10 Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Aquaman
1. He "Talks" To Fish
Many of the jokes that have plagued Aquaman come from a common misunderstanding when it comes to his most famous superpower. Aquaman can telepathically communicate with all sea life, using creatures from the deep as backup in tight situations.
This ability has caused many to write him off as the hero who “talks” to fish, which is an oversimplification of the ability. It was explained in his New 52 run that Aquaman is able to alter the cerebellum of sea life with his telepathy, effectively compelling or "commanding" them to come to his aid when needed.
The key difference is the sea life in question doesn’t “talk” back in the way a normal conversation would go. Seeing the powers is always a spectacle, like when Aquaman commanded a legion of sharks to attack parademons in Justice League: Origins, or when he threatened Cheetah with a school of vicious piranha.
His abilities even affect species which have evolved from sea life, as shown when he uses them on the villain Zum whose physiology had remnants of his aquatic ancestors. In an instant, Aquaman is able to use Zum’s basal ganglia (the part of the brain that controls motor functions) against him to give him a seizure, a simple demonstration of an utterly complex ability.