Aquaman: The Becoming #1 cover by David Talaski
Aquaman: The Becoming is a 2021 DC Comics limited series, written by Brandon Thomas (Future State: Aquaman) and drawn by Diego Olortegui.
The Becoming is a Coming of Age / origin story for Jackson Hyde, current Aqualad and Arthur Curry's destined successor for the title of Aquaman. Just when it seems like everything is finally looking up for Jackson, the unexpected arrival of a new villain, Deluge, threatens to ruin the life he's built for himself and his prospects for the future.
This series is notable for being the first to feature Jackson in a starring role, and is one of the launch titles of DC's "Pride" label for stories featuring LGBTQ characters and creators.
Aquaman: The Becoming contains examples of:
- Affirmative-Action Legacy: The series explores Jackson's identity as a black gay male training to succeed Arthur, a straight white man.
- Being Watched: Someone watches Jackson as he returns from Atlantis to Amnesty Bay.
- Broken Pedestal: Jackson briefly loses all faith in his mother when it is revealed she killed several Xebelian soldiers back in her day as a member of Xebel's Liberation Front. In fact, it was a montage orchestrated by Meeka, so now Delilah is the one with the broken pedestal, since she used to admire her adoptive mother.
- The Cameo: Minor Aquaman rogue the Human Flying Fish makes a brief appearance on the first issue.
- Coming of Age/Super Hero Origin: This series follows Jackson as he ascends to the title of Aquaman, which was previously shown in the Future State: Aquaman tie-in.
- Danger Room Cold Open: Issue one opens with Jackson in a training simulation set on Apokolips where the entirety of the Justice League has been defeated.
- Hostage Situation: Jackson goes to investigate one by a low-level supervillain called Human Flying Fish.
- Long-Lost Relative: Delilah Ineago/Deluge is Jackson's maternal half-sister, whom his mother never told him about.
- Mama Bear: Jackson's mom notices a waiter's flirtation with him, and immediately questions his interest when he leaves.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: The Human Flying Fish is seen as a joke, and while he went down easily in a fight, he killed a person during a robbery and traumatized a bystander until Jackson helped calm her.
- Parental Abandonment: Lucia left Xebel and her family for the surface after growing disillusioned with their methods, leaving her daughter Delilah to being raised by Meeka, her ex-husband's second wife.
- Prequel: To Future State: Aquaman, which follows an adult Jackson as Aquaman in the (possible) future of The DCU.
- Samus Is a Girl: Due to the helmet and armor, while at first it appeared that Deluge was male, in fact she's female.
- Shirtless Scene: A lengthy one with Jackson and Aquaman at the start of issue one.
- Shout-Out: Robin, Nami, and Usopp from One Piece make a cameo.
