Here’s How Aquaman Got His Powers, Explained

Aquaman is one of the oldest characters in DC comics. The character has seen many versions since its inception, but the most popular to date is Arthur Curry, mostly due to his inclusion in the DCEU. Aquaman is, due to his unique nature, extremely powerful, despite being a but of many jokes, and recognized as that guy that can talk to fish. He is extremely strong, and he can control the majority of Earth’s surface due to his water-based powers, but the question we’re going to ask today is not how powerful Aquaman is. We’re going to ask ourselves, how did Aquaman get his incredible powers? 

Aquaman got his powers through genetics as he is a half-Atlantean half-human hybrid. Arthur’s mother was Atlantean royalty, and his father was a common man, a lighthouse keeper, and their union resulted in the birth of Arthur Curry. Despite Arthur being only half-Atlantean, he is regarded as the strongest among his kind due to having access to some special abilities related to surface life that other Atlanteans don’t have access to. Aquaman also draws a good portion of his powers from his tridents. 

Now that we’ve covered how Aquaman got his powers, it’s time to analyze it in a bit more detail. If you’re interested in more about his origin, and story, stay with us and keep reading! 

Who are Aquaman’s parents? 

There have been many versions of Aquaman over the course of the character’s existence, and his origin story changed numerous times, but today we’re going to focus on his current origin story in the DC Comics mainline continuity and on the second character to carry the mantle of Aquaman, Arthur Curry. 

Following ‘The New 52,’ Arthur’s origin story is an amalgam of several different origins. It’s nevertheless a good insight into how he got his powers, and to answer that, we have to discuss the matter of his parents. 

Aquaman’s parents are Princess of Atlantis Atlanna and Tom Curry, the lighthouse keeper. Princess Atlanna was always rebellious in nature despite being raised in an oppressive Atlantean civilization. She often wondered to the surface despite this being considered highly foolish and sometimes even dangerous. One day Atlanna found herself in the middle of the storm, and she saw a sailboat capsize due to violent gusts of wind. 

On that sailboat was Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper from Amnesty Bay. Atlanna saved him from drowning, and the two fell in love and eventually started their life together, which resulted in the birth of Arthur Curry. 

Now that Atlanna had a child, the consequences of her actions caught up to her, and she realized that she was never going to be safe, and neither will Arthur and Tom. She returned to Atlantis, leaving behind her son and her surface-dwelling husband. 

When did Aquaman get his powers? 

Aquaman got his powers while he was a child, but after his mother left his father. Tom knew that Atlanna was different from your regular human. Still, when Arthur’s powers started manifesting, he was at a loss for words, and quite frankly, he had trouble understanding them.

Tom hired Doctor Stephen Shin, one of the people he saved from the storm, in an effort to understand Arthur’s growing powers better. But Stephen Shin decided that his personal glory was worth more than Arthur’s safety, and he decided to release all the knowledge he acquired by studying Aquaman to the public. 

Tom was desperate to stop him and destroyed all of his findings, except for a single vial of blood. This was evidence enough, and Shin hired Black Manta to steal that vial of blood from the Curry household. Black Manta infiltrated the lighthouse, and in the following battle, Tom died of a heart attack, something that Black Manta would pay for dearly. 

So, Aquaman’s hybrid powers manifested when he was a child, and he inherited those powers mostly from his mother’s side of the family. Since Atlanna was an Atlantean, Aquaman was a half-Atlantean hybrid.

As he was growing older, Aquaman realized that he could spend unlimited time under the water’s surface, he can communicate with marine life, and manipulate water to an extent. He also realized that his physical attributes, such as strength, speed, and durability, are vastly more enhanced compared to average humans.

Aquaman’s powers are almost entirely based on his biology and genetics and the fact that he inherited Atlantean genes. A certain portion of his powers is also derived from the Trident of Neptune and Poseidon, depending on which weapon he wields at the moment. 

Does Aquaman have powers outside of water?

Aquaman does have powers outside of water, and this is what makes his hybrid physiology all the more useful and powerful. Aquaman is far more powerful than your average Atlantean because he is also adjusted to surface life.

Not only does Aquaman has access to various Atlantean-based powers, but he can also utilize those powers on the surface as well. He is also stronger, faster, and more durable on the surface. Even his marine telepathy is effective on the surface. 

What is Aquaman’s weakness?

Despite being well-adjusted to surface life and spending much of his life living on the surface, Aquaman has one glaring weakness and a dangerous one at that. He is extremely prone to dehydration, and the more he uses his powers, the longer he has to be exposed to water in order to rejuvenate himself. It is generally accepted that Aquaman still has to submerge himself in water from time to time in order to keep access to his powers. 

Even though he is prone to dehydration, Aquaman is still better adjusted to the surface world than the rest of his kin. 

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!