DAVID WATERS
Real Name: Unrevealed; adopted name David
Waters
Identity/Class: Unrevealed, possible human
mutate (see comments) (circa 18th Century)
Occupation: Captain of his sailing ship
Group Membership: Captain of his crew
Affiliations: His crew (names unrevealed)
(loose)
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: Neptune
(father), mother unrevealed (see comments);
Cronus (grandfather), Ouranos (grandfather, deceased),
Rhea (grandmother), Gaea
(grandmother);
Zeus,
Pluto
(paternal uncles); Demeter, Hera, Vesta
(paternal aunts);
various half-brothers and half sisters, including Agenor,
Amycus, Antaeus,
Arion, Belus, Busiris, Chrysaor, Ephialtes, Eumolpus, Orion,
Otus, Pegasus, Pelias, Polyphemus,
Proteus, Sinis, Theseus, Triton (half-brothers); Benthiscya, Despoena, Neptunia,
Rhode
(half-sisters)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile on his sailing ship
across the oceans
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery I#31/1
(February, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: Captain David Waters
fearlessly commanded his ship and held the respect of his crew, more
out of fear
and awe at his seeming ability to chart calm paths through stormy
oceans and
weather, as well as sea threats (although this was from the protection
of Neptune). He stayed on his ship and was
committed to rendering goods as offerings to the ocean.
Height: 5'10"
(by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by
approximation)
Eyes: Black
Hair: White
History:
(Greek-Romman Myth) - Neptune had several affairs with mortal Earth women and Olympian goddesses, and sired numerous offspring; his children were sometimes born as mortals or immortals.
(Journey Into Mystery I#31/1 (fb) - BTS) - Circa the
18th Century, an infant swaddled in seaweed washed up on a shore. He
was raised with the name David Waters (he possibly aged quickly). He
eventually became captain of a large sailing ship transporting various
merchandise across the oceans. He never accepted money for his work
(except to pay his crew), only goods as payment, and then tossed those
goods overboard at night as offerings to the ocean god Neptune.
(Journey Into Mystery I#31/1 (fb)) - His crew were
both awestruck and fearful of Captain Waters' seeming skill to chart
his ship through the
fiercest storm and fog-shrouded shoals; his reputation grew but his
crew
could find no work on other ships as other captains thought Waters
worked with magic. Captain Waters continued to ply the oceans, barely
talking to the crew except to give orders. When in the open waters, he
moved only between his cabin and the bridge. He would stand fearlessly
on deck through furious storms, ordering the helmsman on a path that
took it on a clear path through. One day, the ship hit a whirlpool but
Waters stared down the whirlpool and it subsided. Even though the
threat had passed, the fearful crew panicked and all except Waters
abandoned ship in longboats. The crew looked back and saw the gigantic
form of trident-bearing Neptune rise from the ocean, capsizing the
ship, and because the crew had abandoned Waters, pulled down both the
captain and the ship.
(Journey Into Mystery I#31/1) - Some time later,
three crew members recounted their experiences with the lost Captain
Waters.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Bill Benulis.
Captain David Waters is described by the crew as "Neptune's son," so I'm taking this literally as the deserting crew also saw a giant Neptune-like figure with trident rise from the ocean to claim the ship and captain. Waters seemed mortal but aware of his heritage and "duty," so his mother may have been a human, Atlantean or a spirit such as a Nereid. It's unrevealed if Waters truly died or was a spirit that later took another form.
So how did he know of his "duty" to the oceans, the
continuing safety regardless of threat, and his need for a crew?
Was it a curse or a gift?
Although Waters' ship is clearly a sailing ship with
crew garb circa 18th Century, the
cover picture shows Waters at the wheel with a lifebuoy ring labeled
"S.S.
Mona" (the rest possibly obscured), with S.S. identifying it as
steamship. There's also what looks like a 19th Century lighthouse. The
cover image conflicts with
the story and indicates how the covers were illustrated at that time
without relation to the actual story, only by story title.
Thanks to John Holstein for the scans and identifying the Neptune connection.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Captain David Waters has no known connections to:
images:
(without ads)
Journey Into Mystery I#31/1, p2, pan1 (main image)
p3, pan2 (headshot)
p2, pan3 (Waters' ship)
Appearances:
Journey Into Mystery I#31/1 (February, 1956) - uncredited writer, Bill
Benulis (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 11/04/2022
Last updated:
11/04/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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