Benton, You Are Not Alone

[yell0w_lantern]

They're multiplying! 

http://mjolnir-thehammerstrikes.blogspot.com/2011/11/aquaman-you-like-aquaman.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHammerStrikes+%28The+Hammer+Strikes%29

[captmorgan72]

I always thought Arthur was one of the toughest members in the JLA. The toughest being Batman of course. He knows how to take out any of the other members.

[BentonGrey]

Haha, but of course.  People are just finally starting to see the light.

[Tomato]

I don't think it's that, so much as it is that those people who who have always liked the character are finally being given solid footing to stand on. Aquaman is easily one of the better books in the new 52, he was arguably the best character in Brightest day, and he's been depicted as one of the more capable heroes in B&B(not too mention aqualad LEADing YJ). That plus the fading memory of "super powers aquaman" (I'm sorry, but that show did more to make aquaman a joke then any comic did) means that fans can finally admit to liking him.

[Uncle Yuan]

I don't think it's that, so much as it is that those people who who have always liked the character are finally being given solid footing to stand on. Aquaman is easily one of the better books in the new 52, he was arguably the best character in Brightest day, and he's been depicted as one of the more capable heroes in B&B(not too mention aqualad LEADing YJ). That plus the fading memory of "super powers aquaman" (I'm sorry, but that show did more to make aquaman a joke then any comic did) means that fans can finally admit to liking him.

I think you mean "Super Friends."  But, yes, that did almost single handedly turn him into a bad joke.

[Tomato]

heh, I've been buying too many action figures lately I think.

Edit: I just realized... according to this thread, Benton is... PROFESSOR YANA! ZOMGEXPLOSION!

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

That would also make him The Master, which would actually explain a few things.

[oldmanwinters]

Aquaman is so tough that he was banned from latter episodes of Justice League Unlimited animated series since his mere presence would have made victory too easily obtainable for the good guys!   

[Previsionary]

Aquaman is so though that he was banned from latter episodes of Justice League Unlimited animated series since his mere presence would have made victory too easily obtainable for the good guys!   

Ugh. Calm down, please. Just... just calm down.

[oldmanwinters]

Aquaman is so though that he was banned from latter episodes of Justice League Unlimited animated series since his mere presence would have made victory too easily obtainable for the good guys!   

Ugh. Calm down, please. Just... just calm down.

Yeah, that was a little over the top on my part.  I forgot the real reason for the Aqua-embargo in late JLU.

[Previsionary]

Aquaman is so though that he was banned from latter episodes of Justice League Unlimited animated series since his mere presence would have made victory too easily obtainable for the good guys!   

Ugh. Calm down, please. Just... just calm down.

Yeah, that was a little over the top on my part.  I forgot the real reason for the Aqua-embargo in late JLU.

I'm sure Benton was involved in some way. He probably wrote a long essay describing why hook-man (Aquaman) was inaccurate, so they removed him altogether!  Hey, it's something I'd do... but I'm a villain.

[BentonGrey]

heh, I've been buying too many action figures lately I think.

Edit: I just realized... according to this thread, Benton is... PROFESSOR YANA! ZOMGEXPLOSION!

I........don't get it.  I know he's from Dr. Who and all, Wikipedia being what it is, but I still don't get it.

Anyway, yeah, of course we're living in an Aqua-renaissance.  It's been a long time coming, but Aquaman is getting back to the point of respect and popularity he had in the 60's/70's.  You're right, though, 'Mato.  The Super Friends cartoon did a lot of damage to the character.

Winters, ignore Prev.  He's just jealous.

[Tomato]

Kind of a long story, so I'm going to put it in spoiler tags just to save space.

Spoiler

OK, so as of the start of the new series of Doctor Who, the titular character became the last of the Time Lords(basically what they did to Superman at the end of the first crisis when DC wanted him to be the last son of krypton again). However, one of the plotlines starting (I believe) in season 2 was that The Face of Boe, the oldest living creature in the galaxy, would reveal his greatest secret to "a traveler" aka the Doctor. This secret turned out to be four words: "You Are Not Alone," which implied that he was not, in fact, the last Time Lord.

However, it turned out to also have a second meaning. Late in Season 3, the Doctor ends up at the "end of the universe," where he meets a brilliant scientist, Professor Yana(Y.A.N.A, You. Are. Not. Alone.), who is trying to find a way for humanity to survive the end of everything. His companion discovers a device called a "Fop Watch," which basically disguises a Time Lord so completely they actually forget who they are. Yana is then revealed to be the Master, one of the Doctor's oldest and deadliest foes within the Time Lords.

So, in a nutshell, I'm calling you a supervillain disguised as a benevolent professor.

Back to the discussion, the simple fact is that JLU didn't know where to go with Aquaman in the same way they didn't know where to go with Riddler (compare AA/AC riddler with BTAS Riddler. Much improved, IMHO). If you read interviews or listen to commentary, they'll talk about the fact that they kept running into problems where they kept writing him like namor, but they didn't want him to be like namor, and basically kept running around in circles with his characterization.

[UnkoMan]

Yeah, Aquaman was pretty jerky in JLU. I actually love him in Brave and Bold. The one where he goes on a vacation with his family? Hilarious.

But, Aquaman is totally cool. Underwater superheroes don't get enough love.

[oldmanwinters]

Yeah, Aquaman was pretty jerky in JLU. I actually love him in Brave and Bold. The one where he goes on a vacation with his family? Hilarious.

But, Aquaman is totally cool. Underwater superheroes don't get enough love.

Aquaman was heavily featured in Brave and the Bold's "series finale," in which Bat-Mite declared him as the show's "break out character."

[deano_ue]

sums it up really

[yell0w_lantern]

Wait, does that make me the Face of the Boe or the Doctor?

[oldmanwinters]

Has Aquaman's super strength and near-invulnerability been explained?  I seriously never knew the guy was bullet-proof.  Is there something about growing up in salt-water that strengthens one's loins? 

And Wonder Woman is supposedly stronger than A.M. but not bullet-proof?  Is it the same story as Spider-man?  I can't remember either one of them actually being shot.

[Tomato]

Has Aquaman's super strength and near-invulnerability been explained?  I seriously never knew the guy was bullet-proof.  Is there something about growing up in salt-water that strengthens one's loins? 

And Wonder Woman is supposedly stronger than A.M. but not bullet-proof?  Is it the same story as Spider-man?  I can't remember either one of them actually being shot.

I wouldn't say bullet-proof exactly, though he is close. Bullets will do damage, but they'll ricochet off his super-dense skin. As for the WHY of it, how's about YOU try building your house at the bottom of the ocean. Water pressure alone would probably crush your bones.

[Glitch Girl]

speaking of the King of the Sea, Agents of Style do a retrospect on his costumes, and he comes off better than most.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/agent-of-style-aquaman-11119.html

[BentonGrey]

Haha, that was fun GG, thanks!

Has Aquaman's super strength and near-invulnerability been explained?  I seriously never knew the guy was bullet-proof.  Is there something about growing up in salt-water that strengthens one's loins? 

And Wonder Woman is supposedly stronger than A.M. but not bullet-proof?  Is it the same story as Spider-man?  I can't remember either one of them actually being shot.

Yep, 'Mato explained it pretty well.  The idea has always been that, since he's part Atlantian, he's got super-dense muscles and bones.  He can leap huge distances, lift great weights, and his skin is so tough that he is definitely bullet-resistant.  Shooting him will hurt, but small arms fire isn't likely to kill him.  He's also fast enough to dodge bullets, can swim at a speed fast enough to keep up with the Flash as he runs on water, and do all other kinds of neat things.  There's a thread around here someplace where I list and provide images for some of the awesome things he's done....
http://freedomreborn.net/forums/index.php?topic=50451.0
Ahh, there it is.

Aquaman is a mutant, being the half-breed that he is, and he's head and shoulders above the other Atlantians in his world.  As for Wonder Woman being bullet-proof or not...well, that's a harder proposition.  Why does Thor bother to block bullets with his hammer when he's tough enough to take punches from the Hulk?  Characters like Wonder Woman and Thor were originally not quite as tough as they are these days.  I remember an early-ish issue of the Fan Four where they go to great lengths to explain just how amazing it is for the Thing to be able to do feats of strength that would seem really common place to comic readers today.  What is normal has changed, and the idea of a bullet-proof hero is more common these days than it was back in the Silver or Golden Ages.  As for WW specificially....well, I will say this, I've always hated how modern-ish DC writers have constantly worked to put her on Superman's level.  It just doesn't fit.  She's strong, she's tough, but she really shouldn't be that strong or tough in my opinion.  She should be around Aquaman's level...which is what we've seen in the comics more often than not.