If Aquaman proves one thing, it’s that superheroes don’t need to be jumping off buildings and lifting cars to be compelling. Thanks to Jason Momoa’s charisma, the DC film is one of the most successful movies of all time and has led many fans to cruise the net for trivia about Arthur Curry and his underwater world.
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The comics do offer all the answers you could possibly need, but if you’re too busy to go through them, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve got a list of fascinating Aquaman facts that will surely quench your thirst for Atlantean content until a sequel comes out. Dive right in!
1. He Was ‘Cursed’ With Blonde Hair
Aquaman was born to the Queen of Atlantis, no less, however his blonde hair (in the comics, at least) made him a public enemy because of the curse that is associated with such a hair color in Atlantean culture. For that reason, poor baby Aquaman was abandoned on a reef.
He was eventually naturally saved and raised by dolphins, until he met a lighthouse keeper named Arthur Curry (rings a bell?) and learned our human ways.
2. Aquaman has an Evil Brother
Aquaman’s mother was a queen, but his father was an evil wizard. It therefore won’t be surprising to learn that he has a nemsis half-brother named Orm. In the comics, Orm (the Ocean Master) doesn’t have the greatest intentions and ends up becoming Aquaman’s foe because of, well, good old jealousy.
3. His Powers Go Beyond Talking to Fish
If you don’t know much about Aquaman, it’s easy to assume that his main superpower is being able to converse with fish. But the superhero and demigod is far more than just a stingray-whisperer and can also control sea life. This obviously makes him quite terrifying for potential enemies, given that he can order a bunch of sharks to kill you on the spot if you mess with him.
4. His Trident Isn’t Just For Show
Aquaman’s Trident of Neptune isn’t just a fancy accessory he bought online to look awesome wherever he goes. This beautiful weapon does serve a purpose such as controlling the weather, manipulating the sea tide, and more. It does have an aesthetic purpose too, in that it represents our hero’s royal blood and his overall badassery.
5. Green Arrow Made Aquaman Popular
Aquaman was practically a nobody when his first comic (More Fun Comic #73) was released in 1941, however Green Arrow’s presence in that first issue attracted many readers and made its value and price reach unexpected heights.
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6. He is One of the Seven Founding Justice League Members
The Justice League has been through various iterations in the comics, with different origin stories and DC heroes for each of them. An interesting fact is that Aquaman has been a part of its founding members in every single version, since the 1960s.
7. Aquaman is Usually Hand-less
Call him Captain Hook if you will! In several variations of the comics, Aquaman loses his hand. Once, he lost it to piranhas, and another time, his enemy Black Manta cut it off. He ends up replacing the missing limb with a harpoon! And there we were thinking Marvel was the only one cutting limbs off!
8. He Wasn’t the First Underwater Hero
Yet another reason to pit DC against Marvel! Aquaman was not the first underwater superhero to grace the world of comics. A hero named Namor the Sub-Mariner, appeared in 1939 in the Marvel universe. He could breathe both air and water and was also quite skilled in kicking Nazi butts.
Extra fun fact? A crossover in the 1996 miniseries ‘DC vs. Marvel’ saw Aquaman and Namor battle it out in which Aquaman won – by smashing Namor with a whale.
9. Aquaman’s Wife is Super Powerful
Mera arrived in the comics in 1963 as the queen of the Dimension Aqua, mainly as a supporting character to her husband. Modern writers, however, have focused on positioning Mera as a powerful hero in her own right. Her powers include being able to manipulate water, strong enough to “pull an entire army out to sea”. Not to mention that Mera can also form objects out of mere water. We understand why Aquaman fell for her, we really do.
10. Aquaman and Mera Had a Child
In 1964, Aquaman and Mera became the happy parents of a baby called Arthur Curry Jr. Unfortunately, Aquababy didn’t live to become his father’s disciple, as Black Manta, Aquaman’s arch-enemy, killed him shortly thereafter. We’d hate to see this in movie-form – that would be some pretty tough viewing.
11. There Was Once an Aquaman/Superman Show
Superman was indeed the first comic book superhero to get an animated show in the 1940s. Believe it or not, though, Aquaman was the second DC hero to get his own series – alongside Clark Kent! Filmation released a series starring both of them in 1967, a program that was called The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.
12. Jason Momoa Was Always Meant to be Aquaman
The Game of Thrones actor was always destined for life at sea! Being of Hawaiian descent, Jason Momoa has always been fascinated by oceans and what lives within them, which led him to become a marine biology graduate. If that wasn’t prophetic, we don’t know what is.
13. He Was the First Superhero to Get Married
Aquaman was one of the first superheroes to say “I do”. In the comics, the demigod married his love interest Mera in 1964. At the time, most superheroes were still at the talking stage with their love interests. Good job, Arthur!
14. Aquaman’s Sidekick Should be His Enemy
Aquaman has had many different sidekicks in the comics. Kaldur’ahm, aka Jackson Hyde, a teen who can manipulate water, stands out most, as he is also the son of Aquaman’s most hated enemy, Black Manta. The apple can actually fall pretty far from the tree every now and then.
15. Jason Momoa Refused to Give Up Beer for the Role
Given his usual appearance, it’s obvious Jason Momoa didn’t have to do that much work to get in shape for Aquaman. The actor did have to somewhat restrict his diet and do a few more push-ups, but there’s one thing he refused to give up – his beloved beer.
Jason insisted on having beer every day regardless of this intense routine, something his coach allowed. We’re pretty sure he would have looked great even after eating his weight in chocolate cake.
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16. His Agility Doesn’t Stop at the Aquatic World
Although he is mostly powerful as a creature of the ocean, Aquaman also has on-land abilities. Like his friend Superman, he has superhuman strength and can also jump abnormally high thanks to the agility he developed underwater. Told ya he’s one of the most powerful DC superheroes!
17. Aquaman’s Tattoos are Real
Here’s an interesting movie fact! Ironically, the tribal tattoos which represent shark teeth on Jason Momoa’s arms are real (we told you the actor was meant for the sea)! Producers decided to use them as a baseline for Aquaman’s tattoos, rather than erase them digitally or cover them with makeup. Therefore, some of the character’s body art in the film is 100% authentic.
18. He’s Modest, Like a Lot
Unlike other superheros (cough, Batman, cough) Aquaman prefers to rest and train in discrete places rather than get himself a fancy armory or a manor (cough, Batman, cough). For instance, he mostly hides out in a wrecked fishing boat to plan his next super-activities.
19. Aquaman Wasn’t Always That Goofy
Comic books fans might have been quite surprised to discover a rather humorous Aquaman in the eponymous movie, compared to the comics where he’s generally quite poised and serious. The reason for that is quite simple and understandable – to make sure the movie would be both epic and entertaining, Jason Momoa’s natural sense of humor was used to influence his take on the character.
20. His Weakness is…Lack of Water
As any superhero, Aquaman has a weakness. The demigod must come into contact with water once per hour at least, or else he collapses. Arthur Curry developed this ‘Achilles heel’ somewhere along the way in the comics, which was probably inserted by the writers to make sure he wasn’t too invincible.
Here you have it! 20 lesser known facts about Aquaman and his incredible universe. Jason Momoa certainly brought the character to life in a fresh and interesting way and we can’t wait to see what he will do next with this fascinating, underrated DC hero.
Let us know in the comments which Aquaman facts you’ve found surprising, and what piece of trivia you think would also look great in our list.
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Thank you for posting. I really enjoy reading.