GURPS Supers Alternatives

[AlexanderHowl]

CBR (https://www.cbr.com/richest-characters-dc-much-worth/) puts Wayne at around $80 billion. Aquaman is by far the wealthiest character on Earth in DC (at $150 trillion), primarily because he rules 70% of the surface area, giving him access to wealth that makes the USA seem poor by comparison. Aquaman would likely have Multimillionaire 6 (personal assets of $2 trillion) and Independent Income 10, giving him $200 billion a month of income (>2% per year return on $150 trillion), allowing him to do things like a moonbase on a whim.

[Phantasm]

I doubt Aquaman is worth that much because he doesn't exploit all those resources. Mostly, since he only really rules a pair of cities and the area directly surrounding them in the Atlantic (Poseidonis and Tritonis, both of which are surviving relics of Plato's Atlantis) which rely on magic more than science for a lot of their needs, he doesn't really have ready access to the same kind of wealth that Luthor and Wayne do. Other underwater cities he's encountered give lip service to his claim of "king of the oceans", but they're a) few and far between, and b) usually splinter sects that broke away from his Atlantis in the first place (Garth/Aqualad's native Idyllists being one such splinter sect). And I can't see him enforcing any kind of tribute from any Pacific or Indian Ocean cities, or even South Atlantic cities.

He has the potential for what you claim, but I doubt he actually has that kind of wealth because he hasn't pursued it the same way Luthor, Wayne, Dayton, Jupiter, etc. have.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

CBR (https://www.cbr.com/richest-characters-dc-much-worth/) puts Wayne at around $80 billion. Aquaman is by far the wealthiest character on Earth in DC (at $150 trillion), primarily because he rules 70% of the surface area, giving him access to wealth that makes the USA seem poor by comparison. Aquaman would likely have Multimillionaire 6 (personal assets of $2 trillion) and Independent Income 10, giving him $200 billion a month of income (>2% per year return on $150 trillion), allowing him to do things like a moonbase on a whim.

I don't know what sources you're using, but claiming to rule something is not the same as being able to efficiently exploits resources there.

How many subjects does Aquaman actually have, what kind of economy do they have and how are they generating all that wealth?

If you rule a couple of thousand people, it doesn't really matter how much area you claim to control, you don't really have any way to monetize these claims.

[AlexanderHowl]

It would give the Justice League a good reason to keep him on the team though ("Hey Aquaman, we need another $20 billion for a moonbase, can you write a check?")

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It would give the Justice League a good reason to keep him on the team though ("Hey Aquaman, we need another $20 billion for a moonbase, can you write a check?")

Sorry, but I left my wallet in my other pair of swim trunks. Maybe Bruce has one in his utility belt? :)

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Sorry, but I left my wallet in my other pair of swim trunks. Maybe Bruce has one in his utility belt? :)

* Batman flashes his MasterCard Diamond card. "Never leave home without it."

[naloth]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

CBR (https://www.cbr.com/richest-characters-dc-much-worth/) puts Wayne at around $80 billion. Aquaman is by far the wealthiest character on Earth in DC (at $150 trillion), primarily because he rules 70% of the surface area, giving him access to wealth that makes the USA seem poor by comparison. Aquaman would likely have Multimillionaire 6 (personal assets of $2 trillion) and Independent Income 10, giving him $200 billion a month of income (>2% per year return on $150 trillion), allowing him to do things like a moonbase on a whim.

It's also misleading. Aquaman's personal wealth is a few items and perhaps a lighthouse. Aquaman can use the resources of ocean or Atlantis as the nominal (and often dethroned) ruler, but that wealth isn't exactly his and he certainly faces obstacles to using it.

[Anders]

I see the situation as akin to the 15th and 16th century kings - they had personal wealth, but the wealth of the nation was not theirs to command. (For instance, one king of Denmark was allowed to attack Sweden - as the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, not as the king of Denmark - but on his own money.)

So when the Justice League says to Aquaman "We need $20 billion for a moon base", Aquaman can credibly say "My council won't allow it. You explain to them how it benefits the Atlanteans..."

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by naloth

It's also misleading. Aquaman's personal wealth is a few items and perhaps a lighthouse. Aquaman can use the resources of ocean or Atlantis as the nominal (and often dethroned) ruler, but that wealth isn't exactly his and he certainly faces obstacles to using it.

And Atlantis isn't even that big in the first place. It's just a city state that is politically dominant over several other city states. Even put all together the various cities don't even remotely come close to claiming the entire ocean. DC comics has fishermen, offshore drilling platforms and recreational scuba diving just like our world. Really Arthur's realm is no bigger than Wakanda.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Sorry, but I left my wallet in my other pair of swim trunks. Maybe Bruce has one in his utility belt? :)

Yeah, I can't recall any writeup of Aquaman that gave him access to such vast wealth. I am, though getting a chuckle out of the image of someone asking "Why would *your* wallet be in *Batman's* utility belt??" lol