Trident of Atlan

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"In this trident resides the power of Atlantis. In the wrong hands, it would bring destruction. But in the hands of the true heir, it would unite all our kingdoms above and below."

―Atlan^[src]

Atlan's Trident, also known as the Sacred Trident, is an ancient Atlantean relic wielded by the ancient king of Atlantis, Atlan. The trident was later researched by Vulko and sought after by Arthur Curry, as its power determined who the ruler of Atlantis should be.

History

"And the trident could only be wielded by the strongest Atlantean. And it gave King Atlan mastery over the seven seas. It made him so powerful that the ocean itself became jealous and sent a terrible earthquake to destroy Atlantis. Down it fell, to the bottom of the ocean. But, legend has it that one day a new king will come who will use the power of the trident to put Atlantis back together again."

―Atlanna^[src]

Atlan's Trident was forged with Poseidon steel by the finest smiths, in where today is the Sahara before it became a desert. In an experiment conducted by Atlan, it caused Atlantis to sink. However, its power also allowed the Atlanteans to become a thriving underwater civilization. Atlan went into self-imposed exile over the cataclysm, and died while still holding the trident on his throne in the Hidden Sea, where it is guarded by Karathen, until it is retrieved by Aquaman.

Capabilities

"It's more than a story. It's real. It was forged by the greatest weapon masters in history. Crafted from Poseidon's steel for King Atlan, the first ruler of Atlantis. Legend says the trident was imbued with the power to command the sea."

―Nuidis Vulko^[src]

Atlan's Trident is an incredibly powerful weapon, which can only be handled by the true heir of Atlantis. This relic of immense importance serves as a conduit through which mariner kings can channel and greatly magnify their abilities with.

Atlan lays with his trident.

Through it, any natural powers the king of Atlantis has are greatly magnified, being granted possession over the full power of the seven seas and through it, their ability to command any creature amongst the vast oceans is greatly magnified. This was demonstrated when Arthur, the true heir of Atlantis, took the trident, and gained the ability to see perfectly every creature of the ocean on the planet Earth and reach out to them all (including the savage Trench).

Having been created from an extremely dense metal, the trident is an extremely resilient weapon, which shows no apparent damage either from the ages nor after the extensive use that Atlan gave it.

In addition, it is very likely that it is also magical in nature, like many tridents of Atlantis. An example would be when Arthur used it to conjure lightning during the war against Orm's Atlantean forces.

Behind the scenes

• In the comics, the Dead King's Scepter was the original weapon of Atlan, later known as the Dead King, and was forged alongside six other Atlantean relics.
• Within recent publishing, Arthur's trident acted as a focusing point with which he could channel and amplify his natural abilities through. Often using it as a dowsing rod to better use his Marine Telepathy with.
• In the comics, Aquaman's trident has possessed numerous magical capabilities, effectively serving as a magical conduit to produce a variety of effects.
  • As such, in the animation New 52 of comic storyline Throne of Atlantis, it's stated that only Atlantean royalty can hold the trident due to an enchantment placed upon it.

Trivia

• In the Injustice 2 Mobile game, the Trident can be collected as one of the five gear pieces of "King of Atlantis Aquaman". When equipped, it gives him bonus critical attack chance. Regardless of whether he has it equipped, King of Atlantis Aquaman can be seen wielding it in-game.
• US residents had the limited-time chance to obtain a real life copy of the Trident by entering a prize draw by DC Universe.

External Links

• Dead King's Scepter on DC Database
• Trident of Neptune on DC Database
• Trident of Poseidon on DC Database