By
Evan D. Mullicane
Published 52 minutes ago
Evan Mullicane is the senior editor and founder of Screen Rant's anime section. Having started as a writer for the Comics Team at the beginning of the Pandemic, Evan was swiftly promoted from writer to editor, and then from editor to lead of Screen Rant's newly established anime vertical.
Throughout his time with Screen Rant, Evan has made a handful of appearances at conventions such as Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in Anime and Comics history.
In addition to editing anime and manga articles for Screen Rant, Evan is also a science fiction and fantasy author. In 2018 and 2019, his short story "The Demon's Mother" won honorable mentions from the Writers of the Future contest.
You can find Evan on Twitter @EvanDM and BlueSky @evandmu.bsky.socia
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This Article Discusses Infanticide
It's been said that the death of Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, was the day that DC Comics lost its innocence. Jason's shockingly violent death at the hands of Joker is an event that is still sending shockwaves throughout DC Comics, with the singular event redefining Batman and Joker's relationship forever.
While that event ranks among the most influential in DC's storied history, there is another, much earlier death that is far more shocking and still hits like a truck nearly half a century later.
How Aquaman Secretly Created One of the Most Important DC Comics... Ever
1977's Adventure Comics #421 was a landmark issue for Aquaman. With a dramatic cover depicting Aquaman and Aqualad fighting, fans were prepared for an epic spectacle. What they got instead, was pure tragedy.
The issue sees Aquaman villain Black Manta abducting Aquaman's son, Aquababy. It was only after Aquaman battled Aqualad in a gladiator-esque contest that Black Manta would free Aquababy from an air prison that would suffocate the child if Arthur didn't comply.
Aquaman and his sidekick do battle, and the hero even draws blood, before he finds a way out of the cruel melee. The end result is that Black Manta is forced to flee, and Aquaman breaks the container holding his son.
Unfortunately, it's too late. Not only is Aqualad's trust in his mentor broken, but more horrifically, Aquaman's son is dead.
Aquaman's Failure Changed The Comics Industry
Of course, Aquaman's failure to save his son isn't the first time a famous comic hero failed to save someone important. There are shades of Gwen Stacy's iconic Spider-Man death in Aquaman's story, with the hero thinking they won only to be hit with a cruel reality.
However, there is a certain layer of tragedy to Aquababy's passing that both Jason Todd and Gwen Stacy's similar events lack.
Aquaman isn't Spider-Man or Batman, meaning his supporting cast gets much less attention than true a-listers.
Jason Todd and Gwen Stacy are still present in modern comics through resurrection and an alternate universe self, respectively. While sidekicks like Bucky might be dead for a long time, the popularity of the hero they're attached to ensures their return.
Meanwhile, outside of a few minor alternate universe variations of the character, Aquababy has stayed dead since his passing in 1977. He did briefly come back to life in Blackest Night, but that was always temporary.
There is a realism to how it affects Aquaman too. The death causes a rift between Aquaman and Mera, setting up an arc that sees the two having to come to terms with the horrible reality facing them.
While many comic fans might not rate Aquababy highly in terms of the most shocking comic deaths, it is an influential death that arguably influenced future events like Batman's A Death in the Family. Aquaman truly changed comics with a shocking storyline, and it shows just how well the medium can tackle difficult subjects.
Aquaman (2018) Movie Poster
Aquaman
Created by
James Wan, Geoff Johns, Jason Momoa
First Film
Aquaman
Latest Film
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
First TV Show
Aquaman: King of Atlantis
Latest TV Show
Aquaman: King of Atlantis
First Episode Air Date
October 14, 2021
Aquaman is a DC Comics-based superhero film franchise within the former DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Centered on Arthur Curry, the half-human, half-Atlantean heir to the throne of Atlantis, the franchise launched with a cinematic standalone blockbuster in 2018 and concludes with its sequel in 2023. A supplemental animated miniseries, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, expands the story in a comedic, post‑film universe.
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Aquaman
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