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Aquaman just set off another potential conflict between Atlantis and a nation of the surface world — raising the possibility of devastating war.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for “The Foxtail” from Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Special, on sale now from DC Comics.
Throughout the history of the DC Universe, Aquaman has been one of the most consistent forces for good in the world. But there have been times where his loyalty to Atlantis has caused conflict with the surface world.
Aquaman sets up another potential conflict with a global superpower in “The Foxtail” from Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Special by Jeff Parker, Evan “Doc” Shaner, and Rob Leigh — continuing what’s becoming a worrying thread with DC’s aquatic superhero.
In recent issues of Action Comics, Aquaman and Atlantis have found themselves increasingly at odds. A Kryptonian refugee ship crashed into Earth recently — and while Superman brought the survivors to the Fortress of Solitude, forces from Atlantis took the power source from the ship (known as Genesis) and brought it to a lab. However, experimentation resulted in them morphing into monstrous new forms and causing them to attack the surface. Above the wreckage, the United States Navy and the Atlantean military found themselves in a stand-off — and all-out war is only prevented by the Superman family taking the early volley of attacks. Superman decided for the safety of everyone involved to take Genesis himself — prompting Aquaman to declare that their friendship would be irreparably changed if he did so.
Now, in “The Foxtail,” Aquaman finds himself on the other side of the globe, responding to news of whales breaching beaches and the ocean in their area being in disarray. In the Bering Sea, he finds a massive volcano squad attacking a Russian submarine — and is warned that if the sub is breached, the substances within the vessel will poison the local waters. But Aquaman’s attempts to convince the creature to loosen its grip on the sub only allow the Russian sub to fire on the creature — forcing Aquaman to absorb the brunt of the blast directly. Dazed, Aquaman regains consciousness and realizes the creature couldn’t respond to him because it was being targeted by a special frequency weapon aboard the submarine.
Finding it, Aquaman quickly destroys the weapon and breaches the submarine, confronting the Russian crew as a representative of Atlantis. He learns the sonar device was constructed to attack other undersea vessels but has also been affecting the local sea life. He allows the submarine to breach the surface and be led back to land but warns the captain that he will be stationing a contingent of Atlantean forces within the Russian waters — and that any other vessel that uses that weaponry will not be shown the same mercy he’s expressed with them. Aquaman then returns to the oceans, content with the work he’s done. While it’s a minor victory for the hero, it’s also a potentially dangerous action to take against a powerful nation like Russia.
Things on Earth are already tense without the intervention of superheroes or extraterrestrial forces — and Aquaman just effectively ordered forces into Russian territory to keep an eye on them. On top of causing plenty of chaos with the American government, Aquaman is also likely now attracting attention from the other half of the globe. Unlike his Marvel counterpart Namor, DC’s Aquaman has always sought peace between the surface and the kingdom under the sea. When he did bring war to the surface, like in the Flashpoint universe), the Earth left devastated by his actions — and he’s already jeopardized his relationship with both Superman and Batman. If he’s not careful, Aquaman might end up being the cause of a potentially very dangerous and possibly even global conflict.
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