Aquaman
ORIGIN:
According to his first origin story, Aquaman aka Arthur Curry was the son of Atlanna, an Atlantean princess banished from Atlantis due to her interest in and frequent visits to the surface world; and Tom Curry, a surface man and lighthouse keeper. One night, amidst a terrible storm, Tom Curry would find Atlanna thrown up on the shore by storm-tossed waves, and rescue her from harm. Both Curry and Atlanna made the lighthouse their home and developed a strong bond that would quickly lead to a sentimental relationship, which in turn, would lead to the birth of Arthur Curry.
Tom Curry accepted his relationship with Atlanna, and though he always knew there was more to her than she would let on, he'd never ask her about her origins. After Arthur was born, all of that became even more irrelevant as his presence there cemented the bond between the two. Two years after his birth, young Arthur was found by his father playing underwater after he had apparently been there for an hour without drowning. Several years later, both Tom and Arthur himself would learn the truth about Atlanna's origins, as she would reveal that she came from the lost continent of Atlantis while she lay in her deathbed. Atlanna would also reveal to Arthur that he had inherited her ability to live and breathe underwater, as well as her power to communicate with and control all marine life.
After Atlanna's death, Arthur's father became determined to train him both physically and mentally so that he would one day be in complete control of his powers. Arthur was also taught by his father to view himself as someone special, as a savior of the oceans, as The King of the Seven Seas. Later, after his father's death, Arthur Curry would leave the lighthouse which had been a home to him and his family for years, to venture into the oceans and find his true destiny. He would later become the King of Atlantis and marry Mera, a visitor from an other-dimensional water-world known as Xebel. Arthur would also take young Aqualad under his wing and fight the forces of evil side by side with the occasional help of his wife, Mera.
POWERS, ABILITIES, AND FEATS:
Aquaman has a number of superhuman powers, most of which was inherited from his Atlantean origins and ability to live in the depths of the ocean floor. Although, most Atlanteans possess the same abilities as Arthur, his royal lineage and double heritage makes him superior to any other Atlantean (Aquaman is for all intents and purposes a super Atlantean), allowing him to breathe outside of the water longer than the normal Atlantean and possess great amount of superhuman powers that follows:
Superhuman Strength:
Aquaman possesses great superhuman strength sufficient to toss a tank or punch a hole in a submerged submarine. It is generally accepted that Arthur can lift well over 100 tons, as it's evident when he pushed a tectonic plate downward onto the trench in Aquaman #4, towed a boat with the waves pushing down onto it in Aquaman #7, and sucker punched Superman in Justice League #16. Even before the New 52 he is depicted carrying really massive objects appearing to have great amount of weight such as an oil rig platform and a city block of Sub-Diego (as shown in picture) which both weighs easily over 100 tons. His strength enables him to demolish through anything from thick wood to heavy metal and would take reinforced barriers to have a chance of slowing him down. Aquaman's strength is on a category that allows him to defeat and hold his own in a physical fights against brute powerhouse characters like Olympian, Slig, Wonder Woman, Triton, Lobo and Superboy.
In Throne of Atlantis, he has shown to be able to punch Superman, and take on Wonder Woman. He has been shown among other things lifting a transatlantic ocean liner (around 160000 tons) on land, throwing an enormous cargo ship at the Dead King and throwing a nuclear submarine from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. Perhaps his most impressive feat of strength yet would be when he went toe to toe with a legendary hero and held his own.
Superhuman Durability / Stamina / Healing:
Aquaman's enhanced physiology enables him to withstand heavy impacts that would kill any normal human and gives him the ability to function normally on the ocean floor. He possesses superhuman durability high enough to be unaffected by the immense pressure and the cold temperature of the ocean depths (to a greater degree than any other Atlantean), this also makes him tough enough to be almost invulnerable to extreme heat and gun fire. Aquaman's durable enough to the point where he can trade hits with powerhouses like Wonder Woman and Despero. Arthur's capable of taking direct hits from automatic weapons at point blank range, head on collisions with trucks, resist powerful energy based attacks that would harm or kill most superhumans (such as Amazo's heat vision or the continent size Starro's blasts), or even Neutron's nuclear blasts, a fall to Earth outside of Earth's atmosphere and being fully submerged in lava.
His stamina is also far beyond anything human as well as the vast majority of most metahumans. In a Nightwing issue Aquaman's stamina was used as the ideal benchmark for powerful metahumans, which the League of Shadows tried to replicate (and failed). He has been shown to be able to swim across the globe non stop for extended periods of time, fight in a dimension with multiple suns for hours and be unaffected by The Trenches paralytic venom that would incapacitate a normal human.
Aquaman also heals much faster than humans and normal Atlanteans (as shown in Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis #57 or Aquaman v4 and Aquaman v6).
Superhuman Speed / Reflexes / Agility:
Aquaman's said to be the fastest being underwater and capable of swimming at a constant speed of 175 mph for several hours. He's able to swim at very high speeds, having the ability to reaching speeds of 10,000 feet per second (20,000 under stress, Mach 17,7) and is known to have swam through Niagara Falls upstream. In the New 52, Aquaman remains possibly the fastest swimmer in comicdom, having been able to severely out-swim The Operative's special plane (The Living Room) which can reach hypersonic speeds (Anything between Mach 5 and Mach 10). Second only to Mera (According to her, something that has yet to be proven), his upper limit is still unknown but at minimum Aquaman can surpass Mach 5. He can also create huge whirpools by moving at super speed or even entire tidal waves by swimming at super speed, or more impressivelly replicate the speed tricks of Flash (such as spinning his hands so fast they create minature whirpools, similar to the ones Flash uses to propel himself through air) or spin so fast he creates a vacumn in water. In Justice League v1 #86, an injured Aquaman even mentions that normally he is faster than Superman underwater. In Action Comics #366 a disguised Aquaman out reacts Superman in saving the lives of numerous swimmers and then swims away at superspeed before Superman can reach him.
On land, Aquaman has displayed his superhuman speed, agility and reflexes against meta-humans like Deathstroke, the Talons, Power Ring, and even Wonder Woman (who he was able to tackle during a fight using his speed) and Superman (who he was able to send flyinh after charging at him and landing a blw before Wonder Woman who was between them could react), in addition to performing feats such as dodging point blank gunfire, lightning (multiple times against Weather Wizard, after the lightning was fired), keeping up with the Flash in water (multiple times) and being able to surprise him or even cutting the weapons of 2 trained soldiers in half, before they even realized it.
Superhuman Jump:
He's also capable of jumping vast distances on land and from out of the water reaching heights of multiple stories tall (nearly appears to be flying similar to the Hulk). His leaps are so fast that allow him to cover the distance between Boston harbor/port and Boston centre/bank district near instantly and land precisely infront of a speeding vehicle (that would make his leaps at least High Hypersonic, Mach 10). In Aquaman #17, it was shown that his leaping power was so powerful that he nearly flipped over a whaling ship merely by jumping onto it. Blue whales are on average heavier than 100 tons and whaling ships carry them after killing, so it's fair to assume they already had a few whales on board.
Enhanced Senses / Sonar:
Arthur also has the ability to see, hear and smell much greater than human capacity and possesses superhuman reflexes 15 times greater than a normal being. While no speedster, Aquaman's reflexes are superior even to metahumans such as Deathstroke the Terminator. His ability to see through murky waters gives him remarkable vision at night while on the surface and is capable of seeing far deep as 36,000 ft below the ocean floor with a clear sight. He also possesses super human hearing, able to hear the heartbeat of a living being through the bulk of a submarine.
Furthermore he has also displayed some sort of sonar sense in some occasions and the ability to feel water in near proximity.
Marine Telepathy:
Aquaman has many powers, but his telepathic ability to communicate with marine life is known most widely. Although this power is most often and most easily used on marine life, Aquaman has demonstrated the ability to affect any being that lives upon the sea or even any being that's evolved from marine life. His telepathy works best on marine life, but that has not stopped him from using mind control on other telepaths. He's such an achieved telepath - having communicated to aquatic creatures all his life - that he can engage in mind to mind communication and mind domination who are non-aquatic life (as seen on Steel, Vixen, Martian Manhunter and even the White Martian Zum). His control was so fine he could even control the bacteria and plankton inside another person's body, making him nigh impossible to beat for any other water based character. However, after the 2011 continuity he has been depicted to only communicate indirectly to marine life and instead try to compel them to alter their midbrain for assistance (although in one occasion he was able to affect a lizard like creature and gave the Trench leader a brief pause during a fight). Although his telepathy has been downgraded in continuity, he is still able to send his message world-wide if he needs to (as shown in Aquaman #17) and after some strain control the colossal New 52 Topo in order to defend Atlantis. After the first attempt Aquaman can now control even Topo at will (as shown in Aquaman #43). His telepathic powers have yet to be determined in continuity.
Underwater Adaptation:
He is able to normally function and move underwater, unfazed by the pressure, temperatures or lack of light. Due to his super Atlantean dual origin, he is able off much greater physical feats than any other Atlantean (as seen for example in his fight against the mutated Black Manta, where Dolphin couldn't follow due to the pressure). In Aquaman: Death of King, Tula specifically states that Aquaman has far greater physical powers than any other normal Atlantean.
Poseidon's Blessing:
In new story Arthur seems to gain a whole new grasp of abilities related to or are an extension of this aspect. Using his limited connection of what quite possibly is remenicent to The Clear/The Blue, Aquaman was able to part an intruding field of thule magic bile in order to infiltrate a different dimension structure showcasing him using some mystic liquid bending capability, later when truly sanctified by Poseidon Arthur had been granted a host of mystical attributes which served to protect him from foul power.
Master Swimmer:
Aquaman is considered to be the fastest being underwater, excelling speeds up to 150 mph at a constant rate for several hours. He is known to accelerate faster in tight situations reaching speeds up to Mach 17,7. He has been trained since he was a child by his father and Dr. Shin (probably the DCnU's premier marine biologist).
Expert Combatant:
Aquaman has trained with the Atlantean army (and at some point he was the one training his most skilled warriors), Justice League, specifically Batman and Hawkman and various other sources such as the Others (even before the Justice League was formed). It's also revealed in that all the Others, including Aquaman, are trained in team tactics with specific destinations such as "defensive alignment", depending on the situation.He is exceptionally skilled with his trident (and also swords) and excels in hand-to-hand combat with exceptional martial abilities.
Expert Tactician / Leader:
Aquaman has an advanced strategic sense and had natural leadership qualities, having led Atlantis and it's army multiple times, as well as the Justice League and the Others. He has also come up with effective attack strategies against JL opponents such as Darkseid and the Cheetah and even managed to end an alien invasion on his own when he tricked the Hunters/Gatherers in revealing their plans to the entire world, after uniting all of Earth's underwater Kingdoms.
Royalty:
Arthur is Atlantean royalty, thus granted diplomatic immunity on the surface world, as well as the ability to act as a diplomat for his kingdom. He was a natural born leader, having served him well while protecting Poseidonis.
Trident of Poseidon:
After the event's of Maelstrom, Aquaman now possesses the weapon of an old sea monarch, given to him by the Greek God himself, further increasing his already impressive powers. The new Trident allows Aquaman to control and channel lightning, ice and earth as well as enabling instant teleportation anywhere using water as a medium, even to different planets (although it happened by accident, due to Aquaman not being completely focused) and enables unaided flight. The Trident is also indestructible, having been forged by Hephaestus the Greek God of Fire and Smithing, creator of Wonder Woman's indestructible Lasso of Truth and Weapon procuring Bracers. The Trident can also shrink down to the size of a Short Sword, making it easier to carry or hide.
WEAKNESSES:
Although he can remain underwater indefinitely without suffering an ill effects, Aquaman grows weak if he continues to dwell on land for a period of time without hydrating (like all humans).
VS.
Namor the Sub-Mariner
Namor the Sub-Mariner
ORIGIN:
Captain Leonard McKenzie 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 McKenzie used explosive charges to break them up. Unknown to McKenzie, 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 Fen made the journey alone. On reaching the ship, Fen 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 Fen and Captain McKenzie 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 Fen captive, the Atlanteans attacked and killed all the humans on the ship including Leonard McKenzie. Fen was brought back to Atlantis and from that tragic marriage was born the first hybrid between a human and an Atlantean- Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner.
POWERS, ABILITIES, AND FEATS:
The Sub-Mariner is one of the strongest mutants in the Marvel Universe being classified as a Class 100 character. When Namor is underwater his strength has been stated to be virtually unmatched. Namor is strong enough to lift hundreds of thousands of tons and hold his own in hand to hand combat with the Hulk, Thor as well as the Blue Marvel. He has superhuman stamina, durability, agility and speed, but his powers slowly decrease as he spends time out of the water. He can survive indefinitely in water or on land, and is able to withstand all pressure and cold in the sea. He has the durability to withstand the pressure of the depths of the ocean, extreme heat temperatures, and sonic attacks. Namor also has an accelerated healing factor, which is at it's peak when immersed in water.
Although being deprived of water for long periods can make him ill and relatively weak, he once spent several years living as an amnesiac human in the Bowery region of New York after being mind wiped by Paul Destine. He can swim at speeds of over 300 knots. He also has an extended lifespan being over 90 years old, yet physically still in his prime. Namor also has the ability to channel the powers of any aquatic life in the sea. For example, channeling the power of an electric eel and shooting electric bolts from his hands. He has also used radar powers like a blind fish to see Sue Storm whilst she was invisible. He also has marine telepathy although he rarely uses it and displays this ability he can control sea life to a certain degree.
All Atlantean magic flows from Namor, their king. His royal blood also is a magic ingredient that can be used in spells.
Mutant Power:
Namor's mutant power are the wings on his ankles which appear to allow him to fly and his greater degree of strength. Namor was actually the first comic book character with the power of flight, already flying in his second comic book appearance in Marvel Comics #1, while all other contemporary characters like Captain Marvel, Superman and Wonder Woman only could leap great distances and didn't fly canonically until several months later.
His skin is very resistant to any physical damage, he can resist bullet fire with ease and is fireproof.
Skills:
Due to Namor's extended lifespan and fighting in many wars and battles, he is a seasoned hand-to-hand combatant and experienced diplomat and a fine king. These skills have earned him the respect of his colleagues, no matter which side he was on, and fear of his enemies. He is also a capable weapons user having wielded his trident, swords and spears efficiently. Namor's preferred method of combat is engaging his opponents in hand-to-hand combat.
He once had control of the Phoenix Force, but he no longer possesses that power.
WEAKNESSES:
Namor is not particularly vulnerable to anything special, however, the more time he spends out of water the weaker he becomes physically.
WHO WINS??
