My wife and I were born 10 days apart, but according to the DC calendar, another couple was born just two days from each other. On the 29th we talked about Aquaman, now it's time for...Mera. Mera first surfaced in Aquaman #11 (Sep, 1963). In that issue, Jack Miller and Nick Cardy, introduced us to the beautiful queen of Dimension Aqua. Mera was being pursued by the villainous Leron, who had made her an exile from her kingdom. After Aquaman defeated Leron, Mera fell in love with everyone's favorite undersea super-hero. After one hell of a quick courtship, Arthur made her his bride in Aquaman #18. And, if you think that's fast, they had a son (Arthur, Jr.) by issue 23!
I first saw Mera in the 60's Aquaman cartoon produced by Filmation. There she was treated as something of a hopeless sidekick, and certainly not Aquaman's wife. So, imagine my surprise when I finally encountered her in the comics. Even more shocking, was she was soon a mourning mother, after her baby was murdered by Black Manta. From that point on, Mera has been dealing with her grief in a hostile manner. She has lashed out at Aquaman, and the two have drifted apart, and come back together many times over the years. It was quite understandable, when she was temporarily given the red ring of rage in the Blackest Night event. Currently, in the Brightest Day series, her origin has been revamped. Her home dimension, now called Xebel, was once an Atlantean prison colony. Mera had been sent to kill Aquaman by her people, but fell in love with him instead. Now, her sister Siren (known in the original continuity as Hila) is about to start a war that will involve Aquaman, Mera, and the new Aqualad.
The calendar says that no characters were born between February 1 and February 4. So, we will resume on the 5th, a few days after Groundhog Day for a heroine that always sees her SHADOW...
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