#4 Mera

#4 Mera (Aquaman's wife)

Mera, Queen, and Arthur Curry's former wife, makes my list at #5. Personally, I grew up spending summers- well, all seasons- on the beach and adored Aquaman. Redheaded queen wife Mera was one of the rare redheads, and she was Aquaman's equal partner.

Aquaman gained his own series for the first time with the publication of Aquaman #1 (Jan-Feb 1962). Aquaman had met Mera, a queen from a water-based dimension, and he married her at the same time he was crowned king of Atlantis, Aquaman #18 (Nov-Dec 1964). They soon had a son, Arthur, Jr. (nicknamed "Aquababy") in issue #23 (Sep-Oct 1965).

Mera had her own breakdown and struggles after the death of their son, Arthur, Jr. She blamed her husband for his death and left him.

The Absorbacon's Mera summary
'She's Wet Phoenix, Submarine Maxima, Underwater MJ, , Bathospherian Batgirl, Aquatic Knockout, and the Looker of the Sea. Remember, blondes are supportive but ineffective allies; brunettes don't know your secret identity; black haired girls are seductive enemies; redheads are fiery troublesome love interests. That's just how life is, folks.'

Comic Treadmill's Aquaman 16-18 (1964) review . A lot of other great Aquaman reviews on this site.

I had been reading the Aquaman series [This series ran from issues #1 (Feb 2003) to #39 (Apr 2006)], and the new series renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis with issue #40 (May 2006), written by Busiak and illustrated by Butch Guice, gives Mera a starring role, and has lead to some gorgeous Mera artwork. Alex Ross in the Justice series has luscious Aquaman and Mera panels also.


Mera Overview of the DC Comics character Mera, from the Aquaman mythos, from Tegan's Aquaman site
'Mera is a truly sensitive and caring individual. She will go out of her way to help those in need, even at the risk of her own life. She was one of the rare silver-agers females (and by rare I mean I remember only one other - Hawkwoman) who was not a truly "I will do anything to annoy the hero" supporting female cast member. She was not the "female in need of rescue" kind of character, like Lois Lane and Iris West and Carol Ferris etc. She had a personality and, from time to time, she saved Aquaman with her own powers and intelligence. She was not inferior to the main character of the book. She was the voice of reason against Aquaman's hot-headed temper, and sometimes it took Mera's soothing yet commanding voice to bring him out of his reveries.'

Ginger haired cartoons