Fans know Mera as the wife of Aquaman and a member of the Justice League, but her fiery temper once earned her a place in the Red Lantern Corps during DC Comics' Blackest Night.  Though the character had remained relatively shelved in the time leading up to the event, she was a major focal point of the series. Her time as one of the many Red Lanterns was short-lived, but it also left a mark on the character in ways nobody could expect.

Blackest Night was a crossover event from 2009 to 2010 that involved a number of DC titles as well as a main miniseries written by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reiss. It was Mera's role in that series that catapulted her back into the hearts of fans. Now Mera is a major player in a in the DCEU and a full-fledged member of the Justice League. But that would have been a much harder sell before she joined Atrocitus’ forces during the DC Universe’s darkest hour.

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With Aquaman dead, and their son having been murdered by Black Manta years before, Mera is in a dark place at the start of Blackest Night. But when Black Lantern rings begin resurrecting the dead, Tempest, Mera’s last living loved one, is murdered right in front of her by Arthur and the Black Lanterns. She escapes to the Justice League’s headquarters, where she crosses paths with Firestorm, the Flash, Green Lantern, and the Atom. The eclectic group splits up, with Mera and the Atom eventually regrouping in Manhattan. They make their way to Coast City, where Mera faces off with the Black Lantern Wonder Woman until the Red Lantern Corps senses Mera’s rage over the death of her family and induct her into the Corps. With her ring, Mera helps beat back the Black Lantern onslaught. But when Arthur is restored to life and her rage is compromised, the Red Lantern ring that stopped her heart disintegrates, nearly killing her before the violet-ringed Star Sapphire and the Blue Lantern can restore her heart – perfectly in sync with Arthur’s.

Mera was already a fan-favorite character before her time as a Red Lantern, but her role in the Blackest Night event brought the character back to the forefront after years on the bench. Spinning off into Johns’ Brightest Day, the Queen of Atlantis was once again treated as Arthur’s partner and not just his wife. This trend would continue into The New 52 and extend into Rebirth where Mera even ended up replacing Aquaman in the Justice League during Arthur’s absence.

Now with the Aquaman movie launching a billion-dollar franchise, the Queen of Atlantis is more popular than ever. Mera's portrayal in the DCEU owes a lot to the interpretation fans have grown familiar with since the events of Blackest Night, and the character is now a fan-favorite both on screen and on the page. With the inevitable introduction of the various Lantern Corps in DC’s cinematic universe, the potential is there for Mera to become a Red Lantern in live action. Audiences are still years away from seeing such a development on the big screen, but fans know it’s something worth waiting for.

Mera has been a Queen of Atlantis, a member of the Justice League, and even a Red Lantern, but one thing she’s not is calm. She’s a strong-willed character who is stubborn to a fault, but that notorious temper served both her and the DC Universe well during Blackest Night. She may no longer wield the Red Light of Rage, but one thing is still true – Aquaman fans definitely like Mera when she’s angry.

Next: Aquaman's Archenemy Black Manta Takes the Spotlight in New DC Series