Kaldur'ahm, or Kaldur for short, is the superhero codenamed
Aqualad
Aqualad is the name of two fictional comic book superheroes appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The first Aqualad, Garth, debuted in February 1960 in '' Adventure Comics'' #269 and was created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist ...
and
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
in media published by
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and was based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, ...
. The character was created by
Brandon Vietti
Brandon Vietti (born in Fresno, California in 1974) is an American animator, director, and producer. Vietti developed and co-produces the animated television show ''Young Justice'' with Greg Weisman. He has also worked on various other animation ...
,
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman (born September 28, 1963) is an American novelist, writer, producer and voice actor. He is best known as the creator of the animated series '' Gargoyles'', ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' and ''Young Justice''.
Early life and career ...
and Phil Bourassa for the television series ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'', and voiced by
Khary Payton
Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...
. His name is a reference to the character
Calvin "Cal" Durham (the character's foster father), formerly a henchman of the supervillain
Black Manta
Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...
(the character's biological father) who was sent to infiltrate Atlantis, but defected to the Atlanteans. While originally developed for television, DC quickly adapted the character to its mainstream comic books, with
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim.
He serve ...
and
Ivan Reis
Ivan Reis is a Brazilians, Brazilian comics artist. He is known for his work on comic books such as Dark Horse Comics' ''Ghost (Dark Horse Comics), Ghost'', Marvel Comics' ''Genis-Vell, Captain Marvel'' and ''Vision (Marvel Comics), Avengers Icons ...
' re-interpreting the character.
For television, creators were able to tell a story where Aqualad had known and worked with Aquaman for many years, while the comic book version had to be introduced to Aquaman and readers at the same time, meaning aspects of his backstory had to be changed. The animated version of the character was also revealed to be
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
, maintaining the character's prominence as an
LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
superhero.
Debuting under the name Jackson Hyde in ''
Brightest Day
''Brightest Day'' is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the ''Blackest Night'' storyli ...
'' #4 (August 2010), months ahead of his television debut, the character's history and background differs from the animated counterpart. In the comics, Jackson (birth name Kaldur'ahm) was originally born to an unnamed Xebellian woman and Black Manta in the Kingdom of Xebel, the young infant granted powers due to extraordinary circumstances. As an infant, he is saved by a younger
Mera, who leaves him on the surface and arranges for him to be adopted. When he and his adoptive family were targeted by forces from the extradimensional realm, Aquaman protects him and his family. When he learns his true origins, he decides to help Aquaman. Eventually, he adopts the Aqualad name and becomes a
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
of Aquaman and a member of the Teen Titans.
In 2016, years after the New 52 and during
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
, Jackson Hyde was re-introduced as an openly
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
teenager and is the son of Black Manta and Lucia, a Xebellian elite and former member of Xebel's
honor guard
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
who was once seduced by Black Manta with promises of a life outside Xebel. The character would begin working as a member
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
, adopting the Aqualad alias (per a request from
Tempest
Tempest is a synonym for a storm.
'' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare.
Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film
* ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...
) similar to his prior comic version.
Later, the character sought mentorship in Aquaman and began working alongside him and
Mera while being supported by his mother. In ''Aquaman: The Becoming'', the character would first use the
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
codename concurrently with Arthur Curry, the two depicted as partners.
Fictional character biography
''Young Justice version''
In the ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' animated series, Aqualad (voiced by
Khary Payton
Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...
) was first seen as the protege of
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
. He was later unanimously elected by the team to be their leader after their first mission together, as he was perceived as having good leadership skills. In-between seasons one and two of the series, he uncovered he was in fact the son of Black Manta. Because the character was originally created for the animated series before being brought into ''Brightest Day'', he has a different origin from his comic book counterpart, including being a citizen of Atlantis who developed his powers in a year studying Atlantean sorcery. Though he still maintains the birth name of Kaldur'ahm, he does not use the Jackson Hyde alias created for the comics. He is portrayed as the most mature member of the group. The episode "Downtime" reveals that he and his friend
Garth
Garth may refer to:
Places
* Garth, Alberta, Canada
* Garth, Bridgend, a village in south Wales
:* Garth railway station (Bridgend)
* Garth, Ceredigion, small village in Wales
* Garth, Powys, a village in mid Wales
:* Garth railway station (Powy ...
had saved Aquaman's life during a battle with
Ocean Master
Ocean Master is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and debuted in ''Aquaman'' #29 (September 1966). Ocean Master is the alter ego of Orm Marius, the hal ...
. Aquaman offered to take on both teens as his proteges, but Garth chose to remain in Atlantis to continue his studies in sorcery, while Kaldur chose to travel with Aquaman and become Aqualad. He also had an interest in a girl named
Tula, who became involved with Garth after Kaldur left Atlantis.
In season two, titled ''Young Justice: Invasion'' set five years later, Kaldur is working undercover with Black Manta, for
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin.
Although ...
to find out who the Light's partner is. In the episode "Depths," Black Manta sends Kaldur and the Manta Men to disrupt a satellite launch at Ferris Aircraft, where he and Nightwing fake
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
' death to put her undercover as Tigress. In "Darkest", Aqualad, Tigress, and a team of super villains track
Impulse
Impulse or Impulsive may refer to:
Science
* Impulse (physics), in mechanics, the change of momentum of an object; the integral of a force with respect to time
* Impulse noise (disambiguation)
* Specific impulse, the change in momentum per uni ...
and
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
to Mount Justice, captures them, along with Beast Boy, and destroy Mount Justice with a bomb. It is later revealed that he secretly gave Nightwing a tracking device (which corresponds to a tracker that he injected Lagoon Boy with). In "Before the Dawn", Miss Martian confronted and mind ravaged Aqualad as revenge for his supposed killing of Artemis, but drops into a state of guilt when she learns about his and Artemis' undercover mission. Artemis arrived, shocked by what Miss Martian had done, and escapes with a catatonic Aqualad. Artemis manipulates Black Manta into capturing Miss Martian to repair Kaldur's mind. After Miss Martian succeeds, Aqualad pretends to remain catatonic to keep Black Manta from killing her and arrange for her to escape. Later, during a summit between the Light and the Reach Ambassador and
Black Beetle, Artemis' and Aqualad's cover is revealed and Miss Martian, disguised as
Deathstroke
Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in '' The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke the ...
, fakes their deaths. Aqualad subsequently reveals the Light's enduring betrayal of the
Reach via a hologram and he and Artemis and Miss Martian reveal their play. During a substantial conflict between the Light, the Reach, and the gathered forces of the Team which had infiltrated the Light's foot-soldiers, Aqualad defeats Black Manta and it is soon after revealed he had also been the one to defeat Deathstroke. He is made leader of the team again by Nightwing, who soon leaves in the wake of
Wally
Wally may refer to:
Music
* Wally (band), British prog rock band
** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally
* '' La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani
Other uses
*Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*WALLY, a propos ...
's death during the defeat of the Reach in the season 2 finale.
In the
third season, titled ''Young Justice: Outsiders'', Kaldur becomes the new Aquaman after the original retired. As the new Aquaman, Kaldur'ahm becomes the leader of the Justice League with Wonder Woman as his co-chair. Later in the season, he takes
an aquatic meta-girl he saved to Atlantis. Kaldur is also revealed to be in a relationship with an Atlantean man named
Wyynde, who previously appeared in the ''Young Justice'' comic book series as a former follower of the
Ocean-Master, thus confirming his
polysexual
Sexual identity is how one thinks of oneself in terms of to whom one is romantically and/or sexually attracted.
''Sex ...
ity.
He appears in the ''Young Justice: Phantoms'' episode "Tale of Two Sisters", in where he informs Artemis that Connor has died. He has an arc in the second half. He laters grows a beard. Kaldur eventually relinquishes the title of Aquaman.
Comic books
A different version of the character debuted in ''
Brightest Day
''Brightest Day'' is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the ''Blackest Night'' storyli ...
'' #4 (August 2010),
which coincided with the appearance of Aqualad in the 2010 ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' animated series.
Although similar to his animated counterpart, the comic book incarnation of the character features key differences from the animated version, originating from the underwater kingdom known as Xebel, making him of Xebellian descent like the character,
Mera. The character's set of powers also differs from his animated counterpart, his powers telepathic in nature in tandem with his natural physiology instead of being mystical and lacks inherent magical powers.
Pre-Flashpoint
= Earlier life
=
A teenager from
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat and the home of Western New Mexico University. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,315. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,704.
History
...
, Jackson Hyde was taught by his parents to fear water since he was young; they do not want him near it because his true parents would be able to locate him, not to mention certain changes happen to Jackson when he gets in the water. Jackson has kept this secret hidden for years, lying to his girlfriend about being afraid of drowning, being unable to swim and being in the dark about the mysterious tattoos he's had since birth.
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
is later contacted by the
Entity
An entity is something that exists as itself, as a subject or as an object, actually or potentially, concretely or abstractly, physically or not. It need not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually ...
, which tells him to locate Jackson before a second unidentified group, which is speculated to be
Siren
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisc ...
and her Death Squad.
''Brightest Day''
Jackson Hyde and his on-and-off again girlfriend Maria are first drawn into the events of ''Brightest Day'' after witnessing
Deadman
Deadman or Deadman's may refer to:
* "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch
* "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy
* "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...
,
Hawk
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
and
Dove
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
activating the
White Lantern Battery, which had landed in Silver City after the events of ''
Blackest Night
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Nig ...
''. As the Battery begins to speak to the heroes, the tattoos on Jackson's right arm begin to glow. Jackson is seen outside his house during a rainstorm, where he displays his abilities for the first time. As he started to control the water from the rain, his tattoos and eyes began glowing. At this moment he is revealed to possess gills and webbed hands. It is also revealed that
Black Manta
Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...
is actually his real father, and that
Mera also has some sort of connection to him. After witnessing Jackson in the rain, his adoptive father takes him to a cottage by the sea. He tells him that Mera had given Jackson to him, asking that he keep him away from his parents, and he was given an Atlantean chest to be opened when the truth is discovered. Before the chest can be opened, Black Manta, along with Siren and her Death Squad, attacks. Jackson (using his ability to create hard water constructs) defends his adoptive father, but cannot stop Black Manta from shooting a trident-shaped dart at him. Jackson's adoptive father would have died if not for Aquaman's intervention, who blocks and crushes the dart.
Aquaman gets Jackson and his foster father to safety where everything is explained to them. The chest is opened, which activates a map. Using the map, the two discover a sealed chest that only Jackson can open. Once the chest is opened, Jackson is shown a recording from Mera, who explains that his father and mother had been kidnapped and tortured by the people of Xebel (an extradimensional Atlantean penal colony) while exploring the Bermuda Triangle, where the gateway to the colony is located. Xebel's king had ordered that the child, the first "outsider" born there in centuries, be experimented on in order to serve as a key that would finally free them from their exile. Fearing for the child's safety, Mera had stolen the infant and brought him to the surface world, where she subsequently gave him to the foster family that ended up raising him. She also reveals his true name; Kaldur'ahm. Once the recording is over, Jackson discovers several items which Mera had left for him, notably a soldier's uniform from Xebel and a pair of "Water Bearers", metallic constructs that help him control his water-manipulation abilities.
[''Brightest Day'' #16 (December 2010)]
Aquaman and Jackson ultimately end up in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, where Black Manta and Siren are leading an army of warriors from Xebel in a full-scale invasion. Jackson successfully uses his waterbearers to create blades, which he uses to fight off the attacking troops, and even briefly holds his own in a duel with Siren.
[''Brightest Day'' #19 (February 2011)] After Black Manta severs Aquaman's right hand, Jackson attacks his father and berates him for siding with the people who killed his own wife, only for Black Manta to throw Jackson to the ground and coldly states that both he and his mother mean nothing to him. Just as Black Manta is about to impale his son with one of his blades, Mera arrives with
Aquagirl
Aquagirl (also Aqua-Girl) is the alias of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as the female counterpart to Aqualad and the junior counterpart of Aquaman. Originally, the first two incarna ...
, who saves Jackson by kicking his father square in the face. After using his bio-electrical abilities to
cauterize
Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burning a part of a body to remove or close off a part of it. It destroys some tissue in an attempt to mitigate bleeding and damage, remove an undesired growth, o ...
Aquaman's wound, Jackson and Mera are able to work together to seal Black Manta, Siren, and the rest of the invaders away in the Bermuda Triangle. As the heroes celebrate, Jackson is shown to begin harboring a crush on Aquagirl. Afterwards, Mera tells Aquaman that Jackson wants to continue his training. Aquaman informs her that he has already contacted the Titans.
''Teen Titans: Team Building''
After
Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...
joins the
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
, a vision of Jackson arriving at
Titans Tower
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
and confronting
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
,
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple list of superheroines, superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani and first appeared in ''The Brave and the ...
,
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark Logan, better known as Beast Boy, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who ...
and
Kid Flash
Kid Flash is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino
Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics ...
is shown as part of a collage of future events that will affect the team.
Rebirth
In the
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
timeline, the Jackson Hyde version of the character is reintroduced as a gay teenager, and visually looks more like his ''Young Justice'' counterpart. It is mentioned that he displays a near superhuman talent for swimming. Aqualad joined the
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
after the team encounters him while exploring the San Francisco Bay for a mission.
Powers and abilities
''Young Justice'' version
Kaldur'ahm is granted various powers through his Atlantean-based hybrid physiology, possessing superhuman strength, durability, enhanced senses, capability to breathe underwater and swim at fast speeds, and one mentioned to have resistance towards poisons. In addition to his natural abilities, the character trained in the mystic arts in the Conservatory of Sorcery, his magic indicated by the eel-shaped skin icons. With his magical abilities, he can generate electricity, bend and shape water at will, create hard-water constructs, and utilize spell-casting.
In addition to his powers, Kaldur is an expert combatant and is considered a capable tactician and leader, having led both the Team and later became the chairman of the Justice League. He is also extremely duplicitous, having manage to position himself within the clandestine organization, the Light, as a
double agent
In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...
and was able to create and perform complex manipulations and plans in order to maintain his position.
Comic book version
Due to his hybridized Xebellian physiology, Jackson is capable of living and beathing underwater, possessing superhuman strength, superhuman durability, and enhanced senses (allowing him to see in the dark). Due to his Xebellian heritage, he is also capable of generating electricity in a manner similar to an
electric eel
The electric eels are a genus, ''Electrophorus'', of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts ...
as well as manipulating and shaping water at will similarly to characters like Mera and Siren, his powers being telepathic in nature (unlike his ''Young Justice'' counterpart, in which are magical). Sometime after adopting the Aquaman name, the character's hydrokinetic prowess is depicted as being at a higher level, the character being proficient enough to manipulate blood within an individual.
In addition to his powers, the character is also a skilled combatant, having received training from
Robin (Damian Wayne)
Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...
and
Aquaman (Arthur Curry).
Other versions
* A version of Aqualad appears as a part of the
Ubernet Teen Titans/Justice League in the pages of ''
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
''.
* Jackson Hyde appears as Aqualad in the prequel comic to ''
Injustice 2
''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting game, fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice (franchise), Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed ...
'', where he's agreed to represent the oceans and joins Batman's efforts to repair the world after Superman's tyranny. However, he is later revealed to be allied with
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
and assassinates the president after Blue Beetle accidentally destroys a number of endangered species in Ra's' reserve.
* DC Comics released the original graphic novel ''You Brought Me the Ocean'' on June 16, 2020. Written by
Alex Sánchez and drawn by
Jul Maroh, the story focuses on Jake Hyde's teenage years in
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Truth or Consequences (often abbreviated as T or C) is a city in New Mexico, and the county seat of Sierra County. In 2020, the population was 6,052. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names for having chosen to rename itse ...
and learning to cope with his father's drowning while also struggling with his sexuality, future college plans, and burgeoning superpowers. Kirkus Reviews praised ''You Brought Me the Ocean'' as "a worthy, diverse addition to the DC Universe". The graphic novel was nominated for the
32nd GLAAD Media Awards (2021) for
Outstanding Comic Book. On April 8, 2022, it was announced the graphic novel will be adapted as a live-action series that will be released on
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
.
In other media
Television
* Aqualad makes a guest appearance in the ''
Teen Titans Go!
''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics Teen Titans, fictional superhero team. The series was ...
'' episode "Let's Get Serious", voiced by
Khary Payton
Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...
. In the episode, which is a crossover with ''Young Justice'', he accompanies Superboy and Miss Martian in taking out the H.I.V.E. as the Titans were too silly to do it properly.
* Aqualad appears in ''
Mad'' episode 45, in a segment that parodies
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
with ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''.
* An Aqualad live-action series for
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
starring Jake Hyde, a gay teenager, is in development.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
, A.J. Dix, Beth Kono and Andrew Haas of Denver & Delilah Films are executive producers for the series.
Film
* Kaldur'ahm makes a cameo appearance in ''
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox'' as a member of Aquaman's army in an altered timeline. They battle
Deathstroke
Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in '' The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke the ...
and kill him and his crew. Kaldur'ahm later reappears in the final battle with the
Amazons
In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...
. Aquaman is killed by Wonder Woman, but he sets off the Atlantean doomsday device before he dies. This device (a captive
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations.
Publication history
Captain Atom was crea ...
) presumably kills all the survivors of the battle preceding, including Kaldur'ahm.
Video games
* Aqualad appears as a playable character in ''
Young Justice: Legacy'', which is set between the first and second seasons of ''Young Justice''. Khary Payton reprises the role.
* Aqualad appears as an
unlockable playable character in ''
Lego DC Super-Villains
''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure Platform game, platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses e ...
''.
* Aqualad appears in ''
DC Universe Online
''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
''.
* Aqualad appears in
DC Legends
This is a list of video games based on DC Comics.
Video games 1970s–80s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
See also
* List of video games based on comics
*List of video games featuring Batman
*List of video games featuring Superman
*Marvel Games ...
.
References
External links
World of Black Heroes: Aqualad BiographyComicvine: Aqualad*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aqualad
African-American superheroes
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Characters created by Geoff Johns
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Young Justice
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Young Justice (TV series)