Issue Description

This issue features two separate stories.

Aquaman's Secret Powers!

Out on patrol, Aquaman & Aqualad encounter an old man, lashed to a raft, adrift on the high seas. The Aquatic Aces rush the man to a nearby island, but he is too far gone. Exposure and starvation have taken their toll. The old man is, nonetheless, grateful to Aquaman. Dousing Aquaman with the powder from a medicine pouch, the old man whispers, with his dying breath, that he has given Aquaman four amazing new abilities. Once in use, each power will last for six hours. At which point, Aquaman will return to normal, able to activate the next fantastic new ability. On patrol the next day, Aquaman is given the chance to use his first new ability. An injured sailor is desperately in need of an operation, to save his life, or he will die in the next ten minutes. Aquaman undergoes a startling transformation. His legs begin to elongate. In short order, his entire body becomes elastic, as he stretches out miles across the ocean. Aquaman leaves the sailor in the care of surgeons on the mainland. Stretched out, Aquaman finds that he is unable to contract his form until the six hours have passed. Moments after the time has elapsed, and he has returned to normal, Aquaman spies a cargo ship impacting an underwater reef. The damage to the ship is excessive. It immediately begins to sink. Aquaman boards the vessel, taking hold of the anchor chain, while a second chain is fastened to the rear of the ship. With both chains in his grasp, Aquaman initiates his second transformation, rapidly inflating to the size of a zeppelin... and then beyond. Dwarfing the ship, Aquaman's buoyant body provides the lift necessary to raise the ship from the ocean's surface. He then floats the ship to the nearest shipyard for repairs. Aquaman spends the the remainder of the six hour time limit, floating over the sea, getting caught up in a hurricane. The storm has raised a huge tidal wave, bearing down on a small fishing village. Floating high above the scene, Aquaman is helpless to intercede until he can return to normal.

With only moments left to act, the second power finally wears off. Upon hitting the water, Aquaman immediately initiates the third transformation. This time he becomes an enormous living wall, serving as a barrier between the village and the wave. Aqualad points out that, in this form, Aquaman is also blocking all shipping lanes. There's nothing to be done about it, though, for the next six hours. Back to normal, but spent from the toll back-to-back transformations have taken on his body, Aquaman attempts to get some rest on a nearby island. It's not to be. A helicopter lands. It's desperate pilot tells Aquaman that High Bridge is collapsing, and that emergency services need to divert the traffic from that area. Aquaman instructs the pilot to take him to High Bridge, located in the mountains, far from shore. Dropped off at the base of the bridge, Aquaman initiates the final transformation, becoming a ten thousand ton colossus. Using his massive strength, Aquaman steadies High Bridge long enough for people to get across it. Then, he wedges the loose end of the bridge deep into the solid rock of the mountain. Aquaman, though, is left with a dilemma. In this form he moves too slowly to make it back to the ocean before his hour out-of-water time limit expires. He'll die if he doesn't find a closer source of water. A waterfall looms before him, but still too far for him to reach it in time. With only minutes left, Aquaman topples a mountain, it's peak high enough that it will hit the waterfall as it collapses. Redirected, the water rushes down the fallen mountain, cascading over Aquaman's giant, prone form. Aquaman decides to remain beneath the replenishing waters until his final power wears off.

The Tyrant Ruler Of Atlantis!

Aquaman And Aqualad greet Mera, not far from the undersea kingdom of Atlantis. Aquaman has offered Mera a tour of the fabled kingdom. En route, they are caught in the eruption of an underwater volcano. Aquaman suffers a severe blow to the head, while keeping Mera from injury. Mera uses her absolute control over water to form a hard water tunnel, one that reaches all the way to Atlantis. She, and Aqualad, rush Aquaman there, for medical assistance. At first resistant to the healing seaweed poultice, Aquaman revives suddenly, believing himself to be the King of Atlantis. Not wishing to cause further psychological trauma, the Atlanteans decide to humor Aquaman, in the hopes that he will, eventually, fully recover. Aquaman, however, proves to be a volatile ruler. Angered at the lack of a throne for his "queen", Mera, Aquaman orders the Atlanteans to immediately provide one. Aquaman then summons a quartet of swordfish, ordering them to duel in gladiatorial games for the amusement of his "queen". Mera is appalled, but allows the spectacle to continue, not wishing to upset Aquaman in his fragile mental state. Aqualad issues a telepathic command of his own, commanding the swordfish to depart. Aquaman rails at the fleeing fish, before summoning octopi, which he orders to wrestle in a no holds barred match. Seeing enough, Aqualad breaks the octopi up, and confronts the "king", admonishing him for his cruelty, while trying to jar Aquaman back to normal. Furious at the boy's impertinence, Aquaman attacks Aqualad. Mera has to pull him off Aqualad, before Aquaman kills him. Mera grabs Aquaman in a hard water hand. At the behest of the Atlanteans, she takes Aquaman to a heavy density lake, leaving him trapped there until such time as he regains his mental faculties, or dies. Aquaman summons more octopi to pull him free of the grasping bog. Their strength is not enough, though. Releasing Aquaman suddenly, his head whips back & impacts hard with the surrounding sea floor. Aquaman's senses return to him, but with no memory of his time in Atlantis. A seaquake threatens to bring a nearby mountain down on top of the heavy water pit trapping Aquaman. Summoning sawfish to dislodge a large boulder from the mountain, it topples down into the heavy density lake, just missing Aquaman. The mass of the boulder displaces enough water for Aquaman to escape. Aquaman returns to Atlantis, where many explanations are made.

Aquaman

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

Aquaman (Volume 1)

Starring: Arthur Curry as Aquaman and Aqualad.

Aquaman, the King of the Seven Seas, takes the plunge into his very own series. As the King of Atlantis, Aquaman protects not only his people but also all of Earth's oceans from any threat! This volume was important for a number of reasons. Mera was introduced as a character and a Superhero wedding (Aquaman and Mera) occurred in issue 18. Aquababy (Arthur Jr) was born in issue 22. Aquagirl (Tula) was a new character (33) and she became a love interest for Garth. Ocean Master was introduced as Aquaman's Half-brother in issue 29 and Black Manta became one of Aquaman's greates villains starting with issue 35 which included the Manta Men. Issue 40 began a multi-issue stor arc entitled the Quest for Mera and it concluded with issue 48. Aquaman had journey's to the land of the Maarzon's and to the surface world during his quest. Aquaman put Narkron in charge and he became a dictator which led to a Revolution in issue 47. The Bugala was introduced in issue 43 as was Aqualad dealing with the creature without Aquaman. Issue 46 was unique becaus it presented the same story as issue 45 but from Mera's perspective. Issue 49 reintroduced Phil Dawson, whom Aquaman met in issue 49 and very shrewdly had a picture of Deadman carved into the rocks under the ocean as a shadowing of his back-up role in issues 50-52. Those issues offered us the artwork of Neal Adams and the Deadman stories crossed over with the Aquaman lead story. Issue 54 brought Aquaman against the Crime Organization he battled in issues 44-46 and a new villain was unleashed, Thanatos. Issue 56 ended Aquaman's Title but when he was given it back in 1977, it started with issue 57. This storyline picked up where Adventure 452 left off. Aquaman went after Black Manta, thinking his son was dead. Cal Durham has a change of heart and starts turning for the good. Issues 58-60 had a Mera back-up story as she went to her own dimension of Xebel to find a device to safe Arthur Jr. Vulko told Mera in issue 58 that he was still alive. When Mera returned in Issue 60, Vulko told her that Arthur died. Issues 58-60 included such villains as Fisherman, Scavenger, and Kobra. It also included the origin of Aquaman in issue 58. Issue 61 had Batman and Green Lantern guest star as they battled Kobra. The issue ended with Batman yelling at Aquaman because Kobra got away and Aquaman swimming away from him. They later came to blows in Brave and the Bold 142. The funeral happened in issue 62 and Aqualad (after uncovering issues from his past in Adv. 453-455)

decided that he needed to meet with Aquaman face to face. Mera blames Aquaman for the death of their son but the reconcile at the end of the story and after the robot villain was defeated. The last panel left the cliffhanger that Ocean Master was behind the robot. Issue 63 ended this solo run which included a reunion with Aqualad, a journey to the ancient city of Atlantis and a battle with Ocean Master. When DC expanded the pages of their books, the Martian Manhunter was going to back-up Aquaman, but with the cancellation of half of DC's line of books, the Sea King lost out.

Collected EditionsShowcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 1 (Adventure Comics #260-280, 282, 284; Aquaman #1-6; Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #12; Showcase #30-33;Detective Comics #293-300; Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #55; World's Finest Comics #125-129)Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 2 (Aquaman#7-23, World's Finest #130-133, #135, #137 and #139 and The Brave and the Bold #51)Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol. 3 (AQUAMAN #24-39, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #73 and a story from SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #115)Aquaman: Death of a Prince (Adventure Comics #435-437, 441-455 and Aquaman #57-63)

Note: Although canceled in the early 1970s, the series was subsequently revived as a part of the DC Explosion. It was canceled once again approximately one year later.

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