Aquaman #37 is an issue of the series Aquaman (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1968. It was published on November 2, 1967.
Synopsis for "When the Sea Dies!"
Aquaman and Mera watch as Aqualad, Tusky and Imp play with Aquababy. While Aquababy is atop Imp's back, the giant seahorse playfully bucks, sending the infant hurtling towards a sharpened coral reef. Tusky isn't fast enough to reach him in time, but fortunately for Aquababy, somebody else is -- the Ocean Master. The Ocean Master catches Aquababy, then taunts Aquaman. Aquaman stares the Ocean Master down, but cannot bring himself to strike him. Ocean Master thinks that Aquaman is weak, and antagonizes him further by firing a ray gun at a passing sea turtle. Aquaman cannot restrain himself any longer, and after saving Iron Jaws the turtle, he tackles the Ocean Master.
As the two fight, a bizarre phenomenon occurs. The very sea itself begins to rot and erode away. Large vacuum pockets appear and swallow Mera and Tusky. While Aquaman tries to free them, the architect behind this attack makes his presence known - the Scavenger. The Scavenger attacks the Aqua-Family with his Scorpion-Ship and demands Aquaman to tell him the location of a mysterious alien artifact known as the Time Decelerator. Aquaman has no idea what the Scavenger is talking about, but the villain is undeterred. He captures Mera and Aquababy and holds them prisoner aboard his ship.
The Ocean Master feels that if this Time Decelerator is so valuable, then he should be the one to possess it, not the Scavenger. He gets into his mini-sub and fires a heat-seeking torpedo at the Scavenger's ship, but the Scavenger coats his Scorpion-Ship with a sheet of ice, thus avoiding the torpedo.
Aquaman telepathically summons every sea creature of the deep to stop the Scavenger's vessel, but none of them succeed in rupturing the ship's impenetrable hull.
The Ocean Master tells the Scavenger that he has found the Time Decelerator, and points him in the direction of a nearby cave. The Scavenger takes the bait and the Ocean Master prepares to destroy his ship. Aquaman stops him from doing this, as Mera and Aquababy are still on board. After freeing them, Aquaman finally gets his hands on the Scavenger. As the two grapple, the Scavenger manages to scoop up the Time Decelerator. He activates it, believing that the artifact will grant him immortality. However, the device actually regresses him in age, turning him into a baby, and then into nothingness. Aquaman then blows up the Scorpion-Ship. With the vessel destroyed, the poisoned patches of the sea turn back to normal.
Appearing in "When the Sea Dies!"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Template:Apn
- Template:Apn
- Template:Apn
Antagonists:
- Template:Apn (Flashback and main story)
- Template:Apn (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Template:Apn
- Template:Apn
- Template:Apn
- Iron Jaws (a giant sea turtle)
Locations:
Items:
- Time Decelerator (Single appearance)
Vehicles:
- Alien space craft (Flashback only)
- Ocean Master's mini-sub
- Scorpion-Ship (First appearance)
Notes
- The Ocean Master suffers from amnesia, and has no idea that he is actually Aquaman's brother.
- Includes a brief flashback of the Ocean Master as a young man; earliest chronological appearance.
- Includes a "Freddie the Frogman" and "Professor Eureka" humor strip by Henry Boltinoff.
Trivia
- There are various exclamations and catch phrases popular during the Silver Age found in this issue, all of which are spoken by Aqualad. Among them are: "Holy Hagfish!", "Suffering Sea Snakes!", "Holy Herrings!", "Wailing Wolf-Fish!", "Holy Houndfish!" and "Shiverin' Shellfish!"
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Aquaman Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Aquaman (Volume 1)
- Aquaman (Volume 2)
- Aquaman (Volume 3)
- Aquaman (Volume 4)
- Aquaman (Volume 5)
- Aquaman (Volume 6)
- Aquaman (Volume 7)
- Aquaman (Volume 8)
- Aquaman and the Others (Volume 1)
- Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis (Volume 1)
- Aquaman: Time and Tide (Volume 1)
- Atlantis Chronicles (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
Links and References
Template:Aquaman Links