Aquaman has always been one of the more isolated heroes in the Justice League, but his first team-up with the Flash left the King of the Seas feeling like he may be better off staying away from the surface world. Not only was it the first time Aquaman teamed up with anyone, but it was also his first adventure as a superhero. And after the way the humans treated him, it would have been his last if not for Barry Allen.
Aquaman has had plenty of origin stories, but the early days of his adventures are shown in the 1993-94 miniseries Aquaman: Time and Tide by Peter David and Kirk Jarvinen. The premiere issue of the series features the King of Atlantis’ first encounter with the Scarlet Speedster. While it wasn’t smooth sailing, this team-up set the tone for not just Barry and Arthur’s relationship, but Arthur’s relationship with superheroics as a whole.
When Aquaman hears from a herd of sharks that something strange is happening on the ocean’s surface, he investigates to find the Trickster committing some maritime marauding with the Flash in a race behind him. When the Trickster gets the upper hand, Arthur rescues Barry from that same group of sharks and Barry convinces him to help capture the Trickster. Once James Jesse is captured, the local port is abuzz with the discovery of a new superhero and try to give the Atlantean a hero’s welcome. During a ceremony where Arthur is about to receive the key to the city – where the Flash comes up with the codename Aquaman – Arthur is overwhelmed by the bright lights and noise that can’t be found on the ocean floor. The event is interrupted when the Flash has to leave to recapture a newly escaped Trickster, and Aquaman is left to face politicians and citizens who want to make a quick buck off of him. Arthur leaves in disgust, making his way back to the ocean and taking out the Trickster along the way, simply because the rogue was getting on his nerves. But just as Aquaman makes it to the docks, the Flash arrives in an instant to present Aquaman with the key to the city, apologize for what happened, and restore Arthur’s reluctant faith in the surface world before he descends.
Arthur clearly wasn’t the biggest fan of the surface world, but it was Barry Allen’s kindness that turned it around. Knowing that the Flash could be trusted gave Aquaman hope that not all surface-dwellers were bad, and it was this hope that made him instrumental in the formation of the Justice League alongside Barry. Had the duo hated one another, there’s a good chance that the Justice League would’ve lost an important member.
Even outside of the comics, the camaraderie between the two heroes can be seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Not only do they share more than one comedic scene together, but it’s clear that Arthur can let his guard down around Barry, mirroring this first adventure together. Aquaman may be a bit standoffish, but the Flash is such a people person that it’s hard not to open up to him.
The Flash was far from the last hero Aquaman ever worked with. And with his current membership in the Justice League, as well as his upcoming adventure with the Green Arrow in their new series Aquaman/Green Arrow: Deep Target, it’s clear that Arthur has grown into quite the team player. Though their initial meeting left a bit to be desired, Aquaman may not have become the hero fans love without a little help from the Flash.
