Marvel takes first place in this swim meet. Prince Namor of Atlantis, aka the Submariner, was created by Bill Everett, and made his first splash in Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939). In addition to swimming like a fish, Namor has superhuman strength and agility - and he can fly, just to complicate matters. Originally, he also could communicate with his finny friends. And now for some trivia: Bill Everett wanted to give the Submariner a name that spoke of nobility and the creator found that name by spelling Roman backwards. Following in Namor's wake is DC's Aquaman, the King of Atlantis, who appeared two years later, in More Fun Comics #73. In addition to swimming like a fish, Aquaman has superhuman strength and agility - and he can ... jump! Like ... really long distances. Seriously. And, like Namor, Aquaman can communicate with his finny friends. DC's watery character is one of the few superheroes to be continuously published throughout the Golden Age of comics and into the Silver Age of the late fifties and sixties. Marvel's Submariner has an even greater distinction: he was the first comic book antihero.