Aquaman #2

Issue Details

Synopsis

On the hunt for the missing cargo ship Vulcan, Aquaman and Aqualad instead encounter one Captain Sykes, and his ship, the S.S. Seahawk. Captain Sykes wastes no time in boasting that it is he who has spirited away the Vulcan, and her crew. Using the hostages as leverage, Captain Sykes forces Aquaman to retrieve two ancient relics, for his "maritime collection." Following a map provided by Captain Sykes, Aquaman and Aqualad locate the resting place of the first relic, dead center in an enormous coral mountain. Issuing out a telepathic command, Aquaman instructs hatchet fish & swordfish to begin chipping away at the coral, while a host of other fish carry away the debris. Finally, Aquaman commands a porcupine fish to break through the remaining thin layer of coral separating them from the artifact. Upon breaking through the final barrier, an unknown gas is released into the chamber. The effects of the gas are twofold. Three of the fish... the porcupine fish, a cow fish and a goosefish... all grow to gargantuan proportions, while becoming increasingly agitated. Aquaman and Aqualad attempt to flee the chamber, but the goosefish blocks the egress. Surrounded, Aqualad desperately swims into their midst, to drive them off before they reach Aquaman. Exposed to the gas, Aqualad, too, expands to giant size. Aqualad makes quick work of the enormous fish, before turning on Aquaman. Before Aqualad can attack his mentor, the last of the gas seeps from the chamber. No longer under the influence of the gas, Aqualad returns to normal size and sanity. With the danger passed, Aquaman retrieves the relic from the broken coral cavern. It is a small chest, with no visible opening. Aquaman returns to the S.S. Seahawk, and turns the chest over to Captain Sykes. Aquaman is given another map, with the location of the second artifact marked upon it. This time, their destination is Pecos Island. As Aquaman and Aqualad draw near to Pecos Island's coast, a great sea serpent surfaces from beneath...