How Do You Pluralize Octopus?

Merriam Webster tackles the difficult question with three possibilities. The result? All three are acceptable, but octopuses or octopi are most likely to be understood by modern audiences. I generally go with octopi, myself, though I've been known to slip up.

Ripples Through Time - 191

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #268 (January 1960) - The Adventures of Aquaboy!

Aquaman has trouble convincing a blind man that Aquaman is real, which causes him to reflect on his past as Aquaboy.

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: A seaquake somehow manages to hurt Aquaman so he can't move his arms.

Quotefile: Captain Harte, "So you're an Aquaman, eh? I don't believe you! A man such as you describe couldn't exist in the past, present, or future!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaboy puts his head in a shark's mouth to prove his powers. Aquaman rides Topo. Aquaboy got sperm whales to support Captain Harte's ship into port. Aquaboy rode a dolphin to lead archaeologists to a wreck. Aquaman calls up one of the sperm whales that saved Harte's ship in the past to save Harte in the present.

This story establishes that the Silver Age Aquaman was active as a child. The Golden Age Aquaman didn't appear much at all, and only as an adult.

I love Aquaboy's Dutch adventure. Heh.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 190

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #267 (December 1959) - The Manhunt on Land!/The Underwater Archers!

Escaping prison, "Shark" Norton pledges to avoid the sea and Aquaman while "The Wizard" Kates pledges to avoid the land and Green Arrow.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo. He's the star of both stories, in fact!

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman collapses into the water while being told about Shark Norton's new career on land, thanks to his one-hour limit. *sigh*

Quotefile: Coast Guard officer, "Yes! Everybody knows that if you're out of water for an hour, you gasp for water like a dying fish! But the police feel you alone have the know-how to catch "Shark"!"

Finny Friends Report: In the splash page (not in the story itself), Topo releases a number of fish from a railroad water tank to help Aquaman. Aquaman rides Topo at the beginning of the tale. Aquaman gathers a large group of fish in a tank-truck to help him on land. When the crooks shoot out the headlights on the truck, luminous fish spotlight them for a swordfish attack squad. Topo uses four bows and arrows to capture two crooks. A sea porcupine launches quills and punctures the escape balloon. Electric eels shock one bad guy, a seal gooses another, and a crab handcuffs a third in the aquarium. Shark Norton himself gets nabbed by a shark. In the Green Arrow story, Topo appears in time to rescue GA and Speedy from a fire-breathing sea monster.

This is one of those stories that's been reprinted a few times, but always with the Green Arrow story. If you have the Aquaman Archive and Showcase, you know that "The Underwater Archers" is reprinted in both. And, amusingly, Topo is seriously the hero in both stories. He's the hero in the Aquaman splash page and uses bow and arrows in the Aquaman tale, and Green Arrow would've been monster chow if Topo hadn't helped him out.

Aquaman's one-hour limit is now common knowledge. And he even falls over while a Coast Guard officer is talking to him... while he's IN the sea. He's gone from being able to survive out of water indefinitely to one-hour exactly. The writers clearly think it's a nifty plot device, but any reader will tell you it's a pretty stupid one.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 189

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #266 (November 1959) - Aquaman Meets Aquagirl!

Lisa Morel suddenly discovers she has all of Aquaman's powers, and is determined to join him in his sea patrols.

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman starts the story trapped by a giant clam.

Quotefile: Lisa Morel, "Migosh! According to my waterproof wristwatch, I've been down here sixty minutes! And I feel as if I could last hours!"

Finny Friends Report: A giant clam apparently is holding a grudge against Aquaman, as it refuses to release him until Lisa burns it. Lisa orders seals to save her father's trophy. Aquaman rides on Topo. Topo plays "Happy Birthday" on a piano, drum set, bass, banjo, and xylophone. Lisa has whales destroy the top of an iceberg. Aquaman has luminous fish light up the remainder of the iceberg to save the ship.

Oh, where to start with this one? There's a lot happening in here. First off, we're given Aquaman's origin again, but it's been changed already. In it, Atlanna admits she's from Atlantis while still living and vibrant, not on her deathbed. Aquaman implies that his parents died at the same time. And he mentions his mother's diary, which he promises to read to Lisa.

Aquaman states "But now I must return to the Sea! I can only exist for an hour out of water!" This is the first time the one-hour limit has been described as such. And Lisa suffers from it as well, and had to sleep in the swimming pool!

Aquaman doesn't explain to Lisa why he thinks she's in danger. WHY?!??? I mean, seriously, that's a bit obnoxious of him. Can't he just say, "There's a possibility your powers may vanish as suddenly as they've come, so I'd rather you don't go out on patrol with me"??? Why be a jerk? He doesn't have to say that Lisa's father lied about her birth.

We later learn that Atlanna's diary explains it all. Children in Atlantis born with purple eyes are exiled to the surface world because they cannot survive underwater. This fact is to become important in a few more stories, as another character with purple eyes will be introduced.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 188

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #265 (October 1959) - The Secret of the Super-Safe!

Aquaman is summoned to dump a giant safe into the ocean.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "With Topo's sensitive tentacles wrapped around your body, your slightest tremor will be felt by Topo and transmitted by sea-creature telepathy to me!"

Finny Friends Report: Various fish bring Aquaman messages from Mr Roxroyd. Aquaman rides Topo to the island. Topo acts as a lie detector to make sure Roxroyd isn't lying about what's in the safe. Whales push an iceberg to the island. Octopi create a ramp to get the safe onto the iceberg. Whale push the iceberg to the proper location. Swordfish force the diving bell to the surface. Eels explore the ooze under the safe and discover lead plates. Whales bring the safe back to show Roxroyd.

Another fairly basic story. Aquaman employs his finny friends very well in this story. I particularly like Topo as a lie detector.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 187

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #264 (September 1959) - Aquaman and his Sea Police!

On a visit to New Venice, flooded six months ago, Aquaman takes over police duties.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo (Aquaman is riding an octopus at the beginning of the story, but Topo is not named).

Quotefile: Aquaman, "The job is finished! New Venice is saved! Now it can remain forever a city of canals!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides Topo at the beginning of the story. Slinky the Seal puts seaweed into the propellers of speeders to foul their engines and stop their boats. When Slinky fails due to a more powerful motor, a whale lifts the speeding boat out of the water. An octopus detective catches a pickpocket. Aquaman rides behind two dolphins. Sea gulls bombard the litterers with litter. Swordfish pick up all the litter in the canals and then put junk on fishermen's fishing lines. Sharks threaten the robber. Various sea creatures fill the crack in the sea to prevent New Venice from draining.

Ah, New Venice. This town will become more important in the future, but this story is just a nice little Silver Age tale. The town is adjusting to their new reality, which they like, but the regular police haven't quite adapted to having canals for streets yet. Aquaman visits, and breaks some bad habits people have formed. Simple and very Silver Age. There is no indication of the role this place will later take.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 186

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #263 (August 1959) - The Great Ocean Election!

Vic Wake is trying to become governor of Comstock, to replace the corrupt Big Jim Mason, but Big Jim has other ideas.

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Great Neptune"

Quotefile: Opening text box, "Sinister forces are at work to prevent an honest election in the sea-bound country of Comstock, and Aquaman temporarily deserts his own domain to help elect honest Vic Wake!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides on Topo at the beginning of the story. Aquaman has electric eels form a giant billboard for Vic. He has octopi toss shells with Vic's election message on them into town. Topo comforts Vic when that effort fails. Sea gulls carry a banner through town announcing the gala fish show. Seals and octopi balance beach balls with "Elect Vic Wake" written on them. A swordfish takes the knock-out pills out of Big Jim's hands. Whales and octopi create spouts to knock Big Jim and his spear gun down. Topo holds up Big Jim as he confesses his crimes to the people of Comstock.

I adore the look on Topo's "face" in the third panel on page six, as he holds up Big Jim. It's notable that Big Jim is threatening to poison the fish in the opening splash page, but later on he is using knock-out pills.

The country of Comstock is described as an island nation. But we have no idea where it is. Everyone apparently speaks English, and they wear normal clothing of the era. Comstock is big enough to have a navy, as we see the battleship. The Department of Sanitation also runs around armed for some reason. I have to wonder if this country didn't later change its name to Cerdia.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 185

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #262 (July 1959) - The Undersea Hospital!

Aquaman opens a hospital after Topo sprains a tentacle, and his kindness to the fish pays off when he is himself injured.

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Great Goldfish"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is shot by pirates, and is unconscious until his fishy friends patch him up.

Quotefile: Aquaman, after being shot, "T-this's the end! I can't swim a stroke! *GASP!*... I-I'm losing consciousness! No one can help me now! No one... No one..." Melodramatic Much?

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman binds Topo's tentacle to relieve the pain. He has octopi, swordfish, and whales help him build his clinic. His first patient is a seal with a broken flipper. Then a shark with a toothache. Aquaman uses a lobster to pull the shark's tooth. An ambulance "manned" by Topo, pulled by dolphins, with eels for wheels brings in a sick dogfish. Topo puts the dogfish into a tank. Aquaman uses a swordfish to pry a turtle's head from where it's stuck in it's shell. A cutlass fish cuts a length of rubber sheeting for Aquaman to wrap around an electric eel that cannot control it's discharges. Aquaman puts a whale with a high fever into a tank of ice from a glacier.

After Aquaman is shot, all his finny friends help guide him to the clinic. Octopi act as stretcher-bearers with eels acting as the poles of the stretcher. Lantern fish illuminate the operating room, electric eels shock Aquaman for anesthetic. Octopi create tourniquets, and swordfish remove the bullets. Sucker fish suck out the lead, and jelly fish apply healing balm. Sharks and crabs make bandages from old sail cloth. A whale creates a sun deck for Aquaman to recuperate on. Flying fish shade him from the hot sun.

Aquaman's first stint at the medical profession was in Adventure #188, when he has to set up a quarantine. In that tale, Aquaman already has an established undersea clinic for treating his finny friends.

This story has a tiny link with Adventure #119, due to the floating observatory. While the idea doesn't seem too fantastic, the problem with creating any sort of successful observatory that floats is that you have to keep the platform absolutely still. Even an inch of change would completely mess up your observing. But clearly the idea appealed to the writers of Aquaman... more than once.

The pirates shoot Aquaman with what appears to be a tommy gun. It seems worth noting that, although Aquaman is described as being "riddled with bullets", the artwork shows no injuries, and the coloring shows no blood.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 180

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #257 (February 1959) - The Imitation Aquaman

A criminal undergoes a series of operations to give him Aquaman's powers, then goes on a crime spree.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Open text box, "A bold scheme! An amazing medical operation! ... And a fantastic fish-man streaks through the ocean brine to challenge Aquaman's lawful rule of the deep! Here is a creature whose greed is matched only by his cunning to the extent that even the King of the Seven Seas is menaced by ... The Imitation Aquaman"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman commands crabs and lobsters to gather tons of oysters. Octopi toss them against rock to crack the shells. Swordfish hold up an old fishing net to screen out the pearls from the shells. Turtles haul the pearls in a giant shell up to the island. Later, Aquaman has whales haul a sunken galleon up from the seabed. Topo captures the doctor.

Hadley gets most of Aquaman's powers, but not the ability to command the fish. If he'd had that ability, he could've raised the treasure galleon himself and he and Doc could've had their money legally. Interestingly, Aquaman doesn't use his finny friends to stop Hadley, but instead gambles on a quirk of water.

We've had lots of fake Aquamen before! They've shown up in Adventure #127, Adventure #181, Adventure #208, and Adventure #233. Hadley wears an Aquaman uniform for no apparent reason, then Doc seems surprised when Aquaman is blamed for Hadley's crimes.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 179

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #256 (January 1959) - The Ordeal of Aquaman

A gang of smugglers discovers Aquaman's weakness, and drop him in the desert to die.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is captured when he goes to free Topo and two octopus pals from a net.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman orders the octopi to milk cows so he can take a milk bath. The octopi hold the smugglers when Aquaman captures them. Aquaman rides Topo at the end of the story.

Quotefile: Smuggler, "Say! I got an idea! Look at Aquaman! He's gettin' weaker by the second! Know why? He can't say away from water for long!" This was after an hour out of the water.

This is it. This is the origin of the one-hour limit. At no time previous to this is a time limit put on Aquaman being out of water. He has been weaker out of water, and has indicated that he can't stay out of the water too long, but this is the first time he's had an actual time limit on him.

After one hour out of water, Aquaman starts to get weak. He survives a while longer after being tossed out of the plane into the desert (with a parachute). After a group of racers give him water from their radiators, he manages to walk five miles to the nearest town. It takes longer than an hour to walk five miles, especially if your pace isn't fast. While the story sort of implies that one hour is the magic amount of time after which Aquaman starts losing his strength, it's clear that he can survive well past a single hour, just in a much-weakened state.

Once in the town, he revives in melted skating rink water for an hour. It's not stated how far the reservoir is from the town, but Aquaman is already weak again before he gets there. This time he has a milk bath to revive, again, for an hour.

Now that we have a definitive origin for the one hour limit, it'll be interesting to see how it evolves. This was a lot later than I expected to see the limit established.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 178

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #255 (December 1958) - Aquaman's Double Trouble!

In a series of rescues, Aquaman must choose between two disasters to help, but in each case the ones he didn't help are also rescued.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by the poison gas and expects to die.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "Hmmm... If I assist the plane, the manta is doomed! If I help the fish, fifty people may drown! Yet my choice is clear! People are more important than fish!" Glad you set us straight on that, Aquaman.

Finny Friends Report: Topo alerts Aquaman to the downed plane. Swordfish cut it free from the seaweed, then flying fish pull it into the sky. Aquaman rides Topo through the storm. Again, Topo alerts Aquaman to the freighter breaking up on the surface. Aquaman summons squid to hold the ship together, and a herd of whales to tow it to safety. In his last rescue, Aquaman warns the fish away from the poison gas. Electric eels come and charge the subs batteries, then Topo acts as a propeller to get them to the surface.

Aquaman first has to choose between saving a manta or saving the lives of humans aboard a plane that has crashed. In his second rescue, he has to choose between two men in a diving bell or the crew of a freighter. In the last rescue, his choice is between the crew of a submarine or his own life. In every case he chooses the larger number of lives.

Aquaman last met someone claiming to be Neptune in Adventure #205. In that story, the guy was a fraud. In this story, it's definitely implied that Neptune is not only real, he's the god Neptune, and he approves of Aquaman.

The Golden Age was like the original Scooby Doo stories: the villain was always playing a trick, not really a monster. In the older tales, Aquaman is the only person in the tale who has powers. We're clearly into the Silver Age, because now we've had two stories in a row in which Aquaman is not the only one with powers.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 177

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #254 (November 1958) - The Menace of the Electric Man!

After gaining electrical powers, Roy Pinto terrorizes the seas as the Electric Man.

Glove Color: Green

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is shocked repeatedly by the Electric Man.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "I-I may be King of the Sea, but I can't fight lightning flashes!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides Topo in his first attack on the Electric Man. Topo creates a spring to send Aquaman onto Electric Man's boat. Topo and another octopus eventually capture Electric Man for Aquaman, after Aquaman insulates them from the electricity.

This is the first Aquaman tale that feels like a Silver Age story to me. It's got a super-powered villain, complete with origin. Aquaman uses his usual tactics of outsmarting the bad guy. But the fact that he's up against someone more powerful than the usual pirates, and not someone using tricks, makes this feel more modern.

It's a pity that Roy Pinto goes back to a life of crime after apparently finding useful work. He supplies fish to aquariums, and clearly works hard at it. We even see him repairing a generator. And yet the captions are biased against him and he goes right back to a criminal life as soon as he discovers his powers. As usual, Aquaman recognizes the crook on sight.

Electric Man is the first truly super-powered villain Aquaman faces. He's the first of many. And as silly as the rest. He wears a headpiece with an antenna on it to attract lightning to him, which he then uses in crime. He also hurls charged discs at his victims. He can only work in lightning storms.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 176

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #253 (October 1958) - The Ocean of 1,000,000 B.C.

While charting a seabed cavern, Aquaman is thrown into the past and must save a caveman before returning to the present.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo appears in one panel near the beginning of the story.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Suffering Sharks!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is pulled through a whirlpool timewarp, but he doesn't pass out.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "I never fail to marvel over my command of the finny ones! Big or small, they all obey me!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman's subject parade before him at the start of the story. At the end, some luminous fish illuminate the drawing of Aquaman and the caveman.

You know, this story might explain why the cavemen in Adventure #184 knew about Aquaman and trusted him. Hey, it's time travel! Why not? Ok, so this is the Silver Age Aquaman, and that was the Golden Age Aquaman.

Ah, cavemen hanging out with dinosaurs! Wonderful science in this one.

Aquaman faces off against a brontosaurus, a fire-breathing sea serpent, a stegosaurus, a giant eel, and a pterodactyl. He uses his belt buckle to attract lightning and defeat the eel and pterodactyl using "the story of Benjamin Franklin's kite".

Aquaman's rescue of the caveman is memorialized on the cavern wall by the caveman, just like in the previous caveman story.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 175

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #252 (September 1958) - The Robinson Crusoe of the Sea

While rescuing a ship, Aquaman is doused with a chemical that makes him allergic to the salt in sea water.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: The effects of the chemical knock Aquaman unconscious, and Topo has to pull him ashore.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "Well, Robinson Crusoe survived in a similar situation. With my fish to help me, I think I can do as well."

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman starts the tale riding Topo, as usual. Topo saves Aquaman's butt by pulling him to dry land when he passes out. A whale and some sawfish widen the channel and help Aquaman set up a system of waterways on the island. Topo and a fellow octopus help Aquaman build a house. Topo notices fruit trees, but Aquaman notes that there a wild bobcats in the trees, so a group of turtles help shield Aquaman and Topo as they go hunting for provisions. When Aquaman spots the pirate attack, a group of octopi throw a barrage of rocks at the pirates. Then seagulls drop lobsters on the pirates, which attack the pirates. Topo squirts Aquaman with sea water throughout the battle, and Aquaman only figures out at the end that the chemical has worn off and Topo was trying to tell him.

We've seen this story before. Well, the concept of Aquaman being unable to touch water is a re-used one. We saw it in Aventure #107 and Adventure #152. Admittedly, it's a slightly different twist than the previous stories, but you have to wonder how many times Aquaman can be exiled from the sea.

Aquaman references both Robinson Crusoe and the biblical story of David and Goliath in this tale.

A strange coloring issue... Aquaman is wearing his gloves in the scene in which Topo would have first noticed that Aquaman wasn't having a negative reaction to the sea water, but in the flashback memory of it, Aquaman's hands are colored as flesh, without gloves. Almost makes you wonder how often he removes his gloves in a day.

There is STILL no one hour limit. Yes, he might be using fresh water, as the chemical apparently made him react to the salt in sea water, but it's never stated. It just wasn't a concern.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 174

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #251 (August 1958) - A World Without Water

A bomb test gone awry sends Aquaman 5000 years into the future to the year 6958.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by the nuclear blast that sends him to the future.

Quotefile: Zed-3, "You materialized right in front of my car so you must have come through time! This is Atlantica in the year 6,958!" Aquaman, "But... but a moment ago I was in the ocean in 1958! I remember a nuclear blast right above me..." I can't even count the number of ways this exchange is just wrong.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman commands all the fish in the area of the bomb test to leave. When the turtles go too slowly, he gets swordfish to carry them away. Aquaman commands the air-breathing descendants of sea creatures to attack the robbers. When he gets back to his own time, Topo greets him.

The future humans are all bald.

The reason there are no seas in the year 6958 is because "A giant nova exploded! Our scientists had time to move civilization underground, but the fierce heat evaporated all water from Earth..." Uh-huh. A nova. Yup. All water gone. Humans replaced water with pills (quick Aquaman, grab a bottle of those for later use!).

Not much for me to say about this one. I'm not fond of the science fiction-y Aquaman stories, and the whole time travel aspect of this one is just annoying. Nuclear blasts and giant novas... it's practically a template for bad science.

This story is notable because Aquaman actually mentions the year. That normally doesn't happen in comics in general.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 173

A year ago I started my Ripples Through Time feature. I didn't manage to keep up with the one-a-day hope, instead I'm averaging one about every 2.1 days. Still, I'm glad to be doing the project, and I'm going to continue. Maybe I can even get my average up in the next year, who knows? Still, at this rate, it'll only take another two years to finish the solo stories. By then there might even be a new Aquaman series.

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #250 (July 1958) - The Guinea Pig of the Sea

Doctor Arvy Rush wants to study Aquaman, but Aquaman has to keep interrupting the experiments for his duties of saving lives.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Doctor Rush, "It's uncanny-- unbelievable! You actually command sea creatures and you can live underwater! Tell me your secret!" Aquaman, "I wish I could, doctor, but I really don't know it myself! I only know that I have strange powers!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Dr Rush traps Aquaman in a folding cage of steel placed where Aquaman dives from the doctor's dock.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman is on patrol riding Topo at the beginning of the story. He has a giant manta ray jump into a waterspout to destroy it by cutting off its suction. A flying fish tells Aquaman of an iceberg that must be destroyed. A swordfish and "the strongest octopus in the sea" attempt to get Aquaman out of Rush's cage. A flying fish spots Rush in distress and reports to Aquaman. Whales go to support Rush's ship while Aquaman summons jellyfish to help him. The jellyfish form a mirror over the cage, allowing Aquaman to see how to open it. Shell-cracker fish act as wrenches and open the cage.

Doctor Rush has his own marine laboratory, and works on extracting drugs from sea vegetation. When Aquaman rescues him from a waterspout, he becomes obsessed with learning the secrets of Aquaman's powers. Eventually he cages Aquaman to allow more time for experiments. At which point Aquaman calls Dr Rush a crackpot. Heh.

Great artwork in this one, as is usual for this era of Aquaman. Seriously, DC should reprint more of these stories just for the Fradon art.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 172

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #249 (June 1958) - Wanted - Aqua-Crook

Aquaman loses his memory and is convinced he is a secret agent.

Quotefile: Topo (yes, Topo), "Attention, fighting forces! Board our battle-craft! We must rescue our beloved monarch!"

Aqua-Exclamations: "Suffering Seaweed!" "Great Catfish!"

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is hit by a missile (luckily with no warhead) and loses his memory. He later hits his head on the steering wheel of a car by braking too hard and regains it. Of note: Topo is also knocked out by the missile, but doesn't lose his memory.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides Topo. He uses a lantern fish to illuminate the spilled gems. He uses hammerhead sharks to shape a magnetic lodestone, then has a whale pull the suits of armor up to the surface. Topo realizes that Aquaman has lost his memory and decides to do something about it. Aquaman has electric eels replace the spark plugs on the car engine, and drives it to the surface. Topo gathers an army of fish: a whale, lobsters, seals, giant sea turtles, flying fish and swordfish. Seals "shell" the bad guys' boat, and swordfish torpedo it. Flying fish drop lobsters on the gangsters, with the predictable results. The turtles act as tanks, and Topo ties up the bad guys. A whale tows the boat to the coast guard. Aquaman rewards Topo by making him a Five Starfish Admiral in the sea kingdom.

Another amnesia story! Aquaman lost his memory in Adventure #127, and was convinced to work for bad guys. Not quite the same, as Aquaman served as the lowly cook on Black Jack's ship in that tale, and in this one he's convinced he's a secret agent! Another amnesia story: Aquaman was hit on the head and forgot how to talk to fish in Adventure #176.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 171

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #248 (May 1958) - The Traitor of the Seven Seas

Undersea explorer Jim Ward is surprised to find Aquaman capturing fish for aliens to get a great reward.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Great Flying Catfish!"

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Old man reading newspaper report, "Shiver my timbers-- I never expected to read that Aquaman would someday turn on his sea subjects!"

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is threatened with death if he doesn't help the aliens, and promised a handsome reward if he does.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman battles and captures a monkfish. An octopus is already in the alien tank. In a flashback, Aquaman rides on Topo. Aquaman captures two swordfish by making them run into a bell buoy. Aquaman uses a chain of electric eels to allow him to capture a torpedo ray. The fish in the tank also include a seal, shark, and electric eel.

We never actually see the aliens in this story, only their ship. Aquaman describes their communication as being by "some telepathic device".

As is so often the case in these stories. Aquaman's actions are reported to the newspapers, who waste no time in tarring his name. I'll note that in a story less than a year previous, Aquaman is also accused of abusing his fishy subject. For all that the folks in the DCU seem to like Aquaman, they really don't trust him deeply.

Jim Ward, the diver who witnesses Aquaman's capture of fish and is basically the narrator of the story, hears Aquaman say that the aliens want Aquaman to help them or die, but focuses on the point that Aquaman will get a reward. C'mon, man! The aliens threatened to kill Aquaman! Aquaman even told you that!

In the end, of course, Aquaman is really being a good guy. The only fish that actually goes with the aliens is an "adventuresome" octopus by the name of Lopo, who Aquaman says wanted to be the first fish in outer space. So Lopo isn't Laika, but his fate is probably better.

More hostile aliens! Aquaman himself was collected for an alien aquarium in Adventure #234. Aquaman also met aliens in Adventure #196, Adventure #216, and Adventure #222. The tally so far is three hostile alien races, and two friendly. Two were collecting specimens, one was invading, one needed help to get home, and the first aliens were actually visited by Aquaman.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 170

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #247 (April 1958) - Aquaman's Super Sea-Squad

A nuclear projectile designed to explode in outer space lands in the ocean, and Aquaman must deliver it to the Army before the timer runs out.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Quotefile: Aquaman, losing hope, "It... It's a losing battle! Unless I find some way to cover the last few miles faster than I or any creature can swim! I won't get there in time! I -- I must think!"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides on Topo. A group of octopi carry the missile off the ocean floor. Two whales tow the missile for many miles. Electric eels build up a charge and create a channel for Aquaman. Giant lobsters carry the missile over miles. Swordfish carry the missile on a platform. Whales tow it again with phosphorescent fish indicating the whales' place in the fog. A giant clam squeezes green pigment over the missile to disguise it. The sea monster carries the missile to its nesting grounds. Octopi lift the missile onto an ancient catapult in the Sargasso Sea. A whale prevents the missile from being jolted when it lands.

I love discoveries like this: Aquaman describes the Maracot Deep as a bottomless pit that descends from the ocean floor. He knows that a sea monster lives in the pit. But over here in the real world, The Maracot Deep is a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle written in 1929... about the discovery of Atlantis!

Aquaman has to go through an area with "a terrible whirlpool on the right... and to the left, a strong backwash that would smash us into those rocks!" In other words, the Scylla and Charybdis. Well, sort of. Eh, I was amused at least.

There's something really pleasant about three Army soldiers terrified to see a nuclear missile that they launched headed right toward them. I almost expected Aquaman to chew them out for letting such a dangerous bomb land in the ocean. Instead he simply talks about how wonderful his sea friends were for coming through and getting the projectile safely to the Army base so it can be disarmed.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

Ripples Through Time - 169

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #246 (March 1958) - The Town That Went Underwater

Aquaman opens an amusement park in Beachcroft, and insists that EVERY citizen go underwater to experience it.

Quotefile: Mayor of Beachcroft, "Aquaman sure has been barking it up great! Half the town is here!" Aquaman, "Only half, Mr. Mayor? I'll double that figure! I want the whole town underwater!"

Glove Color: Yellow.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Finny Friends Report: Topo hands out tickets while a swordfish holds up the roll of tickets. Aquaman rides Topo. A giant octopus becomes an underwater whip ride. Porpoises slide along tracks made of eels as a roller-coaster. Aquaman uses a whale to hide a treasure chest. Seals hold up signs, while Aquaman rides a giant tortoise down the street.

Aquaman gets the news of the problem at midday, and immediately sets about trying to get every citizen of the town underwater. Before that, the whole amusement park was just a promotion for a future mechanical underwater amusement park the city intended to build. That all changed when Aquaman got a phone call.

A twist to the story is the various disasters/pirate attacks that Aquaman ignores in order to continue running his amusement park.

The science of this one really sucks, as is often the case in Silver Age tales. The Army officer tells the people of Beachcroft, "At 12 noon the Meteorological Bureau in Washington alerted Aquaman by phone that the tail of a comet would pass through BeachCroft a 2 P.M. sharp! The gases in the comet's tail would poison Beachcroft's atmosphere!" Oooh, how many errors are in that explanation? And the illustration is even sillier, showing a tiny comet racing through the town just above the surface of the streets (luckily not hitting any of the buildings). The plot isn't bad... Aquaman getting an entire town's inhabitants to go underwater to protect them from poison gas without causing a panic... but a comet?

Have you read this story? What do you think?