Aquaman: The Rampaging Reptile-Men

"The Rampaging Reptile-Men" is a cartoon short featuring Aquaman. It is part of the Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure television series. It was directed by Hal Sutherland with a script written by George Kashdan. It first aired on CBS on September 9th, 1967.

Plot
Reptile-Men are green, bipedal aquatic creatures that engage in affairs typically frowned upon by other undersea dwellers. One of these actions includes kidnapping Aqualad, whom they see as easy prey. Well... he kinda is, isn't he? I mean, seriously. The guy's a bit of a doof.

Synopsis
At an Atlantean power station, Aqualad and Imp take some time out for recreation along with his trusted pet, Tusky the Walrus. After waving a greeting to a guard at the station, Aqualad witnesses a Reptile Man descend downward, striking the guard. The creature then produces electricity from its fingertips, which melts the door leading into the outpost. Aqualad scrambles to send off an emergency S.O.S. to Aquaman, but moments after doing so, he finds himself a victim of the Reptile Men.

Aquaman receives the alert at the Aquacave, and realizes that Aqualad is in trouble. Mounting Storm, he takes off at full speed to rescue his young partner.

The Reptile Man, accompanied by more of his cohorts begins sabotaging all of the equipment at the station. Without power, Atlantis will be ripe for conquest. The leader of the Reptile Men notices Aquaman approaching and sets a trap for him. Aquaman races inside and frees Aqualad and two unconscious guards. One of the Reptile Men leaps out from behind a computer terminal and fires bolts of electricity at him. Aquaman dodges the blast, but the electricity melts the wall behind him. Water begins pouring into the outpost threatening to destroy the remaining electrical equipment. Aquaman uses his telepathy to summon a giant sea turtle to block up the hole.

Aquaman swims off to track down the rest of the Reptile Men. He finds a narrow tunnel that leads deep into the Earth's core. He eventually resurfaces at a massive subterranean cavern – the kingdom of the Reptile Men. The Reptile Men ensnare Aquaman with a steel net, and tie him up on dry land to die. They leave him to his fate and resume their plot to take over Atlantis.

Aqualad arrives and frees Aquaman. They notice that several of the Reptile Men are still around and a fight ensues. Aquaman summons every form of sea life he can imagine to fight the Reptile Men. He commands two giant whales to move boulders over the cavern tunnel, barricading the Reptile Men inside, preventing them from returning to Atlantis. Satisfied with a job well done, the two heroes return home.

Notes & Trivia

 * "The Rampaging Reptile-Men" redirects to this page.


 * This is the first appearance of the Aquacave on the series.


 * After knocking out the guards at the power station, the Reptile Men remove all of their clothing. No real reason is provided for this.


 * At one point, Aquaman sends Aqualad to Atlantis to get help, but when he returns he is by himself.


 * After dealing with the Reptile Men, Aquaman and Aqualad return home, forgetting the fact that the giant sea-turtle is still stuck to the side of the power station.


 * Yes, Tusky has the unbelievable ability to not only survive underwater for an indeterminate amount of time (he is a mammal after-all), but can apparently hang out at the depths of the ocean floor without suffering any undue strain from the pressure. Friggin' mutant walrus.

Quotes

 * Aquaman: Come in, Aqualad. Come in! He must be in trouble. Gotta go find him.