Aquaman #12

Issue Details

Synopsis

The Menace Of The Land-Sea Beasts. Doctor Cyrus Beard invents a device that evolves animals into water-breathers. The test animals, however, become savage after undergoing the treatment. Beard reverses the effects, and returns to his research. Weeks later, a stunning migration of land animals is spotted entering the sea, from every coastline. The savage beasts attack a cargo ship, sinking it. In response to the ship's distress call, Aquaman and Aqualad arrive. Aquaman quickly discovers that the animals, despite their aquatic characteristics, are unresponsive to his telepathic control of marine life. Aquaman summons a school of sharks to ward the animals off. Using their tusks and trunks, the elephants hurl the sharks away. With the freighter crew safe, and the animals moving out to sea, the Aquatic Aces attempt to recover the ship's cargo, only to find the holds empty. Beard summons Aquaman, revealing that he is the cause of the animal attacks on the shipping lanes.Somehow, his mutagenic compound has contaminated the water supply, along every coast on Earth. Beard provides Aquaman with a weapon to reverse the evolutionary effects on the animals. Aquaman catches up with the hordes of animals, as they lay waste to another cargo ship. Aquaman pulls the trigger on Beard's weapon, but nothing happens. Aquaman and Aqualad do their best to distract the animals, while the ship's crew flee to safety. Attempting to salvage that ship's cargo, Aquaman, once again, finds the holds empty. Aquaman notices a clump of seaweed that was also at the scene of the previous ship's sinking. Investigating, Aquaman discovers that the seaweed is concealing a diving bell, piloted by Beard's assistant, Kirk. It was Kirk who used Beard's device to mutate the hordes of animals into a savage herd, then steered them towards cargo ships.Kirk followed behind the horde, looting the sunken freighters of their valuable cargo. Kirk lashes out at Aquaman, with the diving bell's claw. Chasing Aquaman and Aqualad...