Stephen Shin

Origin

Doctor Stephen Shin was a marina biologist and good friend of Tom Curry. Once Tom realized his son, Arthur Curry's abilities to breathe underwater he put it on Shin to observe and help him achieve his full potential. Dr. Shin attended to Arthur practically everyday, helping him develop his unique powers. However, Stephen Shin also had a much curious side to the origin of Arthur and soon became restless as to where Atlantis was located. One day, he tried asking Arthur where Atlantis was and as he declined to reveal the secrets, Dr. Shin attempted to kill him but was stopped by Tom Curry, who also took all of his evidence and observations on Arthur before leaving. Dr. Stephen Shin's next encounter with Arthur is decades later, now taking the name Aquaman, when he and Mera meet with Dr. Shin for help on identifying where the flesh-eating monsters of the Trench came from, which later turns out that there domain is beneath the ocean depths. He then goes about asking Aquaman if he could keep the body of the Trench he's examined, but Arthur doesn't allow him to which angers Shin once again.

Creation

Stephen Shin was created by Aquaman writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis.

Major Story Arcs

The Trench

Shortly after Aquaman and Mera's first encounter with the fleshing-eating monsters of the Trench, he brings the body of one of the monsters to an old acquaintance of his, Stephen Shin. Before Aquaman talks with Shin again, he tells Mera that Shin was once an old friend of his father, Tom Curry, who him to Shin when he was a young boy starting to develop his aquatic powers. Shin would mentor Arthur, helping him control and master his powers. Dr. Stephen Shin would later turn on young Arthur, attempting to kill him after he didn't reveal the location of Atlantis. When Aquaman and Mera finally meet with Shin, the scientist helps the two identify where the monsters came from, saying that the findings could help him regain his lost credibility. Aquaman doesn't allow him to keep the body of the Trench monster, which causes Shin to try bargain with him, saying he did the hero a favor and demanded to know where the location of Atlantis is. Aquaman leaves with Mera as he tells her that Shin could potentially be a very dangerous man, but right now is "just a sad one."

The Others

After the events of the Trench, Aquaman and Mera return to see Dr. Shin to inform him if Atlantis could be sunk by someone. Moment in which Ya'Wara appears and indicates that Kahina the Seer has died at the hands of Black Manta. Because of them, Aquaman goes to see the corpse of the seer, while Mera is in charge of protecting Dr. Shin. She asks him to tell him who The Others are. At that moment, he tells him that years ago he hired Manta to get bialogical proofs that would allow him to prove that Arthur was an altlante and that Atlantis existed. With this he would get back his reputation, but did not count that because of it Arthur's father, Tom, died. For this reason, Aquaman tries to kill Black Manta, but instead kills Manta's father. At that moment Black Manta appears, who had stolen the orb of teleportation to Ya'Wara, to kidnap Dr. Shin to get him to give him information about the tomb of The Dead King. Once they are in that place, Shin refuses to help Black Manta, demonstrating his loyalty to Arthur, for which Manta decides to kill him. At that moment, Aquaman appears to save Shin, and the Others also appear to help Aquaman. Manta uses the Dead King's Staff to sink the island where they are found and must escape aboard the Others plane. Once there, Shin apologizes to Arthur for the death of his father and Manta's acts, indicating that his only friends were Arthur himself and his father. At that moment Arthur accepts his apology. After the defeat of Manta, Shin decides to continue his life as a marine biologist and forget about returning to the search for Atlantis.