From Comics to Movies, Atlantis Still Captivates Audiences

The island of Atlantis, while never proven to be real, certainly has found itself used in popular culture throughout the years. From comics to movies, Atlantis is a popular choice for storytellers. People love the fictional island and any lore that is created to go with it.

No other media company has taken advantage of Atlantis as much as DC Comics have. The island is integral to the back story for Aquaman, originally tying in with his father living within the submerged society in a watertight home. Later revisions, as comics are fond of doing, had Aquaman’s origin linked to surface dwellers mating with Atlantis-born natives to create an offspring we followed in comics.

Aquaman has had many appearances outside of comics though. From the WB/CW hit live action show Smallville to animated shows such as Justice League Unlimited and The Brave and the Bold, Aquaman has been a regular fixture in DC Comics-based shows. Not a bad feat for a character who is portrayed as highly effective in water, yet still finds ways to be dangerous on land.

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Disney has taken time to create two animated feature films based on the myth of Atlantis. The Lost Empire and the direct-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo’s Return, explored the culture and lives of the people of the sunken city. Corruption from the surface dwellers had great impact on this fictional world ”“ a stark view of colliding societies and how quickly things often turn bad. Disney did not rest with just two animated feature films, they released several games based on their version of the Atlantis myth. Games were released for computers, the Playstation console, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color handhelds and even as promotional items for Kellogg’s cereal. The Atlantis mythos is even entering casino gaming with a five-wheel slot machine that is available between others at William Hill at vegas.williamhill.com – players can embark on an adventure through the mystical land of Atlantis and collect keys to the land of Atlantis to help them explore as they climb the staircase of prizes.

In recent years Atlantis was portrayed as the backdrop for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island starring Dwayne Johnson. The island was even mocked in Ice Age: Continental Drift with Scrat visiting Scratlantis. In 2018 Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) will take Aquaman out for a swim in the character’s first live action feature film, Aquaman. Last year, Momoa debuted his version of the DC Comics character in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (the movie that many remember for Gal Gadot debuting Wonder Woman on screen). Aquaman will also be a key character in Justice League, another live-action movie based on DC Comics characters.

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It is unknown if Plato (428 BC ”“ 348 BC) understood what he was getting started when he first wrote about Atlantis. While the modern takes on the story are loosely based on the original version, they still share many similarities that keeps bringing fans back for more. No matter your choice of entertainment, it is safe to say there is probably one product based around Atlantis.

*Featured Image source:Â Supernatural Fanon Wiki