Atlantis (editing in progress)

The First Civilization on Earth

What follows is the most comprehensive history of the DC Universe Atlantis. I have taken information from all existing sources into consideration. In the past, no history has attempted to detail all eras of Atlantis' development. Of course, Peter David took pains to construct the rich Atlantis Chronicles, an excellent account of the final sinking of the continent. And the Arion series gave clues to its early days. But curiously, it is the most important details which have have been consistently neglected by DC writers: (1) where was the continent? and (2) what were the stages of its sinking (it definitely did not sink all at once)? I've come up with reasonable conclusions without having to "invent" things myself…

OVER ONE BILLION YEARS AGO

The seeds for Atlantis were planted hundreds of thousands of years before human life appeared on Earth. It began in another dimension called Darkworld. This place was the creation of an other-dimensional cosmic entity. Essentially, when this entity fell to sleep, its energies were left to their own devices and its dark dreams were given solid reality. A group of godlike beings arose from this sleep, three of whom served to balance the dark and the light: Chaon, twisted god of evil and chaos; Gemimn, goddess of order; and Tynan, cosmic balancer of order and chaos. Other gods who were later revered by the Atlanteans included their chief, Weaver, guardian and master of multicolored threads of magical energy; Deedra, goddess of nature who tethered Darkworld to Atlantis by a great chain; and Jheryl, goddess of truth and knowledge. (Atlas)

65,000,000 YEARS AGO

The genetic seed for Atlantean civilization came in the form of an alien race known as the Hunter/Gatherers. This race arrived on Earth during the time of dinosaurs and legend claims that they hunted what remained of the dinosaurs to extinction. (Aquaman #17, 2.96)

1,045,000 YEARS AGO

Millions of years passed and the alien Hunter/Gatherers matured as a species. They regretted their past transgressions and set about undoing their cosmic damage. They returned to Earth (and the other worlds they'd ravaged) as colonists and interbred with early hominids. This population founded the ancient city known as Hy-Brasil, on a small continent in the North Atlantic Ocean. This civilization was the forebear to all Atlanteans. In meantime, in outer space, the Hunter/Gatherers were conquered by dragon-like aliens called the Anunnake. One day, the Anunnake would return to reclaim the Hunters' former colonies.

One million years ago, in our world, physical evidence suggests that Homo erectus was the most human-like hominid in existence. Homo sapiens did not appear until about 400,000 years ago. In the DC Universe, one might theorize that the evolution of Homo erectus into Homo sapiens was a result of the intervention of the Hunter/Gatherers. But the Atlantis Chronicles asserts that much later, regular humans were living in caves concurrently with the highly developed Atlantean civilizations. Atlanteans are known to have migrated across the globe and thus, were the forebears of many civilizations on Earth. (Aquaman #17-24, 1996) Much later, some Atlantean humans would further evolve into Homo magi.

This parent society grew into Atlantis, whose name was referred both to the continent and to its vast empire, which spread across the Earth. The original Atlanteans learned how to unlock the secrets of mystical power and their society was built with magical energy. One of the first and greatest Atlantean sorcerers, Calculha. Calculha discovered a network of mystic multicolored threads, visible only to sorcerers, that brought magic into his dimension from the nether-realm of Darkworld. Calculha mastered the threads, which gave him access to much of Darkworld's sorceries. Though he was able to harness the energies of Darkworld, the dimension's origins remained a mystery and attempts at exploration proved too dangerous.

The other primary source of mystic energy was the earth itself, which had inherent magical powers. The ancients carved the Twelve Crystals of the Zodiac to focus and tap this might, and distributed the gemstones at even intervals across the planet, building their twelve major city-states over each power site. Each stone had unique properties to which sorcerers of that house owed their particular powers and each city-state was ruled by sorcerer-monarch. Together, the rulers were called the Conclave of Twelve. (Aquaman v.2 #1) These crystals may have been powered by living entities, trapped inside. In later times, Arion and Garn Daanuth would discover that one of the crystals possessed power only while inhabited by the demon named Aries. (Arion #)

The first true (and largest) Atlantean city-state was called The City of the Golden Gate. The names of most of the other eleven are uncertain. Numerous other cities which lay on the continent have been mentioned, but these were not of the twelve major city-states. Among these were Hy-Brasil which became heavily armed and was the nucleus of defense for continent. (This city was mentioned as once being on the surface, so it must be from Atlantis before it sank. [Aquaman #18, 1996]) Another frequently-mentioned society is Mu. One account suggests that Mu itself was a continent. Perhaps this was another name for Atlantis itself. A land called Thamuz was home to savages who later attacked the City of the Golden Gate. And Khe-Wannantu was the future home to Wyynde the warrior. One of the known twelve was Hoshan, which may have been somewhere in modern-day China.

The proliferation of Atlantean legend around the world may itself suggest the locations of the original city-states. America, North Africa, Mexico, Europe, Scandanavia and India all have names for the fabled land — all beginning with the letters "At."

527,654 YEARS AGO

Though prosperous, Atlantis was not necessarily a peaceful society. During its early years, it was ruled by a body of mad sorcerers. These sorcerers were eventually wiped out and replaced by peace-seeking rulers. Greatest of these sorcerers was the long-lived Calculha. Calculha mastered the power of the rainbow strands of energy from Darkworld. He was seduced by Dark Majistra of Mu and they had two children together: Ahri'ahn (the elder) and Garn Daanuth. But Majistra was ever bound for chaos, and Calculha for the light. And so the couple separated soon after the boys' births and the brothers were raised apart. Calculha raised Ahri'ahn under the magic of the light, while Majistra taught Garn the dark arts. The boys were so young that they remained unaware of their family ties for hundreds of thousands of years. (Who's Who v.2, Arion the Immortal #1)

There was one modern-day account of a special special paint created by the Atlanteans. Anything painted with it could come to life at night to act for good or for evil, depending on artist's intentions. (All-Star Comics #28, 4-5.46)

152,000 YEARS AGO

The presence of magic in the Atlantean empire eventually led to the evolution of a second human species; Homo sapiens branched off into Homo magi. This species possessed an innate understanding and control of mystical forces, while Homo sapiens found their path by pursuing the laws of nature and science. Atlantean Homo sapiens still possessed the resources to learn magic, but a rift grew between the species. Curiously, as Homo sapiens' scientific knowledge increased, so did their number. The Homo magi however dwindled due to persistent intermarriage between the species. For some unexplainable reason, whenever members of the opposite species met, they were immediately attracted to each other. True Homo magi coexisted with other societies for millennia. Eventually, they decided that the only way to preserve their pure lineage was to isolate themselves. In 30 BCE, the Homo magi sealed themselves off in a society in modern-day Turkey. (JLofA #164-165) It remains unclear whether the original Atlanteans themselves were all Homo magi. Atlantean chronicles do not specifically mention this species.

145,000 YEARS AGO: THE END OF THE FIRST AGE

Atlantis thrived for nine hundred thousand years under the guidance of Calculha and the Conclave of Twelve. Calculha had received a prophesy of great destruction for Atlantis and convened the Twelve to discuss it. Calculha believed that the zodiac crystals were the key — it was vitally important that they remain protected. His ex-wife, Dark Majistra countered that they unite the crystals instead and use them to defend against potential danger. The Conclave sided unanimously against Majistra, and so she undertook a plot to steal the crystals herself.

Garn Daanuth and Ahri'ahn had been warned by their embittered parents to be wary of each other. Calculha also told Ahri'ahn that the boy was destined to become Atlantis' protector, and that he would one day wear a special garment woven with the magical strands of power from Darkworld. Likewise, Majistra employed Garn in her scheme to draw the twelve crystals away from their homes. Majistra knew that this disturbance would wreak great chaos, but she assumed that the crystals' power would grant her godhood sufficient to create her own world.

To stop her, Calculha made a grave request of Ahri'ahn. The boy flung himself amidst the crystals and disrupted Majistra's spell; this set off a chain reaction with dire results for all four individuals. Ahri'ahn's sacrifice caused Majistra to explode. Father and son sent the crystals back to their rightful places, but despite their success, the ambient power ravaged Ahri'ahn's young form. The surge from this power traveled back through Ahri'ahn's mindlink to Calculha and flung the elder into the realm of Darkworld itself. From there, Calculha managed to protect Ahri'ahn's energies and send them into the sun. Garn was left alone on Earth, but his skin had turned snow white.

Garn dedicated himself to the study of magic, hoping that one day he would have the opportunity to avenge his mother. Over the next 100,000 years, Garn mastered dark sorcery and succeeded his mother as the leading sorcerer of Mu. A large portion of Earth's magical energy was lost in this struggle and a great ice age slowly blanketed the once-mighty Atlantean empire. But thanks to their aggressive pursuit of science, Atlantis would survive this cold and continue to prosper. (Who's Who #9, Aquaman #1)

NOTE: In this tale (from Arion #4) Garn and Ahri'ahn were still adolescent. Yet Arion the Immortal places Ahri'ahn's birth at 527,654 years ago. It was the same writer, so they either aged slowly or the birthdate was facetious.

Gemworld

Though Calculha managed to save the Twelve Crystals, their remaining power was further curtailed by greater cosmic forces. Far away in space, a major sun went nova, and the violent emanations of its explosion had vast repercussions on the mystical as well as physical planes. Great zodiacal alignments were disrupted and a flux resonated through the magical field that permeated the Universe. The ultimate result was that Earth, once a great epicenter of mystic concentrations, lost even more of its magical potential.

As the rulers of the twelve great Houses discovered this loss, they sought to save themselves and the rest of the mystic community of the world. For they knew that once the magic was gone, they would be reduced to the level of ordinary humanity, and the rich profusion of beasts and wizards, gryphons and faeries, unicorns and dragons — all would cease to exist. The masters of the twelve Houses poured all their powers into a single vessel, a young witch named Citrina. They bade her seek out a suitable, unformed mystical realm, a dimension far removed from the earthly plane, and there create a new world for the magical entities of the Earth.

And at last Citrina succeeded. She created a wondrous new world, Gemworld, and most of Earth's mystic community migrated to the new land. Being a mystical realm, Gemworld stimulates, but is not bound by, the laws of physical reality. Gemworld consists of one great land mass surrounded by a sea. Several clusters of islands lie offshore. Its sun is a living entity. Every morning it surges out of its home in the eastern sea. The twelve great Houses rule Gemworld, much like they had in Atlantis. They were named Amethyst, Emerald, Garnet, Ruby, Diamond, Moonstone, Sapphire, Sardonyx, Topaz, Turquoise, Opal and Aquamarine. Each had its realm aligned in character with the properties of its gemstone. (Who's Who v.1 #9)

A Time of Science, The Great Tragedy

50,000 YEARS AGO

Atlantean society was the most sophisticated on Earth. It was a period of growth and experimentation. In one such experiment, the resident Lord High Mage fashioned an exploratory vessel and hurled it to the stars with magical energy. Five thousand years later, it would return to herald the great continent's doom. (WW v.2 #1)

45,000 YEARS AGO

Though it was not the wonder it had been before the ice age, Atlantis remained a glorious civilization. Science now dominated the twelve great cities, and some remnants of sorcery survived. Empires rose and fell over the centuries, and many cultures lost all ties with mighty Atlantis. Former colonies evolved civilizations of their own, but carried reminiscences of their heritage in rituals or words. (Aquaman #1)

The exodus to Gemworld left the Earth with precious few sorcerers. As such, Atlantis was left vulnerable to the power of Garn Daanuth. Garn became the greatest sorcerer on Earth and planned to conquer Atlantis just as his mother had once attempted. But every yin has its yang, and so it was that Calculha, from his long exile in Darkworld, developed a near godlike mastery of magic himself. To save Atlantis from the encroaching cold, Calculha gathered Ahri'ahn's life energies from the sun and drew them to Earth in the form of a blood-red gemstone. He then guided a blind Atlantean guardsman, Wyynde, towards the stone. (This warrior would one day become an Atlantean legend. In the time of Poseidonis, the surrounding mountain range is named after Wyynde. [Arion #4-5])

Wyynde was born to Sh'roco, king of the land of Khe-Wannantu. But the young boy could not bear the thought of sacrificing his freedom to one day succeed his father. So, as a boy, he fled Khe-Wannantu and eventually became a soldier for the City of the Golden Gate, serving under Lady Chian. When his troop clashed with a group of "Sub-men," Wyynde was wounded by the primitives' arrows and became separated from the rest of his patrol. He became lost in the snow-covered wilderness and the glare from the snow rendered him blind. It was then that Calculha guided Wyynde to the gem.

Calculha next instructed Wyynde to climb an ancient pyramid and set the gem upon its summit. This act restored Ahri'ahn to adult human form, and cured Wyynde's blindness. Inside the pyramid, Ahri'ahn found his destiny, the ancient garment woven from the threads of Darkworld. He also assumed a slightly new name: millennia of verbal traditions had rendered the pronunciation of "Ahri'ahn" as Arion. Thus when Wyynde spoke this name, Arion found it fitting, especially since all memories of his former life had now vanished. Arion set immediately about his mission as protector of Atlantis, and Wyynde became one of his closest friends. (Warlord #??; Who's Who v.1 #26)

Calculha brought Ahri'ahn back from heavens but was destroyed by Garn Daanuth — who only then learned that Calculha was his father, and Ahri'ahn his brother! Ahri'ahn drove Garn back and became the City of the Golden Gate's new protector, the Lord High Mage of Atlantis. (Arion #1, WW #1)

Lady Chian was daughter of Sato, lord of House of Shonan in Hoshan, one of the twelve official city-states of Atlantis. Chian was trained to be warrior, following Hoshan tradition. This gentle young girl was terribly anguished at being torn from her father and their peaceful home. The warlord's taskmasters trained her to be a warrior and Chian's hatred of their cruelty and of her father for letting her be taken away motivated her to master the skills of combat.

Finally, Chian slew three of the taskmasters and fled the warlord's keep, never to return. She spent the nest years wandering from place to place as a highly successful mercenary warrior. Eventually, Chian came to the City of Golden Gate, the leading city of Atlantis. There she became the captain of King D'Tilluh's royal guard. She also met Arion, his chief mage. Arion and Chian became bother lovers and allies and shared many adventures defending Atlantean civilization from various threats. Chian accompanied Arion and other survivors to safety when Atlantis finally sand. Her ultimate fate is unknown. (Who's Who v.1 #13)

Many of Arion's adventures are known from the early versions of the Atlantis Chronicles. Exactly when these chronicles first began is not known, but in the time of Arion, they were called The Chronicles of Choloh. Choloh himself was long gone by Arion's time, but his name was revered. Atlanteans also consulted an oracle named for the Chronicler. Often, the title was passed to Chroniclers' progeny upon their death. Only some of the Atlantis Chronicles survive to the modern day, but given the long history of this civilization, any surviving records are a miracle.

Arion and Garn clashed repeatedly after this. In one of these encounters, scars were magically seared onto the left side of Garn's face. (?)

Upon the death of his father, Sh'roco, Wyynde returned to Khe-Wannantu to become their new king. He married one of the women, Fawndancer, who had been pledged to him before her birth. But soon afterwards, the land of the Khe-Wannantu was sunk beneath the sea by Arion's evil brother Garn Daanuth. The only survivors of the tribe were Wyynde, his brother Nightfire and Fawndancer, who was permanently transformed into a creature of the sea. (Arion #16-18)

Wyynde's grief, combined with the strain on his mind when Garn temporarily took control of it, caused him to withdraw from reality mentally for a time. Later, Wyynde was genetically altered into a beast-man. But Arion succeeded in restoring Wyynde to his true form, and Wyynde was once more in good mental condition. Wyynde survived the sinking of the City of the Some years after the sinking, a restless Wyynde led an expedition that never returned. The exact circumstances of his death are unrevealed.

Arion and Lady Chian become lovers. (Who's Who v.1 #13)

Mara was shapeshifter of Thamuz whose father was killed by Garn's men. Mara rescued by Lady Chian and Wyynde, brought to City of Golden Gate. She became ally of Arion and romantically pursued Wyynde. She fled from Garn when he took over Thamuz, hoping to save her familiy's prized relic: one of the original Twelve Crystals. (Who's Who v.1 #14)

Wing, chancellor to King D'Tilluh. (Arion #1)

General Balar. (#2) Arion vs Aries, ram-headed demon. (#3-4) Calculha dies. (#5) Arion vs Sub-Men. (#6) Arion meets Captain Bloodmor of Black Unicorn pirate ship. (#20)

Upon his father's death, Wyynde returns to Khe-Wannatu to become its king, marries Fawndancer. Soon after, his homeland is sunk beneath sea by Garn. Only survivors were Wyynde, his brother Nightfire and Fawndancer, who was transformed into sea creature. (Who's Who #26)

Arion's final battle with Garn until birth of Arion's granddaughter Kara. (#24)

Arion vs Weaver. (#28) Tomokata, Lady Chian's ex-lover. (#30)

King D'Tilluh dies. (#31)

D'Tilluh's daughter D'Galla returns to City of Golden Gate to take up rulership after her father's death. (#32)

Arion vs his mother Dark Majistra. (#33-34)

Harbinger recruits Arion to help fight Crisis in future. (Crisis #1) Arion, Psycho-Pirate, Obsidian sent to guard Monitor's machine. Psycho-Pirate attacks Pariah, then is recruited by Anti-Monitor. Arion, Obsidian, Pariah, Lady Chian see wave of anti-matter approaching Atlantis. (Crisis #2)

THE GREAT MIGRATION

The fate of the Atlantean continent was sealed with the return of an ancient exploratory vessel. The vessel was launched in the name of science by Atlanteans eons before, but it returned to Earth with alien conquerors instead. This drew the attention of the dark god Chaon, of the Darkworld. Chaon attempted to take advantage of the empire's vulnerability and launched his own attack. Arion and his friends resisted both Chaon and the aliens. But they were only able to stop one of the threats and could not prevent Atlantis' greatest tragedy.

Chaon released a massive bolt of black energy which struck the City of Golden Gate. This set off a chain reaction which triggered the tectonic forces beneath the continent. As a result, most of the continent sank below the waves, including the cities of Hy-Brasil and Mu. Hy-Brasil survived underwater and its people secreted themselves away for 45,000 years until they were called by Aquaman to defend Atlantis again. The aliens were defeated when one of their number, Etok, betrayed them and sent their ship into the sun. (Arion Special #1, '85; Who's Who v.2, Aquaman #17-18)

Arion, Wyynde and Lady Chian led a band of adventurers to rebuild their society. Arion sent out six expeditions to seek out new homes. This era is known as "Great Migration." The legends of the Atlantis Chronicles recalls:

... mighty Arion abandoned the City of the Golden Gates, believing that it had been completely destroyed. It's comforting to us mere mortals to know that even demi-gods such as Arion could make a mistake. Arion's home, and indeed all of the surrounding area, surrendered itself to the seas. But the area further inland — that remained, although somewhat shattered and shaken. And when Arion left he took with him much of the technology and sorcery that had made Atlantis the cradle of civilization.

According to the Phantom Stranger, what remained was "an outcropping. Part of the archipelago left by the vanished continent." These inland cities were named Poseidonis and Tritonis. They grew and survived above water for over 30,000 years. (Atlantis Chronicles #1, Who's Who v.2 #1, Books of Magic v.1 #1)

Precisely where Arion and his future-wife Lady Chian finally settled is uncertain. Regardless, they built a new home and together watched civilization grow anew again. (Who's Who v.2) There are, however, several known Atlantean refugee colonies:

• Skartaris: An Atlantean expedition led by General Rugero found its way to other dimensional realm of Skartaris through portal near North Pole. One of his comrades, Lord Norrad, founded New Atlantis there. A second group of Altanteans settled elsewhere in Skartaris, but were eventually destroyed by nuclear war. Later, the evil sorcerer Ar-Diamphos escaped the final sinking of Atlantis and found New Atlantis. This sorcerer had Norrad killed. The last ruler of New Atlantis was a descendant of Ar-Diamphos, the one-eyed wizard Cykroth the Unholy. Another city in Skartaris, the great Shamballah, would be found in the 20th century by the American Travis Morgan, The Warlord. (Warlord #5; Who's Who v.1 #1, 21; Who's Who Update '87 #2; Who's Who v.2)

• Wyynde led expedition that never returned. Perhaps he settled in North or South America and became the ancestor to modern natives of these lands. (Who's Who v.1 #26; Atlantis Chronicles #1)

• One tribe of Atlanteans settled inside a Himalayan mountain, creating the Dreaming City, a place of spirituality. (Aquaman #19, 4.96)

• Millennia later, descendants of the city of Mu would claim that "many thousands of solar revolutions ago", Mu was destroyed and its people left Earth in an ark-like ship. When they returned to reclaim the Earth in the 20th Century, they would clash with the original Justice League of America. (JLofA #88, 3.71)

After this period, the Twelve Crystals of the Zodiac were scattered, lost or forgotten. Their (much reduced) power would not be summoned until the 20th century by the mad Atlantean known as the Ocean Master. (Aquaman v.2 #1)

Another 20th century hero, Resurrection Man, has also claimed that he helped Arion salvage the Atlantis Chronicles after the Great Tragedy. (DCU Heroes Secret Files #1)

Later …

The core of Atlantean magic was based on its ties to the Darkworld. At the time, none realized that Darkworld was a living cosmic entity. They did not know that as this creature began to wake, their powers — which came from its dreams — would fade. All the remaining sorcerers were left virtually powerless. As Darkworld ceased to exist, even its gods were left adrift, but immortal, on Earth. Arion and Garn Daanuth survived until the modern day along with former gods Chaon, Weaver, Deedra and Gemimn. When the magic faded, Arion's friend Mara was in the form of a dog and thus remained trapped this way. In time, she would forget her life as a human. Arion's final days in Atlantean civilization remain unchronicled. He is believed to have married Lady Chian, but she was not immortal like him. He wandered Earth powerless, observing the rise of mankind but never participating. (Arion, 1992)

Vandal Savage found his way to Arion's new home, where he formed a partnership with Garn Daanuth. Together they formed the secret society called the Illuminati. (Time Masters #7)

In present day, Garn encountered JLA, claiming when Atlantis sank, he encased himself in mystic amber, sleeping until time was right. He must have been lying, as he had been active all along. (JLofA #217)

There are no further accounts of Atlantean history until the time of King Orin of Poseidonis, 30,000 years later …

The Deluge

c. 11,600 YEARS AGO (c. 9,600 BCE)

It had been many centuries since "Great Migration." Atlantis was still thriving. Relatively isolated from rest of world, small continent was content developing by itself (although problems frequently arose because of band of savages that would attack city). (Atlantis Chronicles #1, 3/90) When Atlantean King Thorvall died, elder son Orin became King. (Atlantis Chronicles #1, 3/90 and #7, 9/90) Under King Orin, former City of Golden Gate renamed Poseidonis. (Presumably, Atlantis must have had some contact with Greek god Poseidon.) Orin's wife was Queen Narmea. Albart of Ancinor was official keeper of Atlantis Chronicles. Orin's best friend Rajar saw visions of threats to Atlantis. Poseidonis was besieged by savages whom Orin himself had provided with weapons. Orin used laser cannon against savages. Orin's brother Shalako, religious zealot, called upon his goddess, Suula, to strike at savages. Orin had transparent dome created to cover city. Shalako felt gods would be angered, he began praying to new "Dark Gods". Shalako's young son Dardanus developed unhealthy attraction to Orin and Narmea's newborn daughter Cora. Wealthiest citizen of Poseidonis was Alloroc. His son Bazil and Dardanus would fight over Cora. When skull-shaped meteoroid threatened Earth, Shalako claimed it was gods' punishment. Rajar killed by savages. (Atlantis Chronicles #1, 3/90)

GL Alan Scott retrieves "gun that dropped through time" in unnamed Atlantean city only minutes before continent sinks. (ALL-STAR #53, 6-7/50)

Asteroid hit, sinking Atlantean continent. Dome saves Poseidonis. (Atlantis Chronicles #1, 3/90)

Unknown to Poseidonians, this meteoroid was actually an observation ship sent to Earth by the alien Anunnake. The prehistoric legacy of the Hunter/Gatherers was long forgotten by the people of Atlantis. But Earth was not to be ignored by the Hunters' successors: the Anunnake. This lizard-like race of alien warriors set its sights on the Hunters' former colonies and eventually came to Earth. In the time before King Orin, Atlantean civilization had advanced enough to ward off the Anunnake. Though defeated, the Anunnake continued to send a observational ships back to Earth. The skull-ship thought to have been sent by Suula was in fact one of these ships, which crashed to Earth instead. As the continent settled on the sea bottom, the city of Poseidonis came to rest on top of the Anunnake ship. At least one of the Anunnake remained on Earth. This female became feared and worshipped in several cultures as the goddess, Tiamat. At some point, Tiamat eventually placed herself in suspended animation on the Anunnake ship at the bottom of the sea — beneath Poseidonis. (Aquaman v.5 #24)

Albart commits suicide. His nephew Britton becomes new Chronicler. Resentment brewed between Orin's Technocrats and Shalako's Shalakites. Orin sends out 6 exploratory vessels to find out fate of rest of world. Shalako took huge number of followers through underground tunnels to abandoned city of Tritonis (presumably named after Greek god Triton.) Shalako called on his gods to grant him and his followers new path. Magical energies created "hard water" dome over Tritonis and his people restored city, although Shalako was forced to kill his wife Loma to appease his gods. Hostilities between Poseidonis and Tritonis began almost immediately. (Atlantis Chronicles #2, 4/90)

2 exploratory vessels discover meteoroid that had sunk Atlantis, they are then whisked through ocean to Egypt, where they are welcomed as gods by natives. Atlanteans helped guide Egypt, mating with best of them. They then spread throughout nearby lands helping to aid surface societies. (Atlantis Chronicles #6, 5/90)

Atlanteans do not adjust easily to life in their domed cities. Believing they were all that was left of Earth, Orin had his scientist Thorne work on way to allow Atlanteans to breathe underwater. Orin tested serum on himself, then gave it to all Poseidonians, who could now breathe underwater. Tritonians ultimately accepted serum as well, but Shalako's prayers to Dark Gods caused them to grow fish legs. Tritonians kill Shalako and all his family, except Dardanus (who hadn't taken the serum) who goes into hiding. (Atlantis Chronicles #2, 4/90)

Poseidonian teens Bazil, Illyia, Morscia and Viro saved from shark by 2 Tritonian boys. Britton had died from Black Flu. His sister Illyia became new Chronicler. Orin appointed Stearn as magistrate of Tritonis. Adult Dardanus reveals his existence to Tritonians. Orin had brief affair with Gulacia. Cora's 14th birthday celebrated. Dardanus returns, stabs Bazil, claims Cora. Orin banishes Dardanus from Poseidonis for 2 years. Bazil and Cora encounter "Cave of Death", then get engaged. Night before their wedding, Dardanus returns, rapes Cora. Bazil and Cora married. 2 months later Cora becomes pregnant. (Atlantis Chronicles #3, 5/90) Cora gives birth to scaled green-skinned creature with blond hair who becomes known as Kordax the Cursed. Kordax is viscious baby, left to die in ocean. Only Orin, Narmea, Cora and Bazil aware. Poseidonis told baby was stillborn. Kordax survives in sea, learns he has ability to communicate with and control sea creatures. (#4, 6/90)

Bazil and Cora have daughter Fiona. Illyia has son Regin. Bazil becomes Orin's warlord. Atlanteans learn their aging has slowed down as result of serum. Dardanus reveals Tritonians are being born with fishtails instead of legs. Orin opens dome, allowing water into Poseidonis. Atlanteans finally become one with ocean. Fiona and Regin grow up, fall in love. Regin comes across "Cave of Death". Dardanus discovers Kordax's existence, forms alliance with him. King Orin officially steps down, names Cora queen of Poseidonis. Dardanus and Kordax return. Kordax claims as Cora's 1st child, he is her heir. Tritonis declares war on Poseidonis. Illyia killed in battle, Regin becomes new Chronicler. (Atlantis Chronicles #4, 6/90)

Vandal Savage vs current incarnation of Resurrection Man (fishtailed Tritonian) near Atlantis. (DCU VILLAINS SFandO #1, 4/99)

Small group of Atlanteans who'd settled in Egypt return to ocean, find Poseidonis and Tritonis at war, return to Egypt. (Atlantis Chronicles #6, 5/90)

Aquaman meets Orin and Bazil, sees Poseidonis as it was, witnesses war. Whether Aquaman truly time-traveled or simply had visions was not made clear. (Aquaman #33, 6/97)

Moriscia and Viro killed in battle. Kordax loses control of sea creatures who turn on Tritonians. Poseidonians and Tritonians forced to work together to battle sea creatures. Orin battles Dardanus, while Kordax battles Fiona. Shalako's spirit returns. Dardanus kills Orin, whose spirit rises, battling Shalako, who kills Dardanus. Both disappear into Cave of Death. War over. Cora has Kordax's left hand amputated. He is banished from all of Atlantis. (Atlantis Chronicles #5, 7/90) Aquaman witnesses Kordax's banishment, meets Kordax on his way out of city. Whether Aquaman truly time-traveled or simply had visions was not made clear. (Aquaman #33, 6/97) Kordax gave rise to superstition of blond hair being sign of evil. Finally there is peace between 2 cities. (Atlantis Chronicles #5, 7/90)

Little is known of next period in Atlantean history.

• Over next years, Fiona marries Regin and becomes queen. They have daughter Fatima and son Kalunga. Poseidonians begin to grow small fins on back of legs. Kalunga suffered from hydrophobia, was known as Kalunga the imbecilic. Mysterious woman named Gana rumored to be daughter of Kordax, showed up in Poseidonis. Kalunga and Gana marry, have daughter Nala, one of most formidable villains in Atlantean history. Fatima has son Manu. Power struggles between Nala and Manu were most bitter in Atlantean history. (Atlantis Chronicles #5, 7/90)

• Ancient sunken Atlantean city resettled by group of Poseidonians who rename city Hy-Brasil after great warlord Bazil, "merge" with their "manta brothers" transforming into white-skinned humanoid creatures with manta-like wings. Their king known as Guardian of Hy-Brasil. (Aquaman #17-18, 2-3/96 and #21, 6/96)

• Another group of Atlanteans found city of Thierna Na Oge, stronghold of sorcery. Inhabitants develop orange skin and female dominated society. (Aquaman #21)

c. 1200 BCE

Poseidonis and Tritonis have been living together peacefully. Atlantean blood lines of Nala and Manu continued. Manu's line resulted in Honsu. He marries Lorelei who claims to be descended from Nala. Honsu and Lorelei have 3 sons- Atlan, Haumond and Kraken. As youngster, Atlan's hair turns blonde, he is banished from city. Helios becomes new Chronicler. Years later, Atlan returns to Poseidonis, reveals there is still civilization on surface world. Honsu and Council of Ten decide to invade surface world. Shayera and Idyllists object, leave Poseidonis. Atlan tells Shayera to beware of children with "purple eyes" which becomes superstition. (Atlantis Chronicles #5-6)

Idyllists settle in Hidden Valley, found city of Shayeris/Crastinus.

Kraken followed in his father's footsteps, becoming great warrior, while Haumond was more peaceful. However, both sons accompanied their father on Atlantis' conquest of surface world. Atlanteans built great island city near Europe named Bazilia, after warlord Bazil. Here they would base their invasion. They swept through Europe and Middle East, battling Vikings, Chaldeans, Babylonians, then set their sights on Egypt. (Atlantis Chronicles #6)

1175 BCE

Invasion of Egypt by "Sea Peoples", during reign of Ramses III. Sea Peoples were actually Honsu's Atlanteans. Egyptians fought valiantly. Atlanteans could not endure hot sun of Egypt's desert, Honsu ordered his troops to retreat. They returned to Bazilia, leaving Haumond behind. Haumond brought before Ramses III, then Egyptian No-Amun, who reveals himself to be descendant of Atlantean explorers sent out by Orin. (Atlantis Chronicles #6) Atlanteans then continued their conquest of Europe, arriving in Athens, Greece. Honsu challenges Athenians to send their greatest warrior against Kraken. Kraken is killed by their champion who turns out to be Haumond. Soon after, Atlanteans return to ocean floor. Bazilia sinks. Haumond returned to Egypt. (#7)

Haumond would see Atlan from time to time. Atlan became powerful sorcerer, gave Haumond potion which allowed him to live on land longer than other Atlanteans and extended his life span. Kraken's offspring continue royal family line. They grew, supplanted Honsu and continued fighting with each other. (Atlantis Chronicles #7)

Sometime after this, the alien founders of Atlantis — the Hunter/Gatherers — returned from space and dredge the city of Bazilia up from ocean. They improve its technology and charge a man named Spought to monitor Earth for them. The city has the ability to levitate and is dubbed the Floating City. (Aquaman v.5 #22)

"Centuries ago", group of Atlantean magic-users, including Poseidonians and Tritonians, become known as Sher'Hedeen, leave 2 cities to found their own society. (Aquaman v.5 #5)

The Obsidian Age

In 1043 BCE, the Atlanteans' longstanding fear of Kordax drove them to a fateful decision. A blond-haired child named Gamemnae was expelled from the underwater empire. Somehow, the girl survivied and became a great sorceress. Twenty-three years later, she returned to Atlantis and raised the city above the water. Her power was so great that she became Atlantis' undisputed ruler. This act not only gave her godlike powers but also bound her soul to the continent of Atlantis. This bond could not be broken unless the continent itself was destroyed. (JLA #75) Gamemnae soon took a husband from another land. She ensnared the statesman, Rama Khan of Jarhanpur and the pair led the nation to greatness. This time would be known as Atlantis' "Obsidian Age." (JLA #70)

In 1015 BCE, this age was disrupted by yet another tragedy — all of 21st Century Atlantis was shunted 3,000 years into the past! This was part of a seemingly well-conceived magical contingency plan by King Orin (Aquaman). Orin had read in the Atlantis Chronicles that during this time, Atlantis experienced a long period of peace and stability. But when his people arrived, they found that the city had been raised above sea level. Many of the refugees suffocated in the air and Orin led the survivors into the water. Gamemnae approached Orin as a friend, but soon trapped him in an aqueous form, inside a magical pool. The remaining Atlanteans were enslaved beneath the water. (JLA: Our Worlds at War #1; JLA #72)

Meanwhile, in 1004 BCE, Gamemnae further expanded her dominion. She and Rama Khan recruited heroes from across the globe (and from rival societies) to form a multicultural League of Ancients: the Anointed One, Manitou Raven, Sela, Tezumak and the Whaler. (JLA #70, JLA/JSA Secret Files) In response to a dire prophecy by Gamemnae, Manitou Raven and Tezumak travelled to the 21st century to destroy the Justice League. They did not succeed, but instead set the JLA on the path to locating 21st Century Atlantis. The JLA casted a spell and arrived circa 1000 BCE. Raven and Tezumak also returned from the future and alerted the Ancients to the JLA's plans. (JLA #66, 68, 70)

The JLA located the enslaved Atlanteans, who had been protected by Mera, their 21st century queen. Gamemnae's Earth-driven powers were too strong for the JLA, and the heroes were all slain by the Ancients. At the last minute, however, the bravery of Green Lantern convinced Manitou Raven change sides and oppose Gamemnae. He used Green Lantern's heart as a sacrifice in order to save the JLA's souls. The power of the sacrifice enabled Raven to cast a containment spell around Atlantis, effectively trapping Gamemnae within. There they all remained for years until the JLA's successors arrived with a plan. The new JLA freed Aquaman from the pool. The future king was forced to make a painful decision: to break Gamemnae's soul-bond to the continent and nullify her magicks, he chose to re-sink Atlantis. The people from the 21st century returned to their own time. Manitou Raven and his wife, Dawn, also chose to emigrate to the future. (#72, 74, 75)

In shame, the Atlanteans of the First Millennium BCE removed any trace of this horrible time from the Atlantis Chronicles. Sadly, it is this very omission which creates the false impression of peacefulness in the Chronicles, and which will lead Orin to bring his people back to this time.

c. 30 BCE

The human race of Homo magi seals itself off from the world in the mountains of Turkey. This race diverged from Homo sapiens during the Stone Age. (Justice League of America #165)

Modern Atlantis

KING ORIN — AQUAMAN

Over thousands of years, a Atlantis became a diverse collection of underwater cities and races. Some of these cities were apparently established after the sinking of the continent. The following are the known, modern underwater Atlantean civilizations:

• Poseidonis and Tritonis. These pre-Deluge cities maintained ties but functioned as separate states. Of all cities, Poseidonis has the highest profile among surface dwellers. This is due to the adventures of its king, Orin (Aquaman).

• Thierna Na Oge. This bright civilization is populated by orange-skinned people and maintained its knowledge of ancient magics. There, the Atlantean curse manifested in the form of a sisterly rivalry between Nuada Silverarm and Bres. (Aquaman, 1988)

• Shayeris (Crastinus) was formed by a political faction called the Idyllists and fostered by the sorcerer, Atlan. It too remained rather secluded, but birthed another great Atlantean champion — Garth (Tempest). Shayeris was destroyed ?? (Atlantis Chronicles #5-6; Tempest)

• Hy-Brasil. After the Deluge, this city's inhabitants were able to engineer water-breathing bodies by splicing their genes with those of the Anunnake. They remained completely secluded until the time when King Orin would seek to unite all the remaining cities of Atlantis.

• Tlapallan, a city of dark-gray skinned people (Aquaman, 1988)

• Maarzon, a city of green-skinned people once conquered by the Ocean Master. (Aquaman, 1988)

Atlantean history repeats itself in many tragic ways. In addition to the legacy of geological instability, it suffered from a long line of brotherly rivals. After the Deluge, many Atlanteans also developed extreme xenophobia. This last matter manifested in opposition to Poseidonis' future king, Orin. Orin was born of Queen Atlanna of Poseidonis and fathered by the ancient mage, Atlan. This heritage did not save Orin from a cruel fate, as he was born with the blond hair of his evil ancestor, Kordax. Orin was left on a reef to die, but the magic in his blood would save him. Orin was born with the ability to communicate with sea life. As a result, he immediately bonded with a school of dolphins. Orin was accepted by the dolphins as family and was raised through his teenage years in this environment. (See Aquaman)

Eventually Orin found his way back to Atlantis and assumed his royal destiny as king. But his presence in Poseidonis brought unwanted attention to the sea floor. A string of tragedies led to Orin's abdication of the throne. The state was then left to King Thesily and Orin's aide, Vulko while Orin lived among surface dwellers. In his wanderings on land, Orin was dubbed "Aquaman" and he was a founding member of the Justice League of America. This led him into contact with his long-lost half-brother, Orm Marius — the Ocean Master. Orm was also fathered by Atlan by an eskimo woman.

Orm's hatred of Orin drove him to uncover an ancient, pre-Deluge library containing the secrets to Atlantean magic. As his power grew, he was able to locate and collect six of the ancient zodiac crystals. One became a holy relic called the Lia Fail to the people of Thierna Na Oge. One served as a governmental seal in Poseidonis. With the help of Nuada Silverarm of Thierna Na Oge, Aquaman was able to overcome his brother on the astral plane. In the end, the two known crystals were returned to their homes. Presumably, the others were kept for safekeeping by Nuada or Aquaman (it is unlikely that they would have gathered up their own seals and left the rest for another would-be conqueror). (Aquaman, 1988)

ATLANTEAN REUINION

As ever, fate drew Orin back to his former kingdom. This time, he began having visions of an impending threat to the undersea realm. Indeed, he was unconsciously sensing a great — and terrible — reunion. Foremost among these events was the return of the prehistoric Hunter/Gatherers — the alien race who seeded Atlantis! Two great Atlantean enemies were also due to return: Kordax, the blond-haired chaos bringer; and Tiamat, terrible goddess of the Anunnake race.

Orin's instinctive connection to Poseidonis led to the gradual rise of the ancient alien ship buried beneath that city. As it stirred, Tiamat was awakened, and the city itself began to rise up off the ocean floor. Since Tiamat had been on Earth for millennia, she was unaware of the truce between the Anunnake and the Hunters. She became an ally to Kordax and sought to subjugate humanity. Meanwhile, Orin instinctively acted to unite the extant cities of Atlantis against the Hunters. The Hunters had already arrived on the surface and made an alliance with the United States. They had long since made peace with the Anunnake and promised to help lead Earth to a new golden age. Orin was not swayed by this altruism and set about uniting his Atlantean kin. He found friends in Thierna Na Oge, but encountered vicious resistance in Hy-Brasil (which he squashed).

In the Dreaming City, he found that his evil brother, Orm, had taken over. Orm eventually destroyed that city. Lastly, he located the ancient Floating City — Basilia. It's ancient caretaker, Spought, had been left in charge by the Hunters. When Poseidonis began to rise, its residents fled to Tritonis. They were led by Vulko and Orin's son, Koryak, who demanded that the Tritonians show the way to a lost city in the tunnels beneath Tritonis. The Tritonian King Iqula and Queen S'ona eventually acquiesced and Koryak's expedition awakened Kordax. Kordax had been imprisoned by Atlan and quickly set about using the Poseidonian refugees as his slaves. Koryak killed many Tritonians before he was stopped.

Orin successfully turned the Floating City against the Hunters, but it was destroyed in the process. The Hunters realized that they were up against formidable opposition and eventually stood face-to-face with Orin himself. Orin had surmised the truth before the Hunters could reveal it: though they were a truly peaceful race, the Hunters' "golden age" for Earth would first require the annihilation of its entire civilization. The Hunters acknowledged defeat and left Earth. (Aquaman v.5 #7-23)

It appears that the legacy of brotherly rivalry now lives on between Orin's son Koryak, and his surrogate son, Garth.

ARION THE IMMORTAL

Arion himself lived to the modern day as well, but he and the gods of Darkworld were left powerless soon after the Great Tragedy. Arion (as Aristotle Ronald) and Deedra, Gemimn, Weaver and Chaon eventually came to live in New York City. Though they were unable to tap into the power of Darkworld, they retained enough magical essence to remain immortal and to perform superficial charms. In the meantime, Garn Daanuth had become the military leader of the nation, Kuran. (Arion, 1992)

At some point, a woman-friend of his appealed to him to protect her daughter, Kara. Arion wiped all memory from the girl until her eighteenth birthday. When Kara emerged from suspended animation, she possessed memories which led her to believe she was the long-lost cousing of Superman. She joined the Justice Society as Power Girl. Years later, he came to her and told her a false story: that she was his granddaughter from 45,000 years ago. (Secret Origins v.2 #11)

It seems that none of them was aware that their power had actually come from the dreams of a powerful cosmic entity. This entity, while asleep, was Darkworld! Having remained "awake" for over 40,000 years, it began to come to rest once again. As a result, Arion and Chaon soon discovered that their powers were returning. With the awakening, the gods were summoned back to Darkworld by beings called the Blonnjuu. Arion and the old gods were less than thrilled; they had come to accept and enjoy their simple humanlike existence. But Darkworld was bent on slumber and sought Garn Daanuth as it's protector, just as his father Calculha had done before. Arion was too powerful for either of them. Allied with the gods, he bonded Darkworld to Garn, whose screams would keep it awake for eternity. What power remained was gathered by Arion. (Arion, 1992)

Since then, Arion has been a very reluctant adventurer. During his battle against Darkworld, he again encountered Power Girl (#5). Since regaining his power, he has been called upon by Aquaman to help defend Atlantis (Aquaman #) and by the Martian Manhunter to save Katar Hol (Hawkman #). Recently, his body was overtaken by the rogue Lord of Order known as Mordru. Arion's essence was imprisoned on Gemworld and freed by Power Girl, with the help of Dove. As they returned to confront Mordru, Arion admitted to Kara that he had lied. He was not, in fact, her grandfather. He offered no further details except that her real mother would soon be forced to reveal seek Kara out herself. (JSA #49-50)

WORLDS AT WAR

The JLA are unable to defeat Imperiex's scouts. As part of a magical contingency plan, Tempest transports 20th Century Atlantis 3,000 years into the past. This creates a great trench in the Atlantic Ocean. (The trench, in fact, hides the ruins of ancient Atlantis; the time travel has altered history). (JLA: Our Worlds at War #1)

In response to a dire prophecy by the ancient Atlantean sorceress, Gamemnae, the shaman, Manitou Raven and the warrior, Tezumak travel to the 21st century to destroy the JLA. (JLA #66) Raven attempts to seek shelter in Atlantis, but discovers it is missing. Instead, he senses ambient magical energy and uses it to return to the past. In doing so, he removes the containment spell which had trapped the evil Gamemnae. (JLA #67)

With help from Tempest, the JLA squashes an attempt by Ocean Master and Black Manta to take over Atlantis. Zatanna and the Sentinels of Magic discover that ancient Atlantis has in fact been present (but invisible) for 3,000 years. They discover a message at the bottom of a pool, summoning the JLA into the past. Another spell is cast to send the JLA back in time—to find Aquaman. 1st app. of Gamemnae (hidden). (JLA #68)

A new JLA set about saving the planet from Gamemnae's chaos. Note: Batman adapted Mr. Terrific's T-sphere technology for use as communications drones. (JLA #69)

Gamemnae begins extracting the Earth's water into space. Using a "quagmire spell," she assimilates Tempest and Zatanna into her own body. She taunts the JLA by revealing Superman's corpse, speared with a trident that reads "come." (JLA #71)

Jason Blood casts a spell which sacrifices himself into Gamemnae's quagmire; this releases Zatanna. (JLA #73)

Because Gamemnae can only absorb the living into her body, The JLA's dead bodies are used to fight her. In order to re-kill the JLA, she restores them to life. But also, for this to work, Green Lantern sacrifices his own heart. Just then, Jason Blood releases the Demon, which is tempered by Faith's calming powers. This allows Raven to catch Gamemnae off-guard. Soon, Gamemnae is defeated in ancient Atlantis, and history realigns. The result: the above-water Atlantean ruins and Manitou Raven disappear. Just before his disappearance, however, Raven sacrifices himself to restore Green Lantern's life. Everyone returns from the past, including the young Manitou Raven and his wife, Dawn. (JLA #75)

The Creature Commandos encounter the remnants of a Pacific colony of Atlantis. Atlantean science had created a group of robots to carry on the work of Atlantean conquest. (Weird War Tales #111, 5.82)

• Aquaman v.1, 63 issues (1962-71, 1977-78)
• Aquaman v.2, 4-issue limited series (1986). By Neal Pozner
• Aquaman v.3, 5-issue limited series (1989)
• Legend of Aquaman, one-shot (1989)
• Aquaman v.4, 13 issues (1991-92)
• Aquaman: Time and Tide, 6-iussue limited series (1994-95). By Peter David
• Aquaman v.5, 74 issues (1994-2001)
• Aquaman v.6, current (2003-)

• Arion, Lord of Atlantis, 35 issues + Special (198)
• Arion the Immortal, 6-issue limited series (1992)
• Atlantis: The Eighth Continent, Charles Berlitz
• Atlantis: The Antediluvian World, Ignatius Donnelly
• Atlantis Chronicles, 7 issues, Peter David (1990)
• Atlas of the DC Universe, Mayfair Games, DC Comics, used under license by Mayfair Games. Paul Kupperberg; Editors: Jack Barker & Jacqueline Leeper (1990).
• Books of Magic v.1 #1, Neil Gaiman (1990)
• Critias and Timaeus, Plato
• Warlord #55-61 (1982)
• Who's Who v.1 #1, 9, 13, 26
• Who's Who v.2 #1

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