Tula

Origin

Considered by most to be the first Aquagirl, Tula was adopted by one of the royal families of Atlantis soon after the death of her parents. She was soon awarded the title, Princess of Poseidonis. When she was fifteen years old, she met up with Aqualad (Garth), who immediately calls her “Aquachick.” Tula has been seen assisting Tempest and the Teen Titans. She took the name Aquagirl to honor her boyfriend as well as Aquaman. When Aquaman left his throne to search for his then-missing wife Mera, Narkran took over Atlantis as a dictator. His reign fell only when Tula led a rebellion against him. Tula continued her life as it had been after this, resuming her romance with Garth (Tempest) when he returned to Atlantis.

Creation

Tula first appeared in Aquaman #33, created by writer Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy. Lisa Morel, who had appeared as Aquagirl had appeared in Adventure Comics #266 in 1959, 8 years before Tula first appeared in 1967. She makes her re-appearance in the New 52 by writer Geoff Johns and artist Paul Pelletier.

Character Evolution

Silver Age: Earth-One

Aquagirl was a regular supporting cast member in the Aquaman strip for several years, though generally doing little more than babysitting Aquaman's son. Tula dropped out of sight in the mid-1970s. During Crisis on Infinite Earths, Aquagirl was part of the group of super-heroes who traveled to Earth-Four to battle Brainiac's battalion of super-villains. There, she found herself in the wake of Chemo's acid pollution of the ocean as she battled the Shark, and died a slow death as the poison infiltrated her system.

Modern Age: New Earth

After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Tula shows up in Teen Titans (vol. 3) issues #30 and #31, after being brought back to life by Brother Blood to fight against the Teen Titans. After a pitched battle, Kid Eternity is able to lay the deceased Tula back to rest. Tula has a statue in the "Hall of Fallen Titans" at Titans Tower, alongside with other fallen Titans.

New 52

Post-Flashpoint Tula is Orm's half-sister through their father and is the leader of the Drift, a unit of the Atlantean army. Despite this, she is loyal to Aquaman.

Major Story Arcs

Silver Age: Earth-One

Teen Titans

She continued to be an ally to Garth and the Teen Titans, ultimately becoming an honorary member. She and Garth aided the Titans in bringing down H.I.V.E. once and for all. Seven years later Tempest and Aquagirl turned up on the doorstep of Titans Tower, near death after having attempted to stop the invasion of Atlantis by the criminal organization H.I.V.E. Accompanied by the Teen Titans, the youths infiltrated H.I.V.E. and destroyed their operation.

Modern Age: New Earth

Evil Doppelgänger

Years later, after Garth trained with the ancient mage Atlan and received augmented powers, a woman claiming to be Tula entered his life. In truth, it was a doppelgänger created by the villainous Slizzath - part of an elaborate plan to siphon Garth's mystical energies for his own dark purposes. Garth saw through the ruse and was able to defeat Slizzath, and once and for all gained a sense of closure about Tula's death. It was also at this time that Garth adopted a new identity as Tempest. These events occurred in Tempest #1-4 (1996).

Blackest Night

Tula later returns as a Black Lantern, in Blackest Night, tormenting Tempest and Mera. She along with Aquaman, Dolphin and her son Cerdian, now Black Lanterns, torment the two remaining members of the Aqua-family. Dolphin and Tula argue over Garth, arguing who should get him. In the end they rip out Garth's heart and he becomes a Black Lantern. But Mera escapes. Later Tula is seen again with Dolphin and Garth attacking the Teen Titans. Dove is able to destroy them by unleashing a burst of white energy upon the dark beings. Tempest is able to escape, but Tula and Dolphin are unable to, and are consumed by the white light.

New 52

During the invasion by Atlantis, she was tasked with the assassination of Dr. Shin with other infiltrators as he was seen as a threat to Atlantis, but this was thwarted by Cyborg. Tula is now shown to be at King Arthur's side in Atlantis and worried of what might be the fate for their brother, Orm, who was waiting to go on trial for the crimes he committed on the surface world. Tula infers Vulko, may know who is taking The Atlantean weaponry from the ocean floor.

Tula, at the request of Aquaman, returns from reclaiming and disposing of all stolen Atlantean weaponry across the fifth sea. She is concerned about the fate of Orm and asks Arthur what is to become of their brother. Tula then informs Murk of what Aquaman has told her and that he assured her Orm will remain unharmed by the surface world. However, Murk thinks differently and considers going up the surface world to rescue him.

With the aid from Murk and Swatt, Tula rises out of the water onto the surface world in order to rescue Orm from imprisonment at Belle Reve Prison.

Personal Information

• Real name: Tula
• Occupation: Adventurer, Princess, Army General
• Base: Atlantis
• Height: 6 feet 2 inches
• Weight: 169lbs
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Brown
• Race: Atlantean
• Status: Superhero
• Family Members: Arthur (Brother), Orm (Brother), Mera (Sister in-law), Garth (Ex-boyfriend)

Physically, Princess Tula is very beautiful. She has the body of a swimmer, she has brown, reddish hair, and she has blue eyes. She is very friendly and supportive of her friends. Her loyalty is first to her family than to her people. She is a fighter, and she will defend anyone who she thinks need protection.

Powers And Abilities

Sub-Mariner

As an Atlantean, Tula has a dense physique to allow her to withstand the crushing pressures under the surface, which on land, gives her superhuman strength, speed and durability. Being an amphibious physiology she possesses a telepathic ability to communicate with marine life and is able to live under harsh environmental conditions without any food. She is much stronger than a normal human as well as most Atlanteans due to the fact that she comes from a Royal family of Atlantis and has the ability to manipulate water like Mera does. Being a leader of the Drift, a unit in the Atlantean army, she is a very skilled hand-to-hand combatant and is an expert tactician. Also, Princess Tula has knowledge of sorcery. She has been seen to use magic for many different purposes. She can cast spells, use magic to enhance her powers, heal herself, generate electricity, etc.

Other Media

Young Justice

Tula (without her alias Aquagirl) appears in Young Justice episode "Downtime," voiced by Cree Summer. In Young Justice, Tula was the childhood friend and former lover of Aqualad (Kaldur'ham) until he left for the surface. Tula then formed a relationship with Garth (as it was in the comics). She also makes a brief cameo in the episode "Failsafe" and plays a prominent role in several issues of the show's spin-off comic book.

It is later revealed that Tula was killed at some point during the five years between the final episode of the first season of Young Justice and the series premier of the second season, Young Justice: Invasion. Aqualad is shown blaming the team for her death, with her demise traumatizing him to the extent that he betrays his teammates and joins his father, Black Manta.

It is then shown that this was all part of a plan designed by he, NightWing, KidFlash and Artemis, so that he can win Black Manta's trust and infiltrate The Light, who were revealed to be Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Clarion, The Brain and R'as Al Ghul.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

When Flash went back in time to save his mother, the world and timeline go horribly wrong. Wonder Woman murders Queen Mera, so the Atlanteans demanded revenge. The Atlanteans and the Amazons go to war that threatens destroy the world. The Atlanteans capture Captain Atom and use him as a bomb. Luthor, wanting to stop the war, gathers an army that includes Deathstroke, Vibe, and other metahumans; however, Aquaman and his armies stop him. Princess Tula is one of those Atlanteans. She later dies fighting the Amazons.