Aquaman Just Beat a God, and It’s Time to Stop Treating Him Like a Joke

Aquaman has always been the butt of the joke in DC. For decades, he’s been fans’ favorite punching bag for his bright orange costume and ability to talk to fish. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people make fun of how useless Aquaman is anywhere outside the ocean. Especially cause, traditionally, most crime isn’t water-based. He’s gone through countless revisions and iterations over the years, most aiming to make him cooler or more grungey to throw off this perception. I mean, Jason Mamoa played Aquaman and Lobo for crying out loud. Yet, inevitably, Aquaman returns to his normal design and outlook, which makes people call him lame again.

The King of the Seas has always been more of a powerhouse than anyone gave him credit for, but DC has finally gotten sick of him being disrespected and taken him to the next level. Aquaman has gotten a serious strength boost as the avatar of the Blue, the primordial energy connecting all water in the universe. Emperor Aquaman has depicted his rise to power and decision to rule over water across the universe to safeguard against a mysterious threat, and issue #20 showed just how strong he’s gotten by pitting him against the God of the Seas, Poseidon. Aquaman didn’t just win. He decimated.

A New God of All Water

The issue started with Poseidon appearing before Atlantis and demanding that Aquaman relinquish his connection to the Blue, saying it was too dangerous for a mortal. Arthur refused, and their battle immediately shook the oceans. Mister Terrific watched it all from the Watchtower, saying that they would tear the ocean in half in moments. To avoid casualties, Aquaman teleported them to a fully water planet, where he proceeded to unleash all of his held-back strength with no fear of casualties. The raw power of the water forced Poseidon to yield before it tore him to shreds, cementing Aquaman as the true ruler of all water in DC.

This is obviously a massive boost in status for our resident orange-scaled hero. He’s always been stronger than people thought, able to trade blows with Wonder Woman and Superman for at least some hits, but he’s never been anywhere near this powerful. The Olympian Gods possess downright monstrous might, often cited as having unlimited depths. Yet, despite it all, Aquaman pushed Poseidon around like a child. He even has a new weapon, Thalassa, the Trilance Saber, that is better-forged than Poseidon’s Trident, which has been Aquaman’s most powerful weapon for years. The King of Atlantis is on an entirely different level, possibly even stronger than Superman himself, and it’s about time.

From a Joke to Something More

As mentioned above, DC has Aquaman trapped in a near-constant rework process. Every couple of years he’ll grow his hair and beard out and take on a much harsher or broodier mentality. The biggest instance of this came in the ’90s, when he lost his hand and replaced it with a hook. Heck, even back in the pre-Crisis era, DC pulled a first and killed Aquaman’s son on panel, showing that they were willing to take Aquaman to much darker shores. However, while these gritier, edgier stories and takes can be interesting, they never last. Aquaman always returns to his usual appearance and generally optimistic attitude, which just makes it seem like these trips to being cool are trying way too hard.

All of this is to say that Aquaman doesn’t need that sort of change or redesign to be cool, because he already is. Forcibly changing Aquaman’s character to fit the naysayers will never actually change their minds. Instead, DC needs to focus on making Aquaman cool without making him change, which is exactly what Emperor Aquaman is all about. Aquaman is now a serious powerhouse nobody can ignore, a galactic emperor, and an orange-scale-wearing hero who fights for what’s right. They’ve made Aquaman look and act awesome without adding needless edge or making him pessimistic, which is a breath of fresh air in every regard.

Aquaman is the type of character who attracts people who want to make fun of him, but the best way to dissuade that is by making him so cool that no fan would want to laugh at those jokes. Giving Aquaman’s “silly” design and attitude this major boost is the perfect way to fight back, because why would you want to make fun of the guy who can beat up gods?

Emperor Aquaman #20 is on sale now!

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