Atlantis (Aquaman)

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For other uses of Atlantis in comics, including other DC Comics, see Atlantis (disambiguation) § Books, and Atlantis in comics.
Atlantis
Arion, etc.
PublisherDC Comics

Atlantis (sometimes called the Kingdom of Atlantis or the Atlantean Empire) is the fictional aquatic-based civilization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics commonly associated with the superhero, Aquaman. Its depiction is most recognizable one within DC Comics, first appearing in Adventure Comics #260 (May 1959), and was created by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon. Typically either a reoccurring or main setting of most Aquaman stories, the nation is characterized as being inhabited by human-like beings and creatures with biological, aquatic adaptations as well as typically following a hereditary monarchy. Atlantis is portrayed within DC Universe as being among the oldest and most powerful of civilizations on Earth due to its advanced technology and connection to the arcane forces on Earth. Beginning as a utopia, the nation would collapse to the bottom of the ocean after a cataclysmic event. Over time, the nation's history would be embordered in conflict with regards to its succession of rulers, the nation's status as a superpower, its fictional cultural heritage, and the relationship with the global world in the modern age.

The Kingdom of Atlantis made its cinematic debut in the 2017 film Justice League, set in the DC Extended Universe, and was later more prominently featured in the 2018 film Aquaman and the 2023 film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Publication history

While

first appeared in Adventure Comics #260, in a story by writer Robert Bernstein and artist Ramona Fradon.[1][2]

The history of Atlantis was detailed in The Atlantis Chronicles, a 7-issue miniseries published by DC Comics from March to September 1990. It was written by Peter David, and illustrated by Esteban Maroto. The series focused on a series of Atlantean historical manuscripts, also called The Atlantis Chronicles, and chronicled the rise and fall of Atlantis. Each issue dealt with a separate era or event in Atlantis' past, beginning with its sinking, as told through the royal historian's point of view.

Fictional history

Ricardo Villagran
.

The continent of Atlantis was settled 65,000,000 years ago, by a humanoid extraterrestrial race known as the Hunter/Gatherers, who proceeded to hunt the animals to extinction. One million years ago, Atlantean society flourished alongside Homo erectus, the precursors of modern man. This apparently occurred long before the intervention of the genetic tampering with the Metagene.[3]

Thousands of years ago, magic levels on Earth began to drop due to the sleeping entity known as Darkworld beginning to awaken. The Atlantean sorceress, Citrina, struck a deal with the Lords of Chaos who ruled

Centaurs, and so forth who wished to emigrate from Earth. Gemworld was colonized by Homo magi emigrants from Earth made up of the 12 ruling houses of Atlantis.[4]

Darkworld was a dimension formed by the body of an unnamed cosmic entity who later fell into a deep sleep. This entity's dreams were responsible for creating the first

Arion
and Garn Daanuth later learned to tap the mystic energies of Darkworld, enabling them to wield nearly godlike power.

Eventually, Atlantis came to be the center of early human civilization. Its king, Orin, ordered the construction of a protective dome over the city simply as a defense against barbarian tribes, but shortly afterward a meteor crashed into the earth, destroying most of the upper world and sinking the city to the bottom of the ocean. Orin's brother, Shalako, departed with a number of followers through tunnels in order to reclaim another sunken city of their empire, Tritonis, whose inhabitants had not survived. After a few years, Atlantean scientists developed a serum that would permanently let their people breathe underwater; as a consequence of the magic used by Shalako in settling Tritonis, the Tritonians were further mutated to have fish-tails instead of legs. Some descendants of Shalako's son Dardanus also inherited his telepathy, which was marked by blonde hair, extremely rare among Atlanteans. Dardanus's son Kordax further had the ability to command sea creatures. After he led them alongside the Tritonians in a revolution against the king, he was exiled, and children born with blond hair, the "mark of Kordax" were generally viewed as aberrations and abandoned to die.

Notable locations

City-States

Venturia and Aurania

Queen of a crumbling Atlantean outpost named Venturia, a subsea realm situated somewhere beneath the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean (Comics Cavalcade #18, December/January 1946/1947: "The Menace of the Rebel Manlings" until she is deposed by Wonder Woman in Spring 1944), Queen Clea enslaved the men of her realm and amused herself by putting many to death in gladiatorial combat. Desiring extended rule, Clea repeatedly attacked Venturia's flourishing sister city of Aurania unsuccessfully. Despite this failure, she expanded her ideal towards domination over the entire lost continent of Atlantis. In order to do this, Clea stole the fabled Trident of Poseidon to make herself virtually unstoppable.

Sub Diego

Sub Diego is the new name of a portion of the city of

San Diego, California which was submerged during an artificially generated earthquake, part of a plan which changed part of the surviving population into sub-aquatic beings. The city had a recent increase in population due to an influx of refugees from Atlantis, following the destruction of that city by the Spectre. Roughly 50 weeks after the Infinite Crisis, an unknown event caused part of the Sub Diego population to be changed back into air-breathers. Thus, Aquaman
had to use magic to make a huge part of the city return on the surface, joined to the rest of San Diego. It is still unknown how much of Sub Diego stayed submerged.

Dagon

A kingdom recently founded by the formerly ousted Atlantean king, Ocean Master. The kingdom primarily consisted of refugees and migrants from Atlantis's Ninth Tride, an area of Atlantis considered the poorest district. The population of Dagon, save Ocean Master, consists of Atlantean "mutants" (Atlanteans with a more fish-like appearance and sometimes additional abilities compared to baseline Atlanteans). While Ocean Master would steer the population against the mainline Atlantis kingdom with intent on making it the eventual new capital and to politically secure a place on the throne once more, he is eventually forced to relinquish his hold after his crimes against Mera (kidnapping her child with Aquaman, Andrina Curry) were made publicly known and Aquaman's triumph in combat with Orm causing Dagon to become a democracy. Dagon would also formally join Atlantis as one of its official city-states.[7]

Lemuria

Lemuria is an underwater city based upon

fictional continent of the same name.[8] The city is inhabited by a scientifically advanced race of blue-skinned humanoids covered in part with large green scales.[8][9]

The Seven Kingdoms

After the New 52 reboot, Atlantis is considered one of the seven major kingdoms with others affiliated with it, each kingdom existing as a major super-power in their own right. While the New 52 initially only introduced four of the seven kingdoms, DC Rebirth would later introduce three more:

Kingdom of Xebel

Originally, Xebel was an other dimensional kingdom formerly ruled by

Nereus.[13][14] Considered a formidable kingdom, Xebel has less resources than Atlantis due to being sealed behind a portal, forcing the population to gather materials through unlikely shipwrecks in the Bermuda Triangle.[15]

Kingdom of The Trench

Located in the Marina Trench, the kingdom is home to a race of the Trench, a vicious cannibalistic, ocean-dwelling creatures with a piscine humanoid appearance. Initially, the Trench were characterized as being hostile to all other ocean-dwelling races, including Atlanteans.[16] Later, it was revealed that the Trench was once a kingdom, a fact previously unknown. Over time, the Trench is later seen to be in more neutral terms with the other kingdoms. The Trench Kingdom is ruled by the Trench Queen.[7]

Kingdom of the Deserters

A hidden kingdom in the Sahara Desert, it is the last kingdom to be accepted prior to the sinking of Atlantis from Atlan shortly after the end of his reign. The kingdom was known for its metallurgy and the use of rare, mystical metals such as Nth metal and

Devil Ray.[18]

Kingdom of the Brine

The Kingdom of the Brine is a kingdom of bulky, anthropomorphic crustaceans.[7]

Originally, the Brine was introduced in the 2018 film prior to being brought to the comics.

Kingdom of the Wrights

The Kingdom of the Wrights is a kingdom consisting of humanoid sea otters with the ability to breathe underwater.[7]

Kingdom of the Sea Lights

The Kingdom of the Sea Lights is a kingdom consisting of green-haired, bioluminescent humanoids with the ability to breathe underwater.[7]

Ancient Atlantis

City of the Golden Gate

The former capital of ancient Atlantis long before it sunk. Like its successor Poseidonis, the city once served as the administrative center of ancient Atlantis and is named after the city's golden-like appearance as well as having a gate notable for fending off invaders. The Golden Gate City would serve as the main base of operations and setting in several story arcs of the

Arion, Lord of Atlantis
series.

Mu

In DC Comics,

Arion, Lord of Atlantis
series. The city was once ruled by the titular character's estranged family members, Garn Daanuth and Dark Majistra, the former using force in order to suppress and supersede the rulership of his successors after a political movement caused Atlantis to use science instead of magic and replaced its sorcerous rulers. The inhabitant's culture, appearance, and architecture would resemble ancient Egyptians. The city would eventually fall into decay during Garn's rulership as he sought to invade the City of the Golden Gate and rule the entire kingdom of Atlantis and fell into antiquity.

List of known races in Atlantis

Homo Magi

First appearanceJustice League of America #165 (1979)
AbilitiesInnate abilities includes: longevity (of at least 2-3 centuries) and biological adaptation; most homo magi are also capable of manipulating and wielding magic naturally and innately without immediate consequence.
AliasesAtlanteans, Homo Magus, True Atlanteans

The Homo Magi (sometimes synonymously referred to as Atlanteans) are a fictional race of humans who evolved in a parallel but separate line and were acclimated to possessing and controlling magical energies innately.[19] Originally, the history of the race was depicted to be considered to be unknown, having been said to have first emerged onto the continent of Atlantis on Earth over a million of years ago and their abilities to wield magic having been attributed to the abundance of magical energies on Earth during that time. When magic waned on Earth, various sects of the Homo Magi would migrate to other places and dimensions, including extradimensional locations such as Gemworld and Skartaris.[20]

Others who would stay in Atlantis and their descendants would eventually evolve into the sea-faring race known as simply "Atlanteans", who biologically adapted to survive and live in the ocean although those who used magic often had ancestors of pure Homo Magi origin.

After the events of

Rock of Eternity, having once learned magic there before early Homo Magi founded Atlantis and other ancient civilizations such as Kor.[21] However, it is also expressed that the Homo Magi's inclinations towards magic (and therefore spawn the "Atlantean magic" variant) were owed to the energies originating from the realm known as Darkworld, a dimension of magic with a consciousness of its own whose energies are innately known for being considered uncontrollable to most except to beings in which it spawned (i.e. Calculha, Arion). Over time, exposure to the energies evolved ordinary humans into the Homo Magi. Due to Darkworld's connection to the cosmic entity known as simply the Great Darkness, the cosmic opposite of the Pressence, this fact is considered a tightly-kept secret among most sects of Homo Magi and magical community, including the sea-faring Atlanteans.[22]

Atlanteans

First appearanceActions Comics #39 (1939)
AbilitiesInnate abilities include: superhuman physiology necessary for biological adaptation and survivability for the sea (strength, speed, durability, etc). Some possess longevity and are capable of wielding magic innately and naturally without immediate consequence.
AliasesWater-Dweller

The Atlanteans are a fictional race of humans who evolved to survive and live in the ocean. In their depiction after Crisis on Infinite Earths onwards, the Atlanteans were known to be the descendants of the homo magi race who evolved after the cataclysmic event known as the Deluge, which sunk the continent and its survivors adapted. Like their ancestors, they shared a natural inclination of magic and often combined it with technology.[20]

Atlanteans in Aquaman titles are typically depicted as having often xenophobic views for the "surface world", isolationist foreign policy, and constant strife among their treatment of others whom they considered outcasts, which is characterized as running contrary to ancient Atlantis's diverse history; more recent stories explained this as having originated from a combination of Atlantis's history with foreign invaders and the grim historical precedence progressive monarchs faced when they respectively sought to encourage and promote foreign policies closely resembling liberal internationalism.[23] At various points over time, Atlanteans relations between ordinary humans became more relaxed and tolerate albeit typically tense dependent on the ruling monarch (i.e., Mera, Aquaman, Ocean Master, Corum Rath, etc.).

In other media

Television

  • Atlantis appears in the TV shows that are part of the
    DCAU
    :
    • In Superman: The Animated Series, Atlantis was hidden for centuries until Aquaman came up to confront Lex Luthor after a recent LuthorCorp underseas construction project.
    • It is also featured in Justice League, where the League helped Aquaman deal with an attempted coup by Orm.
  • In the
    Van Wayne
    and Emily Locke managed to close a deal with the Lost City of Atlantis to supply them with security solutions after Wayne Security loses their contract with Ace Chemicals.
  • Atlantis is featured in
    Cisco Ramon
    mentions that he visited it. In "Pay the Piper", Cisco mentions that he noticed a component on Atlantis that might help to form a perpetual motion machine.
  • Atlantis is featured throughout the series Young Justice with a history specific to the show's Earth-16:
    • Atlantis began as a tribe once led by Vandal Savage where he and his metahuman offspring lived in harmony. Following an assault by a lord of chaos, the tribe and its inhabitants, save for Savage, were destroyed.
    • Years later Atlantis rose again ruled by Vandal's grandson, Arion. Arion was later bequeathed a crown from the lords of order and with it birthed the ancestors of the world's Homo magi. Atlantis became an advanced metropolis bustling with both Homo magi and Metahumans. Upon returning to Atlantis, Savage suggested that his grandson sink the city to further Atlantean evolution. Realizing the potential casualties, Arion objected to the idea. Savage, however, remembered that he had a thousand-year contract with Klarion the Witch Boy, the lord of chaos who had previously decimated Atlantis, that was due to be fulfilled soon. Vandal used his agreement with Klarion to sink the continent of Atlantis, allowing Klarion to ring chaos upon the earth. The sinking killed thousands but unlocked the metagenes of the Homo magi of Atlantis, allowing the Atlanteans to begin an orderly rule over the depths of the sea.
    • In the present day, it is revealed King Arion had survived his apparent death when Atlantis fell. He returned to the Atlantic capital of Poseidonis to thwart
      Mera
      , that of which would determine the true king of Atlantis. Arion arose as the victor in the eyes of the Atlanteans much to his dismay as Arion believed himself to be a failure because of Atlantis' sinking.

Film

References

  1. ^ Hunt, James (17 December 2018). "Aquaman: What are the Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis?". Den of Geek.
  2. ^ Anderson, David. "Aquaman's Atlantis - Truth, Fiction, Or Something In Between?". Forbes. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  3. ^ Aquaman (vol. 2) #17-24. DC Comics.
  4. ^ a b c "Atlantis". CosmicTeams.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  5. OCLC 1077578368.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  6. ^
    OCLC 1042078252.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-1-77950-588-0
    .
  8. ^ a b Super Team Family #13-14 (November 1977) and Secret Society of Super Villains #10 (October 1977). DC Comics.
  9. All-Star Comics
     #62 (October 1976). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Aquaman #11 (October 1963). DC Comics.
  11. ^ Action Comics #539 (January 1983). DC Comics.
  12. ^ Brightest Day #6 (July 2010). DC Comics.
  13. ^ Aquaman (vol. 5) #25 (November 2013). DC Comics.
  14. ^ Mera: Queen of Atlantis #4. DC Comics.
  15. OCLC 1083334950.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  16. OCLC 777657672.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  17. OCLC 890080292.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  18. ^
    OCLC 1301902741.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  19. ^ Weiss, Ehrich (1988). Secret Origins v2 #27. DC Comics.
  20. ^ a b Kuppenburg, Paul (1990). Atlas of the DC Universe. DC Comics.
  21. OCLC 1110150328.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  22. OCLC 1269618795
    .
  23. OCLC 1158913809.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )

External links
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