Aquaman was created by artist Paul Norris and writer Mort Weisinger.

In Adventure Comics #260 (May 1959) and subsequent Silver Age comics, it was revealed that Aquaman was Arthur Curry, the son of Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, a water-breathing outcast from the lost, underwater city of Atlantis.

Orm Curry was Aquaman's fully human half-brother, the son of Tom Curry (Aquaman's father) and a woman named Mary O'Sullivan. He grew up under the shadow of his heroic half-brother and resented the fact that he had none of Aquaman's powers. Orm disappeared after becoming an amnesiac and resurfaced years later as Aquaman's nemesis, Ocean Master.

Mera was once an undersea queen in an alien otherworldly dimension commonly referred to as Dimension Aqua. Exiled from her kingdom, Mera fled Dimension Aqua for the Earth dimension whereupon she met and married the Atlantean sea-king, Aquaman.

Wealthy playboy Peter Dudley fell in love with Aquaman's wife Mera and paid Dr. Hans Ludorf to transform him into an Aquaman duplicate; the procedure failed, and Dudley instead became a beast-like humanoid known as Aquabeast.

Topo made his first appearance in Adventure Comics #229 and appears to be gifted with exceptional intelligence compared to that of an average octopus. He possesses superior dexterity and once demonstrated his skill with a bow and arrow.

Aquaman debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941).

Aqualad is the son of Black Manta, but chose to become a hero rather than follow in his father's evil footsteps.

Quisp was a "water-sprite" with magical powers who was Aquaman's friend but more often simply a nuisance. He was later revealed to be a Fifth Dimensional Imp named Qwsp, like Superman's Mister Mxyzptlk.

Aquaman and Green Arrow both debuted in More Fun Comics #73.