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Fictitious place in DC Comics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atlantis, sometimes also called the Kingdom of Atlantis or the Atlantean Empire, is a fictional civilization appearing American comic books published by DC Comics based upon the mentioning of the island within Plato's works Timaeus and Critias. First appearing in More Fun Comics #87 (May 1942), the setting is often associated with the hero Aquaman. Within the DC Universe, Atlantis houses various aquatic-based human lifeforms whose biological adaptations often originate from both environmental changes when Atlantis sunk in a cataclysmic event within its history and influence from its magical origins.[1] A nation considered a superpower, it is often stated to be among the oldest and most sophisticated civilization within the fictional universe throughout its collective history and possess significant technological and magical capabilities.[2] Historically a hereditary monarchy, many stories involving Atlantis as a setting focuses on conflicts regarding its succession of leaders, diplomatic relations with the global world, and its fictional cultural heritage.[3][4]
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| Atlantis | |
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 Atlantis in Suicide Squad (2016) #46, art by Jose Luis (penciler), Jordi Tarragona & Vicente Cifuentes (inkers), Adriano Lucas (color). | |
| First appearance | More Fun Comics #87 (January 1943) |
| Created by | Joseph Greene Louis Cazeneuve |
| Based on | Atlantis |
| Genre | Superhero |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Continent |
| Race(s) | Various; most notably Atlanteans |
| Characters | Aquaman, Mera, Tempest, Aqualad, Ocean Master, Arion, etc. |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
Atlantis made its cinematic debut in the 2017 film Justice League, set in the DC Extended Universe, and was later more prominently featured in the 2018 film Aquaman and the 2023 film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
While Golden Age of Comics version of Atlantis exists, the version in the "Aquaman" tales first appeared in Adventure Comics #260, in a story by writer Robert Bernstein and artist Ramona Fradon.[5][6] The history of Atlantis was detailed in The Atlantis Chronicles, a 7-issue miniseries published by DC Comics from March to September 1990. It was written by Peter David, and illustrated by Esteban Maroto. The series focused on a series of Atlantean historical manuscripts, also called The Atlantis Chronicles, and chronicled the rise and fall of Atlantis. Each issue dealt with a separate era or event in Atlantis' past, beginning with its sinking, as told through the royal historian's point of view.
Atlantis's origins is traced to from a cosmic being that created deities from the magical dimension of Darkworld. These deities became the earliest known Lords of Chaos and Order. Among the deities includes siblings Gemini, Chaon, and Tynan, who represent order, chaos, and the balancing between them respectively. Chief among them is Calculha, a deity affiliated with light and goodness.[4]
The benevolent Calculha and his queen, Earthborn goddess Dark Majistra, eventually ruled over a prosperous Atlantis after ending its early warring state and it came to be populated by the homo magi. Their union proved incompatible over the ages. Their children, Arion and Garn Daanuth, were separated at birth and trained in sorcery, with Calculha aligning Arion with the Lords of Order and Majistra training Daanuth as a Lord of Chaos. This family conflict erupted when Majistra's attempt to use the Zodiac Crystals to empower herself to create a golden age using dark magic leading to Majistra's displacement, Daanuth's mystical scarring, Calculha's entrapment, Arion's forced displacement of body and soul, and the tilting of Earth's axis, causing an Ice Age and a reliance on technology for Atlantis over the millennia.[7][2] Arion was reborn a millennia later during the wanning days of Atlantis. Teaming up with Chian and Wyynde, Arion becomes a renowned mystical warrior of legend as he worked to end the Ice Age and protect Atlantis from threats as magic continued to wane.[2] Daanuth, over the millennia, became a powerful sorcerer and Lord of Chaos whose black magic made him remain potent and inherited his mother's position as ruler of Mu. The pair would cross paths in conflict, learning of their brotherhood during their father's final moments, and Daanuth is eventually sealed away. However, Atlantis eventually sinks during a decisive battle between Arion and Chaon, which disperse the survivors throughout the world.[7]
An alternate account of its early history also details an extraterrestrial race known as the "Hunter/Gatherers" or "Gatherers", who colonized early prehistoric Earth but were later opposed by the Annunake, a dragon-like marine race which managed to form a formidable resistance enough to drive them. Although conflicting historical information from both Atlantean and the Hunter/Gatherers arise at the specific result of the conflict, one account stating they were driven away while another ended mutually, the Gatherers and Annunuke were both ancestors of the modern Atlantean and Gatherers at least influenced Atlantean society of flourish over time alongside Homo erectus, the precursors of modern man.[8]
Taking place after Arion's reign, who was unaware Atlantis wasn't completely destroyed, a defensive dome was eventually constructed by King Orin, but a meteor destroyed much of the surface world, sinking the city in a second similar cataclysm. Orin's brother, Shalako, led a group through tunnels to reclaim the sunken city of Tritonis, whose inhabitants had not survived. Atlantean scientists later developed a serum that allowed them to breathe underwater, and the usage of magic in Tritonis further mutated the Tritonians to have fish-tails. Some descendants of Shalako's son Dardanus inherited his telepathic abilities, marked by rare blonde hair. Dardanus's son Kordax could command sea creatures, and after leading a Tritonian revolution, was exiled, with children born with the "mark of Kordax" generally abandoned.
After the New 52 reboot, Atlantis's history changed over time, incorporating much of the history from Arion, Lord of Atlantis comic book title and nearly complete revised the backstory originally detailed in Aquaman and The Atlantis Chronicles. Within the new continuity, Atlantis's origin is once more connected to Darkworld but is revealed to be a piece of the Great Darkness[9] and possess a variant of magical power considered uncontrollable and volatile to all but those who originate from the realm.[1] The homo magi would come to inhabit Atlantis, with some originating from early pilgrimages from the Rock of Eternity.[10]
Similar to earlier histories, Calculha and Majistra reined[11] but also had a rivalry with the Greek god Poseidon. Their union produced twins Arion ("Ahri'ahn") and Garn Daanuth, both of whom were Lords of Chaos and Order born with human bodies.[11] Coming to appreciate Atlantis, he eventually became a mentor to Arion. During Arion's reign as king, his progressive agenda led to a golden age of both magical and mystical advancement and held a benevolent alliance with the Amazons of Themyscira. This eventually fell apart when Arion sought to expand his nation influence into space and offer sea gods from other planets a cosmic energy known as the Life Force, originating from Poseidon's trident. Poseidon's envious nature, however, made him deceive Arion into thinking the alien ocean gods he invited were conquerors. Feeling responsible for putting Earth in danger, he used his magic and technology to invert the Life Force into the Death Force, enabling him to kill the ocean gods but at the cost of his sanity.[12] Arion was believed killed[12] although the royal family of that time concealed events as he disappeared for a millennia.[11] A legend was concocted around his death as a cautionary tale against exploration, ironically fueling isolationist tendencies he fought against in his lifetime and dissolved the alliance with the Amazons.[12]
In another notable reign thousands of years later, Atlan's time saw another prosperous time during the wanning days leading to Atlantis sinking. A unifier,[13] Atlan fought magical threats to his kingdom[14] but became more brutal after his rule was usurped by his brother, Orin, who disapproved of him accepting outside kingdoms into Atlantis, killed his family, and in a failed assassination attempted, oust him from rule.[13] Using the knowledge he amassed from the last tribe to accepted into the kingdom, the Deserters, he forged the Trident of Neptune out of Nth metal but at the expense of betraying them, with two factions within the Deserters returning to their homes traced back to both modern day Russia[15] and Africa.[16] In his grief, he sinks Atlantis but fails to kill off the rest of Orin's family, who alongside other Atlanteans adapted for life underwater. Orin's family becomes the leading royal family members but over time, many believe themselves to be descendants of Atlan.[13]
The College of the Silent School is a notable Atlantean guild that acts as a school, teaching magic to Atlantean magicians. Considered the most prestigious Atlantean school of magic, it is led by a headmaster that acts as a government official (Elder) over magical activities in Atlantis and protects the kingdom from magical-related threats. The school is also considered one of the most secure places on Earth. The hero known as Tempest was once a student of the Silent School.[17][18]
The Ninth Tride of Atlantis is a district in Atlantis consisting of outcasts, dissidents, gangs, and mutants. The Ninth Tride is considered the poorest district and one of the few areas of Atlantis not inherently loyal to the monarch ruler and their cabinet.[18]
Poseidonis is the capital of Atlantis named after the Greek God of the Ocean, Poseidon. It serves as Aquaman's main base of operations and is the administrative center of Atlantis.
The City of the Golden Gate is the former capital of ancient Atlantis long before it sunk. Like its successor Poseidonis, the city once served as the administrative center of ancient Atlantis and is named after the city's golden-like appearance as well as having a gate notable for fending off invaders. The Golden Gate City would serve as the main base of operations and setting in several story arcs of the Arion, Lord of Atlantis series.
There are different Atlantean city-states:
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