The World of Atlantis wouldn’t be complete today without his Queen, Mera. As the wife of Aquaman, Mera has lived many adventures undersea and on land, showing what a formidable force she represents in the DC Universe.
Mera possesses the ability to control and manipulate water, showcasing strength and durability. She stands as a formidable superheroine in her own right, although she hasn’t consistently received such recognition since her debut over 60 years ago.
Mera, Queen of Dimension Aqua
During his first two decades, Aquaman swam in the sea mostly alone. While he had occasional companionship, there was no one with whom he could truly share his adventures.
The situation changed in the sixties when the Silver Age was in full swing, and Arthur Curry found himself battling monsters, sea creatures, aliens, and sorcerers. He was first joined by a boy he called Aqualad.
Then, the powers at DC Comics believed that cute creatures appealed to young readers. In February 1962, inspired by the well-known Bat-Mite, Quisp was introduced in Aquaman #1. This tiny imp from the fifth dimension shared several adventures with Aquaman and Aqualad. If you have forgotten all about Quisp, no one will blame you, as the imp discreetly vanished after the introduction of a certain red-haired woman in a green jumpsuit.
Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Nick Cardy, Mera made her first appearance in Aquaman #11 as a damsel in distress. To be more specific, Mera was crowned Queen of Dimension Aqua following the death of her father before being forced into exile by the warlord Leron. She fled to Earth, where she met Aquaman and Aqualad. Aided by Quisp and Aqualad, Aquaman saves Mera and defeats Leron.
While Mera returned to her kingdom at the end of this issue, she made her comeback quickly with issue #13 and became a regular. Together, they made history in Aquaman #18 by having the first major superhero wedding shown on-panel.
Since then, Mera and Arthur’s whirlwind affair has always been part of Aquaman, though Mera stayed in the shadows of her superhero partner for many decades, when she wasn’t missing or in an asylum or busy somewhere else.
The most important development affecting Mera happened during the past 15 years.
Mera’s Origin Story
For a significant time, Mera’s backstory was only loosely hinted at. Pre-Crisis, she was the refugee queen from Dimension Aqua, escaping an usurper. Her origin was only fully explored in 2010’s Brightest Day, later revisited in Secret Origins Vol 3 #5.
Mera: Recommended Reading
As Mera didn’t receive noticeable development for a long time, there are not a lot of vintage Aquaman stories to recommend. You can still dive into the classic wedding issue (Aquaman #18), read about the birth of her son (Aquaman #22-23), and then dive into the Death of a Prince storyline (especially issues #58–60) where Mera embarks on a quest after the kidnapping of her child by Black Manta.
Despite being a Green Lantern event, Mera started to have a more prominent role and be explored in the Blackest Night/Brightest Day, written by Geoff Johns. Following this event, the writer became Aquaman’s main writer during New 52, continuing to give material to Mera.
But if you have to read only one run for Mera, it’s without a doubt Aquaman Rebirth by Dan Abnett where she shares a more equal billing with Arthur during this time. The character even finally has her own miniseries during that period!
Finally, for an out-of-continuity story, you can read Bombshells.