Issue Description

Aquaman and Mera race to Atlantis, but along the way find Aqualad locked in combat with Bugala. Meanwhile, Narkran's tyranny continues to escalate as Aquagirl attempts to control the rising anger of the rebels! NOTE: This issue has been reprinted in black and white.

Come The Revolution

As Aquaman and Mera race to Atlantis, Narkran's tyranny continues to escalate. Disgruntled Atlantean youth move towards revolution. Aquagirl attempts to persuade the revolutionary leader to have patience, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. In short order, the revolutionaries attack an Atlantean armory. En route back to the great domed city, Aquaman and Mera come across Imp, Aqualad's seahorse. Imp is wandering near the vicinity of an old underwater colony, once visited by Aquaman. The Monarchs of Atlantis decide to look for Aqualad there. In Atlantis, the insurrection gains momentum. Identified as a possible rebel collaborator, Aquagirl is arrested by the Atlantean authorities. Brought before Narkran, Aquagirl finds herself being forced, at sword point, out onto the palace balcony. Narkran orders the revolutionaries to lay down their arms or Aquagirl dies.

Having developed an emotional attachment to Aquagirl, in the weeks leading up to the revolution, the rebel leader, Mupo, prepares to surrender. Mupo's decision is challenged by one of the rebels, and the two men begin fighting. Aquaman and Mera approach the decaying village of Eldfur. Aquaman is surprised to find the colony in ruins. He remembers the valley being lush with vegetation, the town teeming with life. Seeing no signs of the populace, Aquaman wonders if the colonists have abandoned Eldfur. Hearing voices just over the next rise, Aquaman and Mera investigate, only to find Aqualad in pitched combat with the monstrous Bugala. The men of Eldfur stand passively by, watching, as the Bugala snatches Aqualad in it's great claw. The youth has lost the fight and is about to die. In Atlantis, Mupo is put down by his brother-in-arms. The rebels storm the castle. Outraged by the siege, Narkran's grip on Aquagirl slips, and the teen heroine attempts to flee. Narkran reacts quicker than Aquagirl anticipated, and runs her through with his sword, sending the girl plummeting from the balcony parapet. Mupo recovers in time to see Aquagirl fall to the sea floor. Horrified at the severity of her wound, Mupo turns Aquagirl over to the learned Vulko, for care taking. With his blood boiling, Mupo storms the palace, and violently confronts Narkran. The Atlantean despot shrinks back in terror, as the rebel leader begins, mercilessly, beating him. It seems the revolution may soon be over.

The Adventures of AquaboyThis story was originally published in Adventure Comics #268

On patrol in the South Pacific, Aquaman rescues a blind old man, whose outrigger has capsized in the storm. The old man, however, fights against Aquaman's rescue efforts, professing his desire to die. Finding safe harbor on a coral shelf, Aquaman questions the old man's intentions. An accident robbed the man of his sight. He spent twelve years gathering pearls, with which to pay for a procedure to restore his vision. Alas, he accidentally dropped the chest of pearls into a deep ocean abyss. With no means to retrieve them, the old man has elected to die. Aquaman offers to retrieve the pearls, but the man suspects the Sea King of villainy, and refuses to give up the location. When Aquaman explains who he is, and what he can do, the man scoffs at the absurdity of the notion. No man can do the things Aquaman claims he can do. There's no such thing as an "Aquaman". It is then that Aquaman suddenly remembers that he had encountered this man once before, long ago, when he patrolled the seas as Aquaboy. The old man was the captain of a freighter, that had collided with another ship, in the fog. The freighter's hull was compromised. Aquaboy summoned two whales to lift the damaged section of the freighter out of the sea, to keep the ship from sinking. Despite the amazing rescue, the man refused to believe that Aquaboy had done the things he claimed. It was his belief that the freighter's cargo had merely shifted to the stern, lifting the bow out of the water. All these years later, the old man doubts the encounter even happened. The old man holds fast to the notion that Aquaman is merely a thief out to steal his pearls.

Wrestling with the conundrum of how to prove his identity and good intentions to the old man, Aquaman recalls times in the past when he had a similarly hard time establishing his existence. In his youth, as Aquaboy, he used his body to plug a hole in a dike, long enough for the fishermen in the town to repair it. The superstitious townsfolk, though, were terrified at Aquaboy's presence, believing him to be the ghost of the little Dutch boy, who once saved the town in a similar fashion. In another adventure, Aquaboy helped a crew of oceanographic archeologists locate a sunken Roman galley, lost on the sea floor, by posing as it's figurehead. The scientists, however, mistook Aquaboy for the actual figurehead, which they unearthed soon after discovering the shipwreck. A sudden seaquake destroys the coral reef Aquaman, and the old man, had come to rest upon. Aquaman summons a whale, instructing it to hold the old man in it's mouth, to keep him from drowning, while they journey to the shore. Though blind, the old man can feel the whale's teeth and realizes that Aquaman truly does command the creatures of the sea. He gives up the location of the chest of pearls, which Aquaman then retrieves for the old freighter captain.

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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