Aquaman Toy Provides The Best Look Yet At Vulko

Though it is exaggerated to fit the big-headed form of Funko figures, a new toy gives us a detailed look at Vulko as he will appear in Justice League and Aquaman to follow.

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The figure sees Nuidis Vulko, a DC Comics character being brought to life by Willem Dafoe later this year, in Mystery Mini form (which is available to order here) standing with his spear in full Atlantean costume. While there will inevitably be more details to the character, costume, and his props when the films roll around, the figure offers the first real look at his chest, core, and shoulder armor.

Check it out below.

Vulko and the Atlanteans will play a very minor role in November’s Justice League before coming to the forefront of the DC Extended Universe in Aquaman in 2018. For now, the pages of DC Comics provide the character’s story which fans will seek.

Originally, Vulko was introduced in 1967 as a political dissident and adviser to the former King of Atlantis, Trevis. When Aquaman was born with blonde hair (a deformity in Atlantean society) Vulko argued against casting the child out of the city, but he was overruled. Years later, Vulko met and befriended a grown up Aquaman in an Atlantean prison. When Aquaman escaped and became king of Atlantis, he appointed Vulko to act as his regent, allowing Vulko to make decisions on Aquaman’s behalf when the hero was away from the city.

Although Vulko and Aquaman are usually allies, Vulko hasn’t always been loyal to the hero. The elder Atlantean has abandoned Aquaman’s side several times, usually when he feels that Aquaman is unfit to rule Atlantis. He also has a tendency to be at the center of Atlantis’s political intrigue, and even became the King of Atlantis…albeit briefly. Unfortunately, Vulko was among the many citizens killed when the Spectre destroyed Atlantis during the events of Infinite Crisis.

DC reintroduced Vulko in the New 52 as an Atlantean living in exile. It was Vulko who explained to a young Aquaman about his Atlantean heritage. He later manipulated a war between Atlantis and the surface world in order to force Aquaman to retake the Atlantean throne from his half-brother Orm. Vulko’s plan works, but Aquaman’s first act as king is to imprison Vulko for his role in the deaths of hundreds of Atlanteans and humans. However, when Aquaman’s ancestor the Dead King retook the throne of Atlantis, the two reconciled and worked together to defeat the ancient enemy.

Justice League comes out November 17, 2017.