The Golden Age Aquaman was intensely protective of marine life and would grow furious if it was endangered wantonly. In addition to teaching humans the error of their ways, he also worked to help them understand sea life by giving educational lectures and working to ensure that fish were harvested sustainably for food, and was often found donating any rewards for stopping crooks to marine-focused charities.
More Fun Comics #101 revolves around Aquaman helping Old Pete, an aquarium guard who feeds fish that were too big to be put in zoos when his aquarium shut down. When gangsters cause trouble, Aquaman defends the fish and saves Pete, but also helps the rescued fish fend for themselves by asking his finny friends to teach them how to survive in open waters.
More Fun Comics #107 revealed what happened to Ark, Aquaman's seal companion, after several issues of not appearing—he retired from adventuring to raise a family, and Aquaman helped save the seals from polar bears and other dangers.
Adventure Comics #239 had a friend of Aquaman, Captain Wakely, name a ship in his honor and go out trying to rescue people like he did.
In Adventure Comics #262, Aquaman made a hospital to help injured fish. This later saved his life when he got shot by a machine gun, as all the sea creatures he helped came together to take the bullets out, bandage him, and nurse him back to health.
Justice League of America #1 has Aquaman and Green Lantern stranded on a watery planet whose oceans are being boiled away by a giant magnifying glass, threatening everything living in the sea. Aquaman's immediate concern is that if they can't save themselves they can at least save the sea life, and when they do, the grateful natives give them a free ride home.
Aquaman and Aqualad met by chance in Adventure Comics #269 when the latter was exiled from Atlantis due to his extreme fear of fish and other marine life. Aquaman took it upon himself to teach the boy that there was nothing to be afraid of, and when Aqualad attempted to reintegrate with Atlantean society, he missed his mentor too much and stuck with him instead. Aqualad later found and built the Aqua-Cave all by himself as a home for them.
Silver Age Aquaman and Mera were married in Aquaman #18 with all their friends in attendance, including Aqualad and the Justice League.
In the Silver Age, the first few issues after Aquababy's birth in Aquaman #23 opened with dedications to how cute he was and how Arthur, Mera, and Aqualad envisioned him as being king himself one day.
In the first issue of Aquaman (1991), Aquaman finds a whale that beached herself due to the sadness of losing her son. Aquaman convinces her to return to the sea by telling about the loss of his own son. This show of empathy convinces the whale to try to be saved.
Post-Crisis Aquaman was raised by a mother dolphin named Porm, who advises him on matters both underwater and above the waves. Even after her death in Aquaman (1994), she continued to provide counsel from the spirit world.
The final issue of Aquaman (1991), "My Hero," is about a young boy with terminal cancer who desperately wants to meet Aquaman. He hears different stories about his hero, but none of them match up with what he knows and loves about Aquaman—until the Scavenger, a former villain, tells a story about how Aquaman helped him reform. Aquaman does meet the boy, who gives him a massive hug, and the three of them watch the sunrise together, noting that you just have to look at each day like you've never seen it before.
In Aquaman (1994) #29, Aquaman explores the Devil's Deep, a trench that supposedly leads all the way down to the Underworld. As he descends, he's quietly amazed and awed at the diversity and newness of sea life in the depths and how, even in such a forbidding place, life exists and thrives.
The last issue of Aquaman (1994) shows a Distant Finale where Tempest has a teenage daughter, who is giving a class report (in an American classroom, on land) about the history of Atlantis (tying up various loose ends from the title, and telling how King Arthur (no, not that one) led Atlantis into the modern age, to not only be accepted by the surface nations but to be one of the most powerful and well-respected nations on Earth. She ends by waving the flag of Atlantis and saying how proud she is to be an Atlantean.
In Aquaman (2003), Aquaman rescues a woman who's trying to commit suicide and helps talk her through her feelings, mentioning when his son was killed in a show of empathy.
In the first issue of the rebooted series, Aquaman orders fish and chips at a seafood restaurant. When one patron asks why he decided to eat at that particular restaurant, Aquaman has a flashback of him as a child and his father Tom Curry eating dinner at that restaurant.
In the same issue, he gives gold coins to an overworked waitress so that she can put her two kids through college.
In one of his rare talks with his birth father, Atlan tells Aquaman not to worry so much about being the best king he can be. But to just try to be the best man he can be.
#4: After years of ridicule for being believed to be useless, a little boy tells him "You're my favorite superhero."
Also functions as a great Call-Back to the first issue, where an obnoxious blogger asked Aquaman what it's like "to be no one's favorite superhero?"
#6: Mera has had a really bad day. She went shopping for dog food, but got sexually harassed by an employee. After beating him up, she got arrested, but after she broke out to stop a guy from killing his daughter, she fled. She sits by the beach sulking, but then another employee runs up and gives her the dog food that she forgot. The girl says sadly, "We're not all like them." Mera smiles and agrees.
#12: Recent issues revealed how Dr. Shin was partly responsible for much of the tragedy in Arthur's life, albeit misguidedly and accidentally. However, Aquaman observes as Black Manta finds the Scepter of Atlantis and holds Dr. Shin captive. Arthur has a brief flashback to when Dr. Shin helped him learn how to use his powers, encouraging him to swim in a tank full of fish.
Dr. Shin: Arthur, you can do this!
Arthur: I don't want to be in there with them.
Dr. Shin: They won't hurt you, Arthur. They'll help you when you ask them to. They're your friends, just like I am.
Arthur proceeds to kill Black Manta's henchmen before they can hurt Shin.
And again in issue 25, after it seems like Mera has broken up with Arthur. Arthur is sitting quietly alone in his throne room, the throne next to him empty as he broods, missing Mera. A shadow falls over him and he looks up to see Mera. She smiles and takes the empty throne, holding his hand.
While the Sub-Mariner and Aquaman's fight was a Funny Moment, the orca warning "look out, swimmer" was pure Heartwarming. Namor may think he's the King of the Seas, but marine life beg to differ. In that, it implies the orca wasn't controlled. He just had Aquaman's back!
In issue #20 of the reboot, Sky (an Apache shaman who can communicate with the dead) tells Ya'Wara how much her deceased teammate Kahina loved her. Even if she couldn't love her the same way Ya'Wara loved her.
Tempest stating that Aquaman's powers aren't what make him who he is. His resolve◊ makes him the man he is.
Aquaman telling some citizens of a country Atlantis is at war with what it means to be a leader◊ of a nation.
To make this more clear, Atlantis threw Orin out as a helpless infant to die because of their superstitions. They have repeatedly mistrusted and betrayed him. And yet he still strives for their safety and protection.
As it marks their honest to goodness reconciliation after having fallen apart for years, Brightest Day has quite a few.
Issue #0 sees Mera waking up, smiling, clearly after quite the night with Arthur, as we see the pair's outfits strewn across the floor and Mera alone covered by a bedsheet. She just had the fight of her life and has her oft-estranged love Back from the Dead and in her life. She walks out to the pier to meet Arthur, who had snuck out of bed to contemplate over the events, wondering why only he was revived while the rest of the Aquafamily involved in Blackest Night are still dead. She comforts him, telling him that Tempest and Tula are together, as they are at this moment on the pier on a beautiful day, before disrobing and taking a swim.
Mera apologizes to Arthur for abandoning him just as the people of Atlantis did and promises to make up for it:
Arthur: My mother gave her life to save me from them. They hunted me for years... until they needed a leader. Then they cast me out again. The cycle became too familiar. They never truly stood by me.
Mera: Neither did I. I may not be from Atlantis, but I was exactly like them. I deserted you when you needed me. But I promise now. Here. I will be by your side always, Arthur.
Additionally, in that same scene, when Arthur asks about her former home Mera reminds him that Xebel is sealed off from their dimension. Aquaman realizes she has also been estranged from her kingdom, not that she minds, as long as they're together:
Arthur: Then there's no going home for you either?
Mera: I am home.
In issue #20, Arthur pleads with Mera to stop when she begins parting the sea when they are up against Black Manta, Hila, and thousands of Xebellian shock troopers, not wanting her to overexert herself. She refuses, and only asks him to tell her that he believes in her. He does.
After the aforementioned fight is over, Arthur tells Mera, notably remorseful over her past that led to said invasion, that even if she is an outcast, so is he:
Arthur: Siren was right, Mera. You are an outcast. But so am I.
The page image comes from a story in Aquaman Giant #3 where a little fish swam from far away to ask for Aquaman's help. The fish dies from the exertion, but Aquaman and Mera are able to stop Lex Luthor's operation and tell him off.
The Rebirth run ended with Aquaman Volume 8 #65 as Arthur and Mera got married and all was well, finally able to put the past behind them as they celebrated peace between Atlantis and the surface world, their love, and their daughter Andrina. And just like their Silver Age marriage, all their friends and loved ones were in attendance.
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