Marineman

Creation

Marineman was created by Ian Churchill. he made his first appearance in Marineman #1.

History

Steve was discovered by newlyweds David and Elena Ocean as he walked up shore naked suffering from a head wound. Upon noticing his webbed hands, they immediately rushed him to a nearby military hospital. Searching around for word of any missing children, David and Elena hoped to find his parents and return him home. Never hearing any reports of missing children, they went about adopting him for themselves. With the help of the military, they were successful.

Steve spent much of his childhood being tested on and studied by the military. In his free time away from the tests and school, he would accompany his mother on her various dives. Never needing to rely on oxygen tanks since he could breathe underwater, he was an asset to bring along. On one dive, his mother was trapped beneath rubble and drowned. Steve took this hard. The death of his mother created a drive within him to study and become a marine biologist in the one dream he wanted to make true for her - finding Atlantis.

After finishing his PhD in Marine Biology, he became the Marineman, a TV personality that would bring the field of marine biology to the attention of his millions of viewers.

As revealed by a man that goes by the name "Ancient Mariner," he was created as a part of a Nazi experiment called Project: Water Warrior which he spearheaded. The project's mission was to create a sub-marine invasion force during WWII. Although the Ancient Mariner, who was working as a Genetic Engineer for Heinrich Himmler, found it nearly impossible to deliver pertinent results until luck went his way and was able to procure a DNA sample a from a humanoid sea-creature caught and killed off the coast of Norway. The Ancient Mariner then used two Aryan Olympic swimmers to perform in-vitro fertilization incorporating the mysterious DNA he had collected thus Patient Zero was born. His success was short-lived though as the Allies mounted a raid that forced them to evacuate the research lab.

It was later revealed by Admiral Brooks that the US Forces that raided Himmler's research facility took the specimen back to HQ and Steve's father, David was assigned to look after it. David then was able to make head way and adopted the kid and from then on Steve had a family while the truth of his origins are kept.

Powers and abilities

Steve has displayed a number of superhuman abilities due to the experimental procedure that led to his birth and the fact that he possesses DNA mixed with that of an unknown aquatic humanoid. He also has retractable webbed hands.

Underwater Adaptation

He can function and breath normally underwater and is able to withstand the high pressures and extreme temperatures of the deep. He can also function and breath on land normally.

Superhuman Strength

Marinaman possesses superhuman strength, allowing him to lift a huge experimental submarine on his own, rip open a steel cage or fight the superhumanly strong Octo.

Superhuman Swimming Speed / Leap

He can swim at incredible speeds and has been measured at 200 knots. His webbed fingers help with that.

He can also leap multiple stories up when he shoots out of water, much higher than the height of an aircraft carrier.

Superhuman Stamina

He can swim for hours without stopping and travel from Atlantis to America non-stop.

Enhanced Durability

He has some degree of superhuman durability allowing him to take multiple hits from the super strong creature Octo, survive at pressures that would crush a nuclear submarine for hours and be unnafected by the extreme temperatures at the bottom of the ocean.

One of his close friends seemed to have broken his hands while punching Steve in the face.

Enhanced Senses

Steve can see at the dark of the ocean bottom normaly, without requiring a mask. He has nicitating eyilids, similar to a crocodile.

Echolocation

He possesses echolocation, allowing him to detect anything underwater. He can pinpoint the distance, shape and size of an object and also detect higly techonlogical vehicles, even when they are in stealth mode.

Longevity

He was born in the 1940's but seems to be around 25-30 in the 2010's.

Intellect

He is the world's premier marine biologist in his world.

Unarmed Combat

He is quite capable in unarmed combat and a trained officer of the US Navy (though that was a secret at the start of the volume).