History NightmareFuel / Aquaman2018

* The Trench are literally incarnate nightmare fuel; we're told relatively early in the movie that they are one of the seven Atlantean kingdoms, who chose to inhabit the deepest depths of the ocean. There, they devolved into non-sapient, toothy, barely humanoid yet horribly piscine monsters, like a cross between a [[Creator/HPLovecraft Deep One]] and a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]].

* Due to him wielding the power of Atlan's trident, The Trench end up aiding Arthur in helping turn the tide of the war. This does ''not'' make them any less horrifying or bloodthirsty, as they quickly tear into any Atlantean soldiers in their path.

* While Arthur is driving home with his father, a tidal wave sent by Atlantis hits them and nearly kills Thomas Luckily, he is saved by Mera.

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on. They were '''NOT''' kidding. Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of its tentacles and even then its size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with its many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies. [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on. They were '''NOT''' kidding. Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of its tentacles and even then it's size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with its many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies. [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.

** The scene itself is chilling in it's execution. There is no music whatsoever, barely enough light to see, and the Trench Dwellers move and attack in an erratic otherworldly motion. It's reminiscent of a nightmare you're desperately trying to wake from.

* The Trench are literally incarnate nightmare fuel; we're told relatively early in the movie that they are one of the seven Atlantean kingdoms, who chose to inhabit the deepest depths of the ocean. There, they devolved into non-sapient, toothy, barely humanoid yet horribly piscine monsters, like a cross between a [[Creator/HPLovecraft Deep One]] and a[[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]].

*** They then dive through a hundred more who were dwelling further below the surface, and yet still more rise from the depths to great them. Just when you think there can't possible be any more, ''[[TheSwarm there are]]''.

-->'''Black Manta''': '''''[[VoiceOfTheLegion YOU OWE ME BLOOD!]]'''''

** Feeling overwhelmed, our heroes opt to try fleeing from the boat through the water, using the Trench's aversion to light to their advantage by using flares to keep them at bay. They dive into the water, and as they plunge down,
we're treated to a bird's eye view as the light from their flair illuminates several hundred trench dwellers circling them like a whirlpool. The two heroes struggled to deal with half a dozen of the damn things and the sea is ''thick'' with them.

** When Arthur and Mera decide to ditch the boat an make a leap for the ocean,

* The Trench are toothy {{sea monster}}s with [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]]-like features.
** There's a scene where Arthur and Mera are beset upon by the Trench on a tiny boat. The two opt instead to lure the creatures away from the vessel with a flare, and there's a shot where we see the two are being chased by hundreds of the monsters. It's comparable to being chased by hundreds, even thousands of man-sized piranhas.

** When Arthur and Mera decide to ditch the boat an make a leap for the ocean, we're treated to a bird's eye view as the light from their flair illuminates several hundred trench dwellers circling them like a whirlpool. The two heroes struggled to deal with half a dozen of the damn things and the sea is ''thick'' with them.
*** They then dive through a hundred more who were dwelling further below the surface, and yet still more rise from the depths to great them. Just when you think there can't possible be any more, ''[[TheSwarm there are]]''.

** Special mention goes to the seahorses the Xebellians ride. Long a staple in comics (and seen on ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'') as a ride for Aquaman, in drawings they were simply sized-up regular looking non-threatening seahorses. In this movie? Clawed, spiky monstrosities with snapping mouths full of very large teeth.

* The soldiers attacking Atlanta and Thomas' home [[AdultFear with a young Arthur inside as well]].

* It tells you something about the creature design when the Great White-sized sharks are ranked with the normal fish, whales, and sea turtles as the ''least'' terrifying-looking things in the ocean.
** Special mention goes to the seahorses the Xebellians ride. Long a staple in comics (and seen on "The Superfriends") as a ride for Aquaman, in drawings they were simply sized-up regular looking non-threatening seahorses. In this movie? Clawed, spiky monstrosities with snapping mouths full of very large teeth.

!!Movie
* The soldiers attacking Atlanta and Thomas' home [[AdultFear with a young Arthur inside as well]].
* While driving home with his father a tidal wave sent by Atlantis hits them and nearly kills Thomas Luckily he is saved by Mera.

** It is soon revealed that not only was Arthur and Thomas hometown was hit but numerous locations around the world as well with piles of garbage that humanity has carelessly thrown into the ocean sent right back at them including entire ships with message being very clear: Atlantis is ''not'' happy with the surface world.

** And he likely makes good on such threats when possessing the ancient Atlantean king's trident, causing a tsunami.
--->'''Ancient Atlantean king:''' In the wrong hands, it would bring destruction.
* The second trailer has Queen Atlanna being attacked... ''[[AdultFear in her and Thomas' home]]''. And considering there was an earlier shot in the trailer where she leaves Thomas and Arthur with the most heartbroken expression, it could be that she's leaving to keep them out of danger -- either from her enemies, or her ''subjects''.

* Just when you thought trench beasts, tylosaurs and giant crabs were the worst that could come from the depths of the ocean, [[RentAZilla something even bigger]] and more monstrous appears. Something big enough to swallow an entire Atlantean ship.

** [[spoiler: making it even worse was that a young Arthur was also in the house as well and it’s very possible that the soldiers would not have spared him or Thomas]]

* The soldiers attacking Atlanta and Thomas home [[AdultFear with a young Arthur inside as well]].
* While driving home with his father a tidal wave sent by Atlantis hits them and nearly kills Thomas [[spoiler: Luckily he is saved by Mera]].

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. [[spoiler:Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on.]] They were '''NOT''' kidding. [[spoiler: Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of its tentacles and even then it's size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with its many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies. [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.]]
* [[spoiler: Due to him wielding the power of Atlan's trident, The Trench end up aiding Arthur in helping turn the tide of the war. This does ''not'' make them any less horrifying or bloodthirsty, as they quickly tear into any Atlantean soldiers in their path.]]

* The Atlanteans openly [[HumanSacrifice execute people by throwing them to the Trench,]] which is why Arthur constantly insists that his mother is dead. As noted above, the beings of the Trench are Xenomorph-like [[SeaMonster sea-monsters.]]

* The Atlanteans openly [[HumanSacrifice execute people by throwing them to the Trench,]] which is why Arthur constantly insists that his mother is dead. As noted above, the beings of the Trench are Xenomorph-like [[SeaMonsters sea-monsters.]]

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. [[spoiler:Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on.]] They were '''NOT''' kidding. [[spoiler: Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of it's tentacles and even then it's size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with it's many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies, [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.]]

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. [[spoiler:Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on.]] They were '''NOT''' [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] kidding. [[spoiler: Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of it's tentacles and even then it's size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with it's many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies, [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.]]

** There's a scene where Arthur and Mera are beset upon by the Trench on a tiny boat. The two opt instead to lure the creatures away from the vessel with a flare, and there's a shot where we see the two are being chased by hundreds of the monsters.

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. [[spoiler:Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on.]] They were ''NOT'' [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] kidding. [[spoiler: The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with it's many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies, [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.]]

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. [[spoiler:Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on.]] They were NOT [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] kidding. [[spoiler: The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with it's many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies, [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING even slows it down let alone harms it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.]]