Issue Description

Can This Be Death?

Aquaman wakes up in a strange new world. The last thing he remembers is returning to Atlantis, from Alaska, with Aqualad. Outside the great domed city, Queen Mera was meeting with the Ocean Master. The seagoing marauder had come to warn Aquaman of an impending alien invasion of Earth. Ocean Master also revealed that, at long last, his memories had returned. He knew that Aquaman was his brother. Then, the aliens descended upon them. Aquaman was shot. Now, he is left to contemplate his new surroundings. The atmosphere is of the same consistency as water. Aquaman finds he can swim through the air. As he explores this weird, abstract environment, he is set upon by an enormous, cyclopian amoeba. Aquaman's telepathic commands fail to sway the creature from it's pursuit. Aquaman is left with no choice but to run. Suddenly, a young woman appears and begins firing arrows into the creature. Aquaman's telepathy fails him, again, in trying to communicate with the woman. He takes the woman's weapon from her, and fires a bolt into the creature's eye. The creature explodes, nearly taking Aquaman and the girl with it. Aquaman begins to pick up a feint telepathic signal, and follows it to the source.

The City On The Edge Of Nowhere

Aquaman follows the garbled telepathic emissions to a bizarre floating city. The girl follows him. As with the girl, Aquaman is unable to telepathically communicate with the city's populace. The telepathic signals he does pick up, though, are coming from a centrally located structure. Entering the building, Aquaman is attacked by a single guard, whose weapon coats Aquaman in enervating bubbles. Before the Sea King's strength can completely fail him, he renders the guard unconscious and proceeds inside. Entering a deeply recessed chamber, Aquaman discovers a group of the city's inhabitants engaged in conversation. At last, the girl establishes a telepathic link with Aquaman. The people only communicate with one another in this sacred place. Outside of the chamber it is forbidden. The girl identifies their location as "The City". Beyond "The City", is "The Wilderness". There is nothing else. Concepts like planets, galaxies and stars are meaningless to her. Aquaman begins to suspect that he has not been transported to some alien world, but to another plane of reality. Desperately seeking information, Aquaman asks to speak to someone in authority. The girl says there is only Brother Warnn. At the mere mention of the name, the man in question enters the chamber, but is he friend or foe?

Deadman Rides Again

In the fabled land of Nanda Parbat, Boston Brand can find no peace. Summoned by Rama Kushna, Brand is sent to investigate a strange submersible craft. Rama Kushna senses there is a connection between the vessel and the end times, for life on Earth. As Nanda Parbat dissolves around Brand he reflects on the circumstances that brought him here. His assassination at the hands of a killer called "The Hook". His subsequent hunt to bring his killer to justice, from beyond the grave, as "Deadman". His new "life" in the service of Rama Kushna. The world comes back into focus, and Brand finds himself, deep beneath the sea, outside the submersible. Passing through the hull, Brand discovers that the vessel is being piloted by the Ocean Master. He watches as the Ocean Master plants a strange device on the ocean floor. Two hours later, Ocean Master meets with a group of aliens. In return for his services, the aliens have agreed to slay Ocean Master's hated foe, Aquaman. Brand is torn between discovering the nature of the alien's device, and saving Aquaman's life. Brand opts to help the KIng of the Seas. To that end, he possesses the Ocean Master. Within Ocean Master's mind, Brand finds some kind of blockage preventing him from taking total control of the villain's body. Brand breaks through the barrier, and all of Ocean Master's lost memories come flooding back to him. Realizing that Aquaman is, in fact, his brother, the Ocean Master races to warn him of the coming alien attack. Satisfied that Ocean Master himself will save Aquaman, Brand returns to the alien's craft. There, Brand learns that the alien devices that Ocean Master planted, once activated, will quarter the mental acuity of everyone on Earth, making the populace that much easier to enslave. Brand possesses one of the aliens, but a device onboard their ship seems to detect his presence. Brand abandons the alien, and possesses another, but it's too late. The aliens unleash a strange feline creature, with exceptionally large eyes and ears, into the room. It's unblinking eyes fix Brand in it's terrible gaze. Brand grow dizzy, then screams as he is forcibly wrenched from this plane of existence, and hurled into another.

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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