Twice-Told-Tales: Submersible Subversives & Taxiing Thunderbolts

While Aquaman's friends the Water Sprites of Earth-One and Johnny Thunder's pals the Thunderbolts of Earth-Two were generally benevolent, at times they had a mischievous... almost menacing... nature to them. Just was the case when a small faction of Sprites are driven by greed and the Bolts are driven... as golden age Uber drivers???

The evil Water Sprites led by Quirk seek to conquer not only their civilization's undersea city but also the surface world. Employing a weapon which removes Quisp and his allies of their powers, while the fearsome foursome ingest a growth formula increasing both their size and powers. To oppose this rebellion, Quisp enlists the aid of his allies Aquaman and Aqualad against their returning foe Quirk.

The good Thunderbolts are prompted by lead Thunderbolt Oswald's master Johnny Thunder into becoming fare-free transportation surface, eliminating the need of cab drivers in his community. As this task was to much for even Thunderbolt himself to accomplish, he recuited his son Shocko, who then recruited his mom and Oswald's wife Mildred, followed by a legion of Thunderbolts.

Aquaman and Aqualad were able to secure Quirk's weapon, reversing its charge on Quisp which revived their ally's powers. Using the special seaweed growth serum on themselves, the Dynamic Duo of the Seven Seas were able to defeat Quirk and his three cronies, restoring the benevolent Water Sprites to their homeland once more.

Johnny Thunder quickly discovered the folly of enlisting the aid of Thunderbolt Oswald and his kin into such as massive project, as this both led to irritation from the cab drivers as to their loss of business, as well as the literal minded Thunderbolts messing things up in their delivery of their "fares". Cancelling their golden age "Uber" assignment, the Thunderbolts returned to their home dimension once more.

While this particular "Twice-Told-Tale" is not exactly identical, as each tale has different motivations and actions, both subvert the Water Sprite and Thunderbolt civilizations, which impose their will upon mankind who oppose them. While Quirk (and his fellow Sprites like Quirk and Quink), as well as the other Thunderbolts (such as Mazda, Ampere and ReVolting) were side-characters only appearing a handful of times... the main trio of Thunderbolts had far more menacing Earth-One counterparts. 

Unlike their Earth-Two do Abengazar, Ghast and Rath who on at least four occasions opposed the Justice League of America. On one occasion, Oswald and his fellow Thunderbolts aided the Justice Society of America and their League allies within the Thunderbolt Dimension against the evil Johnny Thunder of Earth-One.

Diametrically Different Dimensions: Aqua & Tbolt

Amidst the myriad of dimensional planes attached to the various universes throughout the DC Multiverse, those associated with Earths One and Two have a pair that are distinct from one another. While the 4th dimension (Bgztl and Duomal respectively), the 5th dimension (each with its own planet Zrfff) and the 7th dimension worlds of each universe are remarkably similar, those of the two elemental dimensions are diametrically different. These realities known as Dimension Aqua and Thunderbolt Dimension have unique natures apart from each other, tied directly into how fundamental forces work differently in each.

Dimension Aqua was first encountered when Queen Mera of it predominant world fled that dimensional plane for that of Earth-One, when her throne was usurped. Encountering Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad, the trio battled the evil Leron and his force seeking to recapture her and obtain the science behind the dimensional warp which led Mera to Earth. To combat Leron and his henchmen's mastery over hydrokinesis, Aquaman recruited the water-sprite named Quisp, who attempted to gather his fellow sprites to help Mera liberate her realm. Although Quisp and his fellow sprites were unsuccessful, Mera and the boys were able to thwart Leron.

Thunderbolt Dimension was first entered by humans arriving from Earth-Two shortly after the Justice Society along with Earth-One's Justice League battled the alien antagonist known as Aquarius. As she just lost her husband Larry Lance in death during the battle, Black Canary herself was also succumbing to radiation poisoning from the battle. Superman brought her to this dimension to see her daughter Dinah, who had been sleeping in suspended animation for decades following her traumatic metahuman mutation as a baby, Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt transferred the memories of mother in to daughter, with the young Dinah now gaining her mother's maturity allowing her to master her sonic screams that plagued her as a child. Years later, she along with Starman would return to the Thunderbolt Dimension, when Johnny's Earth-One counterpart temporarily took control over the Thunderbolt.

While Dimension Aqua had Atlantean-like humans as its residents, the Water Sprites were native to Earth-One. The Thunderbolt Dimension had the Sprites' counterparts the Thunderbolts as residents, while the Aqua-humans' doppelgängers (such as Mera's counterpart Eeras) were native to Earth-Two. As with the intrinsic nature of Hard Water and Lightning Bolts differing in each universe, So too the physics of these parallel Dimensions mirror this. Hard water grants superhuman speed on Earth-Two which lightning grants on Earth-One. Conversely, lightning creates solidified constructs on Earth-Two and hard water does the same on Earth-One.

Ominous Ocean Overlord & Sinister Sea Sleuth

Orm Curry and Phineas Pike were two men fascinated with the world underneath the waves. Both were connected with the Aquaman of their respective worlds, with Orm being the Earth-One Aquaman's half-brother and Phineas being the Earth-Two Aquaman's best friend. Each used their genius intellect to device techniques to master the sea and the lives within it. And yet, tragedy struck, altering the behavior and personality of both Curry and Pike. Mister Marius and Mister Styx were born!

Orm as the Ocean Master and Pike as the Sea Sleuth had repeat encounters with the Kings of the Sea, second only to the Aquamen's arch-enemies, Black Manta and Black Jack. Each aspired to be like these marine marauders, yet didn't possess the necessary physique to match them. While Orm used his scientific acumen to devise specialized devices allowing him to breath underwater and survive its crushing depths, Phineas used his biological knowledge to help him control sea-life.

Due to some type of accident, Orm lost his memory and gained criminal attributes, fed by his jealously for his half-brother Arthur... now unaware of their relationship. Each time they met, Arthur as Aquaman attempted to persuade Orm to seek help which he refused. On one occasion, Orm inflicted amnesia on Arthur, manipulating him into being his minion. As Mister Marius founder of Marius Enterprises, Orm attempted to finance an undersea city, which Batman suspected was a criminal scheme. Together with Aquaman, who regained his memories, the pair of Justice Leaguers exposed Ocean Master's plot, although the villain escaped. He would later return to torment his sibling.

As for Phineas, after having a few adventures alongside Aquaman in 1949, he disappeared for three years. Then in 1952, a mysterious man named Mister Styx appeared with a scheme to hide high-profile criminals within his "Aqua-Lair", a facility undoubtedly inspired by Aquaman himself! Batman and Robin were able to track Styx and his minions back to their base, which was actually in a freighter rather than beneath the seas. 

This Mister Styx looked suspiciously like the Sea Sleuth, although Phineas appeared a bit thinner. Might a similar head trauma, which had been inflicted on his counterpart Ocean Master, have also caused Sea Sleuth to develop an evil persona? The evidence seems clear. Unlike his doppelgänger Orm, Phineas never reappeared… as either Mister Styx nor as the Sea Sleuth.

As for Ocean Master, he would later battle Aquaman and his fellow Justice Leaguers, as a member of the Anti-Justice League, while also dueling with his brother’s sidekick Aqualad and his teammates in the Teen Titans.

Marine Marauders Menace Maritime Monarchs

While the Aquamen were most often the dominant Kings of the Sea, with their mastery of mentally motivating marine life, each faced a similar threat that nearly challenged their title. Marine Marauder and the Master of Marineland were inventive men who developed the mechanical means of telepathically controlling creatures of the depths with devices of their own design.

A former marine biologist, the mysterious man who would become the Marine Marauder, coerced various aquatic mammals to do his bidding. The Marauder captured a medical freighter in the Atlantic Ocean, holding it ransom. However, the timely intervention of the Earth-One Aquaman and his wife Mera freed the vessel. Marine Marauder escaped capture.

Tom Lariar was a relentless photographer, seeking to expose the Earth-Two Aquaman's lack of control toward underwater sealife. After an attack on a cargo vessel by subservient swordfish and a subsequent confrontation with sea cows, Aquaman notices that Lariar is present on both occasions and tracks him back to his secret hideaway. However, Aquaman used water ejected from the blowhole of a whale under the Master of Marineland's control to unbalance the criminal, separating him from his gadgetry.

While the unnamed man who was Marine Marauder incorporated his telepathic sending device within his mask, Tom Lariar in his Marineland Master alias incorporated his telepathic sending device within his camera. After these initial encounters, neither villain returned, although a robotic duplicate developed by the Ocean Master was later built as a tool to use against Aquaman.

Alternate Earths: Earth-1A and Earth-2A

While most tales involving the Justice League and Justice Society prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths have been relegated to Earths One and Two, respectively, there have been notable exceptions as to their members. Specifically, the "Big Five" plus two whose tales were continuously published on Earth-Prime (our world) since their inception in the late 1930s/early 1940s and through the decades between the Society's last Golden Age tale and the League's first Silver Age tale. 

The so-called Big Five, these were Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman and Robin. And it was this quintet who became the core group known as the Super Friends*, as four Justice Leaguers and one Teen Titan were selected to training aspiring heroes Marvin White and Wendy Harris. Shortly after, they would turn their attention to the extra-terrestrial shapechangers Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins. While reference within the Super Friends and Justice League tales assert that these two groups existed concurrently on the same Earth-One, some oddities in the Super Friends tales do not quite line up with the League's mainstream continuity. As such, their stories may have occured on Earth-One, but not quite as they were written within the comicbook published on Earth-Prime**. 

As mentioned after the Crisis by author Roy Thomas, the dispersed energy of the seven superheroes who departed the 1940's All-Star Squadron had to be compensated by newer heroes taking their place. While Neptune Perkins assumed the place of his fellow former Earth-Two All-Star colleague Aquaman and Dan the Dyna-Mite substituted for Robin, three new heroes from a third pre-Crisis Earth... quite probably Earth-Eight... in Iron Munro, Flying Fox and Fury took the place of Superman***, Batman and Wonder Woman****. While their tales as the Young All-Stars would not be exactly as would've been the All-Star Squadron's tales with the "Big Seven" still active, many elements would be similar making the young heroes' adventures homages to untold Earth-Two Squadron tales*****.

Of course, the remaining duo of those seven characters included the Battling Bowmen known as Green Arrow and Speedy. While they were pulled from their native time period in the late 1940's due to their battle alongside the Seven Soldiers of Victory versus the Nebula Man, there were still stories told specially about the Earth-Two version through the late 1950s. We will consider this in the future.

* The Super Friend's actual Earth-Two counterpart team would the Super Squad, consisting of a core group with the Justice Society who... like the Justice League... were tasked with training a second generation of younger heroes.

** One such example of this is when Red Tornado mentioned his used of time travel referenced Super Friends issue# 8, while engaging in this feat a second time in Justice League of America #155.

*** E. Nelson Bridwell among others postulated that the golden age Superman's stories referencing Daily Planet instead of Daily Star, and a bald Luthor instead of a red-haired Luthor, transpired on Earth-2A. If so, then these same stories were also told on Earth-Two, as referenced by the tale of the Powerstone... where both a bald and red-haired Luthor claimed the object for himself.

**** Other members of the Young All-Stars including Tsunami, Sandy, Tigress would be reflections of Jayna, Zan, Wendy and Marvin with the Super Friends.

*****As shown by the accompanying picture, at least briefly before the inception of the Young All-Stars, members of the Freedom Fighters took the places of the missing "Big Five" in the Squadron. Although curiously, in the retroactively altered picture, golden age Green Arrow and Speedy remained until later wiped from existence!

Merging of Doppelgängers: The Cosmic Treadmill's Strange Power

The Cosmic Treadmill was a device invented by Barry “Flash” Allen powered by cosmic energy. This device enabled Flash to travel through time, with positive radiation drawing him into the future and negative radiation drawing him back into the past, coordinated by pulsations emanating from its cosmic ray-powered clock. 

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry along with fellow Justice Leaguers and members of the Justice Alliance of Earth-D constructed a larger version of the Threadmill. The became an interdimensional transport for millions of inhabitants of that world, which were being destroyed by the anti-matter wave destroying the Multiverse. Working with his counterpart Tanaka Rei, Barry created another treadmill, with the ability to merge doppelgängers!

Barry shared this invention with his nephew Wally "Kid Flash" West and his counterpart Jay "Flash" Garrick of Earth-Two. Jay later created his own version of the Threadmill, the Time Vortex. This mechanism similarly allowed for guided time travel, as well as fabricating period-specific clothing for individuals using it. Star-Spangled Kid suspected it manipulated cosmic energy like his  cosmic converter belt and Starman's cosmic rod.

While on Earth-Prime, Barry created another treadmill allowing him to return to Earth-One. Now realizing it bend time and space, upon Tanaka's suggestion they modified the Earth-D version. Those individuals of Earth-D travelling through its portal merged with their "genetic doppelgängers" on Earth-One. Of course, some like Barry and Tanaka weren't genetic counterparts, and so would've remained separate.

A similar occurence happened years earlier, when the Aquaman of Earth-One encountered the city of Necrus, which shifted from its native universe to another from time-to-time. On this occasion, the beam that brought Necrus to his world also struck the King of the Seas, causing a doppelgänger of his appear to be splitting off from him. In fact, this was the long lost Aquaman of Earth-Two, whom Arthur Curry's mind was connected with during this process. Together they defeated Mecrus' leader Mongo and his evil forces attempting to invade Atlantis and attack the surface world, although at the cost of the second Aquaman's life.

The device causing Necrus and the golden age Aquaman to shift from universe to universe was a "dimensional time reflex" machine created by a scientist from a doomed world in space. While merged, the Aquaman pulled into Earth-One's universe was mentally tied to that planet's native Aquaman, as would the Earth-D citizens with the Earth-One twins.

Even the transmatter cubes, created by the Justice League and Justice Society to travel to one another's worlds annually, was used to this effect. When Earth-One was invaded by the creature known as Krogg, who had resided in the Limbo realm between universes for centuries. the Kal-El and Kal-L used the device to become a composite Superman. Just as they doubled their own power, the two felt each other's minds slowly become one.

Something similar probably occured with the Freedom Fighters of Earth-Two, recruited by Uncle Sam to protect Earth-X. Each member may have merged with their Earth-X doppelgänger, which had near identical lives to their own (aside from not being superheroes themselves) and allowing them to carry on their wartime adventures chronicled in Quality Comics.

Perhaps the most widespread effect of this occuring was when the alien Creator2 tried to merge Earth-Two and Earth-One together using the android Red Tornado's dimension-travelling ability. On this occasion, all of the worlds' citizens met their doppelgängers of he other world for a brief period.

What effect this merging had on the minds and bodies of those of Earth-One who now gained the lives and experiences of their Earth-D doppelgängers in unknown.

Aquaman Adversaries: Aquabeast vs Aquafraud

It seemed that every prominent superhero found an evil opposite, a twisted mirror image of himself, that challenged them on a personal level. For the Supermen, it was Bizarro and Flying Tiger; for each Flash, it was Professor Zoom and the Rival; for the Hawkmen, it was Shrike and Trata, for the Green Lanterns, it was Sinestro and...well... Sinestro's clone!

For the Aquaman of Earth-One, it was wealthy playboy Peter Dudley, who had a scientist augment him into the mutated Aquabeast in order to captivate Mera's attention and affection. For the Aquaman of Earth-Two, it was a prolific swimmer named Hall recruited by gangsters with gadgets to cheat innocent islanders out of their personal possessions. 

In the end, Dudley saved Mera's life from an alien at the cost of his own... while Hall ended up incarcerated along with his friends when his deception was revealed.

Fantastic Four Supports Seven Soldiers

Shortly after an their adventure alongside the Justice Society of America, wherein they assisted them in recovering their fellow All-Stars missing since the golden age of mystery men, the Justice League returned to Earth-One. That is, all save three Leaguers who remained on Earth-Two, who were tasked with what Hawkman said was: “helping the Seven Soldiers adjust to the world of the present”! Why?

In the early 1950’s, the Seven... also known as Law's Legionnaires, gathered together for one final case as a group. On that occasion, atop the Himalayas, they along with their unofficial eight member Wing, battled the Nebula Man monster. Assembling a Nebula Rod that destroyed the create, a side effect was Wing's death, while his teammates were sent to various past time periods. From these eras, various members of the JLA and JSA retrieves the Legionnaires, bringing them back to the 20th century although decades after they disappeared. Thanks to their reappearance, the Soldiers were able to save Earth-Two!

Undoubtedly, the Society also aided the Soldiers in their transition from the 50’s to the 70's. However, those three Leaguers: Aquaman, Atom and Black Canary; these three had special purpose that necessitated their temporary presence in that alternate universe.

At least one of the Soldiers was given one-on-one assistance by a Socialite, as Starman took an immediate interest in his fellow stellar superhero, Star-Spangled Kid. In fact, when he later broke his leg, Starman lent the Kid his Cosmic Rod to use. And it would be this device, along with his knowledge of the Nebula Rod, that helped the Kid create his Cosmic Converter Belt.

The Legionnaire known as Shining Knight would have little difficulty readjusting to a new decade, as he had previously experienced a frozen sleep that lasted over a thousand years removed from his native time in Camelot. He and his flying steed Winged Victory simply acclimated to yet another new time period.

Apparently, although sent to save Star-Spangled Kid from the prehistoric past, something drew Aquaman's attention toward the Legionnaire referred to as the Vigilante. Perhaps with his telepathic abilities, the marine marvel was able to perceive some melancholy in the cowboy crusader. One thing they both had in common were beloved sidekicks who were surrogate sons, that they had grown distant from. While the emotional rift between Aquaman and his young partner Aqualad eventually mended, at the time of this tale it was still a fresh wound.

And if history parallels on both Earths, then this Vigilante would soon discover the tragedy that befell his sidekick Stuff. On Earth-One, after that Vigilante returned from a mysterious years-long absence, he learned of the death of his world's Stiff., who had been murdered by his arch-enemy the Dummy.

Honorary League member Metamorpho would have had a positive influence on Stripesy, the senior partner of the Kid. The Element Man would no doubt encourage Stripesy into settling down into a normal life and get married, something Metamorpho longed to do if ever cured from his inhuman condition. Stripesy later mentioned that he retreated into a new life with a wife and son on the other side of the United States... retiring from heroics… something he wasn’t inclined to do before meeting his new League acquaintance.

The Atom had first encountered Legionnaire Crimson Avenger in ancient Mexico, when the hero was under the influence of a fragment of the Nebula Man. Radiating with power from the radioactive rock, Crimson Avenger had battled Atom as well as Elongated Man and Doctor Fate, until they defeated him and he regained his senses. However, there was undoubtedly a concern as to the physical effects of Avenger's close proximity to the alien substance, which Atom sought to investigate using his scientific knowledge and experience with dangerous white dwarf radiation.

And indeed, his concern was borne out, as the Crimson while traveling the world as Lee Travis, discovered he now had cancer. With time running out, he resumed his costumed career for one final adventure. Sadly, if Atom discovered the root cause, he was unable to prevent the resulting effect.

And finally, there was Black Canary, a native of Earth-Two. She would perhaps feel inclined to help Vigilante, whom she helped save from the old west. However, she would've instead sought out the Legionnaires' ace archers, Green Arrow and Speedy. And given her recent history with her adopted world's versions of the pair of bowmen, one can see why this is a logical choice for her.

Throughout the years, the romantic relationship between Canary and the Earth-One Arrow usually involved her being the voice of reason, given his stubborn and opinionate point of view on life. This made him a better man, and would carry over with his adopted ward.

That ward, Speedy, had succumbed to drug abuse and addiction, despite having a storied career alongside his mentor and as a member of the Teen Titans. Canary in her Dinah Lance identity helped the lad recover over time.

Now on her home world of Earth-Two, Dinah saw a more mild and reserved Green Arrow, and a very frightened Speedy given his experience in ancient Greece when he temporarily lost his grip on humanity. 

She seemed a stabilizing influence, as the pair retired to reclaim their lives as Oliver Queen and Roy Harper. While the Earth-One Oliver and Roy had lost the fortune that supported them, causing them to live more modest lives and persist in their masked escapades... this wasn't the case for the Earth-Two pair. Those two ex-Legionnaires never acclaim resumed their more famous alter egos, aside from the occasional reunion with their teammates and during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Although Roy felt torment later during the Crimson Avenger's funeral due to their displacement in time, he did not revert to substance abuse as had his cosmic twin. Instead, he dealt with the harsh realities life had presented him with. The Teen Titan Roy, also at a funeral, felt some indignation for the abandonment of his former guardian Oliver, and would once more become Speedy in order to prove that he had regained control of his life once more.

Aquaman of... the Justice Society!

In an alternate future timeline following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the golden age Aquaman is shown to be alive following his fatal first meeting with his silver age counterpart, and would eventually join the Justice Society of America. Although unlike his Earth-One doppelgänger, he was more reluctant to do so... due to the experimentation his father performed on him as a boy. He even admitted to having formed a partnership with Huntress' father, Batman.

Having history rewritted, this Aquaman never met his silver age counterpart as he had in the original timeline, which led to his death, this Arthur Curry manifested an ability hinted at during his wartime tales, wherein he communicated with all sealife which aided him when called upon. Apparently, his father's research helped augment not only Aquaman's physical but also mental faculties.

Sinister Sea Scavengers Vs Sea Sovereigns

Peter Mortimer was a pirate with expert skills as a deep sea diver who sought to plunder the depths of the seven seas as the self-styled Scavenger in his specially designed diving suit. He formed a tenuous alliance with fellow criminal mastermind Ocean Master, as both sought an alien artifact known as the time decelerator which was alleged to grant its possessor immortality. After a confrontation with both Ocean Master and his ally's half-brother the Aquaman of Earth-One, the latter of whom he forced for aid him by kidnapping that hero's wife and infant child, Mortimer finally obtained the device. However, the effects caused him to revert to an infant.

He was later restored and once more operating his Scorpion-ship and an updated submergable craft, Scavenger once more stole valuable items from the depths of the sea... this time under the employee of international terrorist Kobra. Yet again, Mortimer came to blows with Aquaman who finally definitively defeated his foe. 

Simon Drago was an expert sailor who sought to claim the seven seas for himself. To that end, he fabricated a document premised to be from ancient time which proclaimed his family the sole heirs to all oceans and all items within said oceans. This brought him into repeated conflict with the Aquaman of Earth-Two, who sought unsuccessfully to overturn the legal ruling in courts of the surface world as to his bogus claim. After several acts of piracy framed as legitimate, Drago finally faced the fury of Aquaman and his finny foes who captured him and brought Drago to an undersea Supreme Court presided over by a merman and other sea life below!

Clad in a specially designed diving suit, Drago heard the charges against him, and was presented proof that his document was a forgery. When it was said to have been penned, the document would have been on parchment yet the salt water dissolved the paper fraud, leading to Simon's admission of guilt.

Whatever Happened to the Golden Age Aquaman

The scenario: A device from across the universe arrives in orbit over Earth-One. From this object, rays are projected that manipulates dimensional time reflex, which causes the "black city" of Necrus to appear. The soldiers from Necrus attack a nearby undersea settlement of surface dwellers and obliterate it, given its ruler's xenophobic nature. When Aquaman hears this, he recalls past encounters with this ruler, Mongo.

Although the villain traps him in an impenetrable bubble, another beam from the alien object causes a second Aquaman to appear and lead the Atlantean armies against Necrus. He defeats  those forces, though at the cost of his life. After a funeral, the native Aquaman appears and along with his wife Mera defeats Mongo, who retreats to his city that vanishes from whence it came.

When examined further, the identity of the second Aquaman appears to clarify with the clues presented in this tale. First, the alien orbiter opens dimensions and time to transferring objects from one location to another. Second, the Earth-One Aquaman recognizes the city of Necrus, though it is not native to his world's oceans  Third, when the second Aquaman appeared, it was assumed that this was a clone although the same ray didn't clone Necrus but simply materialized it and its citizens into Earth-One's dimension. This indicates that the other Aquaman was from another dimension and possibly an earlier time. Finally, the imprisoned Aquaman used his own telepathic connection with the other version of him to mentally guide him, until that one died. Aquaman's Justice League allies held a funeral for his twin.

It appears that this other Aquaman originated on Earth-Two, the only other Aquaman known to exist in the pre-Crisis Multiverse. It was he who had previous battles with Mongo and his minions when their city appeared periodically. This Aquaman last appeared in the fall of 1956, and so given the twenty year vibratory gap between the two universes, would appear on Earth-One at a time when he was biologically the same age as his counterpart.

There is precedent for counterparts sharing memories and merging with one another. When the Supermen of Earths One and Two merged in order to battle Krogg, they acted as one. And later, when Atoman of Earth-Two journeyed to Earth-One, that world's Superman suddenly gained memories of his counterpart due to the dimensional transfer.

It was the golden age Marine Marvel that passed away and was honored by the Justice League, unaware that this was the Aquaman from the universe of their friends in the Justice Society. Mongo and Necrus returned to their trans-dimensional existence after defeat.

And so answers the question as to whatever happened to the Golden Age Aquaman.

Aquaman's Aquatic Aggressive Adversaries

• Human Flying Fish was originally Victor Bragg, who thanks to the surgery of his associate Doctor Krill, gained the ability to literally fly as well as swim fast and survive for extended duration under the sea. He battled Earth-One's Aquaman.

• Seaman was an alien from another world who crash landed on Earth-Two, and recruited that world's Aquaman to help him repair his craft after several acts of saving others.

• Poseidon was an android created by the mother of Earth-One's Aquaman, with the memories of his father Tom Curry, and granted aquatic powers and the ability to control fish.

• Mister Neptune was a conman who used a rocket powered trident and other gadgets to give him "godly" abilities versus Earth-Two's Aquaman.

• Cutlass Charlie and Captain Flint were two wannabee pirates employing old fashioned gear versus the Aquamen.

• Marine Marauder and the Master of Marineland employed technology to mentally control fish versus the Aquamen.

• Peter Mortimer and Simon Drago were each a Scavenger of the deep whom the Aquaman had to deal with.

• Several other individuals bedeviled the Aquamen of two worlds over the years*. From men in deep sea diving suits to pseudo-aquatic creatures to legitimate threats.

Among the greatest threats versus the Aquamen were Black Manta and Black Jack, each mirroring their counterpart in acts of piracy and repetition of attached versus the arch-nemesis. The only rival to them beside their blonde hair foes were the water wonders that were Ocean Master and Sea Sleuth. 

While neither Earth-One's Black Manta nor Earth-Two's Black Jack ever revealed their true identities, their motives were obvious. And the technology they used was unmatched even among their various peers.

At one point, Ocean Master alongside his step-mother Atlanna had constructed an army of robotic duplicates to use against Aquaman, Mera and their allies. However, Atlanna regained her sanity after her temporary madness following her revival from a years-long deathlike comatose state, which led to her saving her son's life at the cost of her own. Without either she nor their robot minion, Ocean Master was seemingly finally fully defeated.**

* One foe of the Earth-One Aquaman had a counterpart who was a foe of the Earth-Two Doctor Mid-Nite. These two  doppelgänger, known as the Fisherman, used similar weaponry.

** A similar scene on Earth-Two of various underwater threats were present over an undersea trial, presided over by Aquaman who was assuming the role of judge.

Twice-Told-Tales: The Hawkmen and Mermen Meet Monster Menaces

Hawkman-One and Hawkman-Two faced plenty of monsters in their time, but none quite like these loathsome lackeys. This Twice-Told-Tale truly has remarkably similarly plot elements and story beats showing the common features on both worlds. And the uncommon, as well.

For the silver age Winged Warrior, it was when he as Hawkgirl were drawn into a conflict with Atlanean exile Tyros.  Naturally seeking to gain control of his former home city, Tyros is drawn into conflict with Aquaman and Aqualad. Meanwhile, he gains the means of controlling Hawkman's wife and transforming her into a harpy type being to attack her mate.

This evil exile gained the power to transform into creatures while controlling both swimming and flying beasts. The golden age Feathered Fury found himself alongside old ally Neptune Perkins, drawn through unorthodox means to the planet Venus (or a facsimile thereof) by its inhabitants. Turns out, the Venusians are unable to protect themselves from two dominant creatures that terrorize their world, a Roc and a Kraken. Much like the mythological beasts they are patterned after, it takes superhuman beings to defeat and destroy these aggressive antagonists.

On Earth-One, Tyros nearly seizes complete victory in his quest for dominance of the undersea kingdom, however Aquaman grabs the gem and Hawkman the horn that were the means for the tyrant's powers. Transforming Hawkgirl back to normal and with Aqualad's help, the pair of Justice Leaguers beat Tyros who is then exiled once more.

On Earth-Two, Hawkman and his world's Aqualad... Perkins... succeed in killing both the Rok and the Kraken. Once the Venusians find peace once more, they send the pair of All-Stars back to their homeworld victorious. On this occasion, the original Hawkgirl is otherwise preoccupied while the golden age Aquaman missed out on the tale given his being on the opposite side of the globe from Neptune... whom he apparently never had occasion to meet.

Everyone in Earth-Eight: Dudes of the Deep

Dudes of the deep, indeed! Earth-Two's premier protector of the deep was Aquaman (so was Earth-One's), once a lad experimented upon his father utilizing ancient Atlantis techniques to not only help him survive the deep but manifest mighty muscles and manipulate mollusks!

On Earth-Eight, those crafty Nazi scientists developed the means to mutate a mortal man into Sea-Wolf, a hybrid being himself capable of also residing underseas while displaying a wide-range of physical attributes, including an animal side.

How, though, can we say with certainty that this hero originated on Earth-Eight? Well, writer Roy Thomas mentioned how the Young All-Stars absorbed the energy left over by heroes that ceased to exist during the 1940's, including the golden age Aquaman. It was revealed during the Infinite Crisis by Alex Luthor of Earth-Three that the potential Earth-Eight was where all remaining characters originated that had not previously appeared on former Earths known as Earth-One, Two, Four, S or X. Their adventures on that merged post-Crisis Earth would have mirrored those on Earth-Eight.

Fawcett's Finest: Sailors and Sea Superheroes

Lance O'Casey wasn't born to a famous oceanographer, who discovered the remnants of an Atlantean outpost that taught him how to raise his son into an undersea warrior like Aquaman, but Lance still protected the seas as long an as vigorously as had the costumed Arthur Curry.

On board his seafaring vessel, Lance was aided by his pet monkey Mr. Hogan, as Aquaman was by Ark the seal, and were aided by first mate Mike Bellew while the king of seas was aided by the Sea Sleuth, Phineas Pike. Each hero also had a recurring adversary, Lance's being Singapore Sal, Aquaman's was Black Jack.

By the 1950's, these sea-borne saviors slipped away into the mists of time and the currents of comics.

Fiendish Fishermen Foes of Fearless Fighters

Kurt Hartmann of Earth-One adopted the alias of the Fisherman, with the goal of stealing high-tech equipment and valuable items, becoming a middleman as he sold them to various wealthy benefactors. Utilizing a pressurized uniform allowing him to stay indefinitely underwater, his primary tool was his razor-hooked fishing rod and specialized gaseous lures. His initial foray into felony brought him into conflict with the Justice Leaguer known as Aquaman

Kurt Hartmann of Earth-Two was a prominent fly-fisherman who sought utilize his skills from criminal endeavors. To that end, Hartmann assumed the alter ego of the Fisherman, clad in more tradional geer couples with a stylish suit. Employing a deadly fishing rod which could snare unsuspecting prey, he came into conflict with Doctor Mid-Nite of the Justice Society.

While the Earth-Two Fisherman had only one documented appearance, his Earth-One counterpart was a recurring threat to the King of the Sea, as Hartmann hired out his services to the Shark as a weapons-dealer for disgruntled Atlanteans and later working for the warlord known as Kobra. Despite his varous death-dealing devices, Fisherman always found defeat when matched with Aquaman. His older doppleganger realized after his sole clash with Doctor Mid-Nite that crime didn't pay!

Kings of the Sea: Formed by Nature & Nurture: Meet the Aquamen

The original Aquaman of Earth-Two was just fine swimming with his finny friends and fighting both Nazis and pirate to bide his time under the tides. And he used the time to master his communication with the undersea life thanks, in part, due to the knowledge imparted to him as a youth by his scientific father... since he didn't have the natural telepathic abilities that his counterpart Arthur Curry of Earth-One possessed. That Aquaman gained his powers thanks to being born a hybrid of a human father and an Atlantean father. Each Aquaman had numerous adventures in the oceans around the world, with the silver age version joining the Justice League of America while his earlier twin remained a relative recluse aside from occasional appearances alongside the war time All-Star Squadron.

Aside from slightly different color schemes (yellow instead of green gloves and fins for the first  Aquaman) and origins, each were cookie-cutter counterparts of the other in most significant ways. They each faced arch-foes with "Black" dispositions... as in Black Jack the pirate and Black Manta the terrorist (and aforementioned arch-foe), with their legions of minions, as well as encountering their closest relation several times... on Earth-One this was the evil Ocean Master aka Arthur's brother Orm Curry, and on Earth-Two the good Sea Sleuth aka Phineas Pike a detective of the oceans and close friend to Aquaman.

And, of course, the Aquamen's greatest allies were the creature with whom the shared the seas throughout their careers and for whom they often gained the upper hand against their foes. Each endured for decades as their world's premier heroes of the oceans. And for the dozens of adventures that Earth-One's Aquaman had alongside his wife Mera as well as scores of tales as a charter member of the Justice League of America, this was balanced on Earth-Two by Doctor Fate's costumed crusades when he no longer had the helmet of Nabu and was simply a powerhouse like the King of Seas. Fate aka Kent Nelson had a partner in both fighting crime and in love in his wife Inza.

In addition to that, Fate was a charter member of the Justice Society of America, fighting alongside that team for several years while his actual counterpart Felix Faust was an arch-enemy of the Justice League when he wasn't pretending to be Earth-One's Doctor Fate himself. Both Arthur and Kent possessed super strength, tough physiques and mental abilities and an affinity towards Atlantis itself.