DC's is the King of Atlantis and ruler of the Seven Seas on Earth, and has tremendous political clout in addition to his physical power. Even today, many non-comic book fans see Aquaman as a very scenario-specific character...but in his very first appearance, he proved doubters wrong.
The 90s reinvented the Aquaman series into an almost swashbuckling adventure series, and made Arthur edgy while maintaining his humor. The character grew out his hair and replaced a hand with a golden hook (the 90s cliche of bulking up characters with non-symmetrical attire surprisingly worked well for Aquaman). This was far from the last reinvention of the character in this direction; actor Jason Momoa and director Zack Snyder retooled the character for the DCEU, transforming him into a physical powerhouse. Little did fans of the Snyderverse know that Aquaman was always a powerhouse...until the Silver Age.
In More Fun Comics #73, the debut issue of Aquaman, the cover of the story depicts Arthur easily deflecting an artillery shell with his forearm while fighting a submarine crewed by Nazis in 1941. This requires superhuman strength and durability...and while Superman would eventually eclipse nearly every hero in of strength during the goofy Silver Age, the Golden Age kept his powers at a relatively low level. In the same issue, Aquaman punches straight through the hull of a Nazi submarine - another feat of strength.
Aquaman Was Never A Joke Character
With such power appearing in his debut, why was Aquaman eventually relegated to the underwater sidelines while other heroes became more popular? One possible reason is Superman; while many superhero comics lost popularity after the war, Superman continued to sell, eventually becoming a sales juggernaut during the 50s and 60s. Perhaps DC was weary of Aquaman eclipsing Superman (or at least eating into his sales), so the character was written to work in the oceans primarily. The Superfriends show in the 70s introduced non-comic book readers to Aquaman, cementing him as a situational character who could talk to fish and accomplish little else.
Fans know Aquaman always had immense strength owing to his Atlantean physiology, perfectly suited for the crushing depths of the oceans. He can see on the ocean floor and can go toe-to-toe with the giant monsters that live miles beneath the surface. Aquaman had never been a joke character when it comes to strength - the moniker was forced upon him, all for the sake of Superman.
