Showcase #79

The Fantasy at 14 Fathoms

Eighty-four feet beneath the South Pacific Sea, the U.S. Navy has detected the wreck of the U.S.S. Arabesque, sunk during World War II. The navy has dispatched Chief Petty Officer Chris Landau and Seaman First Class Ben Harkey to recover documents from the sunken wreck. Believing themselves alone as they arrive at the sunken wreck, both sailors think they see someone out of the corner of their eye.

They investigate, and find footprints. The footprints lead into the ship, and to a beautifully decorated room. Once in the room, the two divers are startled to find a beautiful woman. They take a quick picture with their camera, but she disappears. When the return to their ship, they get the photographed developed, and their story is confirmed. The captain, however, cannot believe a woman would be living under the sea without the need to breathe air.

More divers descend to salvage the ship, and come across the beautiful white-haired woman. They hold her, and bring her aboard. Chris Landau realizes she does not speak English, but teaches her his name. He also gives her a name: Dolphin. Dolphin starts to feel ill from oxygen deprivation, and jumps overboard. The ship’s doctor believes that the slits he found on her neck were gills, and that she needed to breathe water to live.

As the salvage operation continues, Dolphin returns and befriends Chris. Over the course of the operation, Chris teaches her more English. The operation runs into a snag, though: a typhoon is heading towards the wreck, and the papers the navy need is in a magnetically booby trapped vault. Chris realizes that Dolphin can get in without using scuba gear. Dolphin goes in, as the typhoon causes the wreck to topple over the edge of a cliff. Dolphin is successful, however, and returns to Chris’ arms. However, Dolphin realizes that their love could never be, and leaves Chris before things get worse. We leave with Chris shouting into the sea for Dolphin to come back.

The Kid from Atlantis! or The Origin of Aqualad!

While Aquaman is on patrol, he discovers a small child encased in a sealed capsule. The kid has a fear of fish, so Aquaman uses his telepathy to send them away. When Aquaman notices the boy has violet eyes, he realizes that the kid is from Atlantis, like he is. Per Atlantis law, those infants with violet eyes are said to be unfit to live in Atlantis’ watery depths, and must be sent to the surface. The boy is older than must expulsed because his parents protected him. But now, his parents are dead, and he was jettisoned from Atlantis.

Aquaman decides to take the boy in, and teach him not to be afraid of fish. He has the boy meet Topo the octopus, and other fish. The boy eventually becomes more comfortable with fish, but does not want Aquaman to leave his sight, even if that means coming on patrol. While on patrol, the two help save a sailing ship, a frigate, and an airplane. The boy realizes that he can do a lot of good with Aquaman, and Aquaman realizes how much he enjoys the boy’s company. But he knows the boy must return to Atlantis.

Aquaman brings the boy to the outer gate of Atlantis, and watches him go in. The next day, though, the kid returns, telling Aquaman he never really went back to Atlantis. Aquaman lets the kid join him, though he warns things will be very hard. The kid who becomes Aqualad agrees, making him the “happiest kid from Atlantis.”