Followers of DC Comics and the DC Extended Universe know about Aquaman, the pivotal member of the Justice League who often fails to get the respect he deserves. However, with the Aquaman movie coming out in December 2018, you may need to brush up your knowledge of other Aquaman characters who, like him, remained on the fringes while Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash received all the attention.
A plethora of comic book characters in Aquaman made their on-screen debut in 2018. If you want to give proper respect to Aquaman, read up on all the characters who populate his colorful underwater world.
Mera appears in the Aquaman continuity primarily as a love interest and ally of the hero. Originally from a different universe known as Dimension Aqua where she reigned, the exiled undersea queen escaped from her home and arrived at Atlantis. At her new home, she leads an Atlantean tribe and assists Aquaman in his various adventures.
Mera boasts a variety of powers, including an ability to breath underwater and hydrokinesis, the ability to bend water to her will. Outside of water, she can also travel through dimensions and communicate with fellow Atlanteans using telepathy. However, exposure to lead causes Mera to lose her powers, and she can be unstable due to the emotional trauma suffered throughout her life.
A treasure hunter and mercenary, Black Manta possesses no supernatural powers. He instead relies on highly trained combat skills, exceptional underwater maneuverability, and a wide range of diving equipment to do battle.
Black Manta comes into constant conflict with Aquaman due to his pillaging of the sea for mythical artifacts and treasures, though a more personal tragedy led to the two becoming foes. Early in both of their lives, a struggle between their fathers left both men dead. With Black Manta and Aquaman blaming each other, they descended into a spiral of vengeance that rages on to this day.
Ocean Master is arguably the biggest enemy of Aquaman within the comic series. The half-brother of the hero, Orm Marius first appeared in 1966 and has remained a major player ever since. Thanks in part to his huge ego and the fact that his mother rules as queen of Atlantis in current continuity, Ocean Master considers himself the rightful heir to the throne of the underwater kingdom. This puts him in constant conflict with Aquaman, who has a claim to the title himself.
Ocean Master's powers depend on the timeline. In some instances, he has no powers and instead relies upon technology to breathe underwater and attack his enemies. He later acquires superhuman abilities similar to Aquaman after making a deal with a sea demon, who gives him a magical trident. In a subsequent reboot, creators made Ocean Master completely Atlantean, again with similar powers to his half-brother.
At various times, Queen Atlanna serves as either the leader of Atlantis or a prisoner and exile. The mother of both Aquaman and his half-brother Ocean Master, Queen Atlanna conceives Aquaman with a human and her other son with King Orvax, the ruler of Atlantis. Unfortunately, circumstances force her to abandon Aquaman when it becomes clear he'll be threatened due to his half-human nature.
Atlanna is an expert fighter and possesses superhuman strength.
Nereus is a newer character in the Aquaman continuity; he first appeared in 2013. He leads, or perhaps more appropriately rules over, a group of separatist Atlanteans exiled from the kingdom. Known as the Xebels, they work with Ocean Master in his attempts to overthrow Aquaman.
It appears Nereus will be the father of Mera in the film adaptation, as opposed to her potential suitor as he's been in the past.
One of the earliest characters to appear alongside Aquaman, Nuidis Vulko holds many important distinctions within Atlantis. He acts as both a scientific adviser and political leader in he underwater kingdom. The Atlantean often serves as a dedicated ally to Aquaman, working against the likes of Nereus and Ocean Master in their attempts to usurp Aquaman's rule. In later comics, he is forced to leave Atlantis and live on the surface.
Vulko possesses extreme strength, but he also sports a keen intellect that proves invaluable both in and out of battle.
