Who Was Who Is Who #2

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, and with DC's New 52 well under way (how long are they keeping that title do you think?) I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see who's made it over to the new DCU, who might make it and who hasn't got an Atari Force's chance.

AQUALAD and AQUAGIRL - if the whole of Who's Who is set out alphabetically, as you'd expect for any good reference book, why then, either reading from top to bottom or left to right, does Aqualad come before Aquagirl? Just makes no sense. Anyway, despite Geoff Johns launching a new and successful (at least in terms of fan acceptance) Aqualad in the pages of Brightest Day, it would appear that unless he re-introduces the character in Aquaman, neither the new kid or poor old Garth won't be back any time soon. Tula's been long gone and it looks like her replacement, Lorena Marquez, won't be around any time soon, either.
AQUAMAN - no surprises here, with the exception of his series being successful, I suppose. Aquaman's back being one of the (admittedly smaller) cornerstones of the Justice League and the DCU.

ARAK, SON OF THUNDER - had I been writing this a year ago, I'd have said there wasn't a chance of this bloke turning up. As it is, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see him appear in the pages of the excellent All-Star Western before the end of the year.

ARCANE - as in Anton, horrid uncle of Abigail. The new Swamp Thing title's shaping up nicely at the moment and I've a feeling that if Arcane were to make a reappearance it would be a long time coming, working from behind the scenes. So maybe by the end of the year in the shadows with a full reveal in either issue #12 or in 2013. Blimey, I'm getting specific now.

ARION, LORD OF ATLANTIS - hmmm, tricky one here. Unlikely to turn up in Aquaman, I'm guessing despite the Atlantis connection . . . unless he's the original owner of Aquaman's trident? Possible appearance in Justice League Dark I suppose.

ATARI FORCE - ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! No.

THE ATOM - the Al Pratt version may well turn up in the pages of James Robinson's forthcoming Justice Society title as it's set on Earth-2. More than that we don't know at the moment so it's sort of hard to guess; logically, though, there'd be no point in doing a JSA story outside of of the main New 52 continuity unless you were definitely going to use the older characters so he seems a safe bet. Ray Palmer has already turned up in the pages of the excellent Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. but not yet (at least at the time of writing) in costume although he has mastered shrinking technology for S.H.A.D.E. so there's obviously a link there, even if he hasn't yet donned the red and blue.

ATOMIC KNIGHT - another character who had a brief moment in the recent past, Gardner Grayle and his associates appeared in Crisis Aftermath: The Battle For Bludhaven and then Final Crisis but ended up being killed off. Slim possibility that he and his friends are alive on one of the other Earths (they certainly appeared to be in 52) but it seems unlikely we'll see them in the New 52.

THE ATOMIC SKULL - a Superman villain with a flaming skull, Grant Morrison might bring him back in some new, post-modern, ironic sort of way. Or maybe not.

AURON - one of the Omega Men, I'm going to go ahead and say it's unlikely we'll see them any time soon. Possibility that they'll show up maybe in the pages of DC Universe Presents but I really wouldn't bet on it.

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Summary / predictions: two already in place (Aquaman and Ray Palmer), two by the end of the year (Arak and Al Pratt's Atom), two possibles by then (Arcane and Arion).