Garth is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly associated with Aquaman and the Teen Titans. Created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist Ramona Fradon, he first appears in Adventure Comics #269 in February 1960. He was originally known as the first incarnation of Aqualad. As a young adult, the character used the alias Tempest.
In the DC Universe, the character starts out originally as the teen sidekick and protégé to his guardian, the superhero known as Aquaman, originally possessing similar abilities. Unlike his guardian and mentor, the character is a fully-blooded Atlantean and originates from a tribe in Atlantis known as the Idyllist, a peaceful tribe mostly consisting of pacifists. As Garth was born with purple eyes, an anomaly signifying an evil lineage, he was cast out despite his royal status. He survives and eventually meets Aquaman, who takes in the boy as an adopted son and protégé. After acting as a member of the Teen Titans, Garth eventually abandons the Aqualad role and adopts the Tempest alias, having bolstered his newfound magical abilities with training. He would act as one of Aquaman's most trusted allies. He also fulfilled numerous roles in Atlantis, including being an ambassador, prince, and once succeeded his mentor as ruler of Atlantis.
In more recent continuities, the character shares a similar history although the Idyllist people are instead Atlanteans with powers to see the previous history of Atlantis, in which said ability manifests with purple eyes and is misconstrued as a sign of dark magic. Raised by his mother and later Aquaman, Garth's magical abilities were fostered through a prestigious guild in Atlantis that instructs magic though Garth left the guild after a mystic accident. Garth would then act as both a soldier in Atlantis and a superhero on the surface, notably as a member of the Teen Titans and Titans, while remaining an ally of Aquaman. He would eventually meet his successor, Jackson Hyde. Garth granted him the Aqualad moniker.
Garth has made several appearances as both Aqualad and Tempest in various media. As Aqualad, he appeared in the Teen Titans animated series, and the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series. He made his live adaptation debut in the second season of the DC Universe series Titans, played by Drew Van Acker. Garth also appeared as Tempest in the Young Justice animated series.
Publication history
Aqualad first appeared in 1960 in Adventure Comics #269 and was created by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon. In 1996, Aqualad appeared in his own 4-issue limited series, under a new alias: Tempest. In the 2009–2010 miniseries, Blackest Night, Tempest is murdered in battle.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Aqualad was initially known as Aquaman's teenage partner, and like many other such "kid sidekicks" popular in the Silver Age, his powers originally varied very little from his mentor. Aqualad was a founding member of the Teen Titans.
His origin is similar to that of his mentor. He is an amphibious humanoid who was left to die because of ancient Atlantean superstition and prophecy. He is the prince and heir to the throne of the Idyllists, a colony of Atlanteans who settled in the Hidden Valley 4,000 years ago. There, nestled in the capital city of Shayeris (formerly Crastinus), the pacifist Idyllists became rabid builders and collectors, architects and artisans, and eschewed physical violence at all costs. The Idyllists were also practitioners of magic and kept an extensive library of mystical texts and scrolls.
Before Garth's birth, his parents, King Thar and Queen Berra, became the reigning monarchs of Shayeris, the capital of The Hidden Valley of colonies. Thar had inherited the throne and access to ancient magical energies that his brother Zath, a powerful magician in his own right, believed to be rightfully his. Zath practiced dark sorcery and necromancy and was eventually banished from the Hidden Valley. His body transformed into a disgusting half-human form, Zath, renamed Slizzath, returned to Shayeris twenty years later with an army of undead. He planned to invade the Hidden Valley and transform it into a necropolis he would rule.