumanHybrid half-human]] roots as Arthur Curry, son of Tom Curry and Atlanna.
* RightfulKingReturns: Has to pull this on a regular basis whenever his [[ApatheticCitizens former subjects]] elect someone else or are tricked out of their freedom & livelihood by an even bigger [[YouBastard bastard than they are]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He is the King of {{Atlantis}}.
* {{Seers}}: If Aquaman concentrates hard enough, he can gain insight as to what needs to be done and where he ought to be.
* ShapeshifterWeapon: A trait carried by both metal and water hands, the limbs can morph at will via thought through Orin's telepathy.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: His primary powers.
* {{Telepathy}}: Contrary to popular belief, Aquaman can indeed do more than speak to sea creatures. His telepathy extends to anything that's evolved from the sea. Which includes Atlanteans and humans and even Martians. Taken UpToEleven when he learned to tap into the Clear, a matrix that connects all sea life in the world which allowed him to see, hear, and feel everything that all live in the ocean have ever experienced.
* ThisIsADrill: Another feature of the spear hook is the penetrative ability is has being made of a vanadium-titanium alloy that could penetrate just about anything.
* TouchOfDeath: The reverse effect of his restorative abilites done by sucking the moisture out of other living beings through contact.
* TraumaCongaLine: He loses his son, his marriage, the loyalty of Atlantis, is mutated following a {{deal with|TheDevil}} undersea gods to save a suddenly drowning Sub Diego, and is eventually killed by a cult and [[CameBackWrong brought back as a Black Lantern]]. Even though he is brought back to life proper and gets Mera back again, he has to deal with his powers still not working until he completes the White Entity's test for him.
* UnscrupulousHero: Has crossed into this realm here and there. He's still easily the most brutal member of the League even on his best days.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: During Peter David's run.

!!Post-Flashpoint
* AdrenalineMakeover: After having been exiled from his kingdom by a runaway [[EvilTwin pretender]] posing as his wife, Arthur underwent a rather profound change both in appearance and demeanor. One reminiscent of the days of his old appearance back in New Earth continuity combined with elements of the [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse Cinematic Universe's]] design.
* AntiMagic: His trident can penetrate otherworldly obstructions and defenses with ease.
* AppliedPhlebotinum: Like the other seven relics, his trident is made from rare, all but impossible to recreate, enchanted gold crafted by an Atlantean alchemist. The method for making this metal has been lost with the disappearance of the Deserters.
* BadassBoast: Gave a pretty awesome one while facing down a [[SuperpoweredMooks regiment of Kryptonians]] under the thrall of an [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve faith leeching]] MadGod, armed with nothing but the deity of his own peoples [[ProngsOfPoseidon mythic keepsake]].
-->'''Random Soldier:''' [[UnderestimatingBadassery I almost pity you Fish-Man.]]\\
'''Arthur:''' At least [[InsultBackfire I'm not a slave]] to a madman.\\
[[{{Beat}} Some time after said mooks' further jabbing at his abandonment by his god]].\\
'''Arthur:''' My people worshiped Poseidon. They said his armies rode sea-foam stallions that swept away all who stood against them. Poseidon's gone now but '''this'''? This is his trident. That makes '''[[AGodAmI Me]]''' god of the oceans! [[LookBehindYou And those behind you?]]\\
Cue the [[GiantWallOfWateryDoom water horse tsunami]] roaring up behind them.\\
'''Arthur:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Those Are My Damn HORSES!]]
* BarbarianHero: Played With. His new appearance in the Bunn-[=McCarthy=] run certainly has traits showcasing a real He-Man or Conan style scheme. It's even somewhat reminiscent of his old Peter David-era look.
* BarbarianLonghair: While not as pronounced as during his [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]] appearances, he has definite signs of this.
* BattleCouple: Usually fights alongside Mera. Used to be this with Y'Wara of the Others.
* BeardOfSorrow: In actuality more of a developed PermaStubble than a beard, which grew in and has been retained since he was ousted as the king of Atlantis by his estranged wife Mera, who dubbed him a traitor ordered to be [[FromBadToWorse hunted down and executed on sight]] [[spoiler: secretly being impersonated by her [[CainAndAbel deranged sister]] [[PolarOppositeTwins Hila]].]]
* DecompositeCharacter: This Arthur's history is much more streamlined, and he's never had absurdly long hair and was never called Orin. Orin is now the name of his ancestor, Atlan used to look like Arthur did in the nineties, the beard and hook look is given to his Crime Syndicate counterpart, and his daughter Andy is the one to [[AnArmAndALeg suffer limb loss]] in Future State.
* ElementalPowers: The Trident of Poseidon allowed Arthur a variety of mystical abilities that allowed him to wield the powers of the titular god of the sea and storms. Along with a few other powers that are and are not equated to the deity of the same name.
* {{Flight}}: His trident can bestow flight to its wielder.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Had to become a destroyer of worlds in order to save his own from [[AncientConspiracy another dimension]], and was more than willing to feed a particularly [[{{Jerkass}} dickish soldier]] to a sea beast under his control knowing full well that the ranks of his kingdom's military are filled with guys like him. In the League, he's more willing to kill, like Diana and Barry.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Son of the Atlantean Atlanna and the human Tom Curry.
* HealingFactor: A more subdued version, but a minor cut he received from assault rifle rounds was healed in a few minutes and he heals pretty quickly while underwater as well.
* HeroesWantRedHeads: Has been with Mera for a long time.
* HeroicBastard: Son of Atlanna and Tom Curry when they were unwed.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Ever still with even the New 52's ComicBook/MartianManhunter, proven when he responded to a telepathic distress beacon sent out by one of J'onn's many scattered sub-selves.
* InASingleBound: His preferred method of getting around on land.
* LightningBruiser: Has a very fast reaction time, and is faster than humans, especially in the water.
* MakingASplash: He has even shown inklings of his previous, albeit augmented, connection to the Clear, enabling him not only protection from, but also limited control over, the poison of Thule's dark magics bleeding into the DCU reality.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: The Trident of Poseidon is a MorphWeapon capable of shifting between an [[CoolSword enchanted edged blade]] and an overarching [[RetractableWeapon lancet]].
* NighInvulnerable: He can take high caliber bullets and only get a minor cut, suffer abrasion from torpedoes while coming out mostly unharmed, withstand blows from Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and even an insane ''Hercules'' and keep on fighting. He is also pretty immune to cold, having spent six months in Antarctica with just pants and not even being bothered. He has an immeasurable resistance to heat as well, having endured things from heat blasts, explosions, and even swimming into open lava vents. Though dry, arid environments like deserts cause him more struggle.
* PortalPool: Usually through utilizing water as a conduit to travel across vast distances, even interplanetary lengths by accident.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: His trident is made of a special gold by the first king of Atlantis, one of Arthur's indirect ancestors. While it demonstrates no special abilities, it was capable of piercing Darkseid's dense hide, something not even Superman could do.
* ReplacementArtifact: After going into hiding during the Thule incursion crisis when his supposed wife Mera dumped him in favor of a secure Atlantis, Arthur acquired a [[AncestralWeapon new artifact]] from the sea god Poseidon himself which gives him power over the storm and the oceans. The relic has tremendous powers, some of which have yet to be seen, but include:
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He was the King of Atlantis, but left the throne to his brother Orm for years to live on the surface. After Orm invades the surface world, Arthur retakes the throne. He still has time for everyday superheroics, Justice League duties, and the Others, however.
* SixthRanger: He thinks the world sees him as this on the Justice League, and it's not unfounded either.
* StaffOfAuthority: His trident acts as a symbol of monarchy among Atlantean culture.
%%* SuperPowerLottery: As a result of his mixed genes, he has certain benefits.
* TookALevelInBadass: More like Took Several Levels actually; after he ousted his brother from the throne and ended a war between two worlds before it began, he's quickly established himself as a competent leader and monarchical figure to both peoples of the world, both respected and greatly feared by the surface world at large as a whole. The hit points he makes just keep climbing from there:
** Fighting and holding his own against Martian Manhunter of all people.
** Taking on Gorilla Grodd, a super-strong ape, and nearly beating him into unconsciousness.
** Besting the Dead King Atlan and tanking a blow from the Mystic Relic which shattered old Atlantis.
** His greatest testament by far however, would be challenging a maddened Hercules. Demi-God son of Zeus with strength on par or even greater than that of Superman.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: It happens to him a lot. One of the biggest instances being Gorilla Grodd being nearly stomped into unconsciousness after mocking Aquaman about needing to be near water to fight.
* UnscrupulousHero: Usually not. Among the Justice League, he's definitely one of the more moral members, even trying his hardest not to kill the Trench when they are trying to devour humans en masse! However, in his past with the Others, he was definitely the most amoral member of the team, to the point where he was willing to let an entire village die to kill Black Manta, only begrudgingly saving a little girl, then literally tossing her aside like garbage afterwards. And that's apparently ''with'' the team reining him in! It's implied that, on his own, he was much worse. However, Arthur is very ashamed of how he used to be, and at best it's portrayed as the "angry young man" phase of his life.
* {{Telepathy}}: He can psychically move sea life to do as he wants. However, if their survival instinct is high enough, they can resist his orders. It has been shown it works on amphibious animals such as alligators as well as mutant, monstrous sea life from an otherworldly prison and outer dimensions.
* ThouShaltNotKill: It's there, but he's with Wonder Woman in the "I'll kill when I really have to" category. He even tried to avoid killing the inhabitants of the Trench, who possibly weren't even intelligent but were determined to feed on his hometown.
* TroubledButCute: In high school, he was always brooding. Didn't stop the ladies, however.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: That Atlantean scale armour tends to come off a lot.
* WoundThatWillNotHeal: Garnered one from Hila when she ripped his blood out through his skin using her power.
* YouKilledMyFather: Kind of. Black Manta was hired to take some of Arthur's blood, but ran into Tom, and caused him to have a heart attack. Arthur blamed Manta, intending to kill him, but killed ''Manta's'' father.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aquaman II (Arthur Joseph Curry)]]
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->''"I'm '''not''' Aquaman. They got the '''wrong guy'''. They can get '''someone else''' to get their '''Aqua-cat''' out of their '''Aqua-tree''', or whatever."''

When Orin disappeared due to the circumstances of Sub Diego's rising, Arthur Joseph Curry eventually came to become the second Aquaman. His origin was similar to the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] version of Aquaman in that he was the son of a human scientist who was born prematurely, so his father gave him the abilities needed to survive underwater. He was mentored by the Dweller in the Depths, who was actually the missing Orin.
----
* ImportantHaircut: He can be distinguished from Orin by his hair, which is longer than Orin's crew cut.
%%* LegacyCharacter: To the original.
* MythologyGag: His origins are a throwback to Aquaman's origin story in the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]].
* PutOnABus: Following the ''Sword of Atlantis'' series, in order to make way for Arthur to come back.
* RequiredSecondaryPowers: His father actually had these in mind in the experiments he undertook to allow him to survive.
%%* RetGone: As of the New 52.
* SadClown: Constantly making jokes to deal with the stress of being who he is.
* SecondComing: The Atlanteans thought of him as being the reincarnation of the missing King Orin, which caused him to eventually retire.
* SoulFragment: He ended up with a fragment of Orin's soul when he was born, which activated when the latter became the Dweller in the Depths.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: He coincidentally had the same first and last name as the first Aquaman's surface name.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mera (Aquawoman)]]
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%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:The Queen of Atlantis]]
!!! '''Alter ego:''' Aquawoman
!!! '''Species''': Atlantean
!!! '''First appearance''': ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' #11 (September 1963)

For most of her existence in Franchise/TheDCU, Mera's backstory was only alluded to vaguely, and it wasn't until 2010's ''ComicBook/BrightestDay'' that her origin was explored. Hailing from Xebel, an extradimensional penal colony for banished Atlantean people, Mera was sent to Atlantis (under an assumed alias) to kill Aquaman, but couldn't follow through with the plan because she [[InLoveWithTheMark instead fell in love with him]].

Mera would eventually marry Arthur and become the Queen of Atlantis, which is perhaps the best-known aspect of her character, but she's notable on her own terms as well. Whereas he possesses telepathic control of aquatic life, Mera's skillset involves [[MakingASplash hydrokinesis and manipulation of hard water]].

In 2018, her character saw some notable developments, which include temporarily joining the ComicBook/JusticeLeague, becoming Queen of Atlantis, and starring in her own solo series, ''Mera: Queen of Atlantis''. She also starred in her own graphic novel, ''Mera: Tidebreaker'', released as part of the DC Ink YoungAdult line in 2019.
----
* AbsoluteCleavage: Her classic look, though it's been downplayed over the years.
* ActionGirl: Not only a loving and devoted wife/fiance, but a badass on her own who aids and even saves Aquaman.
* ApparentlyHumanMerfolk: Moreso than Aquaman; she comes from an undersea colony.
* BarrierWarrior: Often uses her water powers to shield herself and her allies, particularly during the Drowned Earth arc.
%%* BashBrothers: With Tula.
* BattleCouple: Most of Arthur's fights during Geoff Johns' run and beyond had Mera alongside him.
* TheBerserker: During her time as a Red Lantern in ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* BerserkButton: Mocking her husband or not respecting her personal space. And don't call her "Aquawife." Or a mermaid.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She may be an even more diplomatic face than her husband, but do not get on her bad side. She is even less gentle.
* BoobsOfSteel: [[MostCommonSuperpower As expected]], she's busty, and also a very strong (described with "strikes that crash like tidal waves") and skilled warrior, particularly with a trident.
* BreakoutCharacter: While she hasn't risen to headliner status, it's pretty safe to say that Mera has gained additional prominence starting from her role in both Blackest Night and ComicBook/BrightestDay.
* BrokenBird: Mera had shown signs of instability during and following ''Crisis'' after the death of Aquababy, leading to the breakdown of her marriage with Arthur. And a while after their relationship was back on, Arthur was killed, leading her into a prolonged state of mourning, followed by one of rage during the events of ''Blackest Night'', prompting her targeting by the Red Lanterns to help repel the Black Lantern invasion. Unfortunately, she becomes consumed with rage and attacks Wonder Woman, who to be fair, had been just possessed by a Black Lantern ring and was [[FightingFromTheInside compelled by it]] to attack her. Thankfully, the now temporary Star Sapphire Wonder Woman [[CooldownHug calms her down]], and, after the power of the Red Lantern leaving her brings her to cardiac arrest, the combined energy of [[HopeSpringsEternal one of the Blue Lanterns]], [[ThePowerOfLove Star Sapphire Carol Ferris]] and [[BackFromTheDead a revived]] [[LivingEmotionalCrutch Aquaman]] not only saves her life but also her marriage and emotional well-being.
* BroughtDownToNormal: Inverted, a spell cast by Hagen to spite Arthur and Co, turned her gills into lungs making her surroundings inhospitable to her.
* CharacterisationClickMoment: In Blackest Night, when she is established as a powerful warrior rivaling Arthur with a past she has kept secret, revealed in Brightest Day.
* DamselInDistress: Happens more often then she would like. First off is when The Dead King suddenly came back to the world and dragged her to the Bermuda Triangle to subvert the kingdom of Xebel to his sovereign rule once again. The next is when said ancient monarch occupies Atlantis while backed by the very same penal system of exiled [[MakingASplash watershifters]] during Aquaman's six month absence, who eventually has her imprisoned in a waterproof holding cell. Now again as luck would have it, when it is revealed that there's an impostor on the throne currently running Atlantis in her place, Mera is stuck a prisoner of the otherworldy [[AncientConspiracy Thule]] [[spoiler:being impersonated by a fellow Xebelian.]] Worse still? [[spoiler:Said pretender to her regency is family. [[EvilBrunetteTwin More specifically, Mera's sister]].]] Subverted, as she does get out by her own though. Not to mention Aquaman is also frequently likely to end up in a pickle on his own.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Has been of equal importance to Aquaman's story, especially starting with Geoff Johns' run from ComicBook/BlackestNight into the New 52 reboot.
* DistaffCounterpart: Adopts the identity of Aquawoman briefly in the transition from New 52 to Rebirth as part of the opening of the Atlantean Embassy as part of her diplomatic role to the surface.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: After several trials with her marriage, mental instability, and Atlantean politics, she finally has one of sorts as ''Brightest Day'' wraps up.
* EthnicityMonarch: In stories where she is married to Arthur, she is Queen of Atlanteans and the oceans themselves. During the Rebirth Era, she takes over leadership after Corum Rath is dethroned.
* ExpansionPackPast: Originally Mera was introduced as a refugee from an alternate aquatic dimension. Geoff Johns, upon taking the reins during the Blackest Night/Brightest Day arcs, fleshes her out as [[TheMole a mole]] sent from the PenalColony of Xebel trained and sent to kill Arthur, [[BecomingTheMask only to fall for him]]. She also reveals her guilt over the death of her son, which she also blames herself over due to an earlier encounter with Black Manta. The former part of her backstory stays intact through the post-Flashpoint retcon.
* FieryRedhead: One of her defining traits, which usually gets her into trouble. While Arthur can be pretty hot blooded himself, Mera is far less restrained with voicing her thoughts, and her much more preferred way of handling things is to beat them into submission.
* FishOutOfWater: A couple of stories have dealt with her adjusting to life on the surface, which in the modern eras, she has done remarkably well.
* {{Foil}}: To ComicBook/WonderWoman in many ways.
** Both are royalty from mythical humanoid races and skilled fighters. While Wonder Woman has been an AllLovingHero her whole life and been motivated by her love of mankind to leave her home of Themyscira, Mera was originally filled with enmity towards Atlantis for its perceived subjugation of Xebel, and left in order to kill their would be king, Arthur, only to fall in love with him after observing what a selfless person he was, and started to become a hero herself.
** During Blackest Night, the far more hopeful Wonder Woman was chosen as a Star Sapphire for her love for all life, while the then [[DespairEventHorizon empty]], [[RageBreakingPoint rage filled]] Mera became a Red Lantern. A positive example, as Diana is [[PlotTailoredToTheParty exactly the right person]] to help Mera overcome her [[SourOutsideSadInside rage powered grief]].
* GovernmentInExile: To LaResistance [[spoiler:after the Crown of Thorns makes her unable to breathe water, and she is chosen as Rath's successor while Arthur leads the resistance against Rath]].
* HairTriggerTemper: Maybe not the quickest to anger, but beware her when her fuse goes out.
* HappilyMarried: To Aquaman... usually. Their marriage died for a while pre-Flashpoint following the death of Aquababy, rekindled somewhat. And then Aquaman [[TheHeroDies dies]]. Back to happily after Arthur comes back to life at the end of ''Blackest Night''. Post-Flashpoint they're retconned into being engaged. By #65 of the Rebirth run, they finally tie the knot.
* HeroesWantRedheads: In Aquaman's case.
* HeroicBSOD: Pre-Flashpoint: When her son was killed, she went insane for a time. She didn't fare much better when Arthur was killed just prior to Blackest Night.
* HiddenDisdainReveal: When she gets turned into a Red Lantern during ''Blackest Night'', she gets approached by Black Lantern Aquaman and the newly revived body of their son. As Black Lantern Arthur tries to get a rise out of Mera by provoking her feelings of loss, Mera screams "''I never wanted children''" and incinerates Black Lantern Aquababy.
* HoneyTrap: Her original purpose for being sent to court Aquaman. In reality her mother wanted a better life for her.
* HystericalWoman: Pre-Flashpoint, it was established that her fits of instability following the death of Aquababy that led up to the dissolution of her marriage with Arthur and being committed to an Atlantean mental institution were attributed to the chemical differences between her home dimension of Xebel and Atlantis.
* IAmNotWeasel: Often called a mermaid, which, she does ''not'' appreciate.
* InASingleBound: Like Aquaman, she's adapted to and is strengthened by the ocean deep, and can leap sky high on land.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Mera's mother told her that the plan to assassinate Arthur was just to get Mera to the surface so she could decide what to do from there on.
* ItsAllMyFault: During ''Brightest Day'', she resolves to own her part in the failing of her previous marriage to Arthur, and her part in the couple's perennial struggle with Black Manta.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: The beautiful Queen of Atlantis, and as royalty of Xebel she has hydrokinesis in the form of powerful blasts and waves.
* LadyOfWar: As the Queen of Aquaman, it's her duty to serve as this when needed.
%%* TheLancer: To her husband.
* MakingASplash: She can control water, which includes the ability to steal water from a person's body. This is later revealed to be a trait of Xebel's royal family. If you marry into it, you will also get the power.
* MamaBear: Like her husband, messing with kids (hers or otherwise) or with Atlantis means that you'll have to deal with her very shortly, and odds are highly against your survival of such a confrontation.
* MeaningfulName: Her name is derived from the French ''la mer'', which means water or sea.
* MustMakeAmends: Following Arthur's [[BackFromTheDead revival]] at the end of ''Blackest Night'', Mera pledges to make up for her part in the failure of their past marriage and do right by him, vowing to never leave him again, and even goes so far as to come clean with [[HoneyTrap her true origin story]], and her ''own'' history with Black Manta, whose son Kaldur'ahm she saved from being used as a pawn and sent to live with a foster parent. ([[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished She and Arthur soon have to face Black Manta]], [[VillainTeamUp in alliance with her evil sister Siren]], when they come back for Kaldur'ahm.)
* OneTrueLove: She is unquestionably this to Aquaman. They're together in every form of media they both appear in and are usually already married. Most people aren't even aware that Aquaman had other love interests besides her.
* PuppetKing: After escaping the Obsidian Age she becomes this to a treacherous consortium of magic crafters who have secretly had her drugged and incapable of making decisions on her own. They even go the extra mile of getting her to exile their king and her husband.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: She's known for being a proactive ruler. Mera was sent by her father to kill Arthur and while she's not royalty in Atlantis, she's almost.
* SamaritanRelationshipStarter: She falls for Arthur after seeing what a good person he is.
* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Xebelian traits (which is probably also why Tula, who had the same look, was recolored).
* SilkHidingSteel: And barely hidden in Mera's case, if not an outright inversion. She can go from elegant, regal and ladylike to lethal in an instant.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Why she couldn't go through with killing Arthur; seeing what a good person he was led to her falling in love with him.
* StalkerWithACrush: Red Lantern Atrocitus is rather infatuated with Queen Mera in Blackest Night.
* StatuesqueStunner: She stands at 5' 9" and is a very attractive redhead. (Though in the 2018 movie she's played by the 5' 7" Creator/AmberHeard.)
%%* SuperpowerLottery: Being Xebellian royalty makes her every bit as potent as Arthur if not more so.
* SuperStrength: She can effortlessly break a man's hand.
* {{Telepathy}}: It allows her to communicate with other Atlanteans, but she can't [[SpeaksFluentAnimal talk with other marine life]].
* {{Tsundere}}: Warm, compassionate and loving towards Arthur, the Atlanteans and her friends, and protective of innocent people, but also fiery-tempered.
* UnstoppableRage: To put it lightly, Mera is nowhere near as patient as her husband. Though she learns some restraint, she's still the more easily angered of the two.
** To the point that she became a deputized [[Characters/GLRedLanternCorps Red Lantern]]!
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: She will put anyone who tries to harm Aquaman in a world of hurt.
* WarriorPrincess: Her father trained her to kill Arthur. [[RebelliousPrincess She didn't]], but the training was pretty effective.
* {{Xenafication}}: For most of the early years, she was a bystander to conflicts and frequent DamselInDistress. In Blackest Night, she is finally given the chance to kick ass.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tula]]
[[quoteright:229:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tula_3601.png]]
->''"Talk of '''assassination''' has been passing around at the deepest levels. I assume the conspirators are loyalists of '''Orm'''. So eventually details of this scheme found their way... to his '''sister'''."''

The half-sister of Orm on their father's side and a high-ranking Atlantean warrior and captain of the Drift. While Tula does love her brother, she is loyal to Arthur and Mera.
----
* TheAce: The most effective fighter in the Atlantean guard shown.
* AdaptationalBadass: The original Tula, aka Aquagirl, wasn't weak per se, but had the water dependency typical of Atlanteans pre-Flashpoint, and was ultimately killed during ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths. Here, she's captain of the Atlantean black ops team The Drift, and is more than capable of holding her own on land or sea.
* [[BashBrothers Bash Sisters]]: To Mera, during Jeff Parker's run.
* {{Cincinnatus}}: Called up by her Arthur Curry to rule as Regent while he plays diplomat for Atlantis.
* DependingOnTheArtist:
** Her hair. During Geoff Johns' run, her hair was a brownish red, as seen in the picture above. However, afterwards, it became straight up brown. It ''could'' be that the hair is just part of her helmet, but it's up in the air. The reason is likely because the colourist changed.
*** This actually happened ''within the same issue'' due to multiple colourists, and she switched between brown and black hair.
** Similarly, her armour changed from the earlier purple look (likely an homage to the second Aquagirl) seen above to normal yellow. Again, likely because of colourist change.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Tula lacks Mera's hydrokinesis and Arthur's brute strength, but still has a degree of SuperStrength, being an Atlantean, and can still kick serious ass.
* EveryoneIsRelated: Turns out in the Prime Earth universe Tula is the younger half-sibling of Orm Marius. Ergo she also serves as a step-sister to Arthur.
* GoingNative: Mild example when she lives on land, as she adopts many surface speech habits.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Captain of the Drift forces, with plenty of reason to hate Arthur and Mera, but is actually pretty cool with them, and saved Mera's life and actually gives Arthur a chance to prove himself as King.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: Whereas she was adopted pre-Flashpoint, here she is half-sister to Orm.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Is the only consistent female Atlantean warrior shown. While one or two ''very rarely'' show up in the background, Tula's usually the only one shown.
* SuperStrength: As an Atlantean, has this by default. As noted above, it's not at Arthur's levels, but she's still quite a bit stronger than normal humans.
* SuperToughness: Again, due to being Atlantean.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aqualad I (Garth)]]
[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tempest_Garth_741.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:217:Pre-Flashpoint]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/garth_prime_earth_0001.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Post-Flashpoint]]
->''"And I've come '''dressed''' for the occasion. More important, though, I've finally decided on a new name for myself. If I'm destined to be this great undersea defender, I can't very well go around calling myself "Garth", can I? From now on...You can call me '''Tempest'''!"''

Pre-Flashpoint, Aquaman's first sidekick was Garth, an Atlantean who had the same powers as Aquaman. He was abandoned by an Atlantean group called the Idylists, but Aquaman took him in and raised him as his own. He was also a founding member of the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' like many other sidekicks of the day.

He later obtained water-controlling abilities, after which he changed his heroic codename to Tempest. He was tragically murdered in ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' by the Black Lantern of his former girlfriend Tula.

Post-Flashpoint, Garth is an Atlantean warrior and former superhero known as Aqualad. He was a member of the original Teen Titans before an event caused the world to forget about his team. He has since reappeared, using the name Tempest, and is a high-ranking Atlantean warrior. While he obeys his king, he's never acted as Aquaman's sidekick.
----
!!Pre-Flashpoint
* AmplifierArtifact: His trident can increase the inherent magical powers of the wielder, turbo charging his already impressive acclaim in the mystic venture.
* AstralProjection: He can leave his body as a spirit.
* EyeBeams: He can emit destructive beams of force from his eyes.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Subverted. Arthur and Mera do acknowledge his death, but only just barely with a curt "At least he's with Tula," with absolutely no reference to Dolphin and Cerdian his, you know, wife and son.
* HandicappedBadass: Minor example. Garth is colorblind.
* AnIcePerson: He can freeze water with a thought.
%%* KidSidekick: As Aqualad.
%%* KilledOffForReal: In ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
%%* MagicKnight: As Tempest.
* MakingASplash: He can control water, creating whirlpools, waves, etc.
* MassTeleportation: He once teleported the entirety of Atlantis to safety during the Imperiex War.
* MindOverMatter: He has some limited psychokinetic ability.
* NiceGuy: He's friendly, polite, and reasonable.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The Idyllists cast him out and left him to die as an infant, fearing that, as the son of King Thar, his blood could be used to complete the ritual needed to unleash the undead tyrant Slizzath. In the ''Tempest'' mini-series, Slizzath manipulates him with visions of [[TheLostLenore Tula]] into doing exactly that.
* OfferedTheCrown: Eventually in the wake of Aquaman's death and Mera's inability to rule, Garth is eventually crowned king of Atlantis in their stead.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Feels like this every time he's around Arthur but only pronounces itself the most during the Waterbearer saga. Once when AC undid a astral projection spell he cast and again when his magic couldn't touch The Thirst, who is immune to it due to being of the secret sea.
* PlayingWithFire: He can project incinerating heat blasts at will.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: He's been handed both the mystical trident and sovereignty over Atlantis that came with it for a time.
* RetGone: Subverted. Initially in the New 52, along with most of the original Titans, and hasn't been reintroduced since. He was mentioned in Aquaman #14 as [[FantasticRacism a purple eyed youth]] and was later reintroduced in DC Sneak peek Aquaman and Titans Hunt #1, and [[{{Retcon}} apparently was on a teen team of heroes with Dick Grayson, Donna Troy and Roy Harper]].
* {{Seers}}: He can see the past.
* SidekickGraduationsStick: Like many of the sidekicks of his generation, he never went back to being Aquaman's sidekick.
* SquishyWizard: Averted. Garth became a sorcerer, but he was an Atlantean sorcerer, and could still take one heck of a beating.
* SummonMagic: He can summon and control demons.
* SuperiorSpecies: Much like Aquaman, although significantly weaker than he, Aqualad is at least four times stronger and faster than the average Atlantean.
* SuperPowerLottery: As Tempest, Garth's magical powers include AstralProjection, EyeBeams, ElementalPowers, [[MindOverMatter psychokinesis]], [[{{Seers}} seeing the past]], sensitivity to magic, SummonMagic over demons, mild SuperStrength, SuperSpeed when underwater, SuperToughness, {{Telepathy}} and MassTeleportation.
* SuperStrength: He's just a few breadths of strength away from Aquaman.
* SuperSpeed: He's quick on land, but near unmatched underwater.
* SuperToughness: He's tough enough to survive both underwater and fight Superboy without much injury.
* RequiredSecondaryPowers: Going to the depths he goes requires super senses, physical abilities, and the ability to breathe underwater.
* TimeTravel: He can send entire cities and inhabitants to the past or hurl cosmological entities to the Big Bang.
* TraumaCongaLine: Where to begin? First, he was cast out by the Idyllists and left to die as an ''infant'', for fear that he would complete the ritual to summon the undead supervillain Slizzath. He is taken in by Aquaman and becomes Aqualad, but loses Tula, the love of his life, to the supervillain Chemo. Following ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', Garth was turned into an albino and rendered powerless, and his wife and son were missing. Recently, he was restored to normal, only to learn Dolphin and Cerdian were both dead ''since'' Infinite Crisis. Was named King of Atlantis and then killed by Black Lantern Aquagirl (his ex-girlfriend) during ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', turning him into a Black Lantern.
* TookALevelInBadass: As Tempest, when he added magic to his power set and after acquiring the trident of Poseidon; came to be regent of Atlantis.

!!Post-Flashpoint
* TheBigGuy: He and Donna Troy share this role on the Titans.
* CharacterisationMarchesOn: In ''Aquaman'', he's a normal Atlantean. In ''Titans Hunt'', he's a JerkAss ProudWarriorRaceGuy who is constantly pissed. Weirdly, Dan Abnett wrote both series at the time.
* ContinuitySnarl: Geoff Johns' run mentions him being a purple-eyed youth attacked by other Atlanteans. Cullen Bunn's has him being Dick Grayson's age, who is in his early twenties.
* EyeBeams: He can emit kinetic and heat beams from his eyes.
* FantasticRacism: For being Atlantean. It's not explained why, but when he was a Teen Titan he was feared for being Atlantean, and this was seemingly before "Throne of Atlantis".
* FishOutOfWater: Pun intended. When he was first a Teen Titan, he bemoaned his status as an outsider amongst humans, complaining how hard it was for him to be accepted when even Arthur couldn't be.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Apparently cannot remember his time in the Teen Titans like many others in new continuity.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: Of a kind. Has his own little three pronged spear of power.
* {{Retcon}}: Ignoring the above mentioned Continuity Snarl, Bunn's version was, like Tula, not a superhero, but an Atlantean warrior. Come ''ComicBook/TitansHunt2015'', he apparently was a superhero named Aqualad and was on the Teen Titans alongside Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Roy Harper, Lilith Clay and Wally West.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: On a harsh vigilante crusade against those who turn a profit off Atlantean misery.
* SuperPowerLottery: Garth has some magical powers, such as [[MakingASplash hydrokinesis]], SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, SuperToughness and SuperSenses.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aqualad II (Kaldur'ahm[=/=]Jackson Hyde)]]
[[quoteright:214:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1306798-jackson_hyde__03__001__01__super_6455.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jackson_hyde_rebirth.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Who says blood is thicker than water?]]
->''"Destiny is a corny word. but it captures what I can't ignore. The ocean has its own gravity...that I won't resist. On the way here, I considered turning around and racing home a hundred times. Maybe all of my mother's fear will come true. Maybe the Teen Titans will reject me. Or maybe this is my shot at a new life. Reborn."''

->''"I think it's'' '''''you''''' ''who doesn't deserve the Hyde name."''
-->-- '''Aqualad''' to his father Black Manta, ''Aquaman #63''

Garth's successor, Kaldur'ahm (Jackson Hyde) is the son of Black Manta. Despite his father's lifestyle he's chosen the path of the hero as Aqualad. Due to biological experimentation conducted by Xebelian outlaws, Kaldur has the unique ability to construct hard objects and weaponry from water such as a sword and mace.
----
!!Pre-Flashpoint
* AdaptationDeviation: Jackson was created for the Young Justice show first and adapted into the comics later but he has a very different path in each version.
** In the Young Justice show, Kaldur is an Atlantean-human hybrid who grew up in Atlantis and was friends with Garth and Tula the latter of whom he harbored a crush on. He trained in magic for a bit before joining Aquaman on the surface world as his sidekick Aqualad while Garth stayed in Atlantis and completed his training in magic. Kaldur was also the original leader of a superhero team of teenage sidekicks.
** In the comics, Kaldur is experimented on as a baby by Xebelian outlaws and is secreted to the surface world by Mera for his safety and is given the false name of Jackson Hyde to protect his identity. Whereas his power to form water constructs and generate electricity are magical abilities he learned in the show, Jackson's powers are a result of being experimented on by the Xebelians. And while he was childhood friends with Garth and Tula in the show, he never met them in the comics as they were both dead. Finally, whereas Young Justice Kaldur was the original and only Aqualad in the show, comic Jackson is the second Aqualad.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Kaldur has blonde hair and grey eyes in the Young Justice show. Jackson has black hair and brown eyes in the comics.
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: He's black in contrast to the first Aqualad who is white.
* CanonImmigrant: He was originally created for the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' cartoon, but DC liked him so much they integrated him to the comic ''before the show even came up''.
* ElectricBlackGuy: He's a black teenager who can fire electric bolts.
* HalfHumanHybrid: His mother is Atlantean. His father is Black Manta.
* HeroicBastard: A hero whose the son of an uncaring super villain.
%%* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: His constructs.
* KidSidekick: He plays this part to Aquaman when he starts off.
%%* LegacyCharacter: To the original Aqualad.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: He is actually Black Manta's son.]]
* MagicKnight: A skilled hand-to-hand fighter, but relies on Atlantean magic.
* RetGone: In the New 52, there initially was never even ''one'' Aqualad. Subverted in ComicBook/DCRebirth.
* ShockAndAwe: He can create electrical shocks.
* SuperPowerLottery: He has significantly bigger one than Garth he has ElementalPowers over water and electricity, SuperStrength, SuperToughness, and SuperSenses.
* SuperToughness: He can survive punches from fellow superhumans with no problems.

!!Post-Flashpoint
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Jackson is a black, LGBT surfacer taking over as Aqualad for the heterosexual white Atlantean Garth.
%%* ArchnemesisDad
* {{Atlantis}}: Where Jackson does a lot of his heroing, on account of being Aquaman's protege.
* BadassAndBaby: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in "Foreshadow". He and Andy are attacked by Scavenger and a few henchmen. Jackson could probably handle them by himself, but because he has to protect Andy at the same time his combat effectiveness is severely reduced, and he's eventually knocked out from behind.
* BigDamnKiss: His first one ever was with Ha'Wea, towards the end of Aquaman #63.
* BlackAndNerdy: He hangs out on weird fiction forums, plays tabletop role playing games and is a fan of the DCU’s (not racist) equivalent of Creator/HPLovecraft.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Late in Creator/KellySueDeConnick’s run on Aquaman he got a two-issue mini story arc about visiting his mother’s homeland Xebel, where Arthur only made a brief cameo.
* DisappearedDad: His father, Black Manta, is Aquaman's archnemesis.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Jackson, apparently, has this effect. Ha'Wea goes from accusing Jackson, an unbelievably suspicious outsider with a giant battle-damaged mech, of being an Atlantean spy to giving him a guided tour of the city as soon as Jackson says he's a surfacer. Inside of an hour Ha'Wea is already hitting on him.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: In Aquaman #51 he uses his aquakinesis to make a rainbow... somehow.
* {{Foil}}: He’s basically the mirror image of Aquaman in every way, besides both being the sons of human fathers and Atlantean mothers. Jackson is a commoner, Arthur is royalty. Arthur is white and straight, Jackson is black and gay. Jackson is a skinny nerd, Arthur is a muscular ActionHero. Arthur was raised on the coast by his human father, Jackson was raised in a desert by his Atlantean mother. Atlanna loved Tom and Arthur and was forced to leave them, Black Manta hates Jackson and tried to kill his mother when she was pregnant with him, etc.
* InsistentTerminology: A quick, mostly one-sided conversation has him hashing out what exactly his title should be. "Sidekick" is insulting, "ward" is creepy and we don't get to hear Jackson's opinion on "apprentice" before he introduces himself as Aquaman's assistant to a pair of Arthur's friends. When Aquaman objects, Jackson admits they're still working on it.
%%* InterspeciesRomance: With Ha'Wea, who is Xebellian.
* JockDadNerdSon: More like Jock Grandad, Nerd Grandson. Jackson spends a couple of issues hanging out with a robot programmed with the mind of his dead grandfather (Black Manta’s father), who was a rough, blue-collar fisherman in life. “Mecha Manta” tries to bond with him through stereotypically masculine interests like fishing, cars and football, and tells Jackson he should get out more.
* MakingASplash: Jackson is aquakinetic, with fine control over water with or without his waterbearers.
* MyBelovedSmother: Mom is a bit overbearing due to her son's condition, fearing that both that and him being gay will lead to him being ostracised.
* RetCanon: Initially looked a lot more like his ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' incarnation, with short blonde hair. He has since gained his own iconic haircut: side-parted locks dyed blond, either in part or in whole like in his Future State incarnation.
* ShockAndAwe: Jackson can generate powerful electric blasts, like his Young Justice counterpart Kaldur.
* {{Sidekick}}: Specifically sought out Aquaman after his short tenure on the ComicBook/TeenTitansRebirth and even shorter one on ComicBook/YoungJustice2019, first meeting Arthur in Aquaman #50.
* StraightGay: While his 2010 incarnation had a girlfriend, Jackson is gay and has been ever since his reintroduction post-Rebirth in 2016.
* TakingUpTheMantle: In ''Future State'' he is the new Aquaman.
%%* {{Twink}}
* TwoferTokenMinority: Black, gay and half-Atlantean.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aquagirl II (Lorena Marquez)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquagirl_lorena_marquez.jpg]]
->''"What's wrong, air breather? Are you drowning without your oxygen?"''

Lorena was once an ordinary inhabitant of the Californian city San Diego, but she was present when an earthquake sunk part of it. Aquaman retrieved her and nursed her back to health, discovering that she, along with every other resident present during the sinking, had the ability to breathe underwater. She adopted the name of Aquagirl, leading the effort to rebuild the sunken portion of the city as Sub Diego. Later on she becomes a member of the Teen Titans.
----
* ActionGirl: Enough to be a Teen Titans member.
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: A Latina girl succeeding the previously white Aquagirl in the role.
* AppropriatedAppellation: She was first called "Aquagirl" in Ocean Master's fractured alternate reality. She swiped the name when reality reasserted itself.
* BareYourMidriff: In both her civilian dress and her costume.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Despite being created before Kaldur, Lorena had the misfortune of getting written out of the Teen Titans and later hit with the retcon after Flashpoint. Even after continuity got restored through Rebirth and later Infinite Frontier, Lorena was nowhere to be found.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: She's always barefoot.
* EvilMakeover: Subverted. In the alternate reality Ocean Master created, Lorena was his right hand woman and wore a costume he'd granted her. When reality righted itself, Lorena stole that costume to become Aquagirl II.
* LegacyCharacter: After helping Aquaman, she took up the mantle of Aquagirl.
* RetGone: In the New 52, along with all of Aquaman's official sidekicks, at least initially. Now it's more like Arthur has never had an official sidekick.
%%* ShipTease: With Koryak.
%%* {{Sidekick}}: To Aquaman during the Sub Diego arc.
* SpicyLatina: Being pseudo-Atlantean, she's very tough by human standards. She's also exceptionally beautiful, extremely flirty, and quite opinionated. Her personality clashes with Bombshell while with the Teen Titans especially showcase that last aspect.
* TokenMinorityCouple: Invoked by Koryak's crush on her. She's the first person he's met since coming to Atlantis who isn't white and it's what sparks his interest.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dolphin]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dolphin_rebirth.jpg]]

A mutant Atlantean woman who lives in the slums. She comes across Arthur when he's in hiding, living as "Orin".
----
* BackFromTheDead: Died during ''Infinite Crisis'', she returned for New 52 and remains alive so far.
* CuteMute: Unlike the original, who didn't talk for about two issues, this Dolphin doesn't speak for much longer.
* DisabledInTheAdaptation: Here she's mute due to her mutations.
* FantasticRacism: Due to being an Atlantean mutant, she's looked down on.
* LightEmUp: Is Bioluminescent and can cast blindign rays of light.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Andrina "Andy" Curry]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/andy_curry.jpg]]

The daughter of Arthur and Mera.
----
* FutureBadass: As Aquawoman in ''Future State''.
[[/folder]]

!Supporting cast

[[folder:Tom Curry]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_curry_rebirth.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Rebirth]]
[[quoteright:276:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_curry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:276:Pre-Flashpoint]]
->''"Part of the test... is not just knowing when to fight, but realizing when a '''fight''' is not worth knowing. And you can always seek help when you need it. Though your aquatelepathy was taken... your friends '''haven't''' forgotten you. '''Trust''' them, when all seems dark."''

Tom Curry was a lighthouse keeper who fell in love and had a child with the Queen of Atlantis, Atlanna, after she saved his life. After she gave birth to Arthur, she was forced to return to Atlantis, and Tom waited every day for her return, while also teaching his son responsibility. He eventually died of a heart attack when Arthur was a teenager.
----
* DeathByOriginStory: His death, combined with Dr. Shin outing him, starts Arthur on his path to discovering his heritage and becoming Aquaman.
* DisappearedDad: Post-Crisis, Arthur returned to the lighthouse after traveling the oceans to find he's gone.
* {{Good Parent|s}}: Made sure his son learned the value of responsibility and tried his hardest to make sure Arthur was kept safe.
* HappilyMarried: With Atlanna, though he's concern about her keeping her past a secret.
%%* MuggleFosterParents: Post-Crisis.
* MuggleMageRomance: As the muggle in the relationship with Atlanna, he completely lacked understanding of Arthur's abilities and had to ask his friend, Stephen Shin, to help Arthur.
* PapaWolf: When Dr. Shin planned on outing Arthur, Tom went to his lab and wrecked the place, along with every scrap of evidence.
%%* ParentalSubstitute: Post-Crisis to Arthur/Orin.
%%* RescueRomance: The rescued with Atlanna.
* SuddenNameChange: Post-Crisis, his name was changed to Arthur. Post-Infinite Crisis, his name is Tom once again.
* UpbringingMakesTheHero: In ''Flashpoint'', due to him dying earlier, Arthur grew up never learning the values he lives by.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Atlanna]]
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_vol_7_39_textless.jpg]]
->''"You have come a long way to find '''death'''. So commands '''Atlanna'''!"''

The former Queen of Atlantis and mother to both Arthur and Orm. She was swimming one day when she witnessed Tom Curry risk his life to save a boat in need. She saved ''him'', and the two fell in love. She eventually gave birth to Arthur, but had to leave him when he was a child to return to Atlantis. There, she married the Captain of the the Atlantean Guard, Orvax and gave birth to Orm. She went missing when Orm was a child and was presumed dead.
----
* ActionMom: After Arthur finds her, she's become a badass warrior lady.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Pre-Crisis, she was blond. Post-Crisis, she's a brunette. Post-Flashpoint, back to blonde.
* AncientArtifact: She found a relic called the Staff of Storms, which allows her to utilize [[CoolGate the Maelstrom]] to travel from place to place, even to a separate dimension.
%%* AppeaseTheVolcanoGod: Atlanna's only means of staving off the entity of her island, if temporarily.%%Is?
%%* BeamSpam: One of the mystical abilities of the magic spear, potent enough to stave off a living volcano.%%What is the ability?
* TheBeastmaster: She has an empathetic rapport with the DireBeast population which lives on her island -- since many of them are [[MixAndMatchCritter odd amalgams]] of land and sea animals, her marine telepathy can connect with them as well.
* BrokenBird: Became one after years as a political pawn and spousal abuse, leading to her killing him and [[FakingTheDead faking her death]] in order to escape Atlantis. It's gotten to the point where she accuses her own son, who she believed to be dead all this time, of lying about his identity. See also HeartbrokenBadass.
* DebtDetester: Saves Arthur only because he saved her from Karaku a moment earlier.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Abandoned Atlantis following years of dissatisfaction with its xenophobia and her abusive husband.
* TheDogBitesBack: Orvax got his after having [[WhosLaughingNow boasted of killing]] her first love and their son.
* DomesticAbuse: The victim of this in her relationship with Orvax.
* EasilyForgiven: She is let off the hook a little too easily for almost killing her son during his visit to her isle who had no intention of fighting her, even saving her life from Karaku, not even apologizing for what she did. She is however consumed by sorrow.
* FakingTheDead: She faked her death in order to escape Atlantis.
* FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence: Her incredibly miserable life as a political bargaining chip caused her to develop a deep-seated hatred for Atlantean culture.
* FreudianExcuse: A [[ArrangedMarriage forced]] betrothal to a plundering [[FantasticRacism human-hating]] derelict who boasts of having [[KickTheDog murdered your first love and young son]] would be excuse enough for anyone.
* GreenThumb: Her abilities extend to the plants and fungi of her island, allowing her to track and trace the movements of whomever or whatever paces across her stomping grounds, useful for [[EnemyScan tracking the locations of intruder and enemy combatants]].
%%* HappilyMarried: With Tom Curry.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Years of having to deal with a [[DecadentCourt decadent and xenophobic]] monarchy with an abusive husband representing its worst impulses caused her to abandon Atlantis and start a new colony, where visitors, at least Atlanteans, are not welcome. This is understandable until you consider she tried killing the one person who came in peace, claiming to be her long lost son, Arthur.
* HeartbrokenBadass: She developed into this after her royal status prevented her from living with Tom and raising their child. Even to this day, long after she axed her [[{{Jerkass}} cruel]] spouse believing he murdered them for sport before having deserted Atlantis, she still carries the sorrow from her lost family.
%%* HopeSpot: After Arthur goes to painstaking lengths proving he is in fact her son.
* IHaveNoSon: She refuses to believe Arthur is her son, because she thinks he's dead.
* MissingMom: She left Arthur to keep him safe.
* OffingTheOffspring: Nearly does this to Arthur, though [[{{Irony}} she is driven by her stubborn belief that Arthur was already killed by Orvax]].
%%* RebelliousPrincess: This is what got her exiled from Atlantis, pre-Crisis.
* RescueRomance: Rescued by Tom Curry, believing she's drowning. Post-Flashpoint, it's her who rescues Tom Curry.
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: The mental gifts of Atlantean royalty are passed down from generation to generation; this is how Arthur got his mojo with sea life in the first place.
* {{Telepathy}}: Atlanna is such an accomplished marine telepath that, in addition to mentally commanding and scrying through the sights of her island's native wildlife, she can do this with the plants and fungus growing there as well.
* {{Teleportation}}: The Staff of Storms can remotely activate a global network of transportation relics called the Maelstrom without need of a destination tablet, at least so far for the Pacifica dimension.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: Her reaction to her other husband's boasts was less than pleasant.
* UngratefulBastard: None too grateful for Arthur saving her from Karaku. She saves him only to repay the debt. Not too soon after, she [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown prepares to kill an incapacitated Arthur]], only stopped when he proves who he is by his control of sealife.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dr. Stephen Shin]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stephenshen_profile_aquaman27_006_colorfinal_v1_401x600_masthead.jpg]]

One of Arthur's oldest friends. A marine biologist and former friend of Tom Curry's who taught Arthur how to use his powers. Feeling that Arthur was a great discovery, he told his colleagues, who did not believe him. He convinced Tom to allow him to publicise the fact that Arthur was Atlantean, but Tom reneged on their agreement, and destroyed Shin's lab and all evidence. Shin eventually told the media, and Tom died, Arthur running away from home for years. Dr. Shin was disgraced and lost his only friends.
----
* AsianAndNerdy: Needless to say. He was even the lonely kind of nerd and admits that Tom and Arthur were his only friends.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Hasn't been seen since Rebirth.
* HeelFaceTurn: Started out a reluctant ally up but eventually became a straight-up ally.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Wanted to be credited with discovering Arthur. He later regretted how he acted. It was later revealed that he wasn't being unreasonable, because Tom ''agreed'' to allow Shin to publicise his findings.
* TheMentor: Taught Arthur how to control his powers.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Sent Black Manta after Arthur to get his blood, leading to Tom Curry getting a heart attack, Arthur killing Manta's father, Manta becoming a super villain, and then caused Arthur to run away from home.
* MyGreatestFailure: Causing Arthur to run away from home.
* OnlySaneMan: On the research team he's placed onto after Arthur becomes king. Everyone else is pretty much an idiot or amoral/corrupt.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karaqan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karaqan.jpg]]
->''" My time is not now. My time is '''before'''. My place is '''there'''. The '''original'''. Othermen come to destroy, and I will stop them. I '''always''' stop them."''

The age-old guardian sea beast who once protected Atlantis in the distant past. Serving as the ultimate guardian of the AdvancedAncientAcropolis until it sank beneath the waves by Atlan's hands, waking up almost several thousand years later it would be seen going on a rampage at a populated city in Iceland.
----
* AttackAnimal: It served as this for the Kings of Atlantis and the domain itself.
%%* BigEater: Implied as it is a giant sea monster.%%Implied how?
%%* BreathWeapon
* ChekhovsBoomerang: Part of its [[BrainUploading grey matter]] is used to create a deadly new enemy for Aquaman to fight.
%%* GuardianEntity
%%* {{Kaiju}}
* LivingRelic: It's a living, breathing piece of Atlantean history, making it incredibly sacred and revered to Arthur's subjects.
* PostHumousCharacter: It's killed off as soon as it makes an appearance but.
%%* TentacleRope
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orvax Marius]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/orvax.jpg]]

A former military commander of the Atlantean naval fleet and Atlaana's forced betrothed. He was an abusive husband who would regularly carry out surface dweller sinking raids alongside his forces. Becoming King of Atlantis only served to worsen his frightful demeanor and further estrange himself from his royal bride.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Even among his fellow Atlanteans he made a great deal of enemies.
%%* TheBully
%%* DomesticAbuse: Regularly accosted his wife.%%Meaning what?
%%* FantasticRacism
%%* TheFundamentalist: Stands to reason whom Orm got his mindset from.
* GeneralRipper: He was a captain of Atlantis' marine fleet who regularly abused his family and sank surface-world ships.
%%* KarmicDeath:
* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Inverted, on his part. [[spoiler:His constant insulting of his wife while bragging of [[BreakTheCutie having murdered]] her other family did not [[WhatAnIdiot end well]] for him.]]
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: He believes that humans are an inferior breed to be preyed upon, regularly berates those who he believes to be beneath him, and seemingly takes a sadistic glee in picking on both the former and the latter on a regular basis.
* PosthumousCharacter: He was killed off early on before the story began.
%%* WhoDares: He reacts this way to Atlanna's dissent to his attacking land-made ships.%%What way?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nuidis Vulko]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nuidis_vulko.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Post-Flashpoint]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vulko.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Pre-Flashpoint]]
>''"'''Neptune's Knickers!''' Sorry, Reverend Mother!"''

Vulko was the advisor to Atlanna, Arthur's mother, but was exiled when he tried to blame her death on Orm. Arthur eventually found him after being outed in being Atlantean by Dr. Shin. He waited his whole life to be found by the true King of Atlantis and took Arthur there. Eventually, Arthur would leave the throne to his brother, leaving Vulko alone.
----
!!Pre-Flashpoint
* AssholeVictim: While a trusted adviser & confidant before dying in ''Day of Vengeance'' one can't forget he plotted with the other son to steal the throne or personally oversaw Orin's sentencing after escaping the Obsidian Age.
* BrainUploading: Turns out Vulko died during The Spectre's rampage through Atlantis. Somehow his soul, his very consciousness was uploaded into an Atlantean {{Magitek}} apparatus in order to aid Orin's successor, Arthur Joseph Curry on his adventures.
* FlatEarthAtheist: He's an Atlantean who doesn't believe in curses or other superstitious. He often argues against them, but [[BeliefMakesYouStupid no one listens to him]].
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: This is how he felt when Atlantis pushed for Arthur's exile and execution as he carried it out. Subverted when he realizes his grave error in trusting a [[EvilChancellor duplicitous, surface hating sorcerer's word]] over his best friend.
* NobleConfederateSoldier: Once he and the council conspired with AC's illegitimate son to depose him and make [[YouBastard Koryak]] king. Feeling that it was for the good of Atlantis due to Orin's disillusionment with his liege. After that there was personally overseeing and carrying out Orin's summery execution by decree of Atlantean law due to the former's [[TrappedInThePast failed past rescuing]] ended getting the people of Atlantis enslaved by their ancestors. He quickly regretted this though as unscrupulous .
* RegularCaller: Was this to both Arthur's pre & post crisis, Vulko was a dutiful follower of the throne and would always cull to Aquaman in order to retake the throne. Even and especially when after the flat out [[RefusedTheCall refusal]] by the latter, given all that Atlantis put him through [[ProperlyParanoid Arthur had good reason not to]].
* TheGoodChancellor: Post-Crisis, after freeing them from the prison and taking the throne, Aquaman appointed him his regent. He was briefly king.
* InternalReformist: When Vulko found that the new regime after the Obsidian Age was built on the foundation of corruption and self gain. He turned to enlist the thought to be failed super soldier experiment to take back the throne of Atlantis from its sorcerous monarchs.

!!Post-Flashpoint
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: After it's discovered he was [[spoiler: the one behind the war between Atlantis and the US]], most people in Atlantis ''loathe'' him, to the point that one of the guards once tried to take advantage of the confusion during an attack on Atlantis to murder him and blame it on the battle.
* BigBad: Of [[spoiler:''ComicBook/ThroneOfAtlantis'']], being the cause behind the events of the story.
* EvilCounterpart: To Dr. Shin, Arthur's previous mentor.
* TheGoodChancellor: Averted. His actions come off more as him wanting his position back than anything else.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: How he justifies his [[spoiler: war crimes]]; he genuinely believed forcing Arthur to take the throne was the best course of action for Atlantis. ''Nobody'', from Arthur to the people of Atlantis, agrees with him.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Sort of. He says that Arthur needs to be king because Orm is a bad king... Except Orm is shown to have actually been a pretty ''good'' King until Atlantis was attacked, and his actions after ''that'' are even justifiable and [[spoiler:completely Vulko's fault to begin with]]. This bias can be attributed to Vulko assuming that Orm killed Atlanna, to whom Vulko was very loyal. In actuality, Orm had nothing to do with Atlanna's death, and [[spoiler: she faked her own death]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Murk]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/murk_7.jpg]]
->''"You've got nothing to '''prove'''. Not to '''them'''. Not to the '''world'''. Not to me. You're '''Aquaman''', by the Gods."''

The leader of the Men-of-War, the main army of Atlantis. While initially loyal to Orm, Murk begrudgingly served Arthur after the events of Forever Evil until he joined Rath's side.
----
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Originally an Orm loyalist, after his plan to break Orm out of prison was interrupted by ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'' he became a SourSupporter to Arthur. [[spoiler:He joins Rath's coup against Arthur, and impales him with his HookHand, but it's later revealed this was part of a plan to fake Arthur's death. He eventually turns against Rath when he goes too far]].
* HookHand: He has a blade-like hook similar to the one that Arthur had in the 90s in place of his right hand.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's generally unpleasant, xenophobic, and violent, but he has a strong sense of honor and can usually be counted on to do the right thing when the chips are down.
* NobleBigot: He's xenophobic and doesn't trust surface-dwellers, but he's still a very honorable man.
* SourSupporter: He's never converted to Arthur's liberal policies, but serves him loyally regardless [[spoiler:until Rath's coup]].
* TwoFaced: Half of his face is heavily scarred.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mecha Manta]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mecha_manta.jpg]]

A giant robot programmed with the memories and personality traits of Black Manta’s father Jesse Hyde, effectively resurrecting Black Manta’s dad.
----
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Eventually sees that his son is too much of a monster beyond what he remembers, so he abandons him and becomes an ally of Jackson Hyde.]]
* HumongousMecha: Stands several meters tall.
* LosingYourHead: In a battle with Aquaman his whole body is destroyed and left in pieces, with only his head functioning.
[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Mother Shark]]
%%[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mother_shark.jpg]]
%%An ancient sea spirit who takes the form of a giant shark. She guards all memories that come to her.
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lernaea]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lernaea.jpg]]

An imprisoned sea spirit who is found and released by Orm, thus becoming his loyal servant.
----
* HeelFaceTurn: Turns against Orm after she learns what she's being used for.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Was ordered by Orm to kidnap Aquaman’s daughter Andy, and while she did so, the baby went missing (though eventually found by Aquaman), to her horror and guilt. This leads to her HeelFaceTurn.]]
* PunnyName: She is named after a type of aquatic worm.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sea Gods of the World]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sea_gods_of_the_world_001.jpg]]

A group of ancient sea gods hiding from their mother Namma. An amnesiac Aquaman comes into their ocean region, Unspoken Water, and they care for him and heal him. He helps them stand against Namma, and they restore his memory. From then onwards, they are staunch allies.
----
* AllMythsAreTrue: They are all sea deities of various regions, who hail from the same parents.
* AntagonisticOffspring: To Namma. [[spoiler: They also killed off their father, the original sea god, though he came back and forgave them for it.]]
* BeastMan: Tangaroa stands out as being a humanoid whale.
* TheCavalry: Become this for Arthur.
* CrossoverCosmology: All the gods come from various regions:
** Chalchiuhtlicue and Tlaloc (Wee and Loc) are Aztec water gods.
** Kumungwe (Ku) hails from the Pacific Northwest Coast indigenous regions.
** Amanikable is from the Tagalog people of the Philippines.
** Varuna is a Hindu water god.
** Repun (Repu) is from the Ainu people of Japan.
** Manannan mac Lir (Mac) is an Irish water god.
** Atabey comes from the Taino people of the Caribbean.
** Master Agwe is a Haitian Voodoo water god.
** Tangaroa (Tang) is a Maori sea god.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Seeing Arthur fight Namma for them, they join the fight and get absorbed into Namma’s body. She spits them back out at the end of the fight.]]
* IncestSubtext: Chalchiuhtlicue and Tlaloc are married… but are also brother and sister. Nobody mentions it though.
* TheMedic: Kumungwe does healing as a major skill.
* PalsWithJesus: They are incredibly ancient deities (even if they have lost a great deal of power) and are perfectly happy getting along with Arthur and his family.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Caille]]
[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caille_prime_earth_002.jpg]]

A member of the Sea Gods, she gets her own folder as being more distinct and having a closer history with Arthur.
----
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Her skin is sea/sky blue, though she can shift it to a normal skin tone.
* HornedHumanoid: Has some prominent horns.
* IronicName: She was named after the Cailleach, a Scottish water deity who represents an old lady. She herself is not a hag at all. Somewhat subverted as in Irish “cailin” means “young woman” or “girl”.
* LadyinRed: She tends to dress in red.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: She was meant to be used by Mother Namma to destroy the Sea Gods. Aquaman convinces her she can do better with her abilities if she chooses to.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Quisp/Qwsp]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/qwsp.jpg]]
->''""-Tee hee- Sorry -- but I couldn’t resist using my powers to play some pranks ! -Tee hee-"''

* ArcWelding: Later stories show that Qwsp is an imp from the Fifth Dimension of Comicbook/{{Superman}}'s enemy Mister Mxyzptlk.
* BadassBoast: "I can wear your laws of physics like a funny-paper hat!"
* DarkerAndEdgier: Followed the same suit as Aquaman in the 90's [[InvokedTrope on purpose]].
* EvilTwin: In the 1960's, he had a pair of nasty brothers who appeared once or twice.
* GreatGazoo: Just like Mister Mxyzpltk.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: His ''modus operandi'' in later stories is fomenting wars in the Fifth Dimension that spill over onto Earth.
* SadisticChoice: Once he decides it would be fun to go Darker and Edgier like Aquaman, he demands that one of Earth's heroes sacrifice themselves as a condition of ending his rampage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Koryak]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/koryak_01.jpg]]

Aquaman's illegitimate son by the Inuit woman Kako, Koryak possesses the power to control water, and a whole host of parental issues. When his mother is apparently killed by the Deep Six, he allies with Aquaman to fight them, but later becomes jealous of Arthur's close relationship with Tempest. Responsible for freeing Kordax from his centuries long exile, Koryak temporarily sides with him against his father, is exiled to his village, and then finally aids Aquaman against Anton Geist.
----
%%* {{Antihero}}: On a good day.
* BastardBastard: Even when he's one of the good guys, Koryak can't let go of his ParentalIssues, and is willing to kill far too readily.
* DaddyIssues: Having a parent who tried to kill you often leaves you with this.
* ExactWords: When Aquaman says that he promised he would let Jaffar of the Deep Six go, Koryak promptly murders the Apokiliptian agent, because he has made no such promise.
%%* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Tempest.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Allies with Aquaman, then Kordax, then aids Atlantis against Geist.
* HotBlooded: Koryaks tends to charge in without thinking. This nearly gets him killed against the Deep Six.
* InTheBack: Blows Jaffar apart from behind while he is trying to run away.
* MakingASplash: Controls water, using it to form hard projectiles.
* RetGone: He disappeared after the New 52 reset.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: No shirt needed here.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lagoon Boy]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lagoonboy.png]]

An amphibious humanoid who was allowed into Atlantis by Aquaman as part of his attempt to make Atlantis more open to outsiders. Became a member of the temporary "New Young Justice" team and teamed up with the normal Young Justice as a reserve member after. Following the disbanding of Young Justice he was recruited into Titans East.
----
* AdaptationalJerkass: He shows up in the Animated Series with the team's name where he is a jerk.
* AmphibianAtLarge: He's an amphibian humanoid.
* TheBeastmaster: He's shown the ability to command humpback whales.
* BlowThatHorn: Lagoon Boy has a conch horn that allows him to summon Spotty, a monstrous animal from an undersea trench called the ''Devil's Deep''.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Shoes are not really designed with feet like his in mind.
* {{Expy}}: Lagoon Boy is based on the ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.
* FishOutOfWater: While he is fascinated by the surface his knowledge of it comes from TV so he is always interested in how the real thing differs.
* FishPeople: He's a scaled green fish boy.
* MonochromaticEyes: Red ones.
* NiceGuy: He's still learning and makes mistakes but he's a nice guy who is fascinated by life on the surface.
* {{Sizeshifter}}: Can expand like a puffer fish.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: He can talk to fish. This allows him to at one point in ''[[Comicbook/{{Robin}} Robin]]'' befriend a [[OurMonstersAreDifferent monster fish]] whose mate tried to feed Robin to its offspring.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He doesn't seem to own any shirts.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Silverarm (Nuada Silverhand)]]
[[quoteright:201:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nuada_7.jpg]]

The King of the Atlantean city of Thierna Na Oge, Nuada lost her arm when her sister Bres, deposed her and siezed the throne for herself, and gained a new, cybernetic arm instead. Imprisoned in the city's dungeons, Nuada aided a visiting Aquaman, also imprisoned by Bres, in escaping the city and defeating his brother, Ocean Master, before returning home and regaining her own throne from Bres. She has been his ally since.
----
%%* ActionGirl: Pre and Post-Crisis alike.
* AnArmAndALeg: Lost her arm when Bres tried to feed her to a monster.
* CainAndAbel: With her sister Bres, resulting in her crippling Pre-Crisis and the latter's death during the Post-Crisis timeline.
* DistaffCounterpart: She has a lot in common with Aquaman, right down to her rivalry with Bres, which mimics his problems with Ocean Master. Post-Crisis the similarities only became stronger, courtesy of his loss of his hand; during her Post-Crisis return to continuity the narration invokes their similarities, stating that she and Bres are the Yin to Aquaman and Ocean Master's Yang.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Averted for once. Nuada is a very good queen, and a staunch ally to Aquaman.
* HotWitch: A very powerful, and very attractive, sorceress.
* LadyOfWar: Refined, intelligent, and very dangerous.
* MetaGuy: When Aquaman and Nuada meet in the Post-Crisis world, she hints that she still remembers their meeting during the pre-Crisis timeline.
* PublicDomainCharacter: She and Bres are named after a pair of (male) characters in Celtic mythology.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: After removing Bres from power.
* {{Seers}}: Nuada can see the past and future, and even timelines that no longer exist.
* SheIsTheKing: The ruling monarch of Thierna Na Oge is commonly referred to as "King" regardless of their gender.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lady of the Lake]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_2003_2006_002_020.jpg]]

A kindly benefactor who guards the [[MagicalLand Secret Sea]] along with her mystic sea nymph hand maidens who wait on her as well as doting seafarers who've passed on the oceans as servants and occasional concubines. [[Myth/TheLadyOfTheLake Having had ties]] to Myth/ArthurianLegend, she aided then disposed king of the seas; Orin of Atlantis when his own people left him for dead and after [[NebulousEvilOrganisation a mystic cabal]] enchants the sea life against him, making Arthur her champion by gifting him with her particular seas power.
----
* AmplifierArtifact: Gives AC the Waterbearer Hand which now empowers him through her.
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of lakes.
%%* BackgroundMagicField: She has this when Aquaman meets her.%%Has what?
* ButterflyOfDoom: Orin's waterhand [[spoiler: or its misuse thereof]] is considered this.
* ContentWarning: Gave one to Arthur about The Waterbearers usage.
%%* CosmicKeystone: Seems to happen when something happens to her.%%What does?
* ElementalEmbodiment: Of water.
* EmpoweringLakeLady: TropeCodifier, based on the original Lady of The Lake no less.
* FisherQueen: She along with her sister oceanic figureheads represent the health state of the worlds seven seas, her evil counterpart '''The Thirst''' is a very direct threat to both hers including the well being of the world as a whole due to his drought inducing vampiric tendencies.
* FunctionalMagic: The sea itself is a wellspring of arcane power and she physically embodies that power.
* InnocentBlueEyes: She literally has crystal clear blue eyes.
%%* LivingBattery: She's this for Aquaman's arm.%%How?
%%* MagicalGuardian: To Aquaman.
* MakingASplash: She has extreme control over water.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: She's the the guardian spirit of life-giving oceans powered by dreams.
%%* MadeOfMagic: Particularly of magic water.
* MagicalAccessory: Played with; A leg brace she enchanted and gave to Arthur which forms his water hand.
* NatureSpirit: One of water, the oceans and collective idea/visualization.
%%* PlaceOfPower: Her domain, the Secret Sea.%%Is an example how?
%%* {{Stripperiffic}}:
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Man-o-War]]
[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ocd_12.jpg]]

An atlantean citizen turned unjustly convicted prisoner in the [[WretchedHive despotic]] sorcerous government, he was subjected to cruel black Magitek experimentation which turned him into a chimeric cast off who was believed to've [[GoneHorriblyRight died during the transformation process.]]
----
* BodyHorror: His transition into the thing he is was... graphic to say the least.
%%* CombatTentacles: Dozens of these.
%%* ElectricJellyfish: His letmotif given what he was fused with.
* HorrifyingHero: Given how his transformation makes him [[{{Cthulhumanoid}} reminiscent to Cthulhu.]]
* InstantMessengerPigeon: He and Vulko use very rapid messenger jellyfish to communicate between picking of members of the Sorcerer's league.
* TheLabRat: He was one of many to suffer at the hands of the Sorc council's dabbling in techno-mysticism, and one of the few to survive this.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Goes on one against a host of murderous soldiers as he remembers who turned him into a monster, the entire "Patriotic Vendetta" of his and Vulko's against the corrupt hierarchy running the show is considered this as well.
* PoisonousPerson: He has poisonous stingers in his tentacles.
%%* ShockAndAwe: He has great electrical powers.%%Like?
* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: He just disappear's after The Thirst crisis is averted and the corrupt council is officially dissolved.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cron One-Eye]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cron_one_eye_001.jpg]]

A shark who once tried to eat Aquaman when Arthur was a child, losing an eye to a sharpened piece of coral. The two met again when Arthur was in his teens and struck up a friendship. Cron's memory is better than those of most of his kind, and he often acts as an interpreter between Aquaman and the other sharks.
----
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Forcibly mutated and brainwashed into serving The Shark at one point. When Aquaman defeated The Shark, Cron returned to his old form and personality.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Cron remembers Arthur taking his eye when they meet up again, but doesn't hold a grudge, and instead treats Arthur with wary respect.
* TheDitz: Sharks, at least in Peter David's run, are universally portrayed as ditzy, forgetful creatures who can't remember five minutes into the past. Somewhat downplayed in the case of Cron, who while retaining the typical shark personality, has a working memory.
* DueToTheDead: Within the confines of shark culture. Cron believes refusing to eat someone who has died would be most disrespectful. When one of Arthur's dolphin friends is killed and Arthur tries to run off the circling sharks, it is Cron who approaches him and asks "are ''you'' going to eat him?" We later meet Cron when he's on deathwatch with a much older shark; when the older shark finally expires it will be Cron's sacred duty to eat him.
* EyeScream: Lost an eye in his first battle with Arthur.
* HumansAreSmelly: Slight variation--it is Cron's considered opinion that humans ''taste'' terrible.
* ThreateningShark: Mostly averted. While he tried to eat Arthur when he was a child, he's generally not interested in eating humans because they taste bad.
[[/folder]]

!!The Others
The Others are a secret black ops squad that Arthur previously served in before evolving into his Aquaman title. They all wield Atlantean artifacts.

[[folder:Ya'Wara]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yawara_6.jpg]]
->''"'''Run'''! Run if you have a thought for your '''lives'''!

A jungle princess from the Amazon. She wields an Atlantean globe that enables teleportation anywhere in the world.
----
* AntiHero: She is very quick to kill enemies and has more than once commanded her jaguars to attack and eat people. She is easily the most brutal member of the team.
* BettyAndVeronica: She's the Veronica to Mera's Betty. Though Aquaman and Mera are married and Ya'Wara is a lesbian, Mera and Ya'Wara's first meeting wasn't very pleasant.
%%* DoesNotLikeShoes
* JunglePrincess: When she was a child, the plane she and her parents were in crashed in the Amazon rainforest and only she survived. She apparently grew up there and can communicate with some kind of forest god that dwells there.
* MsFanservice: Her costume is basically a bikini.
* {{Telepathy}}: She uses hers with mammals. Though she does seem to be able to make contact with Arthur since he too is a telepath.
* {{Teleportation}}: The Globe of Transportation that she wears around her neck can allow her to teleport anywhere she wants.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dominick Torrez ('''Prisoner of War''')]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dominick_torrez.jpg]]

Dominick Torrez is a soldier haunted by the spirits of his platoon who had died around him. They serve as his partners in battle along with his artifact, Atlantean manacles that enable him to generate force fields;
----
* BarrierWarrior: His manacles allow him to create force fields.
* DeathSeeker: Slightly implied in a flashback. When the Others were saving a village from an avalanche, he was determined to save everyone "this time" or die with them.
* ISeeDeadPeople: The souls of his deceased war comrades speak to him.
* {{Necromancer}}: He can take on the abilities of his dead comrades such as sharpshooting.
* ShellShockedVeteran: He was the sole survivor of his team and he wears each of their dog tags around his neck. During his first appearance he was even in a mental hospital.
* ShockwaveClap: His manacles also delivered rapidly expanding waves of concussive force when clanged together.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vostok-X]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vostok_x.jpg]]

A Russian cosmonaut who was bred and trained to handle space environments. He wields an Atlantean helmet that enables him to survive great lengths of time without food, water, oxygen, or sleep.
----
* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Is struggling with this, due to his helmet enabling him to endure space all by himself.
%%* HuskyRusskie
[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:The Operative]]
%%[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/operative.jpg]]
%%A master spy. He wields an Atlantean key that can unlock anything.
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kahina the Seer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seer_1.jpg]]

An oracle. She wields an Atlantean seal that can translate any language.
----
* LegacyCharacter: Her sister Sayeh takes her place as The Seer.
[[/folder]]

!Enemies
!!Introduced Pre-Flashpoint
[[folder:David Hyde ('''Black Manta''')]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/350x430-AM10_020_1_9600.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Post-Flashpoint]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_manta_0002.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Y'see, deep down, in my most secret heart of hearts, I'm still a totally depraved sonuvabitch whose main goal in life is to watch you die. Slowly and painfully. Just like your kid."'']]
[[caption-width-right:281:[[labelnote:Click here to see Black Manta after his deal with Neron]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_manta_demonic_form.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

!!! '''Alter ego:''' David Hyde
!!! '''Species''': Human
!!! '''First appearance''': ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' #35 (September 1967)
->''"No, I mean exactly what I '''said''': "'''my''' people." Or have you never wondered why I'm called -- '''Black''' Manta --? Not that '''racism''' is my motive -- there's no '''profit''' in '''prejudice''' -- but since blacks have been '''suppressed''' for so long on the surface, they fight '''well''' for a chance to be "masters" below!"''

->''" I am the one who called the Sea Gods down here to Earth, with a little help from my allies, the '''Legion of Doom'''. See, it's time for new leadership, Ocean Queen... heroes old and new, there is nothing left for you here... but '''death'''."''

Pre-Flashpoint, Black Manta is a longtime ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} foe and a prime candidate for the title of his ArchEnemy. A murderous PsychoForHire and pirate who's dedicated his life to ruining Aquaman's after the hero accidentally killed his father. Dressed in a combination scuba suit and PowerArmour, Black Manta's most infamous act was undoubtedly killing Aquaman's son.

Post-Flashpoint, Black Manta was Arthur's first enemy. David was just a pirate/scavenger before being hired by Dr. Stephen Shin to take some of Arthur's blood. He caused Arthur's dad to have a heart attack, and Arthur killed David's father in retaliation, thinking he was David. The two became locked in a bitter cycle of revenge.
----
!!General
* SinisterStingrays: He's a ruthless hi-tech pirate with a manta ray theme. He even got turned into a hybrid of a manta by fellow villain Neron for a bit.

!!Pre-Flashpoint
* ArchEnemy: One of the top contenders for the title when it comes to Aquaman, alongside Ocean Master.
* ArchnemesisDad: To Jackson Hyde, aka the second Aqualad.
* AxeCrazy: Manta's not quite sane and each appearance only ratchets up the level of violence he's prepared to employ.
* BaldOfEvil: In the Post-Crisis era he's usually portrayed as either shaving his head or being naturally bald.
* BewareMyStingerTail: In his demonic form he had several stingray like tails ending in venomous barbs.
* BigBad: He's usually this when he appears in an Aquaman story. If not he's a PsychoForHire [[TheDragon Dragon]].
* BreakoutVillain: He started out as a minor recurring villain, but eventually established himself as Aquaman's main enemy and since then has had more media exposure than any Aquaman character aside from Aquaman himself.
* CardCarryingVillain: See the caption quote.
* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Designed for optimum performance both underwater and on land. In a more literal similarity with the TropeNamer, the laser blasts from his helmet are a close analogue to Franchise/{{Superman}}'s heat vision.
* ColorAnimalCodename: A black manta ray.
%%* CombatPragmatist: Manta cheats. A lot.
* CoolHelmet: His visual trademark. It allows him to breathe underwater and can shoot the EyeBeams mentioned below.
* DarthVaderClone: Black Manta is a villain who is motivated by hatred, wears black armor and has a heroic son.
* DealWithTheDevil: Sold his soul to Neron in order to become a literal devil-ray, and gain dominion over the lower depths of the ocean. During this period he acted as gatekeeper of Devil's Deep, a trench in the ocean that supposedly led to Neron's realm in Hell.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Neron turned him into a manta-man in ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed''. After Aquaman made him human again, Manta used a serum to grant himself the power to breathe underwater.
* EyeBeams: His signature weapon. They're usually heat-based laser blasts.
* FreudianExcuse: He has had two vague excuses. The first one was that he was kidnapped and enslaved for an unspecified amount of time. He saw Aquaman and called out for help, but Aquaman didn't hear him. The other one was that he was autistic and underwent experimental treatment that left him angry and hateful. Neither excuse really worked and both were quietly ignored by later writers.
* HollywoodAutism: Manta's depiction bore next to no resemblance to genuine autism, especially once Aquaman started suggesting that his violence and sadism were caused by it. While autistic people can certainly become violent just like anyone else (and may suffer from high levels of frustration), they are not the empathy devoid lunatics that Manta is portrayed as.
* HornsOfVillainy: In his demonic form Manta had an impressive set of demonic horns.
* LackOfEmpathy: More or less goes without saying once you're dealing with somebody as sociopathic as Manta.
%%* LukeIAmYourFather: To Aqualad II.
* MadnessMantra: When he was "autistic" the previously articulate Manta was suddenly reduced to repeating "Swim! Swim!" and nothing else while attacking Aquaman.
* MalcolmXerox: In the 1970s, Black Manta revealed that he is African American seeking a homeland for his race, but that motive turned out to be a self-serving lie. During the "Sub Diego" arc, writers decided to revisit this as a motivation, and had Manta trick Aquaman into assaulting him in front of a group of black men who had apparently never heard of infamous terrorist Black Manta, and started to riot because Aquaman had attacked "a brother".
* MentalHandicapMoralDeficiency: When a writer in the early 2000s decided to give him a case of HollywoodAutism that left him totally incapable of communicating with anyone around him, then had Aquaman come to the conclusion that Manta's evil was caused ''by'' his autism. After being magically cured by Aquaman, Manta was, thankfully, still evil, but even the suggestion was pretty ableist.
* MysteriousPast: There's a lot of things about Black Manta that aren't revealed. He did have a girlfriend at one point, who was kidnapped and experimented upon by the people of Xebel, which is implied to be part of the reason he hates Aquaman, and he's also apparently has a history with Mera's sister, who called him by his first name...
* NoNameGiven: His full name has never been given.
%%* {{Pirate}}: He envied this quite often.
* PowerArmour: His suit verges on this at times, being equipped with things like a jetpack, missiles, and laser beams.
* PsychoForHire: Often found working in the employ of others, for the chance to hurt some people.
* PsychopathicManchild: When "autistic".
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His armor is black and his helmet has glowing red eyes.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Manta's helmet comes equipped with glowing red laser emitters where the "eyes" appear to be. In his demonic form his actual eyes turned red.
* RuthlessModernPirates: He's a submarine pirate and has no scruples at all.
* SanitySlippage: Supposedly his deal with Neron and transformation into a demon caused his "autism" cure to wear off, resulting in him reverting to a PsychopathicManchild who could only repeat a few words. He was cured of this when Aquaman rewired his brain.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: He can track anyone anywhere in the water. There is little that he can’t find.
* ScaryBlackMan: Upon hearing Aquaman is still alive, he butchers everyone in a fish market with a carving knife, burns the entire place down, silently wades into the ocean, and rises back up in his armor. This was even worse back in the day when he was portrayed as a MalcolmXerox type and his scariness and blackness were positioned as linked.
* ShockAndAwe: Electrical powers to neutralize his opponent.
* TheStrategist: Plans ahead every step of the way.
* TheSociopath: The comics might have once claimed he was autistic, but Manta was always a psychopath at his core.
* SuddenlyEthnicity: Currently the picture. As noted under "Malcolm Xerox", Black Manta was revealed to be African-American in 1977, ten years after he appeared.
* SwordAndGun: Some versions of the character have him using a gun along with his swords.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Wally West does so in JLA #68, just to get Black Manta's EyeBeams on his face.
* WouldHurtAChild: And he did, murdering Aquaman's infant son Arthur Curry Jr. This infamous act is one of his big claims to fame as one of the most evil villains in the DC Universe.

!!Post-Flashpoint
* AbledInTheAdaptation: Does not appear to have UsefulNotes/{{Autism}} in this adaptation, but considering that was mentioned twice and had barely anything to do with his character its very paltry.
* ArchEnemy: Written as Arthur's, with a cycle of revenge thrown into the mix. Post-Flashpoint, he's the only contender since Orm undergoes AdaptationalHeroism to a degree.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: When you're able to upend an OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness as old as human history by your lonesome, you certainly fit with this.
* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Armour designed for optimum performance both underwater and on land.
* ColorAnimalCodename: A black manta ray.
* CoolHelmet: Similar to the Pre-Flashpoint version. It allows him to breathe underwater and can shoot the EyeBeams mentioned below.
* CycleOfRevenge: Stuck in a perpetual one with Arthur until one of them finally dies. Unlike Arthur, Manta revels in it, if only because his life has no purpose without it.
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Without Aquaman, Black Manta is nothing. When he came to this realization at the end of ''Forever Evil'' after getting a full pardon, he immediately got himself sent back to jail so he could join the Suicide Squad in hopes of finding purpose there. When ''that'' didn't work out, he went back to antagonizing Aquaman because he literally doesn't know any other way to live his life.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has three across his face from when Arthur hit him with a three-clawed hook.
* {{Expy}}: He's basically Arthur's equivalent to [[Literature/MobyDick Captain Ahab]], what with him being obsessed with slaying Aquaman to the point of no end.
* EyeBeams: Heat-based lasers, though each helmet has a limited supply.
* FreudianExcuse: Aquaman thought Black Manta killed his father, Tom Curry, when Manta attacked Arthur in order to get a sample of his blood for Dr. Shin, and Tom intervened. So, in revenge, ''Arthur'' killed ''Black Manta's'' father by mistake thinking it was him. It turned out Tom Curry suffered a heart attack and died in a hospital three days after the attack.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Can slit a man's throat with nothing but one of the societies coin communicators.
* ItsPersonal: Unlike the Pre-Flashpoint version, who hated Aquaman for no reason than just because, this one hates Aquaman for killing his father. Arthur returns the sentiment, not only blaming Manta for the death of his own father but also for the deaths of several of his friends in their ongoing war.
* MadeOfIron: His suit not only provides him protection from the crushing undersea depths, but allows him to fight on-par with Aquaman.
* PowerArmour: His suit allows him to breath underwater, gives him super strength and has heat vision.
* PsychoForHire: Originally a very ruthless pirate, he became even more unhinged after the death of his father.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In ''Forever Evil'', when Ultraman moving the moon out of orbit causes rising tides to desecrate his father's grave.
* RuleOfCool: Applies to most everyone in the New 52 Aquaman run. Manta just stands out more than most.
%%* RuthlessModernPirates: He engages in a lot of piracy that uses pretty advanced tech.%%Not the trope.
* ScaryBlackMan: Even out of armour, one of the scariest normal men you'll find. He gets to prove it while in prison by secretly activating his helmet's heat beams, accurately blasting a guard's clipboard from his hand, strangling and flailing him about with his handcuffs, then [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath drowning him]] in a prison toilet.
%%* SubmarinePirates: His modus operandi.
* TookALevelInBadass: Took the reigns of power of the secret world power [[CosmopolitanCouncil N.E.M.O.]] from its previously aptly named Fisher King, anyone who challenged this declaration of authority either got whacked or had the snot kicked out of them.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty:
** Manta's entire life is killing Aquaman and causing him pain. Naturally, when it was believed Aquaman was actually dead in ''Forever Evil'', this trope came into play.
** Aquaman even invoked this at the beginning of the ''Rebirth'' run. He offered Manta his trident and gave him a no-strings-attached opportunity to kill him -- all while pointing out how no death will ever satisfy Manta and make up for the father he lost. Once Manta realized this, he cursed Aquaman and then surrendered, having completely lost the desire to fight.
* WellDoneSonGuy: A little. Once Arthur is "killed" by the Crime Syndicate in ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'', he merely takes the trident, leaves the gang of villains, and places it at his dad's grave.
* YouKilledMyFather: Aquaman accidentally killed Manta's father in a fit of revenge, thinking he was Manta.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orm Marius (Ocean Master)]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/orm.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Post-Flashpoint]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/736759-ocean_master_large_4840.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Pre-Flashpoint]]
->''"My crown will flood this city! It will throw the oceans down upon it! '''And I will show your world that Atlantis is not afraid!'''"''

->''"Do you know what I like '''most''' about the ocean, little pretender? There are no '''laws''' here. No policemen, no '''municipal courts''', no stultifying "societal standards." It's a place for the '''strong'''. For men bold enough to '''take''' what they want. To '''take''' what they want -- and to '''kill anyone''' who '''stands in their way!'''"''

Pre-Flashpoint, Ocean Master is Aquaman's jealous brother who wants to rule Atlantis. Originally depicted as a fully human pirate, utilising advanced technology, Orm became the son of Atlan the wizard and an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%C3%B1upiat Inupiat]] woman post-Crisis, and a powerful sorcerer to boot. Whether he is human, Atlantean, or a mix varies, but one thing about Orm remains consistent: he wants the throne, and will trample anyone who gets in his way.

Post-Flashpoint, Orm is a full-blooded Atlantean, maternal half-brother of Arthur, paternal half-brother to Tula and the would-be heir to Atlantis. He is the son of Atlanna and Orvax, then captain of the Atlantean Guard. This version is more of an Anti-Villain, as he is depicted as a good king and he doesn't ''hate'' humans, though he does view Atlanteans as superior. After an accidental attack on Atlantis by a human-submarine, he wages war with the surface world and his brother and his [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica associates]] in the ''Throne of Atlantis'' storyline. He is defeated, and Arthur becomes king of Atlantis. He is sent to Belle Reve to await trial, but before he does attend trial, [[ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013 the Crime Syndicate set every inmate free]], and Orm makes his way to the ocean. However, he ends up protecting a woman and her child during the incident and winds up staying with them. Eventually, Xebus, the king of Xebel, finds him and tells Orm that the two must take their place among the Seven Kings and rule the world.
----
!!Pre-Flashpoint
* ArchEnemy: Aquaman's original one, and a strong contender for the title to this day.
%%* BadassCape: Almost always.
* BadassNative: Post-Crisis Orm is half-Inupiat, and was raised in their culture, spending the first part of his life believing himself to be fully Native American. While an evil, resentful SOB, there's no doubt that he is indeed a badass.
* BadassNormal: Pre-Crisis, when he was just a normal human being armed with a laser rifle.
* BastardBastard: Post-Crisis, where he's the bastard son of an Atlantean mage and an Inupiat woman. His mother actually calls him a bastard to his face, to which Ocean Master replies "If I'm a bastard, you would know mother."
* BigBad: One of Aquaman's two main BigBad's.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Aquaman's Abel. Post-Crisis, it's even an EnforcedTrope, since Atlantean kings are cursed to battle their brothers over the throne. It's stated that Atlan sires him simply so Aquaman will have a brother who will fulfill the prophecy.
* CoolMask: Usually obscures his face with a mask.
* TheCorrupter: Along with Neron, blackened the souls of everyone in the Dreaming City.
* DaddyIssues: When Atlan was his father in the Post-Crisis 'verse.
* DealWithTheDevil: Cut a deal with Neron for mystical powers.
* DrivenByEnvy: In both Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis continuity Orm Marius is entirely motivated by jealousy of Arthur's power, prestige, and status as both a hero and King of Atlantis.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Post-Crisis Orm initially had no powers and used high-tech sci-fi weaponry like his Pre-Crisis counterpoint. Then he sold his soul to Neron and became an EvilSorcerer, as well as far more of a threat.
* EvilCounterpart: As the ruler of the Dreaming City, he finally assumes a regal role like that of his hated half-brother, takes a lover much as Aquaman has taken Dolphin as a consort, and has a golden trident he can't let go of that parallels Aquaman's golden hook-hand.
* EvilOverlord: During his rule of the Dreaming City, and any time he is in control of Atlantis.
* TheEvilPrince: While he was not a literal example in the Post-Crisis world, his role as Aquaman's brother on their father, Atlan's side, meant that he was often played this way.
* EvilSorcerer: Pre-Crisis, he achieved this status in the Neal Pozner/Craig Hamilton miniseries by retrieving twelve gemstones from ancient Atlantis. Post-Crisis, he finds his way there by cutting a deal with Neron for a magical trident, albeit one with serious drawbacks.
* {{Flanderization}}: His initial appearance after his deal with Neron makes it clear that the drawback is that his trident's energies run out of control if Orm is not consciously wielding it, which can harm him and those around him. Later appearances treated it as if letting go of the trident directly caused him physical pain and nothing more.
* GreenEyedMonster: He despises Arthur for taking the throne in the pre-Crisis and post-Crisis continuities.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Post-Crisis, as the son of Atlantean wizard, Atlan, and an Inuit woman.
* HighPriest: Neron's high priest within the Dreaming City.
* IgnoredEpiphany: Pre-Crisis, he recovers from his amnesia and learns that Aquaman is his half-brother, apparently ending their conflict. He's back to his usual villainy the next time he appears, as if nothing happened. Post-Crisis, he receives a vision of both his pre-Crisis and post-Crisis past, but remains unchanged by it.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Pre-Crisis this was his defining motivation and the reason he became a supervillain. Post-Crisis he thinks he's already special and wants everyone to acknowledge it.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Orm shows little interest in the politics of Atlantis, the people he (occasionally) rules, or even threats to the entire planet (like the aliens his ally Strom serves). Everything is subordinate to his need to defeat Aquaman and prove himself the superior brother.
* KissingCousins: Had an interest in his cousin, Kako, post-Crisis, attacking her in a jealous rage when she started sleeping with Arthur.
* LukeIAmYourFather: His relationship with Aquaman is usually kept a secret until the big reveal.
* MagicalNativeAmerican: Subverted. Post-Crisis Orm was half-Inupiat and grew up in their culture, but his interest in magic came from the Atlantean side of the family, and his actual powers were the result of selling his soul to a Christian demon.
* ManipulativeBastard: Kicked off the whole Cerdian war which leveled Atlantis cities by double dealing the rouge states [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen queen]], kidnapping the newborn son of Garth and Dolphin, urging his half-brother Arthur into going against the tiny nation after sending monsters to level his kingdom. Even went the extra mile of getting the Justice League involved to validate the former's invasion of which by getting his pawns to phone for help from the UN.
* TheMaster: His Ocean Master title is close enough.
* PowerAtAPrice: During his post-Crisis incarnation. His deal with Neron granted him more and more magical power, but discharged magical energy uncontrollably whenever he wasn't holding it, scarring his face and causing him intense agony whenever he let go of it.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: Wields a mystic trident granted to him by Neron, that acts as both a conduit for his powers and a mark of his favour with the demon lord, a combination MagicStaff and StaffOfAuthority.
* ReligionOfEvil: Not only sold his soul to Neron but worshiped him as a deity, enforcing the same worship on the citizens of the Dreaming City.
* TheResenter: Both Pre- and Post-Crisis, he has a hard time with the idea that Aquaman is the superhuman King of Atlantis, and he's just a normal human being who is, at best, destined simply to fight his brother a lot.
* TheSavageIndian: Inverted. Rather than being portrayed as evil because of being raised in a Native American culture, Orm is demonized for having abandoned Native American culture. There are still issues with this, obviously, but it's a departure from the trope nonetheless.
* SorcerousOverlord: Of the Dreaming City, where his sorcerous power marks him as Neron's chosen and the city's destined ruler.
* TheTheocracy: The Dreaming City was a centre of Atlantean spirituality and religion. Following Orm's arrival it's rule passed into the hands of the cult of Neron, with Ocean Master as high priest and effective monarch.
* VillainTeamUp: Frequently teamed up with Manta or the Shark. He also assumes membership in ComicBook/LexLuthor's Injustice Gang and the "inner circle" of [[Comicbook/FinalCrisis Libra's Secret Society]].

!!Post-Flashpoint
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: This version of Orm genuinely loves his half-brother and his FantasticRacism towards humans is downplayed. His attempts to claim the throne have all been less about hunger for power and more because he genuinely believes he's best fit for it.
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To Comicbook/SubMariner, even more so than Johns's revamp of Black Adam. Orm is a physically powerful brunette king of Atlantis who attacks the surface world for misguided reasons, but has noble qualities and feels sympathy and pity for surface dwellers.
* AntiVillain: Seems to be shaping into a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains Type IV]], being not so much evil as reacting violently to threats directly against Atlantis. This is a first for the character.
* BadSamaritan: Claims to be helping the Ninth Tride people by inviting them to the city of Dagon. This is all a front for his game of claiming the throne of Atlantis.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: His actions in his [[VillainEpisode Villains Month issue]] could be interpreted as a rare combination of both PetTheDog and KickTheDog. When a seriously injured security guard, who showed sympathy towards Orm during his imprisonment, asks him for help, [[MercyKill Orm strangles him, seemingly thinking that's exactly what he wanted]].
* ChronicVillainy: He is unable to keep himself from villainy for long.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Sure he attempted to drown a few cities, but it was in defense of Atlantis, from his perspective. He also seems to truly love his brother Arthur, a first for the character. He also became a sort of ParentalSubstitute for Erin's son Tommy, and stayed with them during the ''Forever Evil'' event.
* TheEvilPrince: Like Arthur, he is Queen Atlanna's son, and wants the throne for himself. However, he wasn't particularly evil until the ''Throne of Atlantis'' storyline, when he decided to wage war with the surface world. Even then, he's not actually evil, just reacting to an assumed threat from the surface world [[spoiler:that turns out to be Vulko's fault]].
* TheFaceless: In his first appearance, ''Aquaman'' #14, his face is always obscured by shadows.
* FantasticRacism: This version doesn't ''hate'' surface dwellers, he pities them. That said, he ''does'' think they're objectively inferior to Atlanteans.
* TheGoodKing: It is shown that he is actually this to the Atlanteans, and they do like him. The problem is he doesn't really like the surface dwellers all that much, which many Atlanteans agree with him on.
* GreenEyedMonster: This seems to be subverted. He seems to genuinely care for Arthur, and wouldn't mind him being king. However, eventually, he comes to think that he ''would'' be the better king, though it's still not driven by envy.
* MakingASplash: His crown controls the sea.
* PetTheDog: Protects Erin and her son Tommy from criminals released from prison by the Crime Syndicate, albeit reluctantly. ''Aquaman'' #25 reveals that he actually ended up [[MoralityPet staying with Erin]].
* RefugeInAudacity: After killing Marine Marauder with the help of sea elemental Lernaea at his beck and call, he gets a visit from Apex Lex, who aided Marine Marauder instead of Orm after deciding he was too weak, now having had a change of heart. Orm not only refuses his help, but he also smashes the pendant keeping Lernaea bound to him, and orders her to destroy the Lexcorp vessel. She complies.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Averted. Although Vulko speculates that Orm killed Atlanna in order to become king, he's wrong.
* ShockAndAwe: His trident can generate and control storms through unknown means.
* SuperStrength: All Atlanteans have this. Though Orm is quite a bit stronger than the average Atlantean.
* {{Ubermensch}}: Believes he is acting in the best interests of the lower castes of aquatic society when building the new city of Dagon in Year of the Villain. Dolphin eventually exposes his lie.
* VillainHasAPoint: During one of his discussions with his human advocates while he is in prison, he criticizes how the deaths he caused during the war qualify as murder in the eye of the government, whereas ''Atlantean'' deaths are completely ignored.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scavenger (Peter Mortimer)]]
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scavanger.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Pre-Flashpoint]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_vol_7_51_textless.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:Post-Flashpoint]]
->''"That's it. That's the way it always is. I caught you fair and square and you go and call the damn fish."''

Peter Mortimer was a deep-sea diver and pirate who called himself the Scavenger. Dressed in a specially-designed diving suit, he plundered the ocean waves, scavenging for valuables from sunken ships. He operated out of an advanced submersible vessel called the Scorpion-Ship.
----
* ArmsDealer: Went into business selling Atlantean armaments on the black market after ComicBook/ThroneOfAtlantis.
* CoolShip: The Scavanger pilots a customized scorpion-shaped submersible called the Scorpion-Ship.
* CoveredInScars: Getting mulched by a sea beast apparently disfigures your whole body, (even when he was only bit at his side).
* EquipmentUpgrade: He eventually decided to level up in that regard, in case of another run in with Aquaman. See character image.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: A straight up asshole, but he's insulted when Arthur implies Peter didn't save his workers because there was no profit in it.
* EvilCripple: Inverted, on the evil part. Became this after his run in with Dead Water. When we next see him [[FormerlyFit he's put on some pounds]] due to being confined to a wheelchair.
* FountainOfYouth: The Scavenger was hunting a device called the Time-Decelerator whicje he believed would grant him immortality. He eventually found the Time-Decelerator and activated it. Rather than bestowing immortality however, it actually regressed him in age until he ceased to exist.
* IncrediblyObviousBug: utilized one through a captured Atlantean whose organs he harvested to find the undersea city.
* PoweredArmor: His diving suit is a less badass version of Black Manta's.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Whenever he appears, it's clear he and Arthur have a history, but it's never elaborated on.
* RuthlessModernPirates: The Scavanger is definitely a pirate, but is no kind of romantic rogue. He pefers to sink ships and loot them at liesure later.
* SalvagePirates. The Scavanger loots sunken ships: some of which he sunk himself.
* VillainDecay: Suffered this since his run in with Dead Water, once a hardened sea hoarder turned frightened [[DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery lamer]] at the mere mention of its name.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Siren (Hila)]]
!!Hila/Siren (Pre-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1308246_siren01.jpg]]
->"''[[BadassBoast King of Atlantis... You will die on your Knees]]''"

Pre-Crisis, Hila was little more than a rambunctious albeit vicious troublemaker and eponymous pain in the ass for her Gemini, Mera.

Renowned in their family as the black sheep of the lot, she would often cause all kinds of havoc anywhere she went, more often than not at Mera's expense since they look [[CriminalDoppelganger identical]]. Being the bad girl she was, Hila eventually fell in with a bad boy sorcerer and long time enemy of Aquaman by the name of Kandor, both of whom were exiled from their native home dimension Aqua for past crimes. Together, the two conspired against Aquaman and Mera in a bid for power, but both suffered a change of heart in the following events and redeemed themselves.

In the Post-Crisis continuity, Hila is one amongst a colony of vicious inmates from the PrisonDimension of Xebel which was located within TheBermudaTriangle. The [[Characters/GLOtherLanternCorps White Entity]] undid the seal that bound her and fellow exiles in their [[PhantomZone concentration reality]] to test Arthur by letting them unleash terror upon the world and it's unsuspecting masses as well as kill the current monarch of Atlantis as revenge for her people.
----
* TheAce: Like her sibling yet unlike other aquamancers she uses a more advanced form of water shifting powers. Ones which don't rely upon the waterbearers like those of Jackson Hyde or her fellow criminals.
* EvilBrunetteTwin: Physically the two are practically adjacent to one another, and Siren is the [[BigLittleBrother younger]] of [[YoungerThanTheyLook the two]] no less.
* FantasticRacism: Like most Xebelians, Hila is an clear speciesest towards Atlanteans, half-breeds and especially surface dwellers due to her prison home upbringing. The former is due to right wing bigoted supremacy thinking the world and everything spawned from the sea belongs to her people. The latter of which because the reigning power of Atlantis' life imprisonment sentence.
* HeelFaceTurn: In her Pre-Crisis days, Hila had initially taken the place of Mera to better earn Aquaman's trust. But after seeing just how much the kingdom and it's monarch truly loved her, she had a change of heart.
* MakingASplash: Like her sister and all Xebel prisoners, Hila has incredibly potent hydrokinetic shifting capabilities.

!!Hila/Siren (Post-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hila_9.jpg]]
->''" Well... that could have gone better."''

Hila is the demented twin sibling of Aquaman's wife Mera and a resident of Xebel. Sometime in her life she ran with [[SorcerousOverlord the Thule]] in order to reclaim the seven seas and, as an eventual milestone, the world at large by encroaching their dimension into Earth's own. To this end, Hila's natural capabilities had been [[MagicEnhancement augmented]] by their potent dark magics, this coupled with her [[{{Shapeshifting}} Shifter]] background enables her to better infiltrate Arthur's throne and impersonate Mera, ruling in both the former when implicating monarchy in her place after casting out the latter as a conspirator against the crown and kingdom, turning Atlantis against him.
----
* AxCrazy: Had a precocious slasher smile when she was bleeding Arthur dry after laying him. And her eyes were shot wide open while comparing herself to Mera with him in the sack.
* BedTrick: After Arthur comes to reconcile with who he believed to be his wife, only for the doppelganger to reveal her true colors to him [[ForTheEvulz as a jest]].
* BloodyMurder: Unlike her sister, however, Hila uses them for much more lethal endeavors, to which Aquaman can quite [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank painfully attest]].
%%* EvilTwin: To her more mellow sibling.
* MakingASplash: She was outfitted with watercrafting abilities by her [[EvilSorcerer benefactors]] rivaling those of her sister.
* ShapeshiftingSeducer: She suckered Aquaman into courting her in bed before giving him the Wham event by revealing her true self to him.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: As we learn, Hila may be or is a descendent of a resident from Thule called a Shifter. Master spies, and weavers of falsehood who can alternate their outward appearance or even cast illusions at will. Turns out she and a host of their thought-to-be-extinct race have taken over the throne of Atlantis from the ruling royalty in order to pave the way of Thule's incursion into Earth 0.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Black Jack]]
!!Black Jack (Pre-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_jack_9.jpg]]

A modern day pirate who dressed like an old fashion one. He was able to take control of Pearl Island and its in habitants. Black Jack is also considered Aquaman's first arch-nemesis, and one of the few recurring villains he fought during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks.
----
* DressedToPlunder: He wore several different costumes, but all of them are variations on classic pirate outfits.
* APirate400YearsTooLate: He dresses like a Caribbean pirate from the Gold Age of Piracy.

!!Black Jack (Post-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_jack_pe_01.jpg]]

An agent of Black Manta following his usurpation of leadership over the mysterious organization code-named N.E.M.O after they broke him out.
----
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: A modern-day PirateGirl using the codename that used to belong to a Golden Age pirate.
* CoolPlane: The Albatross, an advanced undetectable aerial craft employed by Black Jack and other agents in order to get from place to place around the world undetected.
* CyanidePill: All N.E.M.O operative have a bit of Atlantean technology imbedded in their brain stem, triggered to go off in the event that sensitive intel is at risk upon capture by enemy forces. When triggered, this causes a coral-like implant to branch out of their bodies, bursting their skulls into bloody paste.
* EyepatchOfPower: She wears a high-tech version that might be either a targeting scope or a replacement for a missing eye.
* PirateGirl: She belongs to N.E.M.O., a secret society intent on controlling the world through controlling its largest resource: the oceans.
* RuthlessModernPirates: In contrast to her predecessor, who was APirate400YearsTooLate, she's a ruthless marine bandit and criminal with little interest in anything beyond seizing wealth and power.
* SpyCatsuit: She mainly wears a full-body black rubber catsuit that only leaves her face and upper neck exposed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fisherman]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fisherman.jpg]]

The Fisherman is an international criminal who began his career by stealing rare objects and scientific inventions and selling them to the highest bidder. When he stole a growth formula capable of enlarging any living matter it came into contact with, he encountered Aquaman and he's been an enemy of him since.
----
* ArmsDealer: Once smuggled weapons to Atlantean rebels on behalf of the Shark.
* ArtificialGill: Wears a special pressurized suit with a recyclable air supply that allows him to survive for extended periods at the very bottom of the oceans.
* RodAndReelRepurposed: Wields a reinforced titanium steel fishing rod with an incredibly strong polymer line which he is able to cast with pinpoint precision with either razor-sharp hooks or specially weighted lead bobs.
* SuperStrength: The Fisherman is strong enough to casually hurl ComicBook/BlueDevil (in his armored form, weighing 385 lbs) a long distance after lifting him from the ocean with his titanium rod. He is also strong enough to lift a mini satellite, carry a hoard of treasure 2 of his henchmen struggle with and knock out Aquaman via physical force.
* SuperToughness: Fisherman is durable enough to take direct hits from Blue Devil and Aquaman, without getting knocked out, and can survive the crushing pressure on the ocean floor
* TrickArrow: Fisherman has a number of special fishing lures around his waist that have been gimmicked to explode or release clouds of noxious gases upon impact.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Piranha Man (Charybdis)]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_1994_2001_056_004.jpg]]

The villain who caused the loss of Aquaman's hand, Charybdis was a terrorist who lost his wife, Scylla, in the same incident that gave him control over fish. He attacked Aquaman, and was mutated into a piranha/human cross in the process.
----
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Before he gets mutated, Charybdis is this. His ethnicity is unclear, but he has a dark, red-brown skin tone.
* AxCrazy: Charybdis' mental state was always questionable at best. After Scylla's death, he hires actresses to impersonate her, so he can then murder them as a deranged way of punishing Scylla for "leaving" him. This gets even ''worse'' after his transformation, and he begins torturing Aquaman's friends and family while making bad pop-culture references and laughing maniacally.
* AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter: Has all of Orin's abilities, many of them at a much greater degree.
* DisabilitySuperpower: After losing an arm he replaced it with the limb of a [[MagmaMan fire troll]] using Atlan's stolen magics.
* EvilSorcerer: Became this after stealing Atlan's magical abilities.
* FreudianExcuse: He was already a wanted criminal, but losing Scylla did nothing for Charybdis' sanity.
* HeelFaceTurn: Strangely, Charybdis' arc ends when the magic he stole from Atlan eventually winds up restoring his conscience and sanity. He then apologizes to Aquaman, asks that they drop their feud, and [[PutOnABus teleports off to parts unknown.]]
* HeManWomanHater: Scylla's death leaves him with something of a misogynistic streak. He insults Dolphin in sexist ways, and seems to blame Scylla for her own death.
* IWillTearYourArmsOff: Had this done onto him by Aquaman when he mutilated his mother in rather horrendous ways.
* LaughingMad: Due to his deteriorating mental state, he can give Joker a run for his money in this department.
* MisanthropeSupreme: His first evil scheme revolves around targeting sunken military submarines so that he can detonate their nukes and cause a worldwide Holocaust. As Aquaman puts it, Charybdis hates women, mankind, and himself.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Named for a whirlpool in Greek mythology that sucked everything down.
* OmnicidalManiac: He first attacks Aquaman so that he can drain his powers and use them to access sunken military submarines, intending to use the nukes to cause Armageddon.
* PiranhaProblem: Sicced a school of them on Aquaman, and resembles one himself.
* PowerDegeneration: When he stole some of Arthur's powers before taking a plunge into the Piranha pool, their collective essence rubbed off on him turning the guy into the human barracuda he is today.
* PowerParasite: One of his core abilities is to drain away the abilities of others either naturally or through technological siphons, it was never disclosed as to which held true.
* {{Telepathy}}: Got this from ripping off Aquaman's powers.
* UnholyMatrimony: With Scylla.
* WesternTerrorists: His ethnicity is unclear, but he doesn't seem to be an Islamic or African terrorist.
* WouldHitAGirl: After Scylla's death, an unhinged Charybdis begins hiring women to impersonate her, so he can then murder them in a warped attempt to punish Scylla for "leaving" him. He also shows no hesitation in trying to kill Dolphin or torturing Aquaman's mother.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thanatos]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thanatos_2.jpg]]
>''"Come fight with me, little one. Come find out what the important things are."''

An evil version of Aquaman from another dimension. He was eventually killed by Major Disaster.
----
* AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter: In many fields Thanatos is stronger than his mirror image.
* BigBadWannabe: Got killed off early in the later series by a low tier supervillain.
%%* EvilTwin: To Aquaman.
%%* FakeBoss: Not really a long king at all.
* MasterOfIllusion: His main trick is making him look stronger than he is.
* SuperpowerLottery: Being an evil double of Orin automatically grants this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kordax]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-Kordax_1127.jpg]]
->''" And was it normal, I wonder, for a mother to abandon her child to the harsh mercies of the depths? To take a squalling babe and leave it to die on the ocean floor?"''

A mutated Atlantean prince with blond hair and green scales, Kordax was exiled at birth, only to return later in life and make a bid for the throne. The horrors of his invasion of Atlantis, and Kordax's own unnerving appearance, sparked the legends that led the Atlanteans to see all blonds as cursed. Returning in the present day, Kordax tried to usurp the throne of Atlantis, coming into conflict with Aquaman.
----
* TheAntichrist: Not really, but boy do the Atlanteans think he is.
* BastardBastard: Born a bastard child of incestuous rape, Kordax's parental and abandonment issues made him a bastard in every other sense by the time he was an adult.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Kordax's hand was severed in punishment for his crimes. He replaced it with a sword.
* ChildByRape: His father, Dardanus, raped his mother, Cora, as part of his revenge against her father. Just to heighten the squick, Dardanus and Cora were [[KissingCousins cousins]].
* TheDreaded: Still spoken of in hushed tones in Atlantis.
* DrivenToSuicide: Killed himself after being defeated by Aquaman.
* EvilIsBigger: Kordax is essentially Aquaman's EvilCounterpart, but as the villain of the piece, is considerably taller and heavier (6 feet, 6 inches, and five hundred sixty-five pounds).
* TheEvilPrince: Son of the Queen of Atlantis, he sought to destroy all it stood for.
* FamedInStory: Infamous in-story.
* FishPeople: Taken all together, Kordax's deformities make him look very reptillian or icthyoid. He's basically this trope, but with blond hair.
* {{Foil}}: To Aquaman, with their similar curses, appearances, powers, lineage, back stories, and handicaps. It verges on EvilCounterpart.
* FreudianExcuse: His ParentalAbandonment and subsequent raising by Dardanus did nothing for his personality.
* GeniusBruiser: A charismatic leader and strategist, as well as a six and a half foot tall killing machine.
* HandicappedBadass: He has only one hand.
* ImmuneToBullets: Thanks to his heightened durability.
* LightningBruiser: He's every bit as fast and strong as Aquaman himself.
* TheMagnificent: Kordax the Destroyer.
* ManipulativeBastard: Takes advantage of Koryak's anger to turn him against his father, Aquaman.
* {{Mutant}}: Scaled and huge, weighing at over five hundred pounds, all of it muscle.
* ParentalAbandonment: Was abandoned as a child due to his grotesque appearance.
%%* PointyEars:
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Probably older than that.
* RedRightHand: Cora viewed Kordax's deformities as proof his evil nature and abandoned him accordingly. This ultimately resulted in Kordax being raised by his father, Dardanus, and turning out to be every bit as bad as you would expect.
%%* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Just like Aquaman.
%%* SpikesOfVillainy: On his ShouldersOfDoom.
* SuperStrength: All Atlanteans are, but Kordax is capable of matching Aquaman himself.
* {{Telepathy}}: A pretty damn powerful one. When he psychically clashed with Aquaman, every creature in the sea was nearly driven insane due to the mental shockwaves. Fish and Atlanteans.
** Of course Kordax wouldn't care if they were mindless husks either way.
* VillainousLineage: Kordax's father Dardanus was as bad or worse than he was. His grandfather Shalako, while well-intentioned, was a dark wizard who murdered his wife.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Prime Minister Hagen]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_secret_files_2003_36.jpg]]

A rather unscrupulous politician who became the de-facto ruler of a new, quite possibly more human hating regime of Atlantis after prompting then disillusioned queen Mera, as well as using the backwash of begrudging Atlantean sentiment as a means to oust Aquaman from the throne. Him and his inner circle consist of conjurers and sorcerers who curried prestige among the Dark Art's practitioners of the traitorous witch Gamemnae.
----
* AbsoluteXenophobe: Hagen and his cronies bitterly despise anything related to the surface world as well as land walking civilization in general, under his rule the new Atlantis is devoid of any kind of semblance relating to human culture whatsoever. Structures and architecture are modeled after marine life over classical above ocean engineering, walking and sitting of any kind is strictly prohibited as Atlanteans are to be swimming or floating at all times, even having a sharp eye and a secret detail of [[ArmiesAreEvil militant thugs]] keep watch over individuals who have ties to the former monarch of the kingdom. [[UpToEleven And in worst case]] [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident secretly ordering their summery executions]].
* AssholeVictim: While most had died when The Spectre ripped through the mermaid capitol, no tears were shed for this guy's tattered remains at the end by the survivors who lived.
* BigBadWannabe: Coming off as an immediate threat to all, he and his ilk of [[KillAllHumans genocidal witch's & wizards]] are still largely circumvented by the much more immediate dangers presented by [[DroughtLevelOfDoom The Thirst]]
* TheConspiracy: Basically what his coven of sorcerer's occupation in the New Atlantis boils down too.
* CreatingLife: [[spoiler: Or more clandestinely, taking falsely persecuted convicts and fusing them with lower lifeforms to create [[MixAndMatchCritters fusionistic]] [[SuperSoldier mutant warriors]] loyal to the councils whims]], this later [[LaserGuidedKarma comes and bites them all]] in the ass thankfully.
* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: If his physical appearance is anything to go on.
%%* DevilInPlainSight: Just look at him.
* EvilGloating: Has a penchant for this throughout his appearances.
* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: Difficult to tell either him being a resident of Tritonis before becoming a Sorc, or because his dabbing in foul powers monsterized his appearance.
* EvilPlan: Hagen sought to effectively take the reigns of power within Atlantis for him & his in order to crown the undersea nation as supreme emperium of the earth.
** Having lobotomized Mera through mystic drugs to use her as a [[PuppetKing proxy]] in order to cement sorcerer ruler-ship in Atlantis for him and his sect.
** A step further being he and his cronies utilizing foul powers gained from years of [[SycophanticServant bootlicking to Gamemne's inner circle]] to mutate all sealife, themselves included, to TakeOverTheWorld and [[KillAllHumans kill all Surface Dwellers]].
** Failing the top two he would settle for screwing over Aquaman and the throne [[RevengeByProxy by cursing Mera with lungs]] out of [[EvilIsPetty spite for Atlantis's hated liege.]]
%%* EvilSorcerer: How he was able to usurp the Atlantean crown and enforce his flippant laws through means of drugs and mysticism.
%%* FantasticRacism: Towards surface-dwellers.
* GovernmentDrugEnforcement: How he managed to assume command of Atlantean Monarchy, he and his conspirators beset The current regent with a host of intoxication spells in order to keep her under. Being the highest ranked imperial and all, he naturally assumes the reins of state as the [[BlatantLies spokes person]] of the queen who his cohorts are keeping drugged up.
* MagicGenetics: Hagen and the new 1% run Atlantis mainly through both open and secret perversion of naturally spawned oceanic organisms, turning them into hideous monstrosities either as royal transport to get from [[OrganicTechnology place to place]].
* TheManBehindTheMan: For a time he's this to Mera as her handmaidens feed her faux medicine while he runs matters of state.
* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: He and the new ruling caste in Atlantis are this, a coalition of one-off side characters who appeared out of nowhere to assume power after escaping the Obsidian age.
* PowersThatBe: What the sorcerer class of Atlantis becomes after Mera is [[PuppetKing rendered comatose and made into his political marionette]].
* RedBaron: With a name like Hagen The Heinous, what would one expect?
* SquishyWizard: For all his [[ChewingTheScenery boisterous grandstanding as an evil overlord and such]], he can't win in a contest of might or magic against Garth and/or Vulko. [[spoiler: granted the latter had help from one of Hagen's [[TheDogBitesBack failed super soldier experiments]].]]
* TheVirus: Had his crew of like minded mystics come up with a means of wiping away the surface dwelling civilization, a chamber pot of foul magic [[MonsterProgenitor brewed specifically to mutate]] any and all water dwelling entities. Atlantean included, into a hoary host of ravenous freaks of nature spawned by their dark craft.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Thirst]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_thirst.jpg]]
->''"''' Let me drinnnk my filll... from the wellsprinnngs... of eterrrnal life itselllf!'''"''

The personification of drought, and the ideological opposite of the Waterbearer, the Thirst is an ancient being who attacked Aquaman after he became guardian of the Secret Sea. Taking the form of a golem made from dry river mud, The Thirst tried to drain the Seven Seas (the reservoir of human imagination), and the entirety of the world's rivers, all as part of its attempt at claiming Aquaman's soul.
----
%%* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of drought.
* AntiMagic: Being of the Secret Sea where Orin derives his water hand, Thirst is uneffected by mystical arcanum. [[spoiler:As [[TheAce Tempest]], [[BrokenAce an accomplished sorcerer in his own right]]; [[ButtMonkey would come to find the hard way in his attempt to stop him]]]].
%%* BadassLongcoat: A really cool long coat.
* BaldOfEvil: As a golem, the Thirst is hairless.
%%* CainAndAbel: With his "sister" the Waterbearer.
%%* EvilCounterpart: To the Waterbearer.
* {{Golem}}: A golem made from dry river mud, to be precise.
* HumanoidAbomination: The Thirst is roughly human in appearance, with a head, arms and legs in all the right places.
%%* KilledOffForReal: By Aquaman.
* ManOfKryptonite: His ability to drain water from his victims makes him very dangerous to Aquaman.
* MeaningfulName: Thirst and he’s constantly drinking.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It's not as obvious as with some villains, but to anybody reading a comic about an aquatic superhero, the presence of a being called "The Thirst" should instantly set off warning bells.
* {{Necromancer}}: Can resurrect those that he has slain as mindless, zombie husks slaved to his will.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Red eyes from a formidable foe.
%%* SlaveMooks: The victims he has drained and resurrected.%%Are what?
* VampiricDraining: Sucks the life energy and water from his victims.
* WalkingWasteland: He causes drought wherever he goes.
* YourSoulIsMine: Wanted Aquaman's soul more than anything else.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fire Trolls]]
!!Fire Trolls (Pre-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:450:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fire_trolls_4.jpg]]

An androgynous species of sentient lava mounds who once plotted to take over the world. They would often come to clash with Aquaman and then Sidekick Garth when they would try to cause catastrophic eruptions across the worlds fault lines.
----
* AdaptiveAbility: For beings of fiery rock they can adjust to survive anywhere, even the [[RemovedAchillesHeel ocean floor]].
%%* AllTrollsAreDifferent: Fire Trolls.
* ApocalypseWow: Their plans involved causing global volcanic activity.
* BreathWeapon: They can spit fire and lava.
* FusionDance: They can amalgamate with one another in order to become [[MakeMyMonsterGrow ten times the monster]] they used to be.
%%* LethalLavaLand: Being their modus operandi as volcanic beings.
%%* MagmaMan:
* PoisonousPerson: As they;re made of magma, they give off incredibly toxic fumes.
* SuperStrength: Very strong being trolls and all.
%%* TakeoverTheWorld: Generic doomsday extremists.
%%* WalkingWasteland: Comes with being living eruptions.

!!Fire Trolls (Post-Flashpoint)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fire_tolls.jpg]]

Fire trolls are the volcanic guardians placed beside a maelstrom gate to keep intruder's from entering Pacifica unannounced. In truth however they are loyal to Karaku, their creator and the original monarch of the island [[RewindReplayRepeat locked in time]].
----
%%* BreathWeapon
* DetachmentCombat: They launch body parts at opponents.
%%* DumbMuscle
* EnemyMine: They aid Atlantis against the forces of the Frost King, since its existence threatens the Fire Trolls too.
* ImmortalityInducer: They are intrinsically connected to the elemental entity that spawned them, if Karaku were ever to go down then they're [[KeystoneArmy rendered inert]].
* NoImmortalInertia: When their creator goes down they temporarily shut down till he revives.
%%* MagmaMan: Like previous incarnations.
* NotEvenHuman: They're mostly lumbering sentinels void of sentience, barley capable of minor dialog.
%%* PerpetualMotionMonster: At least until their leader stops functioning.
* PullingThemselvesTogether: After throwing their body parts as projectiles, they can reintegrate them into their bodies again.
%%* WeHaveReserves: Given they are genesis creations of the volcanic beast.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lava Lord]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3513962_aquamanv3_52_22.jpg]]

A simple Fire Troll with a rational intelligence greater than those of his kind who had been vastly augmented by a [[MutagenicGoo toxic waste spill]] that Aquaman and Aqualad [[NiceJobBreakingitHero plowed him into]]
-----
%%* AllTrollsAreDifferent: A fire troll no less.
* AssKickingEqualsAuthority: Considering how dangerous the weaker non-sentient members of his race are, he must be quite powerful on his own.
* BadassInCharge: Able to give a slew of super Atlanteans a run for their money single handed.
* BeastAndBeauty: He fell in love with Mera at first sight, and many years after his radioactive mishap he's still [[AmazonChaser trying to woo her]].
* DeflectorShields: He can wrap a nigh-impenetrable shell of lava rock around himself.
* ILoveNuclearPower: How he describes his upgrade from a lowly lava beast
* ItCanThink: A sapient mind from anthropomorphic magma.
%%* MagmaMan: With a name like Lava Lord, comes with the territory.
* MadeOfDiamond: Made Of Magma so really hard to injure.
%%* PersonOfMassDestruction:
* SuperpowerLottery: He's a sapient volcanic entity and has all the powers his other weaker brethren possess.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Deep Six]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deep_six_001.jpg]]

Six minions of ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}, the Deep Six are aquatic terrorists who carry out the will of their master. Originally dispatched to battle Orion, the Six were thought to have died at his hands, but resurfaced in Aquaman, during Peter David's run. It is revealed that this new Deep Six is made up of spawns of the originals, who were raised on Earth, and are thus more attuned to its oceans then those of their homeworld. They battled Aquaman, Dolphin and Koryak, after apparently killing Koryak's mother, Kako. The Six are Gole, Jaffar, Kurin, Shaligo, Slig, and Trok.
----
* AnAxeToGrind: Trok wields an axe on a leather thong, which he whirls about.
* BodyHorror: Slig and Jaffar can rearrange a person's features with a touch, with Jaffar at one point removing Dolphin's face completely.
%%* CoolHelmet: Slig, Gole, Kurin and Trok each wear one.
* CoolMask: Gole's helmet, which includes a mask that completely covers his face.
* TheCorrupter: Try to corrupt Kako after her transmutation into a fire elemental, by allowing their spawn to feed on her.
%%* DualWielding: Gole's sai.
* FishPeople: All six have a serious ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' vibe going for them.
* GenerationXerox: It is revealed that whenever one of the Six dies, they are replaced by one of their identical spawn.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Shaligo's wings are very evil--batlike, razor sharp, and used as weapons.
* ItsPersonal: Koryak and Arthur take their "murder" of Kako, and Jaffar's disfigurement of Dolphin very seriously.
%%* KnifeNut: Gole dual wields twin sai.
* TheLeader: Slig seems to be first among equals.
* MadArtist: Jaffar, who considers the mutations he causes in others to be artistry.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: Favoured by Kurin, who uses a short-handled trident singlehandedly.
* PsychoForHire: All six of them clearly enjoy their work.
* PunnyName: They're called the Deep 6 and are from underwater.
%%* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Six guys.
* SuperStrength: All of the six are stronger then your average human, and are capable of taking punches from the likes of Aquaman.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Eochaid Bres]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eochaid_bres.jpg]]
The sister of Nuada Silverhand, Bres launched a coup against her sister, gaining control of Thierna Na Oge for herself. A manipulative schemer, she came into conflict with Aquaman as well, when the latter arrived in Thierna Na Oge, hunting for Ocean Master. She was eventually deposed by Nuada, and post-Crisis, died when she allied herself with an alien force that sought to invade Atlantis.
----
%%* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Nuada's Abel.
* DistaffCounterpart: As the jealous younger sibling who schemes to seize the throne for herself, she is Thierna Na Oge's answer to Ocean Master.
%%* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen
* KilledOffForReal: Killed by Nuada post-Crisis when she leads an alien attack on Thierna Na Oge.
* ManipulativeBastard: Convinced the ruling council of eleven that Nuada was unfit to be monarch and that the gods favoured her own ascension.
* {{Narcissist}}: Bres almost never stops bragging about how great she is.
* PublicDomainCharacter: She and Nuada are named for (male) characters from Celtic myth.
* SmugSnake: She's very full of herself.
* SorcerousOverlord: She can use magic and uses this to stay in power.
* VainSorceress: She's arrogant, convinced of her own supremacy, and a capable mage.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Post-Crisis. If you hadn't read her original appearance, Bres seems to come out of nowhere right at the start of ''Aquaman #21'' and then dies at the end of the issue.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shalako]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shalako.jpg]]
->''"The Gods protect us! The Gods love us, and their prophet... Shalako!"''

The brother of King Orin I of Atlantis, Shalako was a sorcerer who grew jealous of his brother's position and power. Leading a group of exiles to live in Tritonis, Shalako manipulated events to transform them into fishlike merpeople. When it was revealed that this mutation was his own fault, his people ultimately killed him.
----
* {{Bishonen}}: Shalako is an effeminately handsome man with long blonde hair.
* CainAndAbel: With Orin I. This is a theme in Atlantean history; there is a prophecy that two brothers will always war for control of Atlantis.
* DealWithTheDevil: Made a deal with dark gods in exchange for powers after he was forsaken by the goddess of the sky.
* EvilSorcerer: He begins as a priest of the sky goddess Suula, but eventually resorts to worshipping darker gods in order to get what he wants.
* {{Expy}}: He's essentially a better looking Ocean Master. Given that he is supposed to be the originator of the prophecy about the brothers warring over rulership of Atlantis, and Ocean Master is a part of that prophecy, this is justified.
* FaceHeelTurn: At one point he and his brother were genuinely close. Then the fall of Atlantis happened and it all went downhill from there.
* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Orin I, whose throne he sought after.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: With his last words, he claims that all his actions were motivated by love for his people and a desire to protect them. The truth is a little more complex. The curse he placed on the people of Tritonis (which transformed them into proto-mermaids) was out of jealousy that they loved his brother Orin, even if it did wind up helping the Tritonians to survive underwater.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Speared to death by the people of Tritonis.
* MakingASplash: One of his mystic powers enabled him to form hard water weapons.
* OffingTheOffspring: If you believe the chronicler Regin, [[spoiler:Shalako's ghost kills his son, Dardanus, after the latter kills Orin I.]]
* {{Pride}}: His great sin. Shalako could not accept that anybody, including his own brother, might be better at something then he was.
* ReligionOfEvil: Believed in dark gods and human sacrifice, ultimately killing his own wife on the sacrificial altar.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dardanus]]
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dardanus.jpg]]

The son of Shalako, and the father of Kordax, Dardanus initially seemed like he would turn out to be one of the heroes. Having witnessed his father sacrificing his mother, Dardanus turned on Shalako, revealing to the people of Tritonis that it was Shalako, and not King Orin I of Poseidonis who was to blame for their mutated condition. Resurfacing as an adult, Dardanus proved himself every bit as bad as his father. He raped Princess Cora, impregnating her with Kordax. He later found Kordax after his abandonment, and raised him to be a weapon, eventually using his son as a pawn in a gambit to seize control of Atlantis.
----
* {{Bishonen}}: Like his father, Dardanus is quite handsome, and has long blonde hair.
* BlatantLies: Tells the people of Tritonis that their condition is Orin I's fault, despite he himself having revealed to them years ago that it was Shalako's.
* {{Ephebophile}}: Cora was fourteen when Dardanus raped her.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Dardanus' love for his mother would seem to have been his only redeeming trait.
* FreudianExcuse: His father Shalako sacrificed his mother in a dark magical ritual intended to help the people of Tritonis survive underwater. In revenge, the young Dardanus told the Tritonians that Shalako had been the one to curse them and turn them into proto-mermaids. Enraged, the Tritionians murdered Shalako and all his family except Dardanus, who survived by fleeing into the tunnels beneath Tritonis. The murder of his family, coupled with the long years living in isolation in the tunnels, result in Dardanus growing into a deeply disturbed young man.
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Despite his horrific past, no one in the series treats Dardanus as anything but a monster once his crimes come to light. During their climactic duel, King Orin I even points out that Dardanus is largely the one responsible for his father Shalako's murder, having sicced the angry Tritonians on him in the first place.
* HateSink: Dardanus is obviously designed to be the most vile character in the entire ''Atlantis Chronicles''. He's a demented, narcissistic madman who rapes a fourteen year-old girl, sires the mutant villain Kordax, and starts a pointless war between Tritonis and Poseidonis in order to place Kordax on the throne and rule through him. After his death, the victorious Poseidonians are so disgusted that they leave his body to the sharks.
* InTheBack: Stabs King Orin I in the back during a pause in their duel.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Dardanus needed the world to orbit him. Nothing, not even his own child, mattered to him beyond his own position and power.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Slain by the ghost of his father, Shalako,]] if you believe the chronicler Regin. Regin's wife, Queen Fiona, believed that [[spoiler:Regin had simply killed Dardanus himself, and then used the story of Shalako's ghost to scare the Atlanteans and Tritonians into getting along.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Manipulated his own son, Kordax, into becoming a weapon, and played the people of Tritonis for fools.
* {{Narcissist}}: Dardanus' every action was dedicated to his own advancement, and his egoism and sense of self-worth knew no bounds. Convinced the world revolved around him, and seeing almost everyone as a potential pawn, he was a textbook narcissist.
* NeverMyFault: Dardanus wants revenge on Orin I and the people of Tritonis for the death of his father Shalako, even though ''he'' was the one to incite the Tritonians to kill Shalako in the first place. Orin had nothing to do with it, and even tried to ''save'' Shalako at the very end.
* {{Patricide}}: Not directly, but by telling the people of Tritonis that it was Shalako who caused their mutations he ensured his father's death.
* RapeAsDrama: Raped Cora and impregnated her with Kordax.
* SmugSnake: Arrogant, smarmy, and manipulative, but also rather deranged and impulsive at times.
* StalkerWithACrush: A dark, disturbing example. He believes that he's in love with Princess Cora, which leads him to assault and rape her, impregnating her with the mutant child Kordax. Needless to say, Dardanus' "love" is really more like lust or infatuation.
* VillainousLineage: Would seem to have inherited Shalako's egotism and cruelty, which he then passed on to his own son, Kordax.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Demon Gate (Kimon Tanaka)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/demon_gate.jpg]]

Kimon Tanaka was a sea captain who hunted dolphins for a living. He captured several dolphins for a research center in Shinobi, one of whom was Porm (adoptive mother of Aquaman). When their boat was destroyed by Aquaman, Kimon was left to be eaten by sharks. However, Kimon was rescued by his brother Tanaka, head of Raiden Industries. Tanaka rebuilt his brother's body using highly advanced technology; turning his brother into a cyborg. He adopts the name Demon Gate and goes in search of vengeance on Aquaman.
----
* {{Cyborg}}: His transformation to a cyborg provides him with superhuman strength and durability. He can fight Aquaman for a while and survive a drop from the top of skyscraper. He can also breath underwater via his suit. He can also track beacons through his suit and has enhanced vision.
* EnhancedArchaicWeapon: He uses a remote controlled spear that can be charged with energy.
* EvilPoacher: He was an illegal dolphin hunter before his transformation.
* FireBreathingWeapon: His suit includes a wrist mounted flame thrower.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Eel (Mort Coolidge)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eel_4.jpg]]

A criminal with mild telekinetic powers, Mort Coolidge had a career in both Gotham City and San Diego before the quake that sunk half of that city. Here he found his powers far more effective, figuring out that he had great control over water.
----
* ArtificialGill: He wears special armor that allows him to breath and function underwater.
* TheFaceless: He's almost never seen without his mask.
* MakingASplash: His telekinesis increases underwater. He is able to control and change the density of water. His control is great, allowing him to manipulate water inside someone's body or use water to crush his opponents.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Human Flying Fish (Vic Bragg)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/human_flying_fish_super_friends.jpg]]

Vic Bragg was a swimming champion before turning to crime, before he fell in with Dr. Krill, the brilliant medical doctor and marine biologist who had also turned to a life of crime for some unknown reasons. Dr. Krill had been studying Aquaman's powers and crime-fighting methods, and had hypothesized that the only way for a person to commit crimes on the sea is if one could escape into the air afterwards, where Aquaman would not be able to follow. After coming to this conclusion, Dr. Krill surgically altered Bragg making him not only just amphibious, but able to take to the air for short periods of time with the aid of a special costume.
----
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Has powers based on those of a flying fish.
* {{Flight}}: Bragg is able to fly at high speeds thanks to the special winged suit he is wearing. He is very precise at flying able to snatch bird while they are flying or board a flying plane.
* PoweredArmor: His suit is an armored exoskeleton which partially protects him from damage.
* SuperSwimmingSkills: Bragg was a champion swimmer before her turned to crime. His suit helps him swim at super human speeds.
* TrickedOutGloves: Wears taser gloves and can shock people with electricity by touching them with his hands.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bugala]]
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bugala.jpg]]

Bugala is a sea serpent that terrorized a small undersea colony called Eldfur. The Eldfur's warriors, under the command of their king, came seeking a champion. They kidnap Aqualad to face the creature. With the help of Aquaman, Bugala was kicked out, but would return other times to face the duo. Years later the evil inventor Weisbogg working for Black Manta created a robotic duplicate to destroy Atlantis.
----
* SeaSerpents: It's a sea serpent who resembles a Chinese dragon.
[[/folder]]

!!Introduced Post-Flashpoint
[[folder:Nereus]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kingnereusaquaman.jpg]]

One of the greatest warriors of Xebel who rules it as regent while Mera was sent to assassinate Arthur. Nereus wants nothing more to rule Xebel with Mera by his side as his queen.
----
* ArrangedMarriage: With Mera, originally. As he was set to marry her once she returned from her mission to assassinate the King of Atlantis.
* TheDragon: Nereus willingly submits to Atlan and becomes his right-hand man.
* EvilRedhead: A common Xebelian trait with Nereus being cruel and driven by jealousy.
* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Aquaman for having won Mera's genuine affection. Made even worse by the fact she was supposed to assassinate him.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: When seeing the Dead King Atlan in the flesh, he and his forces kneel to him and swear their allegiance rather than risk fighting him. Likewise when Atlan is defeated, Nereus turns tail and runs rather than face Aquaman.
* ForcefulKiss: Plants one on Mera in Issue #21. She rebukes him with a violent tidal wave.
* MakingASplash: He also has the ability to manipulate water with his mind.
* VillainousCrush: Towards Mera, whom he intends to claim as his own.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Atlan (the Dead King)]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dead_king.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:[[labelnote:Click here to view King Atlan ]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atlan.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->''"I destroyed Atlantis once with this scepter... '''AND I SHALL DESTROY IT AGAIN'''."''

The architect, builder, and very first king of Atlantis. However, along with giving life to Atlantis, he also was the one to destroy it. He is also not Aquaman's direct ancestor. In fact, Aquaman descended from Atlan's brother, Orin, who killed Atlan's family and usurped the throne of Atlantis. Atlan forged artifacts of great power and proceeded to sink Atlantis. He was frozen in ice at some point afterwards but was accidentally reawakened by Arthur's telepathy.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: Was an honest decent family man whose only goal was to bring the peoples of the world together, he never would've turned bad like he did if his {{jerkass}} brother and his wife hadn't taken ''his'' wife, children and entire kingdom from him.
* AnIcePerson: He possesses the ability to generate ice.
* BackFromTheDead: In a dystopian parallel called ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd, the people of Atlantis headed by Aquaman's former wife [[WhatTheHellHero Mera]] resurrect the former monarch in order to subjugate the surface world after a devastating war with Darkseid.
* CainAndAbel: His brother, Orin, betrayed Atlan and killed his family and servants to take hold of the throne.
* TheCaligula: Inverted in his old life, where he used to rule as TheGoodKing. As a shambling age-old living ghoul however...
* DiedHappilyEverAfter: After having lived for nearly 3000 years, his [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath bitter end]] finally gives him [[TogetherInDeath one happy epiphany]] out of all his suffering.
* EveryoneIsRelated: While not a direct ancestor to Arthur, Tula and Orm; he is still their maternal great, great, great, great grand uncle on his [[EvilChancellor Brother Orin's]] side of the family.
* GeniusBruiser: Physically strong enough to contend with Aquaman. Along with being the lead designer of the building of Atlantis, as well as having arcane knowledge which he used to forge the seven artifacts.
%%* DespairEventHorizon: When his family was murdered.
%%* FaceHeelTurn
* FallenHero: Even Vulko admits that Atlan was a great hero while Aquaman's ancestors were the villains.
* MagicStaff: His scepter, which can control the Trench, who are later revealed to be descended from Atlanteans. Aquaman believes the scepter does not control them; instead, the Trench have a primal instinct that causes them to obey whoever holds the staff because of their shared ancestry with Atlanteans.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: After being woken by Aquaman's telepathy and re-taking the throne, Atlan enslaves any Arthur loyalists while he attempts to regain rule over the seven seas.
* TheGoodKing: He was this in the past. Not so much in the present.
* UngratefulBastard: Turns out Altan didn't forge the seven treasures, not on his own at least. He ended up killing the guy who actually created the gear used by '''The Others''' over some kind of dispute, that's gratitude for you.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: He was betrayed by his siblings and followers but the trope still stands.
* StartOfDarkness: Originally, Atlan was a wise and just king who believed that there could be peace between all species. His advisers and brother Orin, however, were warmongers who betrayed Atlan and killed his family. Outraged, Atlan killed Orin and his wife and started a civil war. Using his scepter, Atlan sunk Atlantis.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jed Coombs (Chimera/Creature King)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chimera_6.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to view Jed Coombs]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coombs.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->''"Death to mammals!"''

Coombs was the janitorial detail working at the American Government stationed '''Triton Base''' who worked on maintenance around the under sea facilities both inside and out. Until he got on the wrong side of a [[ThreateningShark feeding frenzy]] and was [[GoryDiscretionShot hideously chewed to pieces]]. Mix in one MadDoctor x multiple animal parts (including the grey matter of a deceased {{Kaiju}}) and you get a seriously P.O.ed AnimalisticAbomination with designs to depose the current sea king and replace him, [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt title and all]].
----
%%* {{Animorphism}}: He's a mix of human biology combined with a host of animal anatomical parts.%%Not the trope.
%%* BioAugmentation: He gained his powers as a result of this.
%%* {{Cthulhumanoid}}
* EvilutionaryBiologist: Was indefinably the fruits of one misguided doctors labors.
%%* FromNobodyToNightmare
* GlowingEyes: He has this to an incredibly horrifying degree due to his surgical mutation.
%%* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Invoked. Whenever he's about to change or commit horrible acts this is usually applied.%%What is?
* HalfHumanHybrid: The Doctor Moreau wannabe who remade him spliced an unknown amount of different types of sea creature D.N.A. into his unsanctioned pet project. Chimera seems to physically portray cephilopod, sea lion, berricuda and electric eel to name a few; whatever else he comprises of is yet to be disclosed.
* PoisonousPerson: He secretes incredibly potent viscous compounds which can melt flesh and bone.
* SuperPowerLottery: Being a mishmashed recombination of a host of different animal parts gave him a host of special powers and abilities relative to the great many sea creatures he's composed of, even a couple of odd abilities and characteristics which are all unique specificlally either to his giant monster genetics or himself.
* TransformationHorror: Chimera's transitions from monster to man and vice versa are never pretty.
* MindControlDevice: Was meant to be implanted into his brain before the procedure was finished.
* SuperPersistentPredator: His entire modus operandi given that he's made up of various deadly sea stalkers.
* SeaMonster: Possessed a great many traits of one, [[spoiler: bonus that his variation of AC's Marine Telepathy stems from an Atlantean one]].
%%* TearOffYourFace: He has a pretty nasty habit of this.%%Of what?
%%* {{Transhuman}}
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karaku, the Volcano God]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rco017.jpg]]

A walking volcano who once was the sole inhabitant of the isle of Pacifica. The creature is an elemental of great power and is extremley territorial, at best he can only be staved off by a powerful relic owned by Atlanna. Even then he's an all but unstoppable mass of molten destruction that crushes and burns whatever is standing it its wake.
----
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: He's near as tall as the volcano it sits in.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: His title has God in it.
%%* ClimacticVolcanoBackdrop: Where it makes its home.
* CompleteImmortality: At best he can only be temporarily belayed. Never destroyed.
* GeniusLoci: A living aspect of volcanic activity.
* GiantEqualsInvincible: Of a kind, knock it down once it'll reform itself.
* HealingFactor: Taking off it's head does nothing to it.
* TheJuggernaut: Next to unassailable, even [[NamedWeapon Atlanna's lance]] can barely stave it off.
%%* {{Kaiju}}
* LethalLavaLand: Being a walking active volcanic eruption.
%%* MonsterShapedMountain
* MookMaker: He's the creator of the fire trolls.
%%* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast
* NatureIsNotAToy: Programmed to allow only a limited amount of inhabitants on the isle. Atlanna thinks she can [[AppeaseTheVolcanoGod keep it appeased]] by a sacrifice. As Dr. Shin and archaeologist Daniel Evans observe, she's bitten off more than she can chew, and Karaku comes for her.
* ViciousCycle: Every time it's destroyed it'll revive itself.
* WaveMotionGun: Similar to it's genesis cast off's lava breath, but [[UpToEleven Much, MUCH more powerful]].
* ZergRush: Able to churn out a host of fire trolls from itself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Coven of Thule]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thule.jpg]]

This cabal of {{Evil Wizard}}s were TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness of Old Atlantis. They profited off the turmoil resulted from the many wars around their kingdom and the world over until the rule of [[TheGoodKing Atlan I]] ceased all ceaseless conflict. Seeing this as a threat to their rule; these vile despots sought an escape from their predicament. Using the devastated kingdom caused [[TheExile by the then deposed king]] as a sacrificial means to create their own world separate from Earth, ruling as SorcerousOverlord's for a millennium.
----
%%* AncientConspiracy
* EvilOverlord: What they were past and present.
* FemmeFataleSpy: Deployed one of these to undermine Arthur and Atlantis during Thule's invasion.
* GardenOfEvil: What the world of Thule is to the primary earth, its buildings alone generate foul magical energy which poisons the environment around it.
* TheHorde: The Coven has a sizable army of ghosts and goblins at its beck and call.
%%* TheIlluminati
* ImprovisedGolem: They breach part of their own infrastructure into the world transforming them into mobile dreadnoughts for invasion.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Largely they rely upon scheming, manipulation and background orchestrations to accomodate themselves. Otherwise sending their make-believe mystic mook's or spy's to do their dirty work, they're rarely seen taking part in any conquest.
* SquishyWizard: While they're magic is potent enough to bend reality, they themselves are spindly weaklings hiding behind an army.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Symbiotic Entity ('''Dead Water''')]]
[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dead_water_2.jpg]]

A vicious otherworldly predator who can possess a host and become the hydration catalyst utilized to transform the vessel, it's first host was Jonah Kendry Payne who worked under The Scavenger. Coming into a SuperPoweredEvilSide due to this parasitic intrusion when he came into contact with its "strange water" form, becoming Dead Water whenever he gets wet. Dead Water was thought to've perished when its previous overshadow [[DrivenToSuicide chose to die as himself]] then let the nightmare continue, everyone believed that horrifying.
----
* BodySurf: Dead Water is merely a malignant liquid sentience who wears and morphs the skin of others.
* CursedWithAwesome: All things considered, the powers are pretty sweet... but whosoever is host to Dead Water has no way to control them.
* DrivenToSuicide: Jonah Kendry Payne allows himself to be killed by Arthur for what he's done.
* ElementalShapeshifter: Dead Water can literally transform into his namesake to avoid physical attacks.
* InformedLoner: Jonah Kendry Payne; Scavenger says he liked to keep to himself.
* MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil: What Dead Water truly is at its center.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Killed two of his colleagues in order to escape a sinking ship. Jonah Kendry Payne really had no choice, since they were all at each other's throat over an oxygen tank, but it still haunts him.
* PunchClockVillain: Previous host was a diver for Scavenger, but only did it so he could pay child support in order to see his son.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Dead Water kills people who have slighted Jonah.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Dead Water to Jonah, or anyone he's in control of.
* PortalPool: Their teleportation requires a body of water to work.
%%* VillainTeleportation
%%* WeaponizedTeleportation
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Corum Rath]]
[[quoteright:203:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corum_rath.jpg]]

The fiercely xenophobic atlantean leader of a fanatical terrorist cell of equally fascist merepeople coined '''The Deluge'''. Naturally being one of many Atlanteans who despise the surface world, he also bares a particular enmity towards his half-breed king; whom he feels is more at liberty towards taking and giving with the surface world over his own people.

After becoming frustrated with Arthur's ways, and with Orm presumed dead, the Atlantean Elders place him on the throne.
----
* AbsoluteXenophobe: Hates the surface and anything related to the surface.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's outraged when Aquaman asks him if the Deluge is responsible for framing Atlantis for attacks on the surface, as Rath just wants to reinstitute the kingdom's isolationist policies, not drag it into a war or KillAllHumans (regardless of how much he dislikes them). This gets thrown out the window after he becomes king, however, as his inability to get everyone in the kingdom to submit to his rule frustrates him to the point that he becomes increasingly unhinged and begins declaring that all of his "enemies" (which includes all surface dwellers) need to be obliterated, frightening even his [[TheDragon Dragon]].
* PatrioticFervor: Starts out this way, as he loves Atlantis and only wants what he believes is best for it. Eventually becomes ItsAllAboutMe.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Black Manta attempts to instigate a war between the surface and Atlantis; after dealing with Manta, Aquaman diffuses the situation by formally surrendering to the United States. Rath takes advantage of this show of "weakness" by rallying the increasingly resentful Atlantean populace into helping him overthrow and exile Arthur.
* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: Feels it'll be how he'll get Atlantis' voice heard.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mother Namma]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/namma.png]]

An ancient sea goddess formed from salt, who sought to purify the world of the lesser beings.
----
%%* ElementalMotifs: Salt.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: [[spoiler:She actually didn’t want to kill off her children, but when they killed their father she took it ill and in grief and rage decided to kill them all.]]
* SaltTheEarth: Her plan, literally and figuratively.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Broadside]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/broadside.png]]

Broadside is a N.E.M.O underboss, heading one of the assassinations divisions amd specialising in kill Atlateans.
----
* ArmCannon: Broadside uses a pair of ballistic launch devices to propel explosive possibly active uranium shell casings which can pierce and rend even the dense skin of an Atlantean or Xebelian hide.
* CyanidePill: All N.E.M.O operative have a bit of Atlantean technology imbedded in their brain stem, triggered to go off in the event that sensitive intel is at risk upon capture by enemy forces. When triggered, this causes a coral-like implant to branch out of their bodies, bursting their skulls into bloody paste.
* FantasticRacism: Boasts of his hatred of Atlanteans.
* InvisibilityCloak: Uses holo-disguise to mask his combat gear while out among the masses, giving his gear the appearance of regular civilian clothing.
* ProfessionalKiller: Is in charge of wetwork operations for N.E.M.O.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: His armaments also dispense small but powerful explosive charges with enough destructive force to collapse building structures.
[[/folder]]

* AnIcePerson: Somehow possesses the ability to generate ice.
* BackFromTheDead: In a dystopian parallel called ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd, the people of Atlantis headed by Aquaman's former wife [[WhatTheHellHero Mera]] resurrects the former monarch in order to subjugate the surface world after a devastating war with Darkseid.
* CainAndAbel: His brother, Orin betrayed Atlan and killed his family and servants to take hold of the throne.
* TheCaligula: Inverted in his old life, where he used to rule as TheGoodKing. As a shambling age old living ghoul however....
* DiedHappilyEverAfter: After having lived for nearly 3000 years, his [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath bitter end]] finally gave him [[TogetherInDeath one happy epiphany]] out of all his suffering.

* FallenHero: Even Vulko admits Atlan was a great hero while Aquaman's ancestors were the villains.

* CyanidePill: All N.E.M.O operative have a bit of Atlantean technology imbedded in their brain stem, triggered to go off in the event that sensitive intel is at risk upon capture by enemy forces. When triggered, causes a coral like implant to branch out of their bodies, bursting their skulls in to bloody paste.

* CyanidePill: All N.E.M.O operative have a bit of Atlantean technology imbedded in their brain stem, triggered to go off in the event that sensitive intel is at risk upon capture by enemy forces. When triggered, causes a coral like implant to branch out of their bodies, bursting their skulls in to bloody paste.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Shares the mindset that humans are an inferior breed to be prayed upon, regularly berates those who he believes to be beneath him, oh and seemingly takes a sadistic glee picking at both the former and the latter on a regular basis

* GeneralRipper: Was a captain of the nation's marine fleet who regularly abused his family and sank surface world ships.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Inverted, on his part. [[spoiler: His constant chiding of his wife while bragging of [[BreakTheCutie having murdered]] her other family did not [[WhatAnIdiot end well]] for him]].
* PosthumousCharacter: Was killed off early on before the story began.
* TheFundamentalist: Stands to reason whom Orm got his mindset from.
* WhoDares: He reacts this way to Atlanna's dissent to his attacking land-made ships.

-->''"I know there are certain benighted souls who think I'm some kind of '''third-rate hero''', Scavenger -- but I'd think that '''you''' of all people -- would know '''better'''! But since you seem a bit '''confused''' -- let me make this '''perfectly clear'''... I was in the world-saving game when people like '''Firestorm''' and '''Black Lightning''' were still in '''diapers'''... I've worked '''hard''' to earn the '''respect''' and '''trust''' of every living creature beneath the '''waves''' -- and I take my job '''very seriously'''... so get '''this''' through your head, punk... '''I'm Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas'''... and I'm the '''BEST'''!"''

* ApparentlyHumanMerfolk: Just look at him.

--> Aquaman: "I know there are certain benighted souls who think I'm some kind of third rate hero, Scavenger, but I think you of all people would know better! But since you seem a bit confused, let me make this perfectly clear...I was in the world saving game when people like Firestorm and Black Lightning were still in diapers...I've worked hard to earn the respect and trust of every living creature below the waves, and I take my job very seriously...so get this through your head, punk, I'm Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas...and I'm the BEST!"

* BashBrothers: With ComicBook/MartianManhunter.
* BattleCouple: With Mera.

* DisabilitySuperpower[=/=]MagicalAccessory: His grappling-hook hand, liquid-metal hand and later, his magical water hand.
** AntiMagic: One of the perks that come with the Water Bearer hand. Useful when dealing with mystic monstrosities.
** GrapplingHookGun: Carried with his harpoon and mecha hands, shooting them along a length of tungsten steel cable like a harpoon.
*** PowerCableAttack: One of the neat tricks that come with the prosthetic, Arthur can [[ChainLightning electrify the wiring]] tethered to his spear giving those bored into a heavy shock.
*** ThisIsADrill: Another feature of the spear hook is the penetrative ability is has being made of a vanadium-titanium alloy that could penetrate just about anything.
** HealingHands: Hand to be more precise, the waterbearer can heal most anything that ails ya if given direct contact. Doubles as HealItWithWater.
** MakingASplash: One of the cute tricks of the water hand.
** OrganAutonomy: A unique attribute of the water bearer hand is that Arthur can detach it from his being and utilize it as an independent limb.
** {{Seers}}: If Aquaman concentrates hard enough he can gain insight as to what needs to be done and where he ought to be.
*** [[CrystalBall Scrying Pool]]
** ShapeshifterWeapon: A trait carried by both metal and water hands, the limbs are able to morph at will via thought through Orin's telepathy.
** ExtradimensionalShortcut: The Waterbearer can traverse the borderline dimension of the secret sea; the primordial ocean where all ideas spring from in shared imagination, enabling him to travel across the world in record breaking time.
*** DimensionalTraveler: Can travel to the borderline dimension.
** TouchOfDeath: The reverse effect of his restorative abilites (See Above) done by sucking the moister out of another living being on contact.
* ElementalEmbodiment: Occasionally on the rare happenings when aquaman gained water abilities, he also became a physical representation of his element.
** ElementalShapeshifter: He can manipulate water in several shades.
** AnthropomorphicPersonification: He has contact with the accessory that gave him his power.
* FantasticRacism: Was the reason he was left abandoned on mercy reef as a babe, oh and exiled numerous times after taking the throne by his more than ungrateful subjects; this coming prior to losing his hand, wife, firstborn son and a bit of sanity on his part.
** BreakTheCutie: It got so bad that he eventually swears off his "king of Atlantis" shtick indefinitely after the whole [[ApocalypseHow Thirst debacle]] and the [[TheIlluminati coven of wizards]] who secretly pushed for his exile/execution and their attempted [[KillAllHumans extinction of the surface world]], going so far as to angrily rebuffing Vulko's invitation back to the throne preferring to stick to the sunken city merpeople he'd come to associate with instead.

* HookHand: See DisabilitySuperpower.

* {{Mentor|s}}:
** To Arthur Joseph Curry, the second Aquaman.
** To both Aqualads too.

* {{Telepathy}}: Contrary to popular belief, Aquaman can indeed do more than speak to sea creatures. His telepathy extends to anything that's evolved from the sea. Which includes Atlanteans and humans and even Martians.
** Taken UpToEleven when he learned to tap into the Clear, a matrix that connects all sea life in the world which allowed him to see, hear, and feel everything that all live in the ocean have ever experienced.
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Inverted, while venomously rebuking Vulko's offer of monarchy. Orin found himself without choice but to return to Atlantis after finding out [[BigBadWannaBe prime minister Hagen]] [[EvilIsPetty cursed his wife with lungs before his imprisonment.]]
** HowDoIShootWeb: In all the hubbub over whether Mera should stay in Atlantis or on dry land while finding a way to undo her hex. It never occurred to Aquaman he could just nullify it with his water hand.

** BarbarianLonghair: While not as pronounced as during his [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]] appearances, he has definite signs of this.
** BeardOfSorrow: In actuality more of a developed PermaStubble than a beard, which grew in and has been retained since he was ousted as the king of Atlantis by his estranged wife Mera, who dubbed him a traitor ordered to be [[FromBadToWorse hunted down and executed on sight]] [[spoiler: secretly being impersonated by her [[CainAndAbel deranged sister]] [[PolarOppositeTwins Hila]].]]

'''Arthur:''' At least [[InsultBackfire I'm not a slave]] to a madman.
** [[{{BEAT}} Some time after said mooks' further jabbing at his abandonment by his god]].
-->'''Arthur:''' My people worshiped Poseidon. They said his armies rode sea-foam stallions that swept away all who stood against them. Poseidon's gone now but '''this'''? This is his trident. That makes '''[[AGodAmI Me]]''' god of the oceans! [[LookBehindYou And those behind you?]]\\

* ProngsOfPoseidon: His trident is made of a special gold by the first king of Atlantis, one of Arthur's indirect ancestors. While it demonstrates no special abilities yet, it was capable of piercing Darkseid's dense hide, something not even Superman could do.
** AbsurdCuttingPower: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Like the description suggests]].
** AntiMagic: Capable of penetrating otherworldly obstructions and defenses with ease.
** AppliedPhlebotinum: Like the other seven relics, the trident was made from rare, all but impossible to recreate, enchanted gold crafted by an Atlantean alchemist. The method for making this metal has been lost with the disappearance of the Deserters.
** StaffOfAuthority: It acts as a symbol of monarchy among Atlantean culture.

** ElementalPowers: As its name would suggest, the Trident of Poseidon allowed Arthur a variety of mystical abilities that allowed him to wield the powers of the titular god of the sea and storms. Along with a few other powers that are and are not equated to the deity of the same name.
*** AnIcePerson
*** BlowYouAway
*** DishingOutDirt
*** MakingASplash
*** ShockAndAwe
** {{Flight}}: Has the divine quality of somehow bestowing flight.
** PortalPool: Usually through utilizing water as a conduit to travel across vast distances, even interplanetary lengths by accident.
** MixAndMatchWeapon: In actuality the Trident of Poseidon is a Morph battlement capable of [[MorphWeapon shifting]] between an [[CoolSword enchanted edged blade]] to an overarching [[RetractableWeapon lancet]].
** WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: Bordered into this in the next story he appeared in with it.

* SuperPowerLottery: As a result of his mixed genes, he has certain benefits.
** HealingFactor: A more subdued version, but a minor cut he received from assault rifle rounds was healed in a few minutes. And he heals pretty quickly while underwater as well.
** NighInvulnerable: Can take high caliber bullets and only get a minor cut, suffer abrasion from torpedoes while coming out mostly unharmed, withstand blows from Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and even an insane ''Hercules'' and keep on fighting.
*** He is also pretty immune to cold, having spent six months in Antarctica with just pants and not even being bothered. He has an immeasurable resistance to heat as well, having endured things from heat blasts, explosions, and even swimming into open lava vents. Though dry, arid environments like deserts cause him more struggle.
** SuperStrength: On par with Wonder Woman, and just below Superman.
** MakingASplash: He has even shown inklings of his previous, albeit augmented, connection to the Clear, enabling him not only protection from, but also limited control over, the poison of Thule's dark magics bleeding into the DCU reality.
** {{Telepathy}}: He is capable of psychically moving sea life to do as he wants. But if their survival instinct is high enough, they can resist his orders. Why he has this ability has not been explained. It has been shown it does indeed work on alligators as well as mutant, monstrous sea life from an otherworldly prison and outer dimensions.

-->''"I'm '''not''' Aquaman. They got the '''wrong guy'''. They can get '''someone else''' to get their '''Aqua-cat''' out of their '''Aqua-tree''', or whatever."''

* LegacyCharacter: To the original.

* RetGone: As of the New 52.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Coincidentally had the same first and last name as the first Aquaman's surface name.

* [[BashBrothers Bash Sisters]]: With Tula.

* TheLancer: To her husband.

* MustMakeAmends[=/=]MyGreatestSecondChance: Following Arthur's [[BackFromTheDead revival]] at the end of ''Blackest Night'', Mera pledges to make up for her part in the failure of their past marriage and do right by him, vowing to never leave him again, and even goes so far as to come clean with [[HoneyTrap her true origin story]], and her ''own'' history with Black Manta, whose son Kaldur'ahm she saved from being used as a pawn and sent to live with a foster parent. ([[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished She and Arthur soon have to face Black Manta]], [[VillainTeamUp in alliance with her evil sister Siren]], when they come back for Kaldur'ahm.)

* [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]: After escaping the Obsidian Age she becomes this to a treacherous consortium of magic crafters who have secretly had her drugged and incapable of making decisions on her own. They even go the extra mile of getting her to exile their king and her husband.

* SuperpowerLottery: Being Xebellian royalty makes her every bit as potent as Arthur if not more so.
** InASingleBound: Like Aquaman, she's adapted to and is strengthened by the ocean deep, and can leap sky high on land.
** MakingASplash: She has the power to control water, which includes the ability to steal water from a person's body. Later revealed to be a trait of Xebel's royal family. If you marry into it, you will also get the power.
** SuperStrength: Can effortlessly break a man's hand.
** {{Telepathy}}: It allows her to communicate with other Atlanteans, but she can't [[SpeaksFluentAnimal talk with other marine life]].

-->''"Talk of '''assassination''' has been passing around at the deepest levels. I assume the conspirators are loyalists of '''Orm'''. So eventually details of this scheme found their way... to his '''sister'''."''

-->''"And I've come '''dressed''' for the occasion. More important, though, I've finally decided on a new name for myself. If I'm destined to be this great undersea defender, I can't very well go around calling myself "Garth", can I? From now on...You can call me '''Tempest'''!"''

* KidSidekick: As Aqualad.
* KilledOffForReal: In ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* MagicKnight: As Tempest.
* NiceGuy: Friendly, polite, and reasonable.

* ProngsOfPoseidon: Been handed both the mystical trident and sovereignty over Atlantis that came with it for a time.
** AmplifierArtifact: Been known that the trident has the property of increasing inherent magical powers of the wielder, turbo charging his already impressive acclaim in the mystic venture.

* SuperiorSpecies: Much like Aquaman, though significantly weaker than he, Aqualad is at least four times stronger and faster than the average Atlantean.
* SuperPowerLottery: As Tempest, Garth's magical powers include:
** AstralProjection: The ability to leave his body as a spirit.
** EyeBeams: Emitting destructive beams of force from his eyes.
** ElementalPowers: Water, Fire and Ice.
*** AnIcePerson: The ability to freeze water (or boil it) with a thought.
*** MakingASplash: Control over water, creating whirlpools, waves, etc.
*** PlayingWithFire: Able to project incinerating heat blasts at will
** MindOverMatter: has some limited psychokinetic ability
** {{Seers}}: Seeing the past.
** SpiderSense[=/=]TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: The ability to sense magic.
** SummonMagic: Demonic summoning and control.
** SuperStrength: Just a few breadths of strength away from Aquaman.
** SuperSpeed: Quick on land, but near unmatched underwater.
** SuperToughness: He’s tough enough to survive both underwater and fight Superboy without much injury.
** SuperSenses: Needs this move underwater.
** RequiredSecondaryPowers: Going to the depths he goes, requires super senses, physical abilities and the ability to breathe underwater.
** {{Telepathy}}: To an extent.
** MassTeleportation: Once teleported the entirety of Atlantis to safety during the Imperiex War.
*** DimensionalTraveler: Travels through teleportation.
*** TimeTravel: Can send entire cities and inhabitants to the past or hurl cosmological entities to the Big Bang.

* ContinuitySnarl:
** Geoff Johns' run mentions him being a purple-eyed youth attacked by other Atlanteans. Cullen Bunn's has him being Dick Grayson's age, who is in his early twenties.
* FantasticRacism: See Purple Eyes below.
** Also, for being Atlantean. It's not explained why, but when he was a Teen Titan, he was feared for being Atlantean, and this was seemingly before "Throne of Atlantis".

* SuperPowerLottery: Garth has some magical powers:
** EyeBeams: Emitting kinetic and heat beams from his eyes.
** MakingASplash
** RequiredSecondaryPowers
** {{Seers}}: All purple eyed Atlanteans are living indexes and historical records.
** SuperStrength
** SuperSpeed
** SuperToughness
** SuperSenses

-->''"Destiny is a corny word. but it captures what I can't ignore. The ocean has its own gravity...that I won't resist. On the way here, I considered turning around and racing home a hundred times. Maybe all of my mother's fear will come true. Maybe the Teen Titans will reject me. Or maybe this is my shot at a new life. Reborn."''

* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: His constructs.
* KidSidekick: Plays this part to Aquaman when he starts off.
* LegacyCharacter: To the original Aqualad.

* SuperPowerLottery: He has significantly bigger one than Garth:
** ElementalPowers: Water and electricity.
*** MakingASplash: His power is Atlantean constructs.
*** ShockAndAwe: Can blast electrical shocks with zero issues.
** SuperStrength: Enough strength to give Aquaman pause.
** SuperToughness: Could survive punches from fellow super humans with no problems.
** SuperSenses: Enough to navigate the deep trenches.
** RequiredSecondaryPowers: Like most Atlanteans he needs this to survive underwater.

* ArchnemesisDad

* {{Twink}}

-->''"What's wrong, air breather? Are you drowning without your oxygen?"''

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Always barefoot.

* ShipTease: With Koryak.
* {{Sidekick}}: To Aquaman during the Sub Diego arc.

-->''"Part of the test... is not just knowing when to fight, but realizing when a '''fight''' is not worth knowing. And you can always seek help when you need it. Though your aquatelepathy was taken... your friends '''haven't''' forgotten you. '''Trust''' them, when all seems dark."''

* {{Muggle Foster Parent|s}}: Post-Crisis.

* ParentalSubstitute: Post-Crisis to Arthur/Orin.
* RescueRomance: The rescued with Atlanna.

-->''"You have come a long way to find '''death'''. So commands '''Atlanna'''!"''

-->''" My time is not now. My time is '''before'''. My place is '''there'''. The '''original'''. Othermen come to destroy, and I will stop them. I '''always''' stop them."''

The age old guardian sea beast who once protected Atlantis in the distant past. Serving as the ultimate guardian of the AdvancedAncientAcropolis until it sank beneath the waves by Atlan's hands, waking up almost several thousand years later it would be seen going on a rampage at a populated city in Iceland.

* AttackAnimal: Served as this for the Kings of Atlantis and the domain itself.
* BigEater: Implied as it is a giant sea monster.
* BreathWeapon
* GuardianEntity
* {{Kaiju}}
** AttackOfThe50FootWhatever
* LivingRelic: A living, breathing piece of Atlantean history. Making it incredibly sacred and revered to Arthur's subjects.
** IDidWhatIHadToDo: needless to say, Aquaman's vassels weren't too happy with the decision made in order to save the surface world.
* PostHumousCharacter: Killed off as soon as it makes an appearance but....
** ChekhovsBoomerang: Part of its [[BrainUploading grey-matter]] is used to create a deadly new enemy for Aquaman to fight.
* TentacleRope

* TheBully
* DomesticAbuse: Regularly accosted his wife.
* FantasticRacism

* KarmicDeath: See below.

* [[WhoDares How Dare You Defy Me?]]: Reacted this way to Atlanna's dissent to his attacking land-made ships.

-->''"'''Neptune's Knickers!''' Sorry, Reverend Mother!"''

* [[NobleConfederateSoldier Noble Political Patriot]]: Once he and the council conspired with AC's illegitimate son to depose him and make [[YouBastard Koryak]] king. Feeling that it was for the good of Atlantis due to Orin's disillusionment with his liege.
** After that there was personally overseeing and carrying out Orin's summery execution by decree of Atlantean law due to the former's [[TrappedInThePast failed past rescuing]] ended getting the people of Atlantis enslaved by their ancestors. He quickly regretted this though as unscrupulous .

-->''"You've got nothing to '''prove'''. Not to '''them'''. Not to the '''world'''. Not to me. You're '''Aquaman''', by the Gods."''

[[folder:Mother Shark]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mother_shark.jpg]]

An ancient sea spirit who takes the form of a giant shark. She guards all memories that come to her.
[[/folder]]

** Kumungwe (Ku) hails from the Pacific Northwest Coast indigenous regions
** Amanikable is from the Tagalog people of the Philippines
** Varuna is a Hindu water god
** Repun (Repu) is from the Ainu people of Japan
** Manannan mac Lir (Mac) is an Irish water god
** Atabey comes from the Taino people of the Caribbean
** Master Agwe is a Haitian Voodoo water god
** Tangaroa (Tang) is a Maori sea god

* LadyinRed: Tends to dress in red.

-->''"“-Tee hee- Sorry – but I couldn’t resist using my powers to play some pranks ! -Tee hee-”''

* {{Antihero}}: On a good day.

* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Tempest.

* RetGone: Disappeared after the New 52 reset.

* MonochromaticEyes: Red ones

* ActionGirl: Pre and Post-Crisis alike.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Bluish hair.

** ButterflyOfDoom: Orin's waterhand [[spoiler: or its misuse thereof]] is considered this.

** AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of lakes.

* InnocentBlueEyes: Literally has crystal clear blue eyes.
* LivingBattery: Shes this for Aquaman arm.
* MagicalGuardian: To Aquaman.
* MakingASplash: Extreme control over water.
* [[{{Stripperiffic}} Nothing left to the imagination]]: Ironic given she's the caretaker of an ocean representing the sum-total of mankind's imagination.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: Being the guardian spirit of life giving oceans powered by dreams.
** FunctionalMagic: The sea itself is a wellspring of arcane power and she physically embodies that power.
** MadeOfMagic: Particularly of magic water.

** NatureSpirit: One of water, the oceans and collective idea/visualization.
* PlaceOfPower: Her domain; the Secret Sea.
** BackgroundMagicField: Has this when Aquaman meets her.
** CosmicKeystone: Seems to happen when something happens to her.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Being an oceanic embodiment and all.

* ElectricJellyfish: His letmotif given what he was fused with.
** CombatTentacles: Dozens Of these.
** PoisonousPerson: Has great poisonous qualities in his stingers.
** ShockAndAwe: Has great electrical powers being a Man-o-War and all.

* [[InstantMessengerPigeon Instant Messenger Jellyfish]]: How he and Vulko communicate between picking of members of the Sorcerer's league.

* TheLabRat: Was apparently one of many to suffer at the hands of The Sorc councils dabbling in techno-mysticism, only one of the few to survive it too.

-->''"'''Run'''! Run if you have a thought for your '''lives'''!

* DoesNotLikeShoes

* HuskyRusskie

[[folder:The Operative]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/operative.jpg]]

A master spy. He wields an Atlantean key that can unlock anything.
[[/folder]]

-->''" I am the one who called the Sea Gods down here to Earth, with a little help from my allies, the '''Legion of Doom'''. See, it's time for new leadership, Ocean Queen... heroes old and new, there is nothing left for you here... but '''death'''."''

* CombatPragmatist: Manta cheats. A lot.

* LukeIAmYourFather: To Aqualad II.

* {{Pirate}}: He envied this quite often.
** RuthlessModernPirates: He's a submarine pirate and has no scruples at all.
** SubmarinePirates: See above.
** SwordAndGun: Some versions of the character have him using a gun along with his swords.

* {{Pirate}}
** RuthlessModernPirates: Engages in a lot of piracy uses pretty advanced tech.
** SubmarinePirates: His modus operandi.

* ScaryBlackMan: Even out of armour, one of the scariest normal men you'll find.
** He gets to prove it while in prison by secretly activating his helmet's heat beams, accurately blasting a guard's clipboard from his hand, strangling and flailing him about with his handcuffs, then [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath drowning him]] in a prison toilet.

-->''"My crown will flood this city! It will throw the oceans down upon it! '''And I will show your world that Atlantis is not afraid!'''"''

-->''"Do you know what I like '''most''' about the ocean, little pretender? There are no '''laws''' here. No policemen, no '''municipal courts''', no stultifying "societal standards." It's a place for the '''strong'''. For men bold enough to '''take''' what they want. To '''take''' what they want -- and to '''kill anyone''' who '''stands in their way!'''"''

* BadassCape: Almost always.

** TheGoodKing: It is shown that he is actually this to the Atlanteans, and they do like him. The problem is he doesn't really like the surface dwellers all that much, which many Atlanteans agree with him on.

-->''"That's it. That's the way it always is. I caught you fair and square and you go and call the damn fish."''

** EquipmentUpgrade: He eventually decided to level up in that regard, in case of another run in with Aquaman. See character image.

-->"''[[BadassBoast King of Atlantis... You will die on your Knees]]''"

** YouGottaHaveBlueHair: In Hila's case ultra violet.

** TheAce: Also like her sibling yet unlike other aquamancers she uses a more advanced form of water shifting powers. Ones which don't rely upon the waterbearers like those of Jackson Hyde or her fellow criminals.

-->''" Well... that could have gone better."''

* EvilTwin: To her more mellow sibling.

** BloodyMurder: Unlike her sister, however, Hila uses them for much more lethal endeavors, to which Aquaman can quite [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank painfully attest]].

** ShapeshiftingSeducer: Suckered Aquaman into courting her in bed before giving him the Wham event by revealing her true self to him.

* DressedToPlunder: Wore several different costumes, but all of them were variations on classic pirate outfits.
* APirate400YearsTooLate: Dresses like an old fashioned pirate.
* RuthlessModernPirates: Captain of a modern day pirate crew.

* EyepatchOfPower: Wears a high-tech version that might be either a targetting scope or a replacement for a missing eye.
* PirateGirl: Belongs to N.E.M.O.: a secret society intent on controlling the world through controlling its largest resource: the oceans.
* RuthlessModernPirates: Belongs to N.E.M.O.: a secret society intent on controlling the world through controlling its largest resource: the oceans.
* SpyCatsuit: Look at the image.

** LaughingMad: Due to his deteriorating mental state, he could give Joker a run for his money in this department.

* PowerParasite[=/=]ComboPlatterPowers: One of his core abilities is to drain away the abilities of others either naturally or through technological siphons, it was never disclosed as to which held true.
** PowerDegeneration: of a type, when he stole some of Arthur's powers before taking a plunge into the Piranha pool. Their collective essence rubbed off on him turning the guy into the human barracuda he is today.

-->''"Come fight with me, little one. Come find out what the important things are."''

* EvilTwin: To Aquaman.
* FakeBoss: Not really a long king at all.

** AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter: In many fields Thanatos is stronger than his mirror image.

-->''" And was it normal, I wonder, for a mother to abandon her child to the harsh mercies of the depths? To take a squalling babe and leave it to die on the ocean floor?"''

* HandicappedBadass: Has only one hand.

* LightningBruiser: Every bit as fast and strong as Aquaman himself.

* PointyEars: Sort Of like Namor.

* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Just like Aquaman.
* SpikesOfVillainy: On his ShouldersOfDoom.

* DevilInPlainSight: Just look at him.

* EvilSorcerer: How he was able to usurp the Atlantean crown and enforce his flippant laws through means of drugs and mysticism.
** MagicGenetics: Hagen and the new 1% run Atlantis mainly through both open and secret perversion of naturally spawned oceanic organisms, turning them into hideous monstrosities either as royal transport to get from [[OrganicTechnology place to place]].
*** CreatingLife: [[spoiler: Or more clandestinely, taking falsely persecuted convicts and fusing them with lower lifeforms to create [[MixAndMatchCritters fusionistic]] [[SuperSoldier mutant warriors]] loyal to the councils whims]], this later [[LaserGuidedKarma comes and bites them all]] in the ass thankfully.
** EvilMakesYouMonstrous: Difficult to tell either him being a resident of Tritonis before becoming a Sorc, or because his dabbing in foul powers monsterized his appearance.
** TheVirus: Had his crew of like minded mystics come up with a means of wiping away the surface dwelling civilization, a chamber pot of foul magic [[MonsterProgenitor brewed specifically to mutate]] any and all water dwelling entities. Atlantean included, into a hoary host of ravenous freaks of nature spawned by their dark craft.
*** AnimalisticAbomination: What his sect specialized in, what his long term goal in the usage of dark magic would make him and others of the sea into.
* FantasticRacism: Towards surface-dwellers.

* TheConspiracy: Basically what his coven of sorcerer's occupation in the New Atlantis boils down too.
** EvilPlan: Standardly speaking, what his whole usurping of the throne of Atlantis boils down too. This coupling in his resentment of surface dwelling folk drives him and his cabal to [[TheCorruption mutate]] all single cellular life in the ocean gradually working up to larger sea animals into [[TransformationHorror hideous abomnoids]] who would attack and scourge every land based settlement on earth of all human life.
* TheManBehindTheMan: For a time he's this to Mera as her handmaidens feed her faux medicine while he runs matters of state.
* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: He and the new ruling caste in Atlantis are this, a coalition of one-off side characters who appeared out of nowhere to assume power after escaping the Obsidian age.

-->''"''' Let me drinnnk my filll... from the wellsprinnngs... of eterrrnal life itselllf!'''"''

* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of drought.

* BadassLongcoat: A really cool long coat.
* BaldOfEvil: As a golem, The Thirst is hairless.
* CainAndAbel: With his "sister" the Waterbearer.
* EvilCounterpart: To the Waterbearer.

* KilledOffForReal: By Aquaman.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: red eyes from a formidable foe.
* SlaveMooks: The victims he has drained and resurrected.

* WalkingWasteland: He causes drought if it’s not obvious enough.

* AdaptiveAbility: for beings of fiery rock they can adjust to survive anywhere, even the [[RemovedAchillesHeel ocean floor]].
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: Fire Trolls.
* FusionDance: Can amalgamate upon one another in order to become [[MakeMyMonsterGrow 10x the monster]] they used to be.
* GeniusLoci: Beings of living lava.
* [[HeatIndex Thermokinesis]]: Can adjust their own heat temp at will.

* TakeoverTheWorld: Generic doomsday extremists.
** ApocalypseWow: Their plans involved causing global volcanic activity.
* NighInvulnerable: Being Magma men.
* [[MagmaMan Magma men]]
** LethalLavaLand: Being their modusapprendi as volcanic beings.
** BreathWeapon: Naturally they spit fire and lava
* [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous People]]: Being made of magma, they give off incredibly toxic fumes.
* WalkingWasteland: Comes with being living eruptions.

* BreathWeapon
* DetachmentCombat: Can launch body parts at an opponent
** PullingThemselvesTogether: Somehow reintegrate their pieces again.

* {{Golem}}

** NoImmortalInertia: When their creator goes down they temporarily shut down till he revives.
* [[MagmaMan Magma Men]]: Like previous incarnations.

** DumbMuscle
* PerpetualMotionMonster: At least until their leader stops functioning.
* WeHaveReserves: Given they are genesis creations of the volcanic beast.

* AllTrollsAreDifferent: A fire troll no less.

** BadassInCharge: Able to give a slew of super Atlanteans a run for their money single handed.
* BeastAndBeauty: Fell in love with Mera at first sight, many years after his radioactive mishap he's still [[AmazonChaser trying to woo her]].
* GeniusLoci: Being made of anthropomorphic magma.

* MagmaMan: With a name like Lava Lord, comes with the territory.
** DeflectorShields: Can wrap an nigh impenetrable shell of lava rock around himself.

* PersonOfMassDestruction: Made, Of, Lava.
* SuperpowerLottery: He's a sentient volcanic entity and has all the powers his other weaker brethren possess.

* CoolHelmet: Slig, Gole, Kurin and Trok each wear one.

* DualWielding: Gole's sai.

* KnifeNut: Gole dual wields twin sai.

* PunnyName: Deep 6 and their from underwater.
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: 6 guys.

* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Nuada's Abel.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen

* [[ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bitch]]: Convinced the ruling council of eleven that Nuada was unfit to be monarch and that the gods favoured her own ascension.

* SmugSnake: Very full of herself.
* SorcerousOverlord: Can is magic and uses this to stay in power.
* VainSorceress: Arrogant, convinced of her own supremacy, and a capable mage.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Being the sister of SilverHand it comes with the territory.

-->''"The Gods protect us! The Gods love us, and their prophet... Shalako!"''

* EvilPoacher: Was an illegal dolphin hunter before his transformation.

* TheFaceless: Interestingly he's almost never seen without his mask.

Bugala is a sea serpent, that constantly terrorized a small undersea colony called Eldfur. The Eldfur's warriors, under the command of their king, came seeking a champion. They kidnap Aqualad to face the creature. With the help of Aquaman, Bugala was kicked out, but would return other times to face the duo. Years later the evil inventor Weisbogg working for Black Manta created a robotic duplicate to destroy Atlantis.

* SeaSerpents: Is a sea serpent who resembles a Chinese dragon.

[[folder:Atlan (The Dead King)]]

-->''"I destroyed Atlantis once with this scepter... '''AND I SHALL DESTROY IT AGAIN'''."''

* DespairEventHorizon: When his family was murdered.
* {{Egopolis}}: Atlantis is this to him.
* FaceHeelTurn

-->''"Death to mammals!"''

* {{Animorphism}}: Being a mesh of human biology combined with a host of animal anatomical parts.
* BioAugmentation: Gained his powers as a result of this.
* {{Cthulhumanoid}}

* FromNobodyToNightmare
* GlowingEyes: Has this to an incredibly horrifying degree due to his surgical mutation.
** GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: The man monster was a practical dead man walking before his procedure,
** GlowingEyesOfDoom: Invoked, whenever he's about to change or commit horrible acts this is susally applied.
** RedEyesTakeWarning

** SuperPowerLottery: Being a mishmashed recombination of a host of different animal parts gave him a host of special powers and abilities relative to the great many sea creatures he's composed of, even a couple of odd abilities and characteristics which are all unique specificlally either to his giant monster genetics or himself.
*** AdaptiveAbility
*** EvolutionPowerUp
*** TheAssimilator
*** FaceStealer
*** {{Flight}}
*** VoluntaryShapeshifting
*** TransformationHorror: Chimera's transitions from monster to man and vice versa are never pretty.
*** HealingFactor
*** LEGOGenetics: A great deal of this is how his abilities revolve around.
*** NaturalWeapon: Has loads and loads of these.
*** AbsurdlySharpClaws
*** CombatTentacles
*** ChameleonCamouflage
*** FangsAreEvil
*** PoisonousPerson: Secrets incredibly potent viscous compounds which can melt flesh and bone.
*** SuperSpit
*** TheSpiny
*** ShockAndAwe
*** SuperStrength
*** SuperToughness
*** {{Telepathy}}:

* TearOffYourFace: Had a pretty nasty habit of this.
* {{Transhuman}}

[[folder:Karaku, The Volcano God]]

* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Near as tall as the volcano it sits in.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: Title has God in it. Nuff said.

* {{Kaiju}}

** MagmaMan
** ClimacticVolcanoBackdrop: where it makes its home.
* MonsterShapedMountain
** GeniusLoci: A living aspect of volcanic activity.
* MookMaker: He's how the fire trolls came to be.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast

* AncientConspiracy

** OrcusOnHisThrone: Largely they rely upon scheming, manipulation and background orchestrations to accomodate themselves. Otherwise sending their make-believe mystic mook's or spy's to do their dirty work, they're rarely seen taking part in any conquest.
* TheHorde: Has a sizable army of ghosts n'goblins at they're beck and call.
* TheIlluminati
* ImprovisedGolem: They breach part of their own infrastructure into the world transforming them into mobile dreadnoughts for invasion.

A vicious otherworldly predator who can possess a host and become the hydration catalyst utilized to transform the vessel, it's first host was Jonah Kendry Payne who worked under The Scavenger. Coming into a SuperPoweredEvilSide due to this parasitic intrusion when he came into contact with its "strange water" form, becoming Dead Water whenever he gets wet. Dead Water was thought to've perished when its previous overshadow [[DrivenToSuicide chose to die as himself]] then let the nightmare continue, everyone believed that horrifying .

* VillainTeleportation
* WeaponizedTeleportation

Fiercely xenophobic atlantean leader of a fanatical terrorist cell of equally fascist merepeople coined '''The Deluge'''. Naturally being one of many Atlanteans who despise the surface world, he also bares a particular enmity towards his half-breed king; whom he feels is more at liberty towards taking and giving with the surface world over his own people.

* ElementalMotifs: Salt.

* ActionMom: After Arthur finds her. She's become a badass warrior lady.

* AncientArtifact: A relic called The Staff of Storms she found which would enable her to utilize [[CoolGate The Maelstrom]] to travel from place to place, even to a separate dimension.
** BeamSpam: One of the mystical abilities of the magic spear, potent enough to stave off a living volcano.
** PublicDomainArtifact: It is the mystic weapon of which she uses to rule over the [[AnotherDimension home away from home]] populated by all manor of oceanic floral and faunal life.
** {{Teleportation}}: The device can remotely activate the global spanning transportation relics called The Maelstrom without need of a destination tablet, at least so far for the Pacifica dimension.
*** DimensionalTraveler
* AppeaseTheVolcanoGod: Atlanna's only means of staving off the entity of her island, if temporarily.

** TheDogBitesBack: The latter got his after having [[WhosLaughingNow boasted of killing]] her first love and their son.

* FakingTheDead: Faked her death in order to escape Atlantis.

* FreudianExcuse: A [[ArrangedMarriage forced]] betrothal to a plundering [[FantasticRacism human hating]] derelict who boasts of having [[KickTheDog murdered your first love and young son]] would be excuse enough for anyone.
* HappilyMarried: With Tom Curry.

* HeartbrokenBadass: Developed into this after her royal status prevented her from living with Tom and raising their child. Even to this day, long after she axed her [[{{Jerkass}} cruel]] spouse believing he murdered them for sport before having deserted Atlantis, she still carries the sorrow from her lost family.
** HopeSpot: After Arthur goes to painstaking lengths proving he is in fact her son.
* IHaveNoSon: Refuses to believe Arthur is her son, because she thinks he's dead. She doesn't apply this to Orm, however.
* IWasQuiteALooker: Subverted, in that she still is according to Mera. Aquaman [[LampshadeHanging states where]] he gets it from.
* MissingMom: Left Arthur to keep him safe.

* RebelliousPrincess: This is what got her exiled from Atlantis, pre-Crisis.
* RescueRomance: Rescued by Tom Curry, believing she's drowning. Post-Flashpoint, It's her who rescues Tom Curry.

** {{Telepathy}}: Atlanna is such an accomplished marine telepath that not only can she mentally command and scry through the sights of her islands many many [[MixAndMatchCritter colorful wildlife]] but even has this capacity with the plants and fungus growing on her [[IslandOfMystery island home]].
*** TheBeastMaster: Has a psycho empathetic rapport with DireBeast population which cohabitate with the island realm she calls home as many of them are [[MixAndMatchCritter odd amalgams]] between land n'sea animals, her marine telepathy can connect with them as well.
*** PlantPerson: Her abilities also extend to the vegetative organisms and beyond on the island enabling her to track and race the movements of whomever or whatever paces across her stomping grounds, useful for [[EnemyScan tacking intruder locations or enemy combatants field points]].

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Slain by the ghost of his father, Shalako,]] if you believe the chronicler Regin. Regin's wife believed that [[spoiler:Regin had simply killed Dardanus himself, and then used the story of Shalako's ghost to scare the Atlanteans and Tritonians into getting along.]]

As a major supporting character of the ''Aquaman'' franchise, Mera has appeared often in other media. Most notably, she features in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse films, portrayed by Creator/AmberHeard.

The leader of the Men-of-War, the main army of Atlantis. While initially loyal to Orm, Murk begrudgingly served Arthur after the events of Forever Evil [[spoiler:until he joined Rath's side.]]

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Originally an Orm loyalist, after his plan to break Orm out of prison was interrupted by ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'' he became a SourSupporter to Arthur. [[spoiler: He joins Rath's coup against Arthur, and impales him with his HookHand, but it's later revealed this was part of a plan to fake Arthur's death. He eventually turns against Rath when he goes too far.]]

* SourSupporter: He's never converted to Arthur's liberal policies, but serves him loyally regardless [[spoiler:until Rath's coup.]]

* AntiMagic: Being of the Secret Sea where Orin derives his water hand, Thirst is uneffected by mystical arcanum. [[spoiler: As [[TheAce Tempest]], [[BrokenAce an accomplished sorcerer in his own right;]] [[ButtMonkey would come to find the hard way in his attempt to stop him]].]]

** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It's not as obvious as with some villains, but to anybody reading a comic about an aquatic superhero, the presence of a being called "The Thirst" should instantly set off warning bells.
* {{Necromancer}}: Can resurrect those that he has slain as mindless, zombie husks slaved to his will.
** SlaveMooks: The victims he has drained and resurrected.

* VampiricDraining: Sucks the life energy and water from his victims.

[[folder:Jed Coombs (Chimera/[[spoiler:Creature King)]]]]

** TeleportersAndTransporters: Once teleported the entirety of Atlantis to safety during the Imperiex War.