Thoughts On Golden Age Aquaman?

[Timothy Hunter]

I've heard no discourse about Aquaman's first two decades of publication. How did his Golden Age stories differed from his, more available in print, Silver Age?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I've heard no discourse about Aquaman's first two decades of publication. How did his Golden Age stories differed from his, more available in print, Silver Age?

He's an interesting variant of Aquaman in the sense that his origin isn't just a cut and paste of Namor's origin. His comics were very much of the time, however. It was sheer luck that the character's strip survived uninterrupted into the Silver Age like almost all other super-heroes. The concept behind the character is very cool though, which is likely why Kurt Busiek used that for his Joseph Curry version of Aquaman post-Infinite Crisis.

For whatever it's worth, I include the Golden Age Aquaman in my own DCU History as a mysterious Nazi U-Boat huntin' undersea hero who disappeared without a trace after WW2. Despite being largely forgotten by modern continuity, I think the character deserves being included.

[bat39]

I think I've read only a few Golden Age Aquaman stories, mainly from the 80th anniversary collection.

Apart from the origin and the tonality of the stories (which, like a lot of Golden Age fare, is a lot more overtly violent and a bit more serious than Silver Age stuff), I don't think he's fundamentally that different a character from the Silver Age version. The first major change to the character came when he became the king of Atlantis, followed by the hook and the long hair and beard.

It's the same with the Green Arrow. Apart from his origin (and hair color!) he didn't really change much until Adams and O'Neill reinvented him with a new look and new characterization in the late 60's.

[Adekis]

He took a long time before becoming an Atlantean if I recall correctly.

I actually know more about Golden Age Sub-Mariner than I do about Golden Age Aquaman, but from the few Aquaman comics I remember reading, he's implied to have an origin closer to Doc Savage or Tom Strong than to Namor, unlike Silver Age Aquaman and onward. His father trained him intensively to be the ultimate human amphibian, something like that!

By contrast, Namor obviously is the half-blood prince of an Antarctic race of undersea dwellers, closer to what Aquaman would be later.

BUT if you read those early stories, it's pretty easy to see that Sub-Mariner is really nothing less than the first subversion of Superman, flying around the city and terrorizing people. At one point early on, Namor wears a red curtain like a cape and smashes a green police car! Shades of the Distinguished Competition indeed! But the skimpy outfit, the winged feet, coming from the sea instead of the stars, all does a good job disguising Namor's fundamental similarity to early Superman in terms of exploits!

By contrast, Aquaman wouldn't pick up Atlantis as a retcon and setting for a good while into his career, iirc.

[Goldrake]

He took a long time before becoming an Atlantean if I recall correctly.

I actually know more about Golden Age Sub-Mariner than I do about Golden Age Aquaman, but from the few Aquaman comics I remember reading, he's implied to have an origin closer to Doc Savage or Tom Strong than to Namor, unlike Silver Age Aquaman and onward. His father trained him intensively to be the ultimate human amphibian, something like that!

By contrast, Namor obviously is the half-blood prince of an Antarctic race of undersea dwellers, closer to what Aquaman would be later.

BUT if you read those early stories, it's pretty easy to see that Sub-Mariner is really nothing less than the first subversion of Superman, flying around the city and terrorizing people. At one point early on, Namor wears a red curtain like a cape and smashes a green police car! Shades of the Distinguished Competition indeed! But the skimpy outfit, the winged feet, coming from the sea instead of the stars, all does a good job disguising Namor's fundamental similarity to early Superman in terms of exploits!

By contrast, Aquaman wouldn't pick up Atlantis as a retcon and setting for a good while into his career, iirc.

Agreed Golden age Aquaman's origin are different from those in Silverage/
As for Namor, with the exception of readers, outside comics Namor is hardly known at all, while Aquaman even if at times for wrong reasons, he is well known. The movie has pushed him to new heights. The King of the Seven Seas has come a long way since his debut in 1941.

[Jody Garland]

He took a long time before becoming an Atlantean if I recall correctly.

I actually know more about Golden Age Sub-Mariner than I do about Golden Age Aquaman, but from the few Aquaman comics I remember reading, he's implied to have an origin closer to Doc Savage or Tom Strong than to Namor, unlike Silver Age Aquaman and onward. His father trained him intensively to be the ultimate human amphibian, something like that!

The Silver Age Origin was the first to have Arthur be a half-Atlantean and that came as late as 1959, in Adventure #260. Intersestingly, the island origin for Green Arrow was also first established around that time- the two do share an oddly similar history.

Golden Age Aquaman was "the son of a famous oceanographer" (probably supposed to be Jacques Cousteau?) who had discovered the ruins of what he presumed to be Atlantis. Using hidden teachings thereof, he taught his young son to breathe underwater and talk to marine life (but not control it like later incarnations). Interestingly, there is no name given to GA Aquaman- he's only ever called Aquaman save for a few looks at a potential alias as a college student named Mr. Waterman. Things were less subtle back then...

You're observation about him being a Doc Savage character is interesting. Like a lot of other brick superheroes, Aquaman had a phase closer to what Alan Moore called "science heroes". Johns tried to bring some of that back, wish it'd stuck.

[BatmanJones]

I just watched the animated JSA movie last night because it just came to HBO Max so my first thought is that he was a strange (but fun) villain to fight the JSA. My other thought, not unrelated to the first, is that he is at once iconic and obscure.

[Kurt Busiek]

Golden Age Aquaman was "the son of a famous oceanographer" (probably supposed to be Jacques Cousteau?)

Cousteau wasn't famous yet when Aquaman was created.

I figure Weisinger just made Aquman's dad an oceanographer to give him a reason to be exploring underwater.

kdb

[Adekis]

The Silver Age Origin was the first to have Arthur be a half-Atlantean and that came as late as 1959, in Adventure #260. Intersestingly, the island origin for Green Arrow was also first established around that time- the two do share an oddly similar history.

Golden Age Aquaman was "the son of a famous oceanographer" (probably supposed to be Jacques Cousteau?) who had discovered the ruins of what he presumed to be Atlantis.

I have no idea if this was ever intended by any writer or not, but I always kind of figured the famous oceanographer was someone like Captain Nemo. Maybe I just had Jules Verne on my mind that day though!

What are the similarities between the Silver Age Aquaman and Green Arrow origins? I'm curious!