Wave 2 - Aquaman

Like Superman and Batman, Aquaman is one of the oldest and most iconic characters in the DC universe. Born of royal blood as rightful heir to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, as an infant Aquaman was taken from his home and exiled into the cold depths of the ocean. Raised on his own in isolation, Aquaman became a feral child who learned to communicate with sealife.

Eventually Aquaman was found by a human lighthouse keeper and given the name Arthur Curry. He then lived a double life on both the land and in the sea. When Arthur was a teenager, his adoptive father disappeared and so he set out on a quest to discover his true origins. This quest turned Arthur from an awkward teen out of place in the world into a bon a fide hero. Assuming the name Aquaman, he battled alongside Earth's other heroic champions to stave off a variety of evil threats. Aquaman became a founding member of the Justice League of America and a renowned hero of the surface world.

But Aquaman's true home was, and always will be, beneath the sea. He returned to Atlantis and took the throne that was rightfully his. As king of the undersea world, Aquaman ruled more than 75% of the Earth's surface. He became a powerful and impassioned ruler, who took a Queen and was born a son. It seemed that Aquaman had fulfilled his legacy.

Unfortunately, Aquaman's tenure as the ruler of Atlantis was to be one marked by tragedy. His son was murdered by the ocean-bound supervillain Black Manta, and then Aquaman had his left hand devoured by a school of piranha when the villain Charybdis stole away his ability to communicate with sea life. The toll of these emotional burdens led to Aquaman coming unhinged. He replaced his lost hand with a harpoon spearhead and grew out his hair and beard. The new, more savage and war-driven Aquaman ruled with an iron fist…er, spearhead, and was eventually deposed by the people of Atlantis and driven once again from his home.

Aquaman took up residence in Ireland, reestablishing connections with the Justice League and resuming life as a surface-bound warrior. He then happened upon the magical Lady of the Lake who bestowed upon him an enchanted prosthetic hand that is composed of mystical water. This return to a more 'normal' appearance was symbolic of Aquaman's emotional recovery from the turmoil of his time as King of Atlantis.

Aquaman demonstrates a variety of super-powers, mostly derived from his ability to survive in the deep ocean. He can breathe underwater and communicate with sea life. He has super-strength that enables him to swim at very high speeds and he is resistant to damage or injury.

Classic

Modern

The Four Horsemen have set the bar pretty high for themselves with this line. We expect a certainly level of detail from the six inch scale figure at this point, and this is one line that has yet to disappoint. Aquaman is a shining example of the 4H’s sculpting talent. His face/head sculpt is outstanding. It just exudes so much personality and character. I think it’s the best head sculpt of the line so far. And Aquaman’s awesomeness doesn’t end with his head - the rest of him is outstanding too! From his scale-mail shirt armor to his belt buckle to the fins on his calves, his detail is just tremendous. And his paint is great too - he gets a nice subtle dry brush on his chest and arms to bring out the texture in his shirt, and his hair has highlights of varying shades of blonde and dirty blonde. He also has some airbrushing in the musculature of his legs to bring out the definition there.

Aquaman also gets hooked up with a big trident accessory. I really like how Mattel and the 4H are managing to squeeze in so many accessories in a BAF line. Aquaman’s trident is every bit as detailed as he is, with great paint applications to set off different parts of the ornamentation on the fork of the spear. My only complaint is that the gold paint on the handle tends to flake off when you pop it in and out of his hands. That’s a bit of a bummer, since the plastic underneath is a milky white color that really shows through. Oh well, that’s a small nitpick. A little care when taking the trident in and out of his hands will avoid any major rub off.

The variant “modern” version of Aquaman has longer hair and a few different costume details.