DC Confirms New God Tier Villain For Aquaman's Next Appearance

The next enemy Aquaman will fight is hands down the most powerful opponent the King of Atlantis has ever confronted on his own. Aquaman's rogues' gallery rarely becomes a threat to his fellow Justice League heroes the same way villains like Lex Luthor, the Joker, and Brainiac have throughout the years. Yet, Black Manta, King Shark, Ocean Master, and the Trench are certainly villains that many of the Justice League's strongest members would struggle to fight by themselves. Such is the immense power that Aquaman commands under the water, hidden from the surface world.

The Olympian gods are deeply woven into various heroes' lore, particularly through Wonder Woman, whose entire history is intertwined with the Greek pantheon. Ares is one of Diana's lifelong enemies, having attempted to provoke countless wars and exploit humanity's capacity for violence. Diana has also dealt with Zeus, Hera, Athena, and other Olympians, as well as with other mythical figures like Circe, one of Wonder Woman's multiple archnemeses. Hermes has a particularly unusual connection to the Flash Family, as his divine speed makes him one of DC's earliest speedsters.

Naturally, the Olympians also intersect with Aquaman through Atlantis and its ancient rulers: Triton has appeared as both a divine figure and an antagonist connected to Atlantis, and Atlan's status as founder of Atlantis has put him at odds with Arthur Curry. Most notably, Poseidon is the sea god who preceded all maritime figures in the DC Universe.

Aquaman Is Set To Fight Poseidon Himself

Emperor Aquaman #20; Written By Jeremy Adams; Art By John Timms

After becoming the Avatar of the Blue following his victory over Dagon and participating in DC K.O.'s Omega Tournament, Arthur Curry travels to Atlantis to find none other than Poseidon himself, who demands Aquaman return the power of the Blue. As he explains to his fellow Justice League heroes in Emperor Aquaman #20, Arthur is long past the point of asking for permission, and he doesn't hesitate to tell Poseidon that if the Olympian god wants the Blue, he must fight Aquaman to earn it.

Aquaman takes particular offense at Poseidon's words, as the god of the seas calls Arthur a "boy." Meanwhile, Aquaman's allies leave the scene, knowing that their immense aquatic powers and impressive combat skills wouldn't make a difference in the battle that's about to start. However, more than arrogance, Aquaman defends his possession of the Blue because he knows it might be a key weapon in the DC Universe's imminent rematch with Darkseid, which Arthur himself foresaw in DC K.O. Knowing the danger that Darkseid represents, Aquaman no longer fears opponents as powerful as the divine Poseidon.

The Blue Makes An Even Match Between Aquaman And Poseidon Possible For The First Time

DC Boosts Aquaman Instead Of Weakening Poseidon

Oftentimes, comic book antagonists the scale of Darkseid and Doomsday undergo subtle power downgrades when it's time for the heroes to beat them. For instance, even though Darkseid's Omega Beams should be impossible to dodge even by fellow New Gods, Batman manages to survive Darkseid's attacks long enough to shoot the Apokoliptian with a radion bullet in Final Crisis. Emperor Aquaman #20 chooses the opposite strategy. Instead of reducing Poseidon's divine power ahead of the battle, DC enhances Arthur Curry with the power of the Blue, which allows Aquaman to meet the sea god on comparable terms.

Aquaman and Poseidon have shared a complicated history for decades, but they have never had a definitive, all-out battle worthy of their respective royal legacies. Earlier Aquaman comics and DC crossovers have generally treated Poseidon as a distant, apathetic Olympian deity whose influence shaped Atlantis and the seas from afar, or placed him in broader conflicts involving the Greek pantheon where Arthur's role centered more on diplomacy, opposing the consequences of divine intervention. In possession of the Blue, Aquaman might cement himself as an avatar as central to the wider DC Universe as Swamp Thing after defeating an actual god.

How do you think Aquaman's battle with Poseidon will end?

Emperor Aquaman #20 is available August 12 from DC Comics