He belongs everywhere and feels at home nowhere. He is Aquaman. And he is alone.
Aquaman (1991) is an Aquaman series from DC Comics that ran from 1991 to 1992 for 13 issues. It was written by Shaun McLaughlin and illustrated by Ken Hooper, Bob Dvorak, Tom McCraw, Vincent Giarrano, Chris Schenck, and Dan Nakrosis.
Focusing on Arthur's personal grief after the death of his son at the hands of Black Manta, the story mixes introspection with superhero action, environmentalism, and underwater politics. Aquaman's absence from his home city, Poseidonis, has left it vulnerable to attacks from above and below the waves. While his people love him, Aquaman can't say the same for himself and drifts on a current of depression, exhaustion, and self-hatred as he grapples with the weight of his past—especially his estrangement from Mera—and the growing pressure in the present as the city of Tritonis moves in on Poseidonis.
The story introduced several themes and characters that Aquaman (1994) would pick up on, including the merpeople of Tritonis and their relationship to Poseidonis, Aquaman's personal journey to better himself and move on from grief, Mera's whereabouts, and international politics.
This comic book contains examples of:
- An Aesop: Arthur learns several lessons throughout the course of the run, including that it's okay to ask for help if he needs it, that self-acceptance is the first step to overcoming grief and depression, and that it's necessary to make room for his own wants and needs as well as others'.
- Alternate Company Equivalent: Iqula's hot temper and stubbornness make him one to Namor the Sub-Mariner, while S'Ona is equivalent to Lady Dorma as his wife and mediating voice.
- And the Adventure Continues: After liberating Tritonis from its tyrant king, Vulko gives Aquaman the Atlantis Chronicles to help him learn more about himself and his past, which is picked up on in the Time and Tide miniseries.
- Apathetic Citizens: Discussed, with the Tritonians believing the people of Poseidonis need their protection and that they can't fend for themselves without the dome.
- Appeal to Novelty: When the corrupt King Firtf's reliance on tradition proves to be a hollow attempt to retain power and attack peaceful neighbors, the people of Tritonis overthrow him and accept new ways of thinking.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Black Manta blows up Arthur Jr.'s grave to anger Aquaman and ends up making him angry enough to attempt to murder him.
- The Bus Came Back: Thanatos, last seen in Aquaman (1962) #54, returns here in another attempt to take control of Arthur's mind and body.
- Domesticated Dinosaurs: Derea of Mertu has a dinosaur companion named Peli, with whom she has a telepathic connection.
- Foreshadowing: S'Ona brings up her 'curse' and her pendant with a conspicuous letter K on it, and issue 12 shows she has a connection to Kordax through her blonde hair.
- Fourth-Wall Mail Slot: Porm answered the mail in issue 10, while Vulko answered for issue 12. Both characters gave trivia about themselves as well as answering fan questions and previewing the next issue's story.
- Freudian Excuse: Black Manta is given one here; as a child he was kidnapped and enslaved at sea for an unspecified amount of time. He saw Aquaman and called out for help, but Aquaman didn't hear him, leading him to hate him.
- Good All Along: Minister F'ancha seems to be up to something sinister as he tries to keep Aquaman in the city and refuses to let Aquaman see him, but it turns out he was a huge fan of his and simply knew a lot about the surface, like Arthur.
- Green Aesop: Aquaman clashes with the Sea Devils when the latter are framed for causing an oil spill, endangering all nearby sea life.
- Heel–Face Turn: Long-time foe the Scavenger reveals he went straight and got a job with recycled scrap thanks to Aquaman's help.
- Holding Out for a Hero: Invoked and subverted. Black Manta is confident the Atlanteans will rely on Aquaman to save them and stay out of the fight as they usually do—and he's floored when they do stand up and fight.Manta: What? The Poseidonians have never done that before. Sheep don't fight.
- Ignored Epiphany: Black Manta briefly thinks that killing Aquababy was a mistake and he contemplates what he's become, only to brush it off as someone Aquaman made him.
- Legacy Character: The current NKVDemon is a man named Nicodemus who studied under the first. His tenure doesn't last long, because after he fails to kill Aquaman, he's assassinated himself.
- Martyr Without a Cause: Aquaman buries his own personal trauma in unrelenting service to others and barely stops to eat or sleep. It ends up discussed and deconstructed as even with his powers he'll eventually reach a breaking point, the people of Poseidonis admire him and need help for big disasters but not everyday living, and he eventually learns that it's okay to let go, take time for himself, and relax.
- Mental Health Recovery Arc: The majority of the series shows how Black Manta singlehandedly ruined Arthur's life by killing his son, which led to Mera leaving him. When not fighting past the point of exhaustion, Aquaman is lonely, depressed, and wonders how he can possibly move on from his past and find happiness again after all that's happened to him. After battling Black Manta and Thanatos, however, he's on the way to recovery as he lets go of his self-hatred, learns when to rest, and realizes Mera and Arthur Jr. would forgive him if he forgave himself.
- Might Makes Right: Iqula challenges Aquaman to trial by combat to determine the fate of Poseidonis. After losing, he departed peacefully.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Aquaman was already wrestling with self-doubt and hatred when Thanatos came in to try and finish the job—but making Aquaman confront his fears directly helped him accept and move past them.
- No One Gets Left Behind: A Tritonian law is to never turn your back when someone needs help. Iqula berates a citizen for leaving one of his fellows behind during a shark attack when he would have stayed and fought.
- Power Incontinence: Aquaman's exhaustion makes him call out to marine life in his sleep, summoning a flock of sea bass in one instance and a huge dinosaur in another.
- Prayer Is a Last Resort: Vulko doesn't believe in any of Atlantis' four religions, but prays to Poseidon for Aquaman's aid in a time of crisis.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Vulko's apparent offscreen death in Aquaman (1989) is revealed to have been a lie designed to lower morale, and he shows up alive and well.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: After the death of his son and estrangement from Mera, Aquaman acts cold and angry on the outside but is plagued with sorrow and insecurity on the inside. Battling his Enemy Without, Thanatos, helps him confront his inner demons head-on and admit to feeling sad.
- Threatening Shark: Sharks swarm Poseidonis on instinct after smelling the blood, and Aquaman does his best to stop them without killing them. Also subverted when he finds Atlanteans attacking a nurse shark, one of the friendliest of the species, and berates them for it.
- Trauma Conga Line: Poor Arthur goes through the wringer in this series, with a lot of it exacerbated by his self-loathing. First Poseidonis is attacked by the surface, then by sharks, then by well-intentioned invaders from Tritonis, all while Aquaman suffers increasing physical injuries. When Aquaman goes to the surface to try and make peace, Black Manta allied with not-so-well-intentioned Tritonians and attacks him, blowing up Arthur Jr.'s grave to get a rise out of him. After a brutal fight where both men almost die, Arthur is then attacked in the mental plane by his evil mirror-self, Thanatos, in an attempt to take control of the body. After all that, plus not stopping to rest even once, Arthur is finally able to relax and heal a little.
- Underestimating Badassery: Iqula underestimates Aquaman's physical and mental prowess and was solidly defeated in their first encounter. NKVDemon does likewise and is defeated on land, and is assassinated for his failure.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Aquaman is near-universally loved by the people of Poseidonis, who are overjoyed to see him even when his presence leads to danger. Arthur himself feels uncomfortable with the hero worship, as he feels unworthy of their love and worn out from giving so much.
