Friday, December 14, 2007

Ripples Through Time - 178

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #255 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #255 (December 1958) - Aquaman's Double Trouble!

In a series of rescues, Aquaman must choose between two disasters to help, but in each case the ones he didn't help are also rescued.

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by the poison gas and expects to die.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "Hmmm... If I assist the plane, the manta is doomed! If I help the fish, fifty people may drown! Yet my choice is clear! People are more important than fish!" Glad you set us straight on that, Aquaman.

Finny Friends Report: Topo alerts Aquaman to the downed plane. Swordfish cut it free from the seaweed, then flying fish pull it into the sky. Aquaman rides Topo through the storm. Again, Topo alerts Aquaman to the freighter breaking up on the surface. Aquaman summons squid to hold the ship together, and a herd of whales to tow it to safety. In his last rescue, Aquaman warns the fish away from the poison gas. Electric eels come and charge the subs batteries, then Topo acts as a propeller to get them to the surface.

Aquaman first has to choose between saving a manta or saving the lives of humans aboard a plane that has crashed. In his second rescue, he has to choose between two men in a diving bell or the crew of a freighter. In the last rescue, his choice is between the crew of a submarine or his own life. In every case he chooses the larger number of lives.

Aquaman last met someone claiming to be Neptune in Adventure #205. In that story, the guy was a fraud. In this story, it's definitely implied that Neptune is not only real, he's the god Neptune, and he approves of Aquaman.

The Golden Age was like the original Scooby Doo stories: the villain was always playing a trick, not really a monster. In the older tales, Aquaman is the only person in the tale who has powers. We're clearly into the Silver Age, because now we've had two stories in a row in which Aquaman is not the only one with powers.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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