I always wondered why more was not done with Dolphin as a character. She eventually joined Aquaman's cast as a love interest for Aqualad, but even then she never really made a splash, if you'll pardon the pun. I remember being kind of intrigued with her as a kid - but maybe that's just because she was a hot chick in cut off jeans and a wet t-shirt.
Wasn't Dolphin part of that whole '60's...wave (sorry), along with Sea Devils and Secret Six? There seemed to be an early '70's implosion. Then all these characters came back around Crisis and later. Wasn't Dolphin part of a romantic triangle with Aquaman and Aqualad?
ReplyDeleteWhat John Byrne book is Marrina from?
Marrina was a member of Alpha Flight. She was later married off to the Sub-Mariner and then turned into a monster and died. Really.
ReplyDeleteAnd after she was killed off, Namor went looking for her (implied) children. Dolphin might have been of invaluable help with that chore. Given her post-COIE origin as a mer-chick genetically engineered by aliens, herself.
ReplyDelete@AirDave: Dolphin and Secret Six were definitely part of that late 60's wave, but Sea Devils had been around since the beginning of the decade and had been cancelled the year before, in 1967.
ReplyDeleteAfter acquiring Quality at the end of 1956, DC rarely introduced new titles unless they were (a) licensed properties or (b) previewed in "Showcase" or "Brave And The Bold". The only exceptions were "Capt. Storm" (1964), "Swing With Scooter" (1966; this was actually advertised as an issue of Showcase, but came out as a new series), "Plastic Man" (1966; a delayed entry from the Quality merger); "Secret Six" (1968) and "Brother Power" (1968). After that there were a few new horror/sci-fic, teen humor and reprint titles but nothing else until "All-Star Western" in 1970. Everything else for over a decade fit (a) or (b). For a decade that is remembered as an explosion of pop art and Warholian democratization of imagery in art, DC was inexplicably timid about introducing new ideas. "Showcase" was the exception; in 1968 they switched from doing 2 or 3-issues arcs introducing new features to new features every issue for about a year and a half. Many of them got new titles: "Creeper", "Anthro", "Hawk and Dove", "Bat Lash", "Angel and the Ape", "Phantom Stranger" and a revival of "Leave It To Binky". Only the last two survived into 1970. Of the new titles I mentioned before that? Only "Swing With Scooter".
Impeccable background research, pbflsda.
ReplyDeleteAh, the Secret Six. One of the only two series (the other being Shade the Changing Man) that I loved so much, I've never read the revised versions, for fear of spoiling the pleasant associations I have with the names.
ReplyDeleteDolphin only appeared in one Showcase issue, and that story had a satisfying ending. It was more of a tragic romance than an adventure story, actually, with beautiful artwork by Jay Scott Pike. She reappeared very briefly in Showcase #100 ten years later, then a few years after that Marv Wolfman revived her as one of the Forgotten Heroes. Somehow along the way she learned how to use pronouns, which she couldn't quite get the hang of initially.
Aquaman probably gave her a telepathic refresher course, BB. A la the guy who reworked Cassandra Cain's brain during her earliest days as the Modern Age Batgirl.
ReplyDeleteHey, doesn't this suggest a new team-up idea? How about a sextet of these aquatic heroes/heroines together in a comic called "The Deep Six"? My vote for the roster would be: Marrina, Dolphin, Aqualad, Namorita, Abe Sapien and Mera, all of whom I think could use more exposure outside their regular roles as part of another hero's supporting cast.
ReplyDeleteMatt, click on the "Agents of the Abyss" label for a team along those lines.
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