While The DCU Ignores Him, Aquaman Just Proved He’s DC Comics’ Most Underrated Hero

He might not be DC Comics’ greatest hero, but Aquaman continues to show why he’s the publisher’s most underrated icon. Arthur Curry has been through a lot in the last year and change. He lost his family and home, assembled a new superhero team, and competed in a high-stakes tournament for a chance to defeat Darkseid. And all the while, Aquaman has steadily grown stronger, largely due to his new role as the avatar of the Blue, the mystical force that connects all water life. And he’s not even reached his peak yet.

At the end of DC K.O., Aquaman, like the rest of the participants in the Omega Tournament, experienced a vision that informed him of what he needed to do to prepare the DCU for Darkseid’s next attack. Rather than keep his watch limited to the waters of Earth, Aquaman is expanding his protection all across the universe, connecting them via ‘Lighthouses’. Now, as Arthur embarks on this new crusade, he’s pulling out the big guns and showing the entire DC Universe (and comic readers) why he’s one of his world’s most underrated powerhouses.

Aquaman Reveals a Secret New Ice Power

In Emperor Aquaman #16 by Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe, Arthur is helping his wife Mera recover her hydrokinetic powers (which were transferred to Aquaman at the end of Absolute Power). Thankfully, with Aquaman now having complete control over water as the Blue’s avatar, he successfully manages to return Mera’s ability while retaining his own water powers. Suddenly, the couple is intruded upon by King Shark, though he hasn’t come to make trouble. In fact, the vision he experienced actually told him to follow Aquaman and protect his mission, so King Shark swears fealty to Arthur.

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King Shark joins Aquaman (as well as his allies Karshon, Titanus, and Zan) and the group heads into the blue to head to the nearest planet that requires their help. They wind up on a planet of insectoids that have already built a lighthouse in preparation for Aquaman’s arrival. However, all is not as it seems, as the native race has actually been infected by a race of parasites. One insectoid gets the drop on Aquaman, telling him that the parasites plan to invade other worlds to transform and assimilate other beings.

Aquaman quickly deduces that the parasites thrive on heat and formulates a plan. First, he uses his water control to find every spore. Once he has them surrounded by water, he slows down the water molecules, locking the hydrogen bonds together and creating ice. With the parasites frozen, the insectoids regain control of their bodies and worlds. Aquaman gathers every last parasite and freezes them in a giant clump until he can find out where they came from and return them to their proper home.

Aquaman’s Ongoing Title is Helping Him Beat the Lame Allegations

Now, I and every other DC Comics stan know that Aquaman has always been a cool hero. But for the longest time, the poor guy’s reputation was hampered thanks to the Super Friends cartoon, which portrayed him as a guy who ‘talked to fish’. And it didn’t help that shows like The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy kept that joke going. Admittedly, Aquaman’s DCEU movie did a lot to help his reputation, but with that universe gone, Aquaman’s been without content that shows just how awesome he really is.

But what’s so great about Adams’ and Timms’ ongoing isn’t that it just keeps buffing Aquaman, it shows how he adapts to his new powers. Like in this instance, Aquaman isn’t even sure he can freeze water, but by pushing himself and experimenting, he mastered an ability he’s never been able to do before in moments. And that’s on top of all the other impressive things he’s pulled out in this series, like how he learned he can manipulate blood as easily as water.

I know Aquaman’s never going to be on Batman or Superman’s level of popularity. But I do think it’s important that fans recognize that Arthur is an impressive hero. He’s a brilliant tactician, an incredible leader, and he’s constantly pushing himself to achieve greater heights. Being able to turn water into ice is just another example of how ingenious Arthur actually is. If you’ve ever had any doubts about Aquaman, this series is the best proof of the kind of hero he is.

What do you think about Aquaman’s evolution in his current series? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!