Issue Description

Summoned to a remote seacoast laboratory, Aquaman and Aqualad bear witness to Dr. Deering's latest invention, an immense ocean-going submersible. Following Dr. Deering beneath the waves,they are treated to a demonstration of just some of the more remarkable features, built into the machine. From the cockpit, Dr. Deering can project the sound of his voice underwater. The machine's robot arms can bear the weight of sunken ships. It has a drill for boring through underwater mountains. It can also clear the sea floor via a powerful suctioning vacuum. Returning to the lab, Dr. Deering is about to showoff his latest breakthrough... a formula to allow man to breath underwater... when he is caught in a sudden explosion. Doused in the chemicals, Dr. Deering begins to choke, no longer able to breath the air. Aquaman rushes him to the ocean. Once submerged, Dr. Deering realizes that he has become a water breather. An examination by a local doctor bears no fruit. There is no cure for Dr. Deering's condition. The revelation begins to unravel Dr. Deering's mind. He despairs that he will never finish his work. Fears the isolation of living alone beneath the waves. Aquaman moves Dr. Deering into a water tank, on dry land, hoping to allay his fears of residing in the ocean's depths. Dr. Deering, though, merely feels like a freak. Dr. Deering is able to survive outside of water just long enough to reach his lab. Therein, he puts on a diving suit, first filling the helmet with fresh water. Through the night, he toils in the lab, making modifications to his ocean-going machine. With the cockpit sealed tight and filled with water, Dr. Deering drives his machine into the city. Once there, he begins to steal the skyscrapers.

The local police mount an offensive against Dr. Deering, but find they are powerless to stop his machine. It is impervious to gunfire. It's telescoping robot arms have enough reach to pluck the police helicopters from the sky. In the end, the officers can only stand and watch, as Dr. Deering drags skyscraper after skyscraper beneath the waves. Arranging the stolen structures on the sea floor, Dr. Deering builds an ersatz underwater metropolis. His city, though, lacks just one thing. A population to live in it. To that end, he returns to the surface, and attacks a passing ocean liner, effortlessly lifting it above the waves, with the machine's powerful robot arms. Aquaman summons two great whales, that he then rams into Dr. Deering's machine. Freed from the machine's grasp, the ocean liner slips back into the sea. Aquaman and Aqualad begin distracting tactics to occupy Dr. Deering, giving the ocean liner time to escape. Aquaman and Aqualad, however, do not. Dr. Deering is able to get a grip on the two heroes in each of his machines robotic arms. Steel cables drop from the arms, encircling Aquaman and Aqualad's extremities. They are left to dangle like puppets. The two now serve the deranged Dr. Deering, as the newest residents of his empty underwater "city".

Lost in his dementia, Dr. Deering greets Aquaman and Aqualad as neighbors, remarking on the nice weather they're experiencing. Suddenly, a gigantic pair of scissors glides out from behind a skyscraper, bearing down on the trio. Dr. Deering flees into his machine. The scissors, however, actually target the cables, snapping them loose from the robot arms, freeing Aquaman and Aqualad. The scissors turn out to be the hard water constructs of Mera. She has arrived to offer aid. Dr. Deering attempts to recapture the heroes, but Mera entangles his entire submersible within ribbons of hard water. Dr. Deering draws on deep reserves of power, to enable his machine to break free. Activating the underwater vacuum, Dr. Deering tractors the three heroes back to his vessel. Aquaman instructs Mera to create a hard water sphere to plug the suctioning mouth, allowing them to escape it's pull. Dr. Deering gives up the fight, deciding instead to resume his efforts to populate his underwater city with surface dwellers. He returns to the surface, bearing down on another passing ocean liner. Mera creates a water spout that raises the ship out of the reach of the submersible's robotic arms. At which point, Dr. Deering finds himself under attack by a US Navy gunboat. Aquaman pleads with the Navy captain to call off the attack, citing that Dr. Deering is not in his right mind. The US Navy deems Dr. Deering too dangerous to be left to his own devices. Aquaman is given one hour to find an alternative solution, before the Naval captain resumes the assault. Aquaman sets a plan into motion. He confronts Dr. Deering, telling him that he can stop pursuing surface dwellers, as his "city" is already overpopulated. Dr. Deering travels back to the "city" to find that it is, indeed, teeming with people. In actuality, they are from Mera's home, Dimension Aqua. Stepping outside of his submersible to investigate, Dr. Deering is jumped by Aquaman. Dr. Deering, however, has a portable, handheld controller for his machine. He captures Aquaman and Aqualad, again, in the great robot arms. Dr. Deering, though, suddenly begins to drown. The water breathing formula has worn off. With Aquaman and Aqualad held fast in the grip of the machine's robot arms, there's no way for them to get Dr. Deering back up to the surface. Aquaman summons a group of electric eels that short out the portable controller. The robot arms relax their grip. Aquaman saves Dr. Deering, whose sanity has returned with his ability to breath air. Aqualad uses the submersible to return all the hijacked skyscrapers to their origin points.

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.

Please first Sign In before leaving a review.

Status: Not in Collection