Dolphin (character)

Dolphin
Dolphin
	Dolphin as depicted in Showcase #79 (December 1968). Art by Jay Scott Pike.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Showcase #79 (December 1968)
Created by	Jay Scott Pike
In-story information
Species	Atlantean (current); Metahuman (alien-altered) (originally);
Team affiliations	Forgotten Heroes; Black Lantern Corps; Justice League Task Force; Justice League
Abilities	Artificially adapted for deep subaquatic life: underwater breathing, superhuman strength, speed, durability, stamina, reflexes, resilience to deep water pressures, Aquatic Respiration (originally); Seachanged atlantean physiology: conventional atlantean adaptions, light manipulation, omnifarious shapeshifting, claw retraction, scale manifestation, humanoid camouflage (current)

Dolphin is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe.^[1] Created by writer-artist Jay Scott Pike, she debuted in Showcase #79 (December 1968).^[2]

Creation and publication history

Dolphin was created by Jay Scott Pike; at the time the writer-artist was primarily known for his work on DC's line of romance comics. After debuting in Showcase #79 in December 1968, Dolphin was not seen for nearly a decade before appearing in a cameo in Showcase #100 (May 1978), which linked the character to Aquaman. After another hiatus, Dolphin appeared in a Rip Hunter storyline in Action Comics '552-553 and then DC Comics Presents #78 (January 1995) with a redesigned costume.^[3]

Fictional character biography

Dolphin is a girl who was rescued and experimented on by aliens after falling overboard from a cruise ship, gaining fish-like abilities. She is later rescued by sailors, who teach her to speak.^[4]^[5]

Dolphin meets Aquaman during Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, and the two later fall in love. After Aquaman's wife Mera returns from exile in the Netherworld dimension, Dolphin enters a relationship with Tempest, and the two eventually have a son named Cerdian.^[1]

In Infinite Crisis, Dolphin is killed when the Spectre destroys Atlantis.^[6]^[7]

In Blackest Night, Dolphin, Tula, and Aquaman are resurrected as Black Lanterns and attack Tempest and Mera.^[8] Dolphin battles the Teen Titans before Dawn Granger destroys her with a burst of light.^[9]

In DC Rebirth, Dolphin is permanently resurrected and depicted as a mutant Atlantean.^[10]

Powers and abilities

Pre-Crisis, Dolphin is a fish-like metahuman who can breathe underwater and is resistant to oceanic pressure.^[1]^[11] As a Black Lantern, she possesses the conventional powers of a Lantern and vast self-regenerative capabilities.^[8]^[9]

In DC Rebirth, Dolphin is a natural-born Atlantean with paranatural alterations due to being a mutant.^[12] She possesses claws and bioluminescence that can be projected as energy blasts.^[10]^[13]^[14]

Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Dolphin appears in JLA: The Nail as a prisoner of Cadmus Labs.^[15]

In other media

Dolphin appears in Young Justice, voiced by Tiya Sircar. This version is an Indian metahuman whose powers were activated as part of the Light's "Project Rutabaga" before the Outsiders rescue her. Due to her physiology leaving her unable to survive outside of water, she is taken to Atlantis to live with Kaldur'ahm's parents, taking the name Delphis.^[16]
Dolphin was considered to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to replace Mera following the lawsuit between her actress Amber Heard and her former partner Johnny Depp.^[17]^[18]
Dolphin appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[19]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Dolphin", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 107, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
^ Showcase #79 (December 1968) at the Grand Comics Database.
^ John Brent (April 1, 1985). "Splash! A Hero History of the Underwater Heroine". Amazing Heroes. No. 68. Fantagraphics Books.
^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 216. ISBN 978-1605490557.
^ Titans (vol. 2) #15 (2009)
^ Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50
^ ^a ^b Blackest Night #2 August 2009)
^ ^a ^b Blackest Night: Titans #3 (October 2009)
^ ^a ^b Aquaman (vol. 8) #25 (July 2017)
^ Aquaman (vol. 5) #12 (September 1995)
^ Aquaman (vol. 7) #26 (August 2017)
^ Aquaman (vol. 7) #33 (April 2018)
^ Aquaman (vol. 7) #29 (December 2017)
^ JLA: The Nail #3
^ Matadeen, Renaldo (August 2, 2019). "Young Justice: Outsiders Gives Aquaman a New Sidekick". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
^ Adreena, Ilylia (23 December 2020). "James Wan Is Reportedly Looking For A New Asian Female Lead For Aquaman 2". Rojak Daily. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
^ James, David (December 22, 2020). "Aquaman 2 Reportedly Eyeing Asian Actresses For New Female Lead". We Got This Covered. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
^ Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

External links

Dolphin on DC Database, a DC Comics wiki

[dc-ency-1] Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Dolphin", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 107, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017

[2] Showcase #79 (December 1968) at the Grand Comics Database.

[3] John Brent (April 1, 1985). "Splash! A Hero History of the Underwater Heroine". Amazing Heroes. No. 68. Fantagraphics Books.

[Guide-4] Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.

[5] Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 216. ISBN 978-1605490557.

[6] Titans (vol. 2) #15 (2009)

[7] Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50

[Blackest_Night_#2_August_2009-8] Blackest Night #2 August 2009)

[Blackest_Night_2009-9] Blackest Night: Titans #3 (October 2009)

[Aquaman_#25_July_2017-10] Aquaman (vol. 8) #25 (July 2017)

[11] Aquaman (vol. 5) #12 (September 1995)

[Aquaman_#26_Aug_2017-12] Aquaman (vol. 7) #26 (August 2017)

[13] Aquaman (vol. 7) #33 (April 2018)

[14] Aquaman (vol. 7) #29 (December 2017)

[15] JLA: The Nail #3

[16] Matadeen, Renaldo (August 2, 2019). "Young Justice: Outsiders Gives Aquaman a New Sidekick". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

[17] Adreena, Ilylia (23 December 2020). "James Wan Is Reportedly Looking For A New Asian Female Lead For Aquaman 2". Rojak Daily. Retrieved 26 December 2020.

[18] James, David (December 22, 2020). "Aquaman 2 Reportedly Eyeing Asian Actresses For New Female Lead". We Got This Covered. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

[19] Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

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Dolphin
Dolphin as depicted in Showcase #79 (December 1968). Art by Jay Scott Pike.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Showcase #79 (December 1968)
Created by	Jay Scott Pike
In-story information
Species	Atlantean (current) Metahuman (alien-altered) (originally)
Team affiliations	Forgotten Heroes Black Lantern Corps Justice League Task Force Justice League
Abilities	Artificially adapted for deep subaquatic life: underwater breathing, superhuman strength, speed, durability, stamina, reflexes, resilience to deep water pressures, Aquatic Respiration (originally) Seachanged atlantean physiology: conventional atlantean adaptions, light manipulation, omnifarious shapeshifting, claw retraction, scale manifestation, humanoid camouflage (current)