# Kaldur'ahm

Kaldur'ahm, or Kaldur for short, is the superhero codenamed Aqualad and Aquaman in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Brandon Vietti, Greg Weisman and Phil Bourassa for the television series Young Justice, and voiced by Khary Payton. His name is a reference to the character Cal Durham (the character's foster father), formerly a henchman of the supervillain Black Manta (the character's biological father) who was sent to infiltrate Atlantis, but defected to the Atlanteans. While originally developed for television, DC quickly adapted the character to its mainstream comic books, with Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis re-interpreting the character. For television, creators were able to tell a story where Aqualad had known and worked with Aquaman for many years, while the comic book version had to be introduced to Aquaman and readers at the same time, meaning aspects of his backstory had to be changed.
Debuting under the name Jackson Hyde in Brightest Day #4 (August 2010), months ahead of his television debut, the character's history and background differ from the animated counterpart. In the comics, Jackson (birth name Kaldur'ahm) was originally born to an unnamed Xebellian woman and Black Manta in the Kingdom of Xebel, the young infant was granted powers due to extraordinary circumstances. As an infant, he is saved by a younger Mera, who leaves him on the surface and arranges for him to be adopted. When forces from the extradimensional realm target him and his adoptive family, Aquaman protects him and his family. When he learns his true origins, he decides to help Aquaman. Eventually, he adopts the Aqualad name and becomes a sidekick of Aquaman and a member of the Teen Titans.
In 2016, years after The New 52 and during DC Rebirth, Jackson is the son of Black Manta and Lucia, a Xebellian elite and former member of Xebel's honor guard who was once seduced by Black Manta with promises of a life outside Xebel. The character would begin working as a member of Teen Titans, adopting the Aqualad alias (per a request from Tempest) similar to his prior comic version. Later, the character sought mentorship in Aquaman and began working alongside him and Mera while being supported by his mother. In Aquaman: The Becoming, the character would first use the Aquaman codename concurrently with Arthur Curry, the two are depicted as partners.

## Fictional character biography
### Young Justice

Aqualad is the protégé of Aquaman and a founding member of the Team. In between the first and second seasons, he learns that he is the son of Black Manta. The episode "Downtime" reveals that Aquaman recruited Kaldur'ahm after he and Garth rescued him during a battle with Ocean Master. Garth was also offered to become Aquaman's sidekick, but remained in Atlantis to continue his studies in sorcery.
In the second season, Invasion, Kaldur works undercover within the Light to uncover who the Light's partner is. He is exposed, but reveals the Light's betrayal of the Reach via a hologram.
In the third and fourth seasons, Outsiders and Phantoms, Kaldur becomes Aquaman after Orin retires. He also becomes the leader of the Justice League and enters a relationship with Wyynde.

### Comic books

A different version of the character debuted in Brightest Day #4 (August 2010), shortly before the premiere of Young Justice. Although similar to his animated counterpart, the comic book incarnation of the character features key differences from the animated version, originating from the kingdom of Xebel rather than Atlantis and lacking magical abilities.

#### Pre-Flashpoint
##### Earlier life

A teenager from Silver City, New Mexico, Jackson Hyde was taught by his parents to fear water since he was young; they do not want him near it because his true parents would be able to locate him and his Atlantean abilities would awaken. Jackson has kept this secret hidden for years, lying to his girlfriend about being afraid of drowning, being unable to swim and being in the dark about the mysterious tattoos he has had since birth. Aquaman is later contacted by the Entity, which tells him to locate Jackson before a second unidentified group, which is speculated to be Siren and her Death Squad.

##### Brightest Day

During Brightest Day, Jackson's Xebellian abilities activate and he learns that Black Manta is his biological father. After witnessing Jackson in the rain, his adoptive father takes him to a cottage by the sea. He tells him that Mera had given Jackson to him, asking that he keep him away from his parents, and he was given an Atlantean chest to be opened when the truth is discovered. Before the chest can be opened, Black Manta, along with Siren and her Death Squad, attacks. Jackson (defends his adoptive father, but cannot stop Black Manta from shooting a trident-shaped dart at him. Jackson's adoptive father would have died if not for Aquaman's intervention, who blocks and crushes the dart.
Aquaman gets Jackson and his foster father to safety where everything is explained to them. The chest is opened, which activates a map. Using the map, the two discover a sealed chest that only Jackson can open. Once the chest is opened, Jackson is shown a recording from Mera, who explains that his father and mother had been kidnapped and tortured by the people of Xebel while exploring the Bermuda Triangle, where the gateway to the colony is located. Xebel's king had ordered that the child, the first "outsider" born there in centuries, be experimented on to serve as a key that would finally free them from their exile. Fearing for the child's safety, Mera had stolen the infant and brought him to the surface world, where she subsequently gave him to the foster family that ended up raising him. She also reveals his true name; Kaldur'ahm. Once the recording is over, Jackson discovers several items which Mera had left for him, notably a soldier's uniform from Xebel and a pair of "Water Bearers", metallic constructs that help him control his water-manipulation abilities.
Aquaman and Jackson end up in Miami, Florida, which Black Manta and are invading. Jackson successfully uses his waterbearers to create blades, which he uses to fight off the attacking troops, and even briefly holds his own in a duel with Siren. After Black Manta severs Aquaman's right hand, Jackson attacks his father and berates him for siding with the people who killed his own wife, only for Black Manta to throw Jackson to the ground and coldly states that both he and his mother mean nothing to him. As Black Manta is about to impale his son with one of his blades, Mera arrives with Aquagirl, who saves Jackson by kicking his father in the face. After using his bio-electrical abilities to cauterize Aquaman's wound, Jackson and Mera seal Black Manta, Siren, and the rest of the invaders in the Bermuda Triangle. As the heroes celebrate, Jackson is shown to have a crush on Aquagirl. Afterwards, Mera tells Aquaman that Jackson wants to continue his training. Aquaman informs her that he has already contacted the Titans.

##### Teen Titans: Team Building

After Damian Wayne joins the Teen Titans, a vision of Jackson arriving at Titans Tower and confronting Superboy, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy and Kid Flash is shown as part of a collage of future events that will affect the team.

#### Rebirth

It is mentioned that he displays a near-superhuman talent for swimming. Aqualad joined the Teen Titans after the team encountered him while exploring the San Francisco Bay for a mission.

## Powers and abilities
### Young Justice version

Kaldur'ahm is granted various powers through his Atlantean-based hybrid physiology, possessing superhuman strength, durability, enhanced senses, capability to breathe underwater and swim at fast speeds, and one mentioned to have resistance towards poisons. In addition to his natural abilities, he trained in the mystic arts in the Conservatory of Sorcery, gaining eel-like tattoos. With his magical abilities, he can generate electricity, bend and shape water at will, create hard-water constructs, and utilize spell-casting.
In addition to his powers, Kaldur is an expert combatant and is considered a capable tactician and leader, having led both the Team and later became the chairman of the Justice League. He is also duplicitious, having managed to position himself within the clandestine organization, the Light, as a double agent and was able to create and perform complex manipulations and plans to maintain his position.

### Comic book version

Due to his hybridized Xebellian physiology, Jackson is capable of living and breathing underwater, possessing superhuman strength, superhuman durability, and enhanced senses (allowing him to see in the dark). Due to his Xebellian heritage, he is also capable of generating electricity in a manner similar to an electric eel as well as manipulating and shaping water at will similar to characters like Mera and Siren, his powers being telepathic in nature (unlike his Young Justice counterpart, in which are magical). Sometime after adopting the Aquaman name, the character's hydrokinetic prowess is depicted as being at a higher level, being proficient enough to manipulate blood within an individual.
In addition to his powers, the character is also a skilled combatant, having received training from Robin (Damian Wayne) and Aquaman (Arthur Curry).

## Other versions

* A version of Aqualad appears as a part of the Ubernet Teen Titans/Justice League in the pages of Red Robin.
* Jackson Hyde appears as Aqualad in the prequel comic to Injustice 2, where he's agreed to represent the oceans and joins Batman's efforts to repair the world after Superman's tyranny. However, he is later revealed to be allied with Ra's al Ghul and assassinates the president after Blue Beetle accidentally destroys several endangered species in Ra's' reserve.
* DC Comics released the original graphic novel You Brought Me the Ocean on June 16, 2020. Written by Alex Sánchez and drawn by Jul Maroh, the story focuses on Jake Hyde's teenage years in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and learning to cope with his father's drowning while also struggling with his sexuality, future college plans, and burgeoning superpowers. Kirkus Reviews praised You Brought Me the Ocean as "a worthy, diverse addition to the DC Universe". The graphic novel was nominated for the 32nd GLAAD Media Awards (2021) for Outstanding Comic Book. On April 8, 2022, it was announced the graphic novel will be adapted as a live-action series that will be released on HBO Max.

## In other media
### Television

* Aqualad appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode "Let's Get Serious", voiced again by Khary Payton.
* Aqualad appears in the Mad segment "Teen Titanic".
* An Aqualad live-action series for HBO Max starring Jake Hyde, a gay teenager, is in development. Charlize Theron, A.J. Dix, Beth Kono, and Andrew Haas of Denver & Delilah Films are executive producers for the series.

### Film

An alternate universe variant of Kaldur'ahm makes a cameo appearance in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox as a member of Aquaman's army before being killed in battle with the Amazons.

### Video games

* Aqualad appears as a playable character in Young Justice: Legacy, voiced again by Khary Payton.
* Aqualad appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains.
* Aqualad appears in DC Universe Online.
* Aqualad appears in DC Legends.