- To quote the Munchkins - let the joyous news be spread! The Ocean Master gon' bust yo' head!
Aquaman (Volume 2) #4 is an issue of the series Aquaman (Volume 2) with a cover date of May, 1986.
Synopsis for "Thicker Than Water"
Aquaman savagely rampages after Ocean Master, only to discover that the man who had been taunting him was nothing more than an illusion. The real Ocean Master is miles away inciting an Atlantean invasion of the surface world.
Nuada manages to calm Aquaman down and forces him to realize that he cannot defeat his brother through conventional means. He has most of the twelve Zodiac crystals now, and is nearly unstoppable. As magic is powered by emotion, Ocean Master has been able to intensify his own power off Arthur's nascent anger. The only way to effectively counter his magic is with stronger magic.
Nuada scribes a pentagram and uses her own powers to unlock the mysteries of Aquaman's mind. She sifts through his memories and brings to light the most joyous as well as painful moments of his past. He recalls his time with the Justice League, the marriage to his wife, Mera, and the birth and tragic death of his son, Arthur, Jr.
With Aquaman's emotional reservoir awakened, Nuada pulls his spirit from his body and sends it across the sea to confront the Ocean Master. The two fight one another on the astral plane, and Arthur taps into his own raging emotions in order to siphon away Ocean Master's power. He comes to terms with his own internal rage and uses his love for his brother to shatter his existence. When Aquaman's spirit returns to his body, he swims off towards Orm's last known location. All that is left of him is the shattered remains of his helmet. Arthur believes that his brother is dead.
Appearing in "Thicker Than Water"
Featured Characters:
- Aquaman (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Nuada Silverhand
- Vulko (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Aquababy (Flashback only)
- Mera (Flashback only)
- Aqualad (Flashback only)
- Batman (Flashback only)
- Robin (Dick Grayson) (Flashback only)
- Justice League of America (Flashback only)(Cameo)
- Sreng (Flashback only)
Locations:
- Atlantis
- Maarzon
- Ocean Master's undersea citadel
- Tlapallan
Items:
- Aquaman's camouflage costume
- Zodiac Crystals
- Lia Fail
Notes
- This is the final issue of the series.
- The sub-title to this issue was supplied in the "next issue" box from Aquaman (Volume 2) #3.
- This issue features a letter column entitled, "The Pen is Mightier than the Swordfish".
- This issue contains a flashback of the wedding of Aquaman to Mera from Aquaman #18, including the Justice League of America with Katar Hol, the Hawkman of Earth-One. The Hawkworld ongoing series later established that Carter Hall, the original Hawkman, had taken Hol's place on the League in Post-Crisis continuity.[1]
- This issue contains a flashback to the death of Aquababy. The villain known as Black Manta killed Aquababy in Adventure Comics #452.
- This issue contains a flashback to Aquaman's time with the "Justice League Detroit," formed in Justice League of America Annual #2, and his departure from the team in Justice League of America #243.
- This issue also contains various flashbacks of both Aquaman and Ocean Master from various unspecified points within their respective timelines.
Trivia
- Although Aquaman believes that Ocean Master is dead, it is clearly obvious that he has survived the attack as revealed in the epilogue on the final page.
- This is the last appearance of Aquaman's camouflage costume. However, his dimensional twin, Thanatos, will one day wear a similar costume in the pages of Aquaman (Volume 5).