Atlantean's: The Origin

So with the recent confirmation that Jason Momoa will play Aquaman in this new DCU,  it got me thinking; how exactly should/could he be introduced into this “realistic” DC approach? I have accumulated a few scenarios as to how, and their pros and cons. Let’s dive on in (pun intended).

I'll start by saying upfront, I’m not a huge Aquaman fan. I had/have a hard time buying him working in this DCU. So before I begin addressing his origins, let’s start with the negatives the character will already be facing.

Negatives: The Name

The name. “Aquaman”… It’s ridiculous. True just as ridiculous as “Superman” or “Batman”, but there is a key difference here. Aquaman isn’t nearly as popular as those guys. And hearing those names aloud sound very questionable. This is one reason why we only hear “Superman” thrice in MOS. And Nolan knew “The Batman” sounded less ludicrous. But I digress.

I would not be surprised if we never even hear the term “Aquaman” or “Wonder Woman” or many other names for that matter. But it really isn’t that big of a deal. Just give me a good to great story and I’m happy. I mean how many times did we hear “Iron Man” or Captain America” in The Avengers? Less than a handful, and no one even noticed. Just call them by their ‘ames. And Call Aquaman ‘King Arthur’.

Negatives: Powers

Now I am not a comic book reader. But recently I read a New 52 Aquaman comic to see how ‘realistic’ and ‘grounded’ he could be. And there is a part in the comic where he goes to a sea food restaurant for lunch. And there are people who are like “WHAT!?” People start bringing up the fact that people make fun of him, and he has been the butt of many jokes. The even refer to an SNL bit, and say that people “don’t think of him as a real superhero”. I thought this was very interesting.

During this scene they are like; “Why are you here, don’t you talk to fish?”. And he says, “I don’t talk to fish! Fish are too stupid to carry a conversation. I simply tap into their membrane and push them to help”. I am paraphrasing a bit, but that’s pretty much it. I thought, ok, I suppose that would be the best way to explain it realistically. So I have a feeling this new incarnation will be less ‘fishy’ and more ‘royal’ in his persona.

Now, other than the fish, he is strong, agile, and quick. The depths of the sea have made in ‘super’ above the water. That works for me. And he can swim fast and has marine telepathy... Ok, I can buy it I guess. Although they would have to only do those occasionally, because seeing it too often would get more outlandish each time. Just go watch that awful Aquaman short film with Justin Hartley; you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Negatives: The Costume

I'll keep this short. His costume, any incarnation, is stupid. He is a King, dress him royally. Give him garments for just chilling out with the dolphins,and then battle attire. Boom.

Ok, so with that out of the way, let’s look at a few ways Snyder and Goyer could introduce him and his people (Atlantis) to our world.

The Comic Book Theory

The gist is Arthur’s dad is a lighthouse keeper, and his mom is a member of the Atlantean Royal family. At 13 or something Arthur is introduced to his Atlantean half of his life, when his mother killed. There he fights off that bad guys and claims his right as King.

PROS: It’s the original origin.

CONS: It’s kind of  ridiculous.

The Bermuda Triangle Theory

This idea was also in that self-titled Aquaman short. If you haven’t seen it, basically their explanation as to why people haven’t found Atlantis is because their technology is so advanced, that even the best of our radars and satellites can’t pick it up. And this has become known as the reason behind the Bermuda Triangle.

Now, just give me a second to just riff here. On the other side of the world near Japan, is another anomaly just like the Bermuda Triangle. It is referred to as the Devil's Sea, or the Dragon Triangle. Same stuff, but near Japan. What if they go with this theory for Atlantis… and Themoscryia? I mean they could change it up a bit, but two birds one plot device.

PROS: It is a viable option that could easily make sense too many people. The two birds thing.

CONS: It is a little un-original, not a cop out, but not a gem of an idea either. I get Atlantis is this ‘mystical’ place hidden for centuries, but that sort of end the debate right there doesn’t it? I mean Atlantis was a place, just like the rest of the world. So centuries ago their tech was still many, MANY years more advance than what we would have today? A little shaky.

 

The Civil War Theory (My Theory)

I get this is a little dicey for some fans, but hear me out. Realistically, the lost city of Atlantis is a tad absurd. So, what if they introduce this civilization as they do Wonder Woman and the Amazon's? If you read my “Amazon’s Origin” article, then you know my idea of how they could be introduced. So what if, the Atlantians are actually Amazons, or vice versa? For example, this alien race lands on earth thousands of years ago, and they have very similar reactions to our atmosphere as Kal-El has. (Ergo: "Gods")

After a civil war, the race is broken into two sides. The leaders agree too not only stay out of each other’s way, but also from humanities; due to differentiating ideologies. In this, (most) women go to ‘Themoscryia’ while (most) men go to ‘Atlantis’. And p.s., I don’t mean this to be a men vs woman thing. But since Themoscryia is mostly women, having most of the men leave just makes more sense. I can see like a 70-30 ratio for each.

PROS: It could bring tension between King Arthur and Princess Diana, making for a more in-depth plot device. Again, the two bird’s thing.

CONS: It is a large departure of the well-known origin. This would mean ‘Atlantis’ isn’t really Atlantis, just the name; but that’s what most people care about right? Now there are TWO alien civilizations that have been hidden from the world? Come on.

 

So there it is, some ideas of the origin. Let me know what you think; How would you handle telling the origin of not only Aquaman, but of all of the Atlanteans? Comment below. Thanks for reading.