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 differs 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 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 he and his adoptive family were targeted by forces from the extradimensional realm, 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 Hyde was re-introduced as an openly gay teenager and 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 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 depicted as partners.