Aquaman #4

In the quiet aftermath of conflict, Aquaman teams up with the Sea Devils to halt a ruthless hunt of whales using stolen Atlantean weaponry. As he investigates the source of the weapons, he uncovers a shadowy network trafficking ancient relics from Atlantis’s past—turning the tide of war into a dangerous black market.

In "Death of a King, Chapter One," Aquaman, Murk, and their allies race across the deep to recover lost Atlantean weapons as a new threat emerges from Antarctica. Tula presses Aquaman on her brother Orm’s uncertain fate, while Mera’s tense encounter with the Amnesty Bay police is cut short by the chilling arrival of the Dead King. With secrets unraveling and old alliances tested, Aquaman turns to Vulko for guidance—and Murk makes a solemn promise to help Tula free Orm.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Two," Aquaman turns to Topo for help tracking down Scavenger, while Orm grapples with the weight of the surface world’s justice. Murk and Tula enlist Swatt for a dangerous mission to reach the surface and rescue Orm, even as the Dead King closes in on Mera.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Three: Confrontation," Mera returns to Xebel seeking aid against the Dead King, only to face Nereus’s anger over her failure to kill Aquaman as ordered. Meanwhile, Aquaman races to find Mera after learning of the attack, while Scavenger slips through his grasp and makes his way toward Atlantis. With Murk, Tula, and Swatt pressing forward to free Orm, the tide of conflict turns ever closer to the heart of the kingdom.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Four," Murk, Tula, and Swatt press forward in their mission to free Orm, while Aquaman, separated from his allies, confronts the enigmatic Dead King—whose chilling revelation questions his very lineage. With Aquaman distracted, Scavenger seizes the moment to seize control of Atlantis, plunging the city into chaos.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Five: Dead End," Aquaman and Mera flee Xebel after Nereus and the Xebellians pledge loyalty to the Dead King, only to find Atlantis seized by Scavenger. Tula hesitates as her mission to free Orm collides with the sudden threat, and when Aquaman launches a desperate assault on Scavenger’s forces, the Dead King arrives with his army—pushing the hero to the brink in a battle that changes everything.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Six: Secret of the Seven Seas," Aquaman awakens to a kingdom in ruins, where the Dead King’s shadow looms over Atlantis. As Vulko guides Arthur through the truth, the revelation that he is bloodline to Orin—the man who betrayed Atlan—shakes the very foundation of his identity.

In "Death of a King, Chapter Seven: Baptism of Fire," Aquaman awakens from six months of unconsciousness to find Atlantis in turmoil, forced to lead the Trench in a desperate bid to reclaim the kingdom from the Dead King and the Xebellians. With the tide turning, Arthur must confront the forces that have seized his throne—before the sea itself forgets who he is.