Armed with his mighty trident, Aquaman is among the few DC heroes who wield a weapon alongside his powers, making him more than a match for Marvel’s Thor and his hammer Mjolnir. Arthur Curry has had many tridents throughout the years, two of which were forged by the gods Poseidon and Neptune. The Trident of Poseidon was the most powerful and memorable of all the weapons wielded by Arthur.
Alongside his powers, the Trident of Poseidon gives Aquaman many new, powerful abilities to rival those of Thor’s hammer. If not for the weapon, Arthur may have been lost in many situations. Due to its flexibility and powers, it gives Arthur god-like abilities that make him among the most powerful heroes of the Justice League. The forging of the trident by Poseidon was meant to bring about new life for the universe. The legendary weapon was gifted to Arthur in Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth by Scott Snyder, Francis Manapul, Howard Porter, Scott Godlewski, and Tom Napolitano. The god told him of its purpose to turn all oceans in the universe into cradles that create life. Though ultimately this purpose of the trident failed, it was because of outside forces, and the power still lay deep within the newly created weapon. If unleashed it would have the power to kill gods and even whole planets. As it was created to make life, it is now used to protect life instead. The weapon’s focus is diverted and powered through the will of Aquaman, the only man strong enough to wield its pure, unbridled power.
Much like Thor’s wielding of the hammer Mjolnir, Aquaman is the only one who can harness the power of Poseidon’s trident, besides the god himself. While both weapons have been confirmed to be powerful enough to kill gods, the trident has more potential. Readers have only seen a little of its full power in rare instances, but it has already proven to have more secret abilities than Mjolnir. In Aquaman (2011) #41 by Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, Guy Major, and Tom Napolitano, it’s shown that the trident can teleport Arthur to planets light-years away through self-created water. This strange ability is incredibly useful, and only scratches the surface of what the trident can do. Over the years, DC creators have gotten really out-there with what the trident can bring to the table in a fight.
Not limited to simple ocean-based powers, the trident has also been confirmed to be one of the few weapons to be able to pierce Superman’s skin and the metal Prometheum – an invulnerable metal like Marvel’s adamantium. In Aquaman (2011) #41 the weapon is shown not only as a trident but can also transform into a sword or a dagger depending on what Arthur needs. Through its many uses, Aquaman’s trident has shown its strength is in its utility and raw power, which can all be controlled by Arthur’s abilities as King of Atlantis. Mjolnir’s feats are mighty, but DC has been unafraid to push the boundaries of the weapon’s uses, making it the most valuable tools for the hero to wield.
The debate is close, with both weapons being very impressive, but compared to Marvel’s more grounded approach to Mjolnir’s uses, the trident is shown to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Through the simple act of adjusting other powers, like teleporting, to be themed around the ocean the possibilities of what Aquaman’s trident can do are seemingly endless. Fans can only hope that Marvel and DC will allow true fight between Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Aquaman’s trident to display the full might of their weapons forged by gods.