What's the current explanation for Atlanteans?

[Deniz Camp]

Specifically, their ability to breath under water?

I know there have been a bunch over the years; just curious as to which one is most recent/current.

[AnnaSandhu]

Easy, evolved under water so they developed gills but lived in an environment not nearly as cold as the actual bottom of the sea so they never turned into manatees.

[Deniz Camp]

But they are humans whose continent sank, I believe; you'd need some super-rapid evolution for that to work out.

(even thousands or hundreds of thousands of years wouldn't be sufficient, though).

[Robotman]

I guessing it was a result of Atlan the Dead King's spell that sank the city.

[HsssH]

Its kinda stupid. Supposedly Atlan sank Atlantis (he didn't use any spell for that as far as I remember) and Atlanteans managed to evolve into what they are today. Evolution had to happen in like 30 seconds for most of them I guess.

When I return home I'll have to read that issue again, because what I wrote sounds even stupider than I thought so maybe I'm mixing something up here.

[nightrider]

I have been thinking of a realistic explanation for Atlantans and I couldn't. I was thinking the movie version could be like Atlantans living in an isolated part of the earth underground that's is surrounded by water. Other than that I guess they'll have to be like alien in origins.

[Jim Purcell]

Maybe being isolated on an island, separate from the rest of humanity for thousands of years, lead to the development of proto-gills in the population, and the ones with functioning ones when the island sank were the ancestors of the current Atlantians.

[FanboyStranger]

I have no idea, but I wanted to stop by and say that DC really, really, really needs to collect The Atlantis Chronicles.

[Deniz Camp]

Its kinda stupid. Supposedly Atlan sank Atlantis (he didn't use any spell for that as far as I remember) and Atlanteans managed to evolve into what they are today. Evolution had to happen in like 30 seconds for most of them I guess.

When I return home I'll have to read that issue again, because what I wrote sounds even stupider than I thought so maybe I'm mixing something up here.

LOL!

Pre-Crisis and Post Crisis I'm sure it was the result of a spell; Pre-Crisis I believe Arion was the guy responsible. Post Crisis I want to say it was Atlan?

The whole 'rapid evolution' thing is, I guess, fine, for comic book logic but it's just not the way that works at all in real life. If they use an evolution-based explanation, I'd hope they'd add some comic macguffin to make it work.

As I've always seen one of the interest points of Atlantis is that it's a place where magic and technology both continue to evolve, and are part of every day as well as political life, I'd like to see that reflected in the origin. Perhaps Atlan (or whoever) DID protect the Atlanteans with a spell - but one that would last days/years/one life time, not forever. There on the sea-bed the wrecked survivors, mourning their terrible loss, came across some sort of holy relic that caused rapid adaptation to their new environment; adaptation which would be passed onto their children, making them not just survivors, but founders. (later the meteor would be revealed to be the original meteor that would later go on to evolve Hector Hammond).

That way you end up with an Atlantis origin that is both magic and tech based, explaining their equal reverence for each, and you also end up with a particular area that generates fun complications/antagonists, and can possibly be weaponized.

[ultradav]

LOL!

Pre-Crisis and Post Crisis I'm sure it was the result of a spell; Pre-Crisis I believe Arion was the guy responsible. Post Crisis I want to say it was Atlan?

The whole 'rapid evolution' thing is, I guess, fine, for comic book logic but it's just not the way that works at all in real life. If they use an evolution-based explanation, I'd hope they'd add some comic macguffin to make it work.

As I've always seen one of the interest points of Atlantis is that it's a place where magic and technology both continue to evolve, and are part of every day as well as political life, I'd like to see that reflected in the origin. Perhaps Atlan (or whoever) DID protect the Atlanteans with a spell - but one that would last days/years/one life time, not forever. There on the sea-bed the wrecked survivors, mourning their terrible loss, came across some sort of holy relic that caused rapid adaptation to their new environment; adaptation which would be passed onto their children, making them not just survivors, but founders. (later the meteor would be revealed to be the original meteor that would later go on to evolve Hector Hammond).

That way you end up with an Atlantis origin that is both magic and tech based, explaining their equal reverence for each, and you also end up with a particular area that generates fun complications/antagonists, and can possibly be weaponized.

Post-Crisis, pre-sunk Atlantis erected a dome around itself to keep out invaders. So, when the city sunk, they converted the dome somehow to continue letting air in I suppose? And then Atlantean scientists devised a serum that let them breathe underwater. Some Atlanteans settled the city of Tritonis (with the original being Poiseidonis) and due to magic, they also grew fish-tails. I don't think I explained that in the most artful way, but it's in the Atlantis Chronicles series by Peter David and is a good story.

[HsssH]

Looked at issue #24 that shows the origin.

Atlan did not cast any spells. His weapon was powerful enough to sink the island and it sank when he smashed the ground with it.
90% of people died, others survived and evolved. It implies that between survival and evolution there was a gap, but doesn't say for sure.

As it is presented it makes little sense, but I guess its vague enough that some future writer would be able to add some details about some wizard casting a spell and being able to protect 10% that eventually evolved into what we have today.

[Tupiaz]

Post-Crisis, pre-sunk Atlantis erected a dome around itself to keep out invaders. So, when the city sunk, they converted the dome somehow to continue letting air in I suppose? And then Atlantean scientists devised a serum that let them breathe underwater. Some Atlanteans settled the city of Tritonis (with the original being Poiseidonis) and due to magic, they also grew fish-tails. I don't think I explained that in the most artful way, but it's in the Atlantis Chronicles series by Peter David and is a good story.

In theory they could produce their air with some kind of light and trees. But yes the dome has always been a part of the myth (also outside of DC) as far as I know. Since scientist argues that life started in water it could be argued that some people simply had the ability to breath under water without knowing it.