Corum Rath (Prime Earth)

Corum Rath is an Atlantean extremist raised in one of the most poverty ridden quadrants of Atlantis, who lead an eco-terrorist group known as the Deluge. He is incredibly xenophobic against the people of the surface, who he sees as only a threat to Atlantis. He briefly usurped Aquaman as the King of Atlantis, but was quickly defeated by the King and his allies.

History

Origin

Corum Rath grew up skint broke within the lowest tride of the Kingdom of Atlantis. He and his father, Callun Rath were both Hadalin, Atlantean masonries who spent their days toiling away building up the foundation of their home kingdom. A routine where in whenever Corum broke fresh stone for which, his father would give him a sound beating.^[1]

Callun eventually died of exhaustion, his broken body left alone in an unmarked grave. Signifying unfulfilled man who wasted his misbegotten life away for royalty who never even knew his name, leaving Corum alone within the Ninth Tride to fend for himself.^[1] As he set about the city in his youth, Corum found himself stifled by the seachanged Atlanteans who lived there. Entities who he would grow to curse and hate as Taintbloods, due to their appearance and the symbolism behind it.

Once hearing tale that Atlantis used to tower above the oceans and held power the world over, the fact that it now sits beneath the waves with the surface dwellers running things.^[1] A race he deemed disposable and inferior to Atlantean culture, filled him with contempt for his nation's dismal history.

Taking his people's acquiring fish-like traits as a defeat of their national pride, as well as acceptance of their watery confinement. During his orphan solitude he met up with fellow tride dwelling street urchin; Kadaver.^[1] Finding him practicing his unrefined craft in solitude, as to the high nosed practitioners of the Silent School turned him away due to his humble upbringing.

The two would muse about Atlantis having been the greatest nation on Earth in the past, detailing how it once ruled both land and sea and that someday, when their time comes, its towers would rise up out of the oceans to do so again.^[1]

Kadaver merely laughed at such a notion, thinking it'd be a miracle if the lowborn's prayers were heard. But the two friends made a pact on accomplishing said feat nonetheless. That they would make the highborn trides and all that they survey, their own and rule as kings of a whole new Atlantis. Eventually the two would grow up and went their separate ways.^[1] Kadaver becoming an enforcer for the mobster Krush,^[2] while Rath came to lead the Deluge against Atlantis's royalty and the Surface World.^[3]

The Deluge

Fed up of Aquaman's tolerance of the surfacers, Corum created a terrorist organization known as the Deluge to liberate Atlantis from Aquaman. Hoping to sever the ties between Atlantis and the surface world for good, Rath and the Deluge attached fusion bombs to enslaved sea beasts. These bombs were capable of sinking whole cities, and the Deluge planned to use them in this regard. The group travelled to the eastern sea board but were intercepted by Aquaman. Aquaman defeated all of Corum's Deluge forces and dragged Rath himself onto the nearest shoreline. Corum attempted to detonate the bombs but was stopped by Aquaman who defeated him in a fist fight.^[3]

Corum was locked away in the prisons of Atlantis where he was left to rot. A short while later Aquaman came to question him about a U.S. navy ship that had been sunken by Atlantean forces. Aquaman wanted to know if it was the Deluge who were behind the sinking or someone else. Rath simply told the King that it was not the Deluge, but he wished it had been.^[4]

Seizing the Throne

Months after being apprehended by Aquaman, Corum Rath was freed by the king's council of advisors. These advisors had become dissatisfied with Aquaman's reign, believing him to be too receptive to the wishes of the surface world.

Aquaman Vol 8 24 Textless — Corum Rath battles the King of Atlantis

The council were considering Corum as the next King of Atlantis, as he upheld the traditionalist views that the council believed in. When King Arthur entered his throne room alongside his fiancee Mera, Corum and his Deluge forces attacked the pair in order to test their strength. Corum and his forces were defeated by Aquaman but were saved by the council, who deescalated the conflict. The council informed Arthur of their intentions, telling both Aquaman and Corum that they would hold a summit the next day which would decide Arthur's fate.^[5]

Corum was given access to the archives of Atlantis so he could learn more about his inevitable position before the summit the next day. He learnt of a magical artefact named the Crown of Thorns which was being stored in the magical archives of the Silent School, this artefact was capable of creating a magical bubble of energy around Atlantis which would shield the city from all forms of attack except magical ones. The next day at the summit the council voted to depose Arthur as King and replace him with Corum. Corum ordered his new guards to kill Aquaman, causing the King to flee for his life. He also ordered the mages of the Silent School to activate the Crown of Thorns, protecting Atlantis from any external threats like the Justice League. Commander Murk eventually caught up to Aquaman and impaled him with a sword, seemingly wiping out all opposition to Rath's rule.^[6]

Crown of Thorns

Corum's regime began its work by cracking down on the people of Atlantis's lower trides. While acting as though it were a home in need of tender care, Rath secretly intended to raze his childhood slum home of Seachanged undesirables that live there.^[7] Creating a joint task force of tride level criminals working in tandem with the now xenophobia charged Drift Squads, many of whom were empowered by the magitek of the silent school as well as the Crown pervading over the city itself.^[2]

Atlantis Uprising

As the radicalist sect known as the Undercurrent began undermining his xenophobic administration. Rath steadily began to lose his grip on the royal house, the trust of his ruling council, as well as his sanity.^[8] Rath had deigned for the heads of every tainblood denizen of Atlantis, dissolution and execution of The Widowhood who often questioned his leadership, demolishing the rival nation of Xebel who're in opposition to his nation. And finally warring against the surface world; whom he petitioned to have purged and burned so they would never threaten their kingdom again.^[8]

Pact with the Dark

With the Crown of Thorns having been disabled by Aquaman and his insurgent allies. Rath sat beside himself, wasting time and breath bartering among his incompetent council consisting of Elder Leot, Urcell and others while the current status quo crumbles down around them.^[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Atlantean Physiology: The Atlanteans are offshoots of humanity that are biologically adapted to the deep ocean environment. All their abilities are by-products of their bodies being adapted to survive unprotected in the tremendous pressures of the ocean depths.
- Amphibian
- Superhuman Strength: Corum is strong enough to hurt a super-Atlantean like Aquaman who is a lot stronger then him.
- Superhuman Durability: Corum is able to withstand the huge pressures of deep ocean.
- Superhuman Reflexes
- Superhuman Stamina
- Superhuman Speed
- Enhanced Senses
  - Enhanced Vision: Corum is able to see perfectly in the pitch blackness of the deep ocean.
  - Enhanced Hearing: Corum's hearing is far greater than any human's.
Magic
- Accelerated Healing^[9]
- Necromancy^[1]
  - Necrotic Empowerment^[10]
- Transformation^[11]
- Clairvoyance^[1]

Abilities

Intimidation
Master Swimmer: Like all Atlanteans Corum has spent almost his entire life underwater. Because of this he finds swimming more natural then walking, and is most likely a better swimmer then any non-sea dweller on Earth.^[3]
Leadership: Corum was the leader of the Deluge, an Atlantean terrorist group, for a while until he usurped King Arthur's crown and successfully ruled over Atlantis for a short time.

Weaknesses

Water Deprivation: As an Atlantean Corum dehydrates at a rate superior than humans.
Monstrous Appearance^[11]
Diminished Intellect: Without the power of the Abyssal Dark to sustain him. Rath's monster state had reduced him to the mental acuity of the very fish whom he feared and despised all his life.^[12]