There are wedding bells in the future for Mera, but there’s just one problem – she’s not marrying Aquaman. According to the June solicitations for Aquaman #61 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Miguel Mendonca, Mera is getting married, but the identity of the groom is a mystery. Those aren’t the only mysteries, however, as Jackson tries to solve one of his own, while also contended with Orm.
Fortunately, it doesn’t look like Arthur is going to take this laying (or swimming) down. The cover shows him crashing the wedding – and also crashing through the chapel apparently. Still, the identity of Mera’s mystery suitor remains in shadow.
Mera first appeared in Aquaman #11 in 1963. While she had traditionally been presented as Arthur’s queen and wife (or royal consort in some versions), the two have butted heads and even clashed before. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case, as the two have largely been depicted as a couple following both the New 52 reboot as well as DC Rebirth. Mera even took Aquaman’s place on the Justice League after his short-lived demise in The Drowned Earth storyline – and she’s even been the Queen of Atlantis on more than one occasion.
For whom the wedding bells toll, Arthur? They do not toll for thee! It’s a race to the chapel, as Mera is awake and betrothed, but who is the groom, and why isn’t he Arthur? There is a greater mystery at work, and Jackson makes a deep-sea discovery—but not before a depth-defying battle with Orm! Speaking of Ocean Master, he’s bringing all of Dagon to the wedding ceremony, and the Seven Kingdoms will never be the same again!
There’s plenty of unanswered questions surrounding this latest reveal. Is Mera being married willingly, or more likely, was her hand forced? Also, how does Orm fit into all this? In addition to attacking Aqualad, the solicitations also mention that he’s apparently inviting all of Dagon to the ceremony (hopefully they over-ordered on hors d’oeuvres). Regardless of how this plays out, this issue could have major implications on Aquaman, Mera and the entire kingdom of Atlantis.
Given how the groom’s identity is hidden, it seems likely this isn’t a simple one-and-done obstacle for Arthur and Mera. Since Atlantis has been through a lot over the past months, this could have major changes to Arthur’s status quo – and potentially to his relationship with Mera going forward. Arthur’s troublesome half-brother Ocean Brother is also involved, which means all of this is almost certainly a play for the throne somehow. Still, since Orm isn’t the one directly marrying Mera, it seems like there is a far bigger plan here – and one that could potentially be far harder for Aquaman to unravel. All of this will almost doubtlessly come on the heels of whatever Jackson finds – and how it relates to the ongoing plot with Mera. Hopefully, Aquaman can object this union before it’s too late – and before Orm hatches whatever he’s planning.
Aquaman #61 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Miguel Mendonca goes on sale June 16th.
