Aquaman #18 was released Sept. 17, 1964!
By PETER BOSCH
It had to happen. A wedding in a superhero comic book. And it took place on September 17, 1964, 60 years ago. To be specific, it was the wedding of Aquaman, King of the Seas, and Mera, the Queen of a watery world in another dimension. Aquaman #18 (Nov,-Dec. 1964) was the first such event to take place in all of comic book history. (Reed Richards and Sue Storm wouldn’t tie the knot until a year later in Fantastic Four Annual #3.)
Aquaman #18 (Nov.-Dec. 1964). Art by Nick Cardy.
That December 1964 issue of Aquaman wrapped up a very quick courtship that began in issue #11 (Oct. 1963), when Mera was first mistaken as an enemy but who was actually trying to stop the Swift and Powerful Monarch of the Ocean and his teenage ally Aqualad from being killed:
Aquaman #11 (Oct. 1963). Art by Cardy.
Aquaman #11 (Oct. 1963). Script by Jack Miller. Art by Cardy.
Aquaman #11
Aquaman #11
The arrival of Mera in that issue was a welcome change and certainly one that might help attract a female readership. Up until then, the four Silver Age tryout issues of an Aquaman title in Showcase #30 (Jan-Feb. 1961) through #33 (July-Aug. 1961), as well as the first 10 issues of his own comic book (Jan-Feb. 1962 through July-Aug. 1963), had only one woman making an appearance in the stories — and that was his mother, Atlanna, who appeared in just the tale of his origin in Showcase #30. All during those issues, it was male aliens, male water sprites, male pirates, male criminals… and Aqualad. But then, to paraphrase the title of The Association’s popular song in the Sixties, along comes Mera.
And, yes, the oceans are beautiful and tranquil with all the different types of sea life within them, but as Oscar Hammerstein II lyricized in the musical South Pacific, “there is nothin’ like a dame, nothin’ in the world.” And Mera definitely shook up Aquaman’s world. Though she was occasionally pictured in the stories as seeking Aquaman’s aid from usurpers to her throne or from rejected lovers, she was no helpless damsel. Very often, she would be the one to rescue him and Aqualad from horrible death traps.
Aquaman #13 (Jan.-Feb. 1964), Art by Cardy.
Aquaman #14 (Mar.-Apr. 1964). Art by Cardy.
Aquaman #16 (July-Aug. 1964). Art by Cardy.
Aquaman #17 (Sept.-Oct. 1964). Art by Cardy.
Of course, during their encounters, a romance had to develop.
Aquaman #13 (top), #14 (middle), and #16 (bottom). Art by Cardy. Scripts likely by Miller.
But it wasn’t until Aquaman #18 that they were threatened to be parted forever…
Aquaman #18 (Nov.-Dec. 1964). Art by Cardy. Script likely by Miller.
Aquaman #18
Aquaman #18
While Superman’s comment about how they made a great couple was a nice, sincere belief at the moment, it was no indication of what was to come over the years for these two. As a matter of fact, it is nearly impossible to imagine any two loving characters who would go through as many marriage-shattering tragedies as they would. But that’s a story for another day.
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MORE
— The Greatest Silver Age AQUAMAN ANNUAL That Never Was. Click here.
— TOP 13 AQUAMAN Action Figures — RANKED. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. A sequel, about movie comics, is coming soon. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
September 17, 2024
Hi Peter,
Thanks for this. I learned something today–two things in fact: that this is the 60th anniversary of the 1st superhero wedding with Aquaman and Mera. And that the latter hails from another dimension (in all my years of reading comics I had no idea that Mera was other-dimensional. I just assumed she was a native of Atlantis).
Of course, the artist par excellence for Aquaman and Mera too is the late great Jim Aparo–all the more as Aparo was emerging into his mature artistic self and his great gutsy classic realism (and as moving away from copying the Nick Cardy look) with issues 40 – 56 (1968 – 1971) and then esp. his first approximate year (c. 1975 – 1976) as Aquaman took over from the Specter in Adventure Comics starting with issue # 441 (after that Aparo’s art starts evolving into that greater simplification and then some stylization that marks out the rest of his career–which IMO was at least somewhat due to the changes and economizing in printing technology in the inflationary 1970s–the switch to plastic over metal printing plates and even cheaper paper that would be inimical to the greater detail and finer line work of Aparo’s earlier period–before, say, 1977).
I have snippets via the web from the final issue of the first run, # 56 (April 1971–“The Creature that Devoured Detroit!”), including that great detailed profile image of Aquaman on p. 9 with the intricate cross-hatching (or was it zip-a-tone?).
Even as 13th Dimension did this just about 5 years ago, another celebration of Aparo’s Aquaman and as including Mera is in order given our anniversary occasion here (and focusing on that detailed realist work of Aparo’s from c. 1971 to 1976).
September 17, 2024
Stay tuned…
September 17, 2024
I was kinda hoping this article was announcing the release of the issue as a facsimile. Oh well, I’ll wait for the issue to show up in a Finest. In the meantime, the pages you provided here and my Showcase will have to suffice.
September 17, 2024
While you are waiting, NTJ, you can find the Aquaman #18 story reprinted in the DC hardcover “Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years.”
September 17, 2024
I like how Superman, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter don’t need breathing Apparatus underwater. Also, Mera and Aquaman were only friends in Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. I guess DC Comics executive Allen Ducovny who oversaw the scripts didn’t want to the kid audience know that their leading man, Aquaman was married? However, Allen Ducovny had no issues approving Filmation’s Reimagined costume designs which included Aquaman’s sporty black boots.
September 17, 2024
Nick Cardy’s Mera is adorable. Kind of an anticipation of John Romita’s Mary Jane Watson.
September 17, 2024
I’d never seen this one! Thank you!