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Aqualad

Aqualad

164 appearances · Silver Age · 1960–2025 · 5 key issues
Who is Aqualad?

Garth was an Atlantean youth abandoned as an infant by the Idyllists, a pacifist sub-tribe, due to a prophecy surrounding his purple eyes. Discovered and raised under Aquaman's protection, he became Aqualad — possessing Atlantean super-strength, underwater breathing, and the ability to communicate with sea life.

Few Silver Age debuts have proven as enduringly beloved as Aqualad, who first surfaced in Adventure Comics #269 in 1960, brought to life by Robert Bernstein and Lee Elias at DC Comics. Over an extraordinary span stretching from 1960 all the way to 2025, this undersea hero has racked up 164 catalog appearances and five key collector issues — a testament to a character who genuinely captured readers' imaginations and never let go. His world is rich with DC royalty: the pages he inhabits crackle with the likes of Robin, Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, and Green Lantern, and his deepest roots run through Aquaman, Teen Titans, and the charming all-ages gem Tiny Titans. Whether you're a longtime fan or just diving in, Aqualad is a cornerstone of DC's Silver Age legacy and an absolute must for any serious collector.

Identity

Real name. Garth

Powers. Atlantean physiology: underwater breathing, enhanced strength/durability, marine telepathy (communication/command of sea life); later as Tempest gained sorcery and hydrokinetic/energy powers.

Teams & affiliations
Blackhawk Squadron
★ First appearance
Adventure Comics #269
Feb 1960

Trivia

  • Art Baltazar has written more of Aqualad's comics than any other writer in our catalog — 26 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years — 1960–2021

Adventure Comics #269 1960
Adventure Comics #269
Aquaman #19 1965
Aquaman #19
The Brave and the Bold #116 1974
The Brave and the Bold #116
The Legion of Super-Heroes #272 1981
The Legion of Super-Heroes #272
Supergirl #20 1984
Supergirl #20
Secret Origins Annual #2 1988
Secret Origins Annual #2
Guy Gardner: Warrior #29 1995
Guy Gardner: Warrior #29
Flash #151 1999
Flash #151
Green Arrow #11 2002
Green Arrow #11
Wonder Girl #5 2008
Wonder Girl #5
DC Universe: Legacies #[nn] 2012
DC Universe: Legacies #[nn]
Titans: Rebirth #1 2016
Titans: Rebirth #1
The Other History of the DC Universe #2 2021
The Other History of the DC Universe #2

Appearances (1–150 of 164, oldest first)

Adventure Comics (1938)
Showcase (1956)
Blackhawk (1957)
Challengers of the Unknown (1958)
#19
World's Finest Comics (1941)
Tales of the Unexpected (1956)
#74
House of Mystery (1951)
The Brave and the Bold (1955)
Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly (1965)
G.I. Combat (1957)
All New Collectors' Edition (1978)
Firestorm (1978)
#3
The Superman Family (1974)
The New Teen Titans (1980)
The Flash (1959)
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980)
The Best of DC (1979)
Tales of the New Teen Titans (1982)
#3
Supergirl (1983)
#20
Tales of the Teen Titans (1984)
DC Sampler (1983)
#2
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985)
Secret Origins (1986)
#13
Teen Titans Spotlight (1986)
#18
Secret Origins Annual (1987)
#2
Doom Patrol (1987)
#17
Guy Gardner: Warrior (1994)
#29
Teen Titans Annual No. 1, 1967 Issue (1999)
Flash (1987)
A DC Universe Christmas (2000)
Bizarro Comics (2001)
Green Arrow (2001)
Superboy #147 May-June 1968 Replica Edition (2003)
The World's Greatest Super-Heroes (2005)
Solo (2004)
#7
Teen Titans Go! (2004)
#36
Justice League of America (2006)
#16
Wonder Girl (2007)
#5
Wednesday Comics (2009)
#1
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2009)
#15
DCU: Legacies (2010)
#4
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2011)
#7
DC Comics Presents: The Teen Titans (2011)
#1
DC Universe: Legacies (2011)
Tiny Titans: Aw Yeah Titans! (2013)
Solo: The Deluxe Edition (2013)
Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse (2014)
Scooby-Doo Team-Up Halloween Special Edition (2014)
#1
Titans: Rebirth (2016)
#1
Titans (2016)
Teen Titans: The Lazarus Contract Special (2017)
#1
DC Rebirth Omnibus Expanded Edition (2017)