Ocean Master

Ocean Master
Textless cover of Aquaman #14 (January 2013).
Art by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Rod Reis.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAquaman #29 (September 1966)
Created byBob Haney
Nick Cardy
In-story information
Alter egoOrm Marius (current)
Orm Curry Marius (original)
SpeciesAtlantean (current)
Homo magi hybrid (former)
Human (originally)
Place of originAtlantis (current)
Alaska (original)
Team affiliationsAnti-Justice League
Injustice Gang
Legion of Doom
The Trench[1]
PartnershipsBlack Manta
Lernaea
Scavenger
Notable aliasesOrm the First
Prince Orm
King Orm
King of the Seven Seas
King of Dagon
AbilitiesCurrent continuity:
  • Atlantean physiology grants: able to breath underwater, superhuman strength and durability, withstand the extreme pressures of the ocean, swim at enhanced speeds. Base abilities surpasses ordinary Atlanteans due to royal heritage.
  • Genius level intellect; proficiency in engineering, military operation, politics, sciences, oceanology, possess exceptional knowledge of the history of the fictional realm of Atlantis.
  • Skilled martial artist and mastery of trident-related combat. Various magical artifacts grants him hydrokinesis (crown) and powers of weather manipulation (trident).

Original continuity

  • Nautical genius and tactician with access to advanced technologies and magical artifacts for a variety of uses.
    • Various magical artifacts and technologies, such as his magical trident, armor, and helmet, bolsters his magical abilities, enables him to breathe underwater and survive the depths of the oceans for long periods of time.
  • Skilled hand-to-hand combatant, proficient in magic, and knowledgeable in Atlantean arcane lore.

Ocean Master is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy and debuted in Aquaman #29 (September 1966).[1] While the character is depicted as the half-brother and one of the most enduring and recognized adversaries of Aquaman,[2] Ocean Master has been subjected to numerous revisions to his origin stories throughout his history.

The original version of the character, Orm Curry, is portrayed as Aquaman's wayward human half brother envious of his brother's superhuman abilities and superhero career. He turns to petty crime and becomes an international marine criminal under the alias "Orm Marius" and Ocean Master.[3] Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, the character's origin and abilities undergoes a change, the character's new origin instead making him of Inuit heritage and half homo magi and human, giving him an ancestral connection to Atlantis through Atlan, his shared father with Aquaman in the new revision, and mystical potential.[4] Throughout these depiction, he often plots to usurp his brother's throne through subterfuge and political manipulation.

Following the New 52 reboot, he is instead portrayed as a full-blooded Atlantean of royal lineage. The son of Queen Atlanna and King Orvax Marius, his mother's former military commander, he exhibit xenophobic views towards ordinary humans on the surface and desires to punish humanity for their role in marine pollution. Unlike other past portrayals, the character is inherently less malicious[5] and his relationship is more complicated with Aquaman as he weighs their rivalry with protecting Atlantis, making him a supervillain and akin to an antihero at times.[6] This version is also both the descendant of Atlan and the biological half-brother of Tula, sharing the same father.[1]

Ocean Master has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media. The character appeared in the DC Extended Universe films Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), portrayed by Patrick Wilson. Richard Green, Wallace Langham, Dana Snyder and Sam Witwer have provided the character's voice in animation.

  1. ^ a b c Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 220. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ "Ocean Master". DC. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ David, Peter (1996). Aquaman: time and tide. New York, NY: DC Comics. ISBN 1-56389-259-6. OCLC 31958925.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Scott, Melanie (2019). DC ultimate character guide (New ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-4654-7975-4. OCLC 1089398386.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)