Though it is forbidden for her to visit the surface world, sea dweller Atlanna disobeyed her people’s laws and came to the land above the waves. One night during a hurricane, lighthouse keeper Tom Curry spots Atlanna adrift on a raft. Atlanna allows Tom Curry to rescue her. Tom falls instantly in love with this beautiful woman of whom he knows nothing. The pair wed after two short weeks of romance, and a year later a son is born, whom they name Arthur Curry. Much to his father's surprise, his son is a natural swimmer. He can also survive underwater and telepathically communicate with and command all sea life. It is then that Atlanna reveals why their son can perform these amazing feats! She explains that she comes from the sunken city of Atlantis, whose citizens had built a dome to protect them. They came to live and survive there by adapting to their watery world. For breaking the Atlantean laws that forbade contact with the surface world, Atlanna was exiled to live among the land dwellers forever. After some years Atlanna dies, and Tom takes up the duties of training his son to hone his abilities until they are near perfection. One day Tom dies too, and Arthur sets off to find out about his people. He returns to the sea where he becomes the greatest champion of Atlantis, fighting all evils he confronts, whether they are of the sea or of the land.

    Eventually Arthur becomes the King of Atlantis and rules fairly while doing his great deeds for both his peoples, sea- and land-dwellers alike. Thus is the beginning of the man they would call Aquaman!