Arthur Curry was born the son of an ex-sailor turned lighthouse keeper, Tom Curry, and Atlanna, a water-breathing outcast from the underwater city of Atlantis, or in this case, Poseidonis. As such, Arthur developed strange powers that allowed him to not only survive the ocean's depths indefinitely, but also to speak to and command its very inhabitants. Since then, Arthur decided to use his talents to become the defender of the Earth's oceans and its creatures, starting a career as "Aquaman".