History Characters / PreFlashpointAquaman

This is a character sheet for ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} and the characters associated with him prior to the ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' event.

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[[foldercontrol]]

!Protagonists

[[folder:Aquaman I/Dweller in the Depths (King Orin/Arthur Curry)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquaman_90s.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Aquaman in the 90s]]

-->''"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'''!"''

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/GLOtherLanternCorpss White Entity]].
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* [[CainAndAbel Abel]]: To Orm, the Ocean Master.
* AbdicateTheThrone: More times than he can count, usually on dumb trumped up charges or reasons by his own people no less.
* AnArmAndALeg: His hand was eaten by piranhas.
* ApparentlyHumanMerfolk: Just look at him.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Aquaman is the King of the Seas and he is a huge ''badass''.
* BadassBeard: Grew his beard out in his DarkerAndEdgier phase along with losing his hand to piranhas and getting a HookHand.
* 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 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!"
* BarbarianLonghair: To go with his Badass Beard.
* BashBrothers: With ComicBook/MartianManhunter.
* BattleCouple: With Mera.
* 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/ 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 mysitic monstrocities.
** 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.
** TeleportersAndTransporters: 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.
* 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]].
* 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''.
* 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: See DisabilitySuperpower.
* 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.
* 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.
* {{Mentor|s}}:
** To Arthur Joseph Curry, the second Aquaman.
** To both Aqualads too.
* 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.
* 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}}.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aquaman II (Arthur Joseph Curry)]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arthur_joseph_curry.jpg]]

-->''"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.
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* 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: Coincidentally had the same first and last name as the first Aquaman's surface name.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mera]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mera_46.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Queen of Atlantis]]

The wife of Aquaman, her origins have ranged from being the Queen of Dimension Aqua to being the princess of a separatist colony of Atlanteans. Nevertheless, she is a capable ruler and fighter, often assisting her husband in fighting for protection of the sea.
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-> see the ComicBook/{{Mera}} page
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aqualad I/Tempest (Garth)]]
[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tempest_Garth_741.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:217: Not so awkward anymore]]

-->''"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'''!"''

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.
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* 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.
* KidSidekick: As Aqualad.
* KilledOffForReal: In ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* MagicKnight: As Tempest.
* NiceGuy: 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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]].
* 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.
* 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.
** TeleportersAndTransporters: 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aquagirl I (Tula)]]
[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aquagirl_i.jpg]]

-->''"I '''can't''' let these people revolt! Too many lives will be lost!"''

Losing her parents at an early age, Tula was adopted by the Atlantean royal family and was given the title of Princess of Poseidonis. She eventually met and fell in love with Garth, the first Aqualad, and adopted the codename "Aquagirl" in order to honor him.
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* ActionGirl: A badass superhero like the rest of her family.
* BareYourMidriff: Her signature look.
* DistaffCounterpart: Took the name "Aquagirl" in order to be this to Garth.
* HappilyAdopted: To the Atlantean royal family.
* KilledOffForReal: During ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' by Chemo.
* OfficialCouple: With Garth until her death.
[[/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]]
[[caption-width-right:214:]]

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.
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* 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/YoungJustice'' 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: 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.
* 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.
[[/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.
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* 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: 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]]

!Supporting cast

[[folder:Nuidis Vulko]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vulko.jpg]]

-->''"I'm a '''scientist''', not a '''warrior'''."''

* 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 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 .
* 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.
[[/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:Atlanna]]
[[quoteright:181:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atlanna___dcnu.jpg]]

-->''" ...you my son, shall carry on the heritage of Atlantis -- for you have the power to become ruler of all the oceans!"''

* AdaptationDyeJob: Pre-Crisis, she was blond. Post-Crisis, she's a brunette. Post-Flashpoint, back to blonde.
* HappilyMarried: With Tom Curry.
* MissingMom: Pre-Crisis.
* RebelliousPrincess: This is what got her exiled from Atlantis, pre-Crisis.
* RescueRomance: Rescued by Tom Curry, believing she's drowning.
[[/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.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: No shirt needed here.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lagoon Boy]]

An amphibious humanoid who was allowed into Atlantis by Aquaman as part of his attempt to make Atlantis more open to outsiders.
----
* 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''.
* {{Expy}}: Lagoon Boy is based on the ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.
[[/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.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Bluish hair.
[[/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.
* ContentWarning: Gave one to Arthur about The Waterbearers usage.
** ButterflyOfDoom: Orin's waterhand [[spoiler: or its misuse thereof]] is considered this.
* ElementalEmbodiment: Of water.
** AnthropomorphicPersonification: Of lakes.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
** BackgroundMagicField: Has this when Aquaman meets her.
** CosmicKeystone: Seems to happen when something happens to her.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Being an oceanic embodiment and all.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tom Curry]]
[[quoteright:276:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_curry.jpg]]

-->''"The ocean's a pretty big place, buddy. There're things out there you can't even begin to imagine."''

* DisappearedDad: Post-Crisis, Arthur returned to the lighthouse after traveling the oceans to find he's gone.
* {{Good Parent|s}}: Hes a excellent parent his morals are what made him great.
* HappilyMarried: With Atlanna, though he's concern about her keeping her past a secret.
* {{Muggle Foster Parent|s}}: Post-Crisis.
* ParentalSubstitute: Post-Crisis to Arthur/Orin.
* 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: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.
* 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.
* HorrifyingHero: Given how his transformation makes him [[{{Cthulhumanoid}} reminiscent to Cthulhu.]]
* [[InstantMessengerPigeon Instant Messenger Jellyfish]]: How he and Vulko communicate between picking of members of the Sorcerer's league.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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]]

!Enemies

[[folder:Black Manta (David)]]
!!Black Manta
[[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!"''

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.
----
* 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.
** 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ocean Master (Orm Marius)]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/736759-ocean_master_large_4840.jpg]]

-->''"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!'''"''

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.
----
* {{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]].
[[/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.
** LaughingMad: Due to his deteriorating mental state, he could give Joker a run for his money in this department.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* {{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.
----
* 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.
** AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter: In many fields Thanatos is stronger than his mirror image.
[[/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: 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.
* 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.
** DeflectorShields: Can wrap an nigh impenetrable shell of lava rock around himself.
* MadeOfDiamond: Made Of Magma so really hard to injure.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Made, Of, Lava.
* SuperpowerLottery: He's a sentient volcanic entity and has all the powers his other weaker brethren possess.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kordax]]
[[quoteright:350: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: Has only one hand.
* ImmuneToBullets: Thanks to his heightened durability.
* LightningBruiser: 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: Sort Of like Namor.
* 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]]
* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: If his physical appearance is anything to go on.
* DevilInPlainSight: Just look at him.
* EvilGloating: Has a penchant for this throughout his appearances.
* 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.
** 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.
* 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.
* 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]].]]
* 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.
[[/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.
** SlaveMooks: The victims he has drained and resurrected.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: red eyes from a formidable foe.
* VampiricDraining: Sucks the life energy and water from his victims.
* WalkingWasteland: He causes drought if it’s not obvious enough.
* YourSoulIsMine: Wanted Aquaman's soul more than anything else.
[[/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: Deep 6 and their from underwater.
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: 6 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:Fire Trolls]]
[[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.
* 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.
* SuperStrength: Very strong being trolls and all.
* 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.
[[/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 Manipulative Bitch]]: 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: 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.
* 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.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Being the sister of SilverHand it comes with the territory.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Siren (Hila)]]
[[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.
----
* EvilBrunetteTwin: Physically the two are practically adjacent to one another, and Siren is the [[BigLittleBrother younger]] of [[YoungerThanTheyLook the two]] no less.
** YouGottaHaveBlueHair: In Hila's case ultra violet.
* 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.
** 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scavenger (Peter Mortimer)]]
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scavanger.png]]

-->''"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.
----
* CoolShip: The Scavanger pilots a customized scorpion-shaped submersible called the Scorpion-Ship.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/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 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:Black Jack]]
[[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.
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* 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.
[[/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.
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* {{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: 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.
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* ArtificialGill: He wears special armor that allows him to breath and function underwater.
* TheFaceless: Interestingly 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.
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* 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 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]]
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-->''"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!"''

Black Manta is a longtime Aquaman foe and a prime candidate for the title of his worst enemy. A sociopathic PsychoForHire and pirate who's dedicated his life to ruining Aquaman's. Dressed in a combination scuba suit and PowerArmour, Black Manta's most infamous act was undoubtedly killing Aquaman's son.

See [[ComicBook/BlackManta his own page]] for tropes involving him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ocean Master (Orm Marius)]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/736759-ocean_master_large_4840.jpg]]

-->''"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!'''"''

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.

* SeaSerpent

* 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 espcially showcase that last aspect.

[[folder:Demon Gate]]

* TheFaceless: Interestingly he has never been seen without his mask.

[[folder:Human Flying fish (Vic Bragg)]]

The personification of drought, and the ideological opposite of the Waterbearer, the Thirst is an ancient 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.

* InTheBlood: 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.

* InTheBlood: Would seem to have inherited Shalako's egotism and cruelty, which he then passed on to his own son, Kordax.

* OlympicSwimmer: Bragg was a champion swimmer before her turned to crime. His suit helps him swim at super human speeds.

* SpicyLatina: Being pseudo-Atlanean, 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 espcially showcase that last aspect.

* 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 live, 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.

** HowDoIShootWeb: In all the hubub 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.

* PutOnABus: At the end of the ''Sword of Atlantis'' series, in order to make way for Orin to come back.

* ArtificalGill: 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.

** 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.

* MakingASplash: Like her sister and all Xebel prisoners, Hila has incredibly potent hydrokinetic shifting capabilities.

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 the UsefulNotes/GoldenAgeOfComics.

[[folder:The Eel]]

* ArtificalGill: He wears special armor that allows him to breath and function underwater.

[[folder:Human Flying fish]]

[[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.

* TraumaCongaLine: 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.

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/GreenLanternBlackAndWhiteCorps White Entity]].

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/GreenLanternBlackAndWhiteCorps 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.

[[/folder]]