Aquaman Doesn't Suck!

Aquaman doesn't suck! (or: Having a Goofy Name Completely Dismisses your Credibility)

By Mitchell A. Quondam

Let's face it, when it comes to people's favourite superheroes, Arthur Curry isn't exactly the first name to come up in the discussion. Sure, he's got power to be one of the heavy hitters in the DC Universe, but many people just view him as a fish out of water. You hear the same jabs about him all the time:

"He's weak out of water"
"His power set's lame"
"What's he gonna do? Call some whales to save the day?"
"His Costume is lame"
"Aquaman Sucks"

But Aquaman doesn't suck. When written properly, Curry can be regarded as a hero of godlike power, one who could rival the power of other gods like Wonder Woman, and even Superman.

The first thing that turns people off of him is his name, "Aquaman" It is like they chose the gentlest word for water they could, and then (in Golden/Silver Age fashion) added Man to the end of it. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman... Aquaman. It doesn't quite warrant the response that the others do.

If I was to ever do an Aquaman story, I would refer to him exclusively as Orin or Arthur. Even "curry" doesn't really sound intimidating. It's a spice, ooh, intimidating...

Also, I'd alter his costume, make it something more armored, like something a king going to war would have worn. His Injustice skin was a good example of what I'm looking for. The tights were fine in the Silver Age, but he is due for a change.

His powers though, should be the focus of the story. This is Orin, the mighty king of Atlantis. He has lived under constant water pressure at the depths of the sea for his entire life. When he comes up to land, he should feel as though that weight has been lifted. He should have physical strength and durability to match at least Wonder Woman if not Superman himself. Our brick walls would be like cardboard to him, our strongest machine guns like pillows. In some continuities he can even dehydrate land life just by touching it. In the Justice series he has a healing factor. In the right hands these powers could make Orin a true force on any Justice League roster.

His backstory can also be played with. He is heir to the throne of Atlantis, and that heritage has taken several routes in his story. He's been a proud and noble king, a disgraced/exiled king similar to Thor's origin, and a warrior king not too dissimilar to that of King Leonidas from 300. He could also be a young prince, who has not yet taken up the throne, or he could be completely unaware of his royal heritage, and has to discover who he is destined to be. There are endless ways to go about telling Orin's tale.