This was the first appearance of the DC comics superhero who made the ocean his home. Aquaman lived and fought crime underwater or near the water. He was originally the lesser crimefighter in the Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (not his fault, he was up against Superman, for crying out loud) but got his own show on CBS in 1968.

Familiar characters from the comic books accompanied Aquaman. His ward, Aqualad (or Tadpole) assisted Aquaman in his endeavors, as per the bizarre comic book rule that superheroes must have wards, even underwater. Aquaman had appropriate pets as well: Tusky the walrus and Imp the seahorse. Other superheroes frequently made appearances in the show and Aquaman often teamed up with the Flash, Hawkman and the Green Lantern.

Aquaman’s methods for fighting evil were all suited perfectly to the watery realm. He could swim through the seas at blinding speeds and communicate with the ocean’s creatures using aqua-telepathy, which is just like regular telepathy only wetter. It goes without saying that he could also breathe underwater, otherwise it would’ve been a very short and tragic storyline. Aquaman’s mighty steed was a giant seahorse named Storm, which he rode against evil villains, like Black Manta and The Fisherman. Aquaman’s wife Mera, who featured prominently in the comic books, was conspicuously absent in the animated series. Aqualad eventually got his own segment on the show, joined by Wonder Girl, Kid Flash and Speedy—together they were the Teen Titans, young superheroes striking out on their own.

Aquaman’s adventures didn’t last long on the air but it was not the end for this Atlantean superhero. The character joined the popular cartoon Super Friends, providing a much-needed aquatic police presence for that group of do-gooders.