Who's Who Profile: Mera

Mera is a native from an undersea civilization of an otherdimensional world. She became its queen upon the death of her father. When the usurper Leron conquered the kingdom, Mera fled through a dimensional warp created a scientist into Earth's Atlantic Ocean. There she first met Aquaman and Aqualad. Aquaman defeated Leron and his accomplices, and Mera regained her throne.

Mera was in love with Aquaman, so she abandoned her throne and used the last warp to return to Earth. Mera was later pursued to Earth from her homeworld by Oceanus, who temporarily destroyed her power to control water.

When Aquaman became king of Atlantis, law required that he marry an atlantean woman. When Oceanus conquered Poseidonis and captured Aquaman, Mera was responsible for saving them both. Aquaman named Mera an honorary citizen of Atlantis for thwarting Oceanus, and married her. Mera thus became Poseidonis' queen.

Mera regained her power to control water and had a son, Arthur Jr, who inherited her power. Three years later Arthur Jr died as a result of a battle between Aquaman and Black Manta; over the years, the loss of her son, and the pressures of being married to a part-time rules and full-time super-hero have strained Mera.

Mera art by John Workman

Mera can psionically cause water to nearly solidify and to form various shapes that she can mentally manipulate. Mera can breathe underwater, but she can also survive without contact with water. She can swim at great speed, and her body is more dense than a normal human's, enabling her to withstand tremendous undersea pressures. Mera has superhuman strength and can withstand extreme temperature changes.