Warning: Spoilers ahead for Aquaman #1.As a long-time DC Comics reader, I was excited when Aquaman’s new solo series was announced last year. I’ve been waiting for the chance to see my favorite aquatic characters in action again, especially Mera. However, this first installment of the story leaves something to be desired, as changing Mera’s status quo dilutes her importance in Aquaman’s story and downplays one of DC’s most underrated heroes. There are many left.
Aquaman #1 by Jeremy Adams, Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe is the beginning of Aquaman’s next journey, and it takes a surprising turn from the get-go. Aquaman has new hydraulic abilities that allow him to manipulate water at will, and he reveals that he received this power from Mera.
Mera loses her hydrokinesis, her potential as a superhero, and is forced to stand by as Aquaman uses his former powers. It’s hard to admit, but I think this change isn’t handled particularly well here, and DC is wasting Mera as a result.
Aquaman steals Mera’s hydrokinesis, incapacitating one of DC’s strongest heroes
After the events of Absolute Power, Mera loses her major superpowers
The DC Universe faced a significant power overhaul in Absolute Power #4 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. When Amanda Waller attempted to restore her abilities after stealing them, they accidentally switched the powers of many characters instead of returning each to its proper host. . This mistake caused some heroes to lose their powers, such as Barry Allen’s Flash, while others gained new powers borrowed from their allies. Mera is officially confirmed as another victim of this swap, as her hydrokinesis was taken from her and given to none other than Aquaman.
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Aquaman not only has Mera’s old superpowers, but he’s also close to surpassing her, and I can’t say I’m a fan of this development. In the opening scene of this issue, Arthur uses hydrokinesis to prevent a plane from crashing into the ocean and completes a rescue mission. Once they landed safely, Mera said, “Even at the peak of my powers, what you did…would have been challenging.” Mera has been practicing these powers for decades and has even earned Batman’s respect, but Aquaman is already equally or even more skilled. Therein lies my main complaint. Mera was demoted for the sole purpose of upgrading Aquaman.
Mera’s loss of power exposes the sexism at the heart of Aquaman’s new era
Despite being a queen and a hero, Mera is treated worse than Aquaman.
With Mera unable to fight Aquaman, she was left to watch over their baby as Aquaman embarked on daring missions and duties as king. In-universe, their role reversals are accidental, but as readers we understand that real-life storytellers consciously make these choices. Although Aquaman himself had no intention of stealing Mera’s powers, DC chose to take them away and give them to Arthur instead. Aquaman’s power-ups, while exciting on the surface, are a byproduct of women being cast aside to support men.
Mera recently performed hydrokinesis with the Justice League in Batman/The Santa Claus: Silent Night Returns #2 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Kettner.
Mera is one of the Justice League’s best warriors, so it’s frustrating to see her so marginalized, and her powerlessness doesn’t stop the abuse. As the Queen of Atlantis, she must be closely involved in the meetings attended by Aquaman throughout this issue. Instead, she sees him off while caring for her children, even though caretakers have watched over Andrina in the past so that Mera can spend time ruling by her husband’s side. . Mera has served as Queen of Atlantis for many years, with and without Arthur, but here she is depicted alone as a wife and mother.
DC downgrades Mera, continuing trend of wasting female superheroes
From heroes to love interests, women in DC aren’t always treated fairly.
The DC Universe is full of strong female heroes, but Mera is one of the many who don’t get the treatment they deserve. Carol Ferris, for example, is a character with impressive superpowers as Violet Lantern. However, since her return as Star Sapphire in Green Lantern #12, she has been written as a newcomer with no control over her abilities. In fact, Star Sapphire helped Green Lantern save the world during the Blackest Night event. This story isn’t the only time she used her power ring for good. The same thing is happening to Mera, although she is now less skilled to the point where Green Lantern can surpass her.
Star Sapphire joined the Justice League during DC’s All-In era, finally fulfilling her heroic potential. To see what she’s up to now, check out Justice League Unlimited #1 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. It is currently published by DC Comics.
Another example that brings to mind this disappointing portrayal of Mera is Linda Park West, Flash’s wife. Although Linda traditionally has no unique abilities, she briefly received a super-speed power boost while pregnant with her and Wally West’s third child. She became a superhero alongside the Flash family until she gave birth and lost her speed in The Flash #798. Most are written to express some degree of sadness over this change, but Linda just smiles and never brings it up again. Just as Linda’s feelings about losing her powers are ignored in order to focus on the male superheroes in her life, so are Mera’s feelings.
Mera deserves a more prominent role in Aquaman’s latest story
As Queen of Atlantis, Mera should be more than just a damsel in distress.
Unfortunately, there is no indication that Mera’s role in this series will increase for the time being. In fact, the events of this issue suggest that Mera won’t be featured much in the coming months. At the end of Aquaman #1, Arthur discovers that Atlantis has been destroyed and his family, including Mera, perished with it. Her absence fuels Aquaman’s distress, driving him to investigate the mysterious pearl in hopes of restoring his fallen kingdom, making her a “damsel in distress.” With Mera gone, any hopes of her becoming famous have been dashed, at least for now.
With Mera stripped of her powers, she has also been stripped of her importance in Aquaman lore, and DC needs to right this wrong by giving one of its greatest characters the respect it deserves.
Mera has been an integral part of Aquaman’s story since her debut in 1963, valiantly standing by Aquaman’s side whenever he needs her. Arthur and Mera are the king and queen of Atlantis, so they should be considered equals. The counter argument might be that since the story’s title is Aquaman, it makes sense to focus on him, but there’s no need for Mera to steal Arthur’s thunder for him to play a significant role. Simply put, I feel there are better directions to embrace her than to exhaust her powers and toss her to the side for Aquaman’s benefit.
If this story can’t exist without Aquaman taking Mera’s powers, there are still ways to incorporate her into his adventures. Besides imposing her duties as queen, Adams was also able to explore her emotional reaction to losing her hydropower. I’d love to see a glimpse of jealousy or admiration, for example, as Arthur watches her perform the feats he was once able to do, thereby confirming that she retains her depth. Ultimately, stripping Mera of her powers meant stripping her of her importance in Aquaman lore, and DC Comics is making amends for this mistake by paying due homage to one of its greatest characters. It needs to be corrected.
Aquaman #1 is available from DC Comics.
