Mera

> My obligation isn't to love. It is to my family and my nation, and I've turned my back on both. Sometimes, you have to do what's right, even if your heart aches against it.
>
> Mera to Arthur Curry, Aquaman (film)

**Y'Mera Xebella Challa**﻿, more commonly referred to as simply **Mera**, is the daughter of King Nereus and a Xebellian princess raised by Atlanna and a close ally of Aquaman, prince and later king of Atlantis.

During Orm's campaign against the surface world in what would become the War for Atlantis, Mera assisted Arthur at the behest of Nuidis Vulko, despite being betrothed to Orm by her father, journeying alongside him to locate the Trident of Atlan in the Hidden Sea, locating the banished and presumed dead Atlanna along the way, allowing Arthur to usurp the throne from Orm by defeating him in battle and become the rightful King of Atlantis, with the two exchanging a brief kiss, establishing a romantic relationship between them.

## Biography

### Serving the Atlantean military

#### Upbringing

> My parents died in the wars. She took me in."
> "What a saint.
>
> Mera and Aquaman, Zack Snyder's Justice League

Mera was born in 1986 as daughter of King Nereus of Xebel. While her parents were fighting in the wars of Xebel Mera was taken in by Queen Atlanna, training her as the Queen's protégée. Over time, Mera became a prominent military figure in Atlantis, leading the Atlantean Guards later in life.

#### Attack on the Atlantean Mother Box Stronghold

 File:Mera.jpg

> You dare speak of Queen Atlanna that way?"
> "Your 'queen' left me on my father's doorstep and never gave me another thought."
> "Your mother left you to save your life! You cannot imagine how it hurt her, what it cost her. But you're not a defenseless child now. It would have been her responsibility to follow that monster to the surface and stop him. Now... it's yours.
>
> Mera and Aquaman, Zack Snyder's Justice League

 File:Mera fighting Steppenwolf.jpg
Mera stood guard at an Atlantean outpost when the shockwaves from Superman's death reached the Mother Box, triggering it to shudder and shake slightly. Shortly afterward, the Mother Box activated, alerting her and the remaining Xebelian soldiers nearby. As she went to investigate, a boom tube opened, from which Steppenwolf emerged, immediately attacking the Royal Guardsmen as he made his way toward his objective. As Steppenwolf neared the podium where the Mother Box sat, Mera displaced the water around him, causing him to fall to the surface below, before collapsing the water back onto him. As the New God recovered, he charged at Mera, slamming her against a nearby wall before throwing her below, knocking her unconscious.

 File:Mera talking with Arthur.jpg
Arthur then joined the battle, but was unable to prevent Steppenwolf from taking the Mother Box. Afterward, Mera creates a bubble around her and Arthur so they could talk, chastising him for finally appearing on Atlantean territory. When Arthur began to leave, Mera explained that she knew his mother, Queen Atlanna. When Arthur stated that his mother abandoned him on his father's doorstep when he was a baby, Mera tells him that Atlanna would have stayed, but she left to spare Arthur's life. She explained that Atlanna wanted to stay, and leaving Arthur and his father cost her more than he could imagine. Mera then told Arthur that he was no longer a child who couldn't defend himself, and that Steppenwolf would've been his mother's responsibility to defeat, but now the mantle passed to him.

As Steppenwolf finally began the process of uniting the three boxes, the impact of the impending unity was felt all across the globe, reaching into the stronghold that Mera, Vulko and several other individuals were gathered in.

Shortly after the collective triumph of the Unity of Earth's forces against Steppenwolf's army in Pozharnov, Mera and Vulko visited Arthur at Amnesty Bay to congratulate him and possibly attempt to convince him once again to take up his mother's responsibilities. But Arthur received them coldly, excusing himself by way of explaining that he had to see his father.

### War for Atlantis

#### Finding Arthur Curry

 File:Mera holding back tsunami.jpg

> Your half-brother, King Orm, is about to declare war upon the surface world. The only way to stop his war is for you to take your rightful place as King.
>
> Mera to Arthur Curry, Aquaman (film)

A year after the defeat of Steppenwolf, Mera left Atlantis to find Arthur Curry to tell him to come with her to Atlantis to stop Arthur's half-brother Orm from declaring war on the surface world. However, Arthur refused and left Mera as he drove home with his father Thomas Curry. Mera would save Arthur and his father from a tidal wave by using her hydrokinetic powers to move it. Arthur was then convinced to come with Mera to Atlantis.

#### Return to Atlantis

 File:Arthur, Mera and Nuidis Vulko.jpg
Mera and Arthur went to Atlantis to meet with Nuidis Vulko, Arthur's mentor, who told them the history of Atlantis and explained to them that they needed to find the Trident of Atlan in order for Arthur claim his rightful place as king. They were then suddenly ambushed by Orm's men, and Arthur held them off while Mera and Vulko escaped. Arthur was then laid unconscious and captured by Orm's men.

#### Finding the Trident of Atlan

Mera was in the royal box during the Duel in the Ring of Fire between Arthur and King Orm. She saved Arthur using her ship after Orm destroyed Arthur's trident. Together, they went to the Sahara desert to try to find the dead Kingdom of the Deserters in order to read the ancient artifact that held the location of the trident. After successfully locating the lost kingdom and locating the ancient piece of tech, Mera activated it once more by using her hydrokinetic powers. After they listened to the message from Atlan, Mera destroyed the ancient message container, and the two found a bottle with a map telling them to go to Sicily, Italy, where they would find the next clue.

Upon their arrival in Sicily, the used the bottle to discover the way to the trident, but were attacked by Black Manta, Murk and Atlantean soldiers. Mera fought off Murk and the Atlantean soldiers while Arthur defeated Black Manta. They set sail and then dived through the Kingdom of the Trench and escaped through a one way portal that led to the Hidden Sea. Once through the portal, they met Atlanna, which to their shock, had survived her "execution" to the Trench. After Arthur survived the Karathen's test and took the Trident of Atlan from the skeleton of King Atlan, Mera witnessed his return.

#### Battle of the Brine

 File:Arthur and Mera kiss.jpg
She would then help Arthur fight off the Atlantean soldiers and shared a romantic kiss with him. After she informed her father that Arthur had become king, he stopped fighting. After he deposed Ocean Master and shattered his trident, she was by his side as he was hailed as king.

### Knightmare

 File:Mera promo - ZSJL.jpg

> Let him come. Let the bastard come. I'll stab this through his heart for what he did to Arthur. I want to make him pay.
>
> Mera, Zack Snyder's Justice League

In a potential future, Lord Darkseid brought the world into ruin with a mind-controlled Superman as his right-hand. After Aquaman dies in battle along with Wonder Woman, Mera took up Atlan's trident to help save the world with her lover's allies from the armies of Apokolips. She intends to use the trident to kill Superman, in revenge for the latter's murder of Aquaman.

## Personality

> Oh, you're crazier than I thought!
>
> Arthur Curry, Aquaman (film)

Dedicated and compassionate, Mera has a somewhat intimidating exterior but is still understanding (compared to other Atlanteans) and caring once she can trust someone. As Atlantean royalty, Mera was raised with a strong sense of duty to her people and country, and as such will honor her duty above her own emotions if her position requires it. For example, she was willing to marry Orm (despite her not loving him) to fulfill her duty as a Xebelian princess. Above all, however, she believes in doing what is right and ultimately best for Atlantis, which initially is why she begrudgingly works with Arthur Curry in order to prevent the harm that will come from Orm's proposed war.

Upon first encounters, Mera can come off as standoffish or stubborn, but this is often a result of her determination to reach her goals. Underneath this hard exterior, Mera is actually quite selfless and caring, as seen when she saved Thomas Curry from Orm's Tsunami and tended to Arthur's wounds from his fight with Black Manta.

In her role as a warrior, Mera is also brave and quick-thinking. She led the Atlantean forces protecting their Mother Box during Steppenwolf's invasion of Earth, and also outwitted several Atlantean soldiers after being attacked in Sicily. Outside of combat, she is also shown to be inventive in tight situations, such as when she thought to use Arthur's sweat to reactivate ancient Atlantean technology and manipulated wine with her hydrokinetic powers and was even smart enough to memorize and destroy an encoded message so that it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, with Arthur not thinking that far ahead. As a result of this quick-thinking, however, she can also be a bit impulsive, such as when she jumped out of a plane without a parachute, intervened during the Duel in the Ring of Fire, and stole a boat from an Italian marina.

Mera was initially somewhat abrasive towards Arthur, notably chastising the Atlantean when he disparaged his mother Atlanna, attributing to the fact that Mera bears lingering affection for the Queen, due to the latter raising and mentoring her akin to a daughter. During their quest to find the Trident of Atlan, however, Mera noticeably began to warm up to Arthur, to the point that she instinctively reached out for his hand when there was danger seemingly present, although they quickly parted hands in embarrassment. Unfamiliar with human customs, she also displayed wide-eyed glee and childlike curiousty when exploring Sicily, mistaking a bunch of roses for food upon witnessing some inhabitants eating red food, and likewise copying them. She also retains a playful and light-hearted side in contrast to her usually standoffish disposition, notably creating water-based dolphins from a fountain and manipulating them much to the delight of a little girl. This aspect of her personality eventually drew her ever closer to the fun-seeking Arthur, with the pair almost meeting lips before being attacked by Black Manta. This underlying romantic liaison would eventually culminate in her passionately kissing Arthur, before he was to engage Orm in combat. Following Arthur's victory, Mera proudly stood alongside her newfound love with dignity and poise, as he was finally hailed King of Atlantis.

Not knowing what they are, Mera seems to enjoy eating roses.

## Powers and abilities

### Powers

* **Atlantean physiology**: As a highborn Xebelian (an Atlantean subspecies), Mera possesses superhuman abilities, especially when exposed to water.
	+ **Superhuman strength**: Like all Atlanteans, Mera is superhumanly strong and possesses greater physical strength than the average Atlantean as a warrior princess. She was able to defeat several Atlantean soldiers with their large armor, as well as defeating Murk, by opening his visor so that the water that held the suit would come out, and thus leave him almost dehydrated and fighting the trenches. Her strength is surpassed by Aquaman and Steppenwolf, as Steppenwolf was able to effortlessly dispatch her, while Aquaman held his own against the New God with much greater ease.
	+ **Superhuman durability**: Mera's body is much more resistant to physical damage than a human being, as it is capable of withstanding great impact forces, immense pressures under water and falls from great heights, as well as being hit against a stone pillar by Steppenwolf and came out with minor injuries.
		- **Regenerative healing factor**: Despite her body's resistance, Mera can be injured like any other Atlantean. However, her metabolism enables her to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue with greater speed and efficiency than a human being is capable of. After, the battle with Steppenwolf, she fully healed her injuries after. During the battle in Sicily, Mera quickly recovered from her injuries after being thrown from a ceiling to the floor.
	+ **Superhuman speed**: While underwater, Mera can swim at supersonic speeds. While on the surface, Mera is also extremely fast, able to escape the Atlantean soldiers, even though they used the thrusters on their backs to go faster, and dodge many shots in the process.
	+ **Superhuman agility**: Mera naturally has greater agility, dexterity, balance and body coordination than a human being. She was able to jump across several rooftops in Italy while fleeing the Atlantean soldiers.
	+ **Superhuman senses**: Mera possesses enhanced senses that allow her to better navigate the underwater environment of the oceans. From her perspective, the oceans are brightly lit, as clear to her as if she were on land.
	+ **Aquatic adaptation**: Mera can survive both on land and in an underwater environment. She can be immersed indefinitely without suffering any ill effects, though, prolonged dehydration will weaken her.
	+ **Aquatic respiration**: Mera is able to breathe underwater. As a high-born Xebellian, she could also breathe air without problems, unlike most of her kind.
* **Master Sorceress**: Mera learned how use Atlantean magic to manipulate water while growing up in Atlantis.
	+ **Hydrokinesis**:  File:Mera's hydrokinesis.png  Mera has the ability to manipulate water via her magic, which makes her eyes shine bright blue, her hands are wrapped in a bluish aura and even the liquid she manipulates becomes bright. She was able to create a sudden breach while fighting against Steppenwolf, eliminating all the water that surrounded the New God, and collapsed on him, likewise used this ability against Orm to prevent him from killing Arthur, removing all the water around him and then collapsing on him. She also has the ability to drain the water of others, as she did Steppenwolf, to save Thomas Curry from being drowned and later performed a similar technique in Arthur Curry by using his sweat to activate a dried out ancient Atlantean device that contained a hologram of the King Atlan. Mera was also able to manipulate an immense wave to save Thomas Curry and demonstrated superb control by generating dolphins and other marine life in a fountain for a little girl. Also, she created a bubble around her and Arthur so they could talk in privacy and use a similar technique during the fight against the Trench monsters, managing to create a bright bubble around her and Arthur, and then expand it to send the Trench away from them.
	+ **Hard-Water Constructs**: Mera can also hard the water and create solid water constructs. She use the water in wine to generate spikes capable of piercing Atlantean soldier armor, create tentacles of water to defeat two Xebelian soldiers and to free Vulko from the Atlantean soldiers.

### Abilities

* **Master combatant**:  File:Mera fight Atlantean soldiers.jpg   Trained extensively by Atlanna and with years of combat experience, Mera is highly proficient in armed and hand-to-hand combat. Her abilities are sufficient, that she became the Commander of the Atlantis Guard. She was able to defeat several Atlantean soldiers, including Murk, and later defeated several Atlantean soldiers and destroying several Trench, before being overtaken by its superior number, taking down two Xebilian soldiers. She was however, easily dispatched by Steppenwolf.
* **Sword mastery**: Mera demonstrated considerable skill with an Atlantean sword, was able to fight alongside Atlantean soldiers.
* **Master swimmer**: Mera, like all Atlanteans, is able to masterfully coordinate herself while underwater, having spent her whole life in water.
* **Expert pilot**: Mera has a two-person ship that she could pilot through even a barrage of blasts from the hydro-cannons stationed on the walls of Atlantis.

## Equipment

### Weapons

* **Golden trident**: In the future, as a member of the Insurgency, Mera used a golden trident as a weapon.

### Other equipment

* **Mera's suit**: Mera wears an Atlantean outfit, which consists of a bright one-piece green suit that has small hexagons that resemble fish scales and also adapts to the blue color under some light.
* **Mera's armor**: During the Steppenwolf attack, Mera wore a dark green Atlantean armor as she goes to battle that resembles the armor Aquaman used during his time with the Justice League.
* **Mera's ceremonial dress**: During Orm and Arthur's battle for the throne of Atlantis, Mera wore a ceremonial dress while watching the fight.

### Vehicles

* **Mera's ship**: After Aquaman's trident was destroyed during the fight against Orm, she saved him using her ship.

## Relationships

Family* Nereus - father
* Mother †

Allies* Atlanna - mentor and savior
* Arthur Curry/Aquaman - friend and love interest
* Nuidis Vulko - friend and confidant
* Thomas Curry
* Xebelian soldiers
* Atlantean soldiers - allies turned enemies turned allies
* Topo
* Karathen
* Kingdom of the Fishermen
	+ Scales
* Insurgency - teammates (potential future)
	+ Batman
	+ Flash
	+ Deathstroke
	+ Joker
	+ Steppenwolf †
* Parademons
* Orm Marius/Ocean Master - betrothed turned attempted killer
* Murk - ally turned enemy
* David Kane/Black Manta
* Regime (potential future)
	+ Superman

## Trivia

* In the DC Comics universe, Mera is the wife of Aquaman who later becomes Queen of Atlantis and joins the Justice League. She and Aquaman eventually have a son named Arthur Curry, Jr., who is murdered by Black Manta. In DC Comics Rebirth, Mera and Arthur have a daughter Andy, who will eventually take her place on the Future Justice League as Aquawoman.
* In the 2017 version of *Justice League*, Mera's accent is vaguely British/American. *Aquaman* and subsequent future installments have Mera speak a standard American accent, though her depiction in *Zack Snyder's Justice League* has a British accent (specifically Received Pronunciation).
* In DC Comics, Mera was betrothed to Nereus, who is her ex-fiancée instead of her father.

## Behind the scenes

* Mera in the DC Extended Universe is the second live-action incarnation of the character, following an incarnation portrayed by Elena Satine.
* Joanna Bennett and Hayley Wright were stunt doubles for Amber Heard in the role of Mera.

## References

Terrio, Chris, Beall, Will (writers) & Snyder, Zack (writer and director) (March 18, 2021). *Zack Snyder's Justice League*.
2. ↑ *Aquaman: Arthur's Guide to Atlantis*
Beall, Will, Wan, James, Johns, Geoff (writers) & Wan, James (director) (December 21, 2018). *Aquaman*.

## External links

The ***DC Extended Universe Wiki** has a collection of images and media related to* **Mera***.*
* File:Favicon.png Mera on DC Database
* File:WP favicon.png Mera on Wikipedia

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