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Aquaman isn't just aquatic anymore... he's cosmic, as DC Comics gives him a glow-up, a power-up, and possibly a DC K.O. spoiler

Arthur Curry comes out of the big DC Comics storyline as Emperor Aquaman and heads into the stars in March 2026

Published on Thu Dec 18 2025

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Apparently, 70% of the Earth wasn’t enough for him, DC Comics mainstay Aquaman is headed to the stars in 2026 with one thought on his mind — conquest. Spinning out of events in the current DC K.O. event, Aquaman is headed into the new year with a new title and a new agenda… oh, and some new powers, too.

Starting in March 2026, the current Aquaman comic book series will be renamed Emperor Aquaman, as Arthur Curry leaves Earth and travels into space imbued by Omega Energy, the cosmic force that has been driving all of DC K.O. so far. Does this mean that he’s the ultimate champion of K.O.? That’s being left entirely unanswered for now, but it’s not the kind of thing that would be revealed months ahead of time, which just raises one more question about all of this: What else is going to happen to Aquaman in the next few months that leaves him in this altered state?

One thing isn’t changing in Aquaman’s life, however; the newly-retitled Emperor Aquaman will continue to have the creative team of writer Jeremy Adams and artist John Timms at the helm. Or should that be ‘at the rudder,’ considering…?

Here’s the official description of Emperor Aquaman #15, the March issue: “Jump into a fresh start for the king of Atlantis... and beyond! After the events of DC K.O., Aquaman finds himself on a journey of self-discovery where he must launch a brand-new mission imbued by Omega Energy — the very essence of conquest. To reach across the stars with the power of the blue, our king must first defeat the Crimson Queen and free his friends and family from her evil clutches. What is Arthur’s ominous connection to the Omega that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of reality in the K.O. tournament? Find out in this jumping-on point that answers the question: What does it mean to rule with absolute power?”

Emperor Aquaman #15 will be released March 11, 2026.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.