Aquaman

"Orin was I born, Aquaman I grew to be. Spawn of two worlds… yet fated to belong fully to none."

- - Aquaman

Orin, known as Aquaman for the world population, is the ruler of undersea Atlantis. The offspring of a sea captain and an Atlantean princess, he has been both a hero and a villain to the surface world. He is a member of Doctor Fate's Illuminati.

Early Life
Captain Thomas Curry was on an expedition in 1920 to Antarctica, looking for the mystical Helmet of Power. His ship, The Oracle, was stuck in ice floes so Curry used explosive charges to break them up. Unknown to Thomas, the ancient city of Atlantis was directly below. The city was severely damaged and the Atlantean ruler, Emperor Tha-Korr, commanded his daughter to send warriors to investigate the source of the deadly blasts. Not wanting to endanger anyone else, Princess Atlanna made the journey alone. On reaching the ship, Atlanna was immediately captured by one of the crew but not speaking each other’s languages, she was unable to communicate with anyone. Nonetheless having remained on board for a number of days, Princess Atlanna and Captain Curry fell in love and were married by the ship’s Chaplain. Weeks later Tha-Korr sent a war party in search of his missing daughter. Thinking they held Atlanna captive, the Atlanteans attacked and killed all the humans on the ship including Thomas Curry. Atlanna was brought back to Atlantis and from that tragic marriage was born the first hybrid between a human and an Atlantean- Prince Orin, the Aquaman.

Spawn of Two Worlds
Aquaman grew up with hatred for the surface world. He met Iron Man, whom he started an nemesis relationship, when he finally visited the surface world. But when Lex Luthor attacked Atlantis, he joined Superman against him. Aquaman was also allied with his cousin Namor.

Hero of Atlantis
One fateful day after the invasion, a series of earthquakes rocked Atlantis, nearly destroying it. Thus destined to repeat his mother’s feat, Aquaman was ordered by his grandfather, Emperor Tha-Korr, to investigate. Namor tracked down the source of the attack to a cave in Antarctica where he found a man called Black Manta, who told him he is the one who attacked Atlantis with his Helmet of Power.

Black Manta used his scepter to hold Orin still and show him Atlantis crumbling and his mother and grandfather crushed to death beneath the debris. Manta then used the helmet's mental powers to give Aquaman amnesia and send him away to New York, where he wandered around as a hobo for a number of years. During this absence, Namor was killed by Black Manta, but not until he had a daughter named Namorita. In secrecy, Black Manta was a though-to-be pawn of Aquaman's half-brother, Lord Orm, but Manta did hold a secret and personal grudge against the prince of Atlantis.