WARNING: The following contains spoilers for New Super-Man & the Justice League of China #20 by Gene Luen Yang, Brent Peeples and Matt Santorelli.
Things are sort of up and down for our Super-Man of China, Kong Kenan. While he's found allies in his home country's Bat-Man, Wonder-Woman, Flash and Robinbot, breaking away from the country's Ministry of Self Reliance has proven to be a double edged sword. They intend to bring balance to the whole nation...but they're now enemies of the Ministry and considered outlaws who need to be brought to justice.
Over the course of nearly two dozen issues, it's been established that Chinese versions of numerous classic DC characters exist in some capacity. Not just the heroes, but also friends and villains, such as the Bane of China (calling himself Anathema) and Laney Lan, the Shanghai equivalent of Lois Lane. Even non-Guardians powered Green Lanterns of China have shown up, though they're going to be more like antagonists instead of heroic allies. Soon, though, the Justice League of China will have a bigger issue to deal with: Aqua-Man.
RELATED: DC Gives Us the Bat-Man/Wonder-Woman We've Wanted--Sort Of
Yes, that's right: there's another underwater king, only this one has a much different power set and origin than Arthur Curry. For one thing, this Aqua-Man is an aspiring cartoonist named Ahn Kwang-Jo who lives in North Korea. his country being the place that it is, Kwang-Jo is understandably nervous when officers of the North Korean Worker's Party whisk him away to a private location for an interrogation. The officers grill him about how he modified his TV to receive transmissions from across the border and allow him to watch The Simpsons. While being beaten into reformation, the big difference between Kwang-Jo and Arthur Curry makes itself known in a gruesome scene.
All through the issue, Kwang-Jo has been sweating like he's just run a marathon, something he tries to play off. During his beatdown, the sweat coming off his body pools on the floor... and creates a pair of giant mutant crabs that quickly execute his attackers. The implication there is that not only is Kwang-Jo's body made of water, but it can also generate undersea creatures that come to their master's defense when he's in danger. His crustacean rescuers, who refer to him as "your highness," quickly begin a rampage, running across the border between North Korea and the outside world in an effort to get their king to safety.
New Super-Man ends the issue on that shot of a terrified Kwang-Jo being escorted across the border by those two crabs, and it's safe to say that this Aqua-Man is even more of a reluctant hero than Kenan originally was. Without concrete details of his origin being given, it's not a stretch to say that North Korea's University of Marine Transport may have something to do with the birth of the aquatic metahuman. It was where Kwang-Jo first made his appearance, and he's noted as being the university's most distinguished pupil.
The character will be a driving force for the "Seas of Change" arc that lasts until April, and during that time, the Aqua-Man will gain control of a marine army that could determine the fate of both North Korea and China. Will he join the League, or retreat to the comfort of the seas? That remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: he's not your typical Atlantean.