Things can get pretty weird in DC Comics, particularly when King Shark and the Suicide Squad are involved. This walking, talking humanoid shark debuted as an enemy of Superboy's when he was living in Hawaii. King Shark, whose real name is Nanaue, claimed to the son of the Shark God, also known as the King of all Sharks. Yet, Special agent Sam Makoa, a friend of Superboy's, never bought into that.
Not surprisingly, King Shark is a voracious eater, and humans are among his favorite snacks. Despite that, the big guy has still managed to carve out a few heartwarming moments over the years, though they might not be heartwarming in the traditional way.
Eating His Mother's Arm To Survive
When talking about a giant anthropomorphic shark that has a taste for people, trying to find "wholesome" moments becomes extremely relative, but he at least had a reasonably good relationship with his mother.
At one point, King Shark had escaped from Sam Makoa and the authorities on Hawaii. He ended up back in the care of his mother, though he was in pretty rough shape. Needing sustenance to survive, she let King Shark eat one of her arms.
Taking Out Sidearm
There are a few members of the Suicide Squad who have popped up on the team more than once. King Shark has been one such character, as he's been a member of the team a few times—but his first was one of the most memorable.
The Squad was sent to accompany Superboy and Sam Makoa as they attacked the Silicon Dragons underwater base. During the mission, Sidearm betrayed the team, so King Shark made quick work of the traitor. Don't cross the shark.
Became The Caretaker Of Arthur Curry
Changes to DC's continuity over the years have made drastic alterations to pretty much every character's backstory. King Shark is certainly one of those characters, though the guy is at least still a giant shark.
One version of his backstory actually put King Shark in the position of being the guardian of a young Arthur Curry, A.K.A. Aquaman. Naturally, there were a variety of reasons for this, but this arrangement still had some adorable moments.
Capturing Grifter For Amanda Waller
Over time, characters from other comic book universes have made their way into the DC Comics universe. Jim Lee's former Wildstorm Productions is a prime example, as the company was bought by DC in 1999, and its character incorporated into DC Comics.
Grifter was one of the more popular characters from Wildstorm and has continued to be in DC. At one point, he broke into Belle Reve and stole something from Amanda Waller. The Squad chased him, with a highly aggressive King Shark apprehending him.
Threw Up Yo-Yo
The Suicide Squad has had a lot of team members over the years, which is obviously a symptom of treating said team members as disposable. One character who was an unwilling participant was Yo-Yo, a villain with the ability to grow or shrink in size.
When the team was sent to stop a riot at Belle Reve, Yo-Yo decided to get really small. Naturally, King Shark ate him. But, at least he eventually vomited Yo-Yo back up, which allowed the villain to lead the Squad on a future mission. They're basically besties now.
Left N.E.M.O. For A Quiet Life
Some super teams have really convoluted names to justify their cool acronyms. That certainly seems to be the case with N.E.M.O., which is also known as the Nautical Enforcement of Macrocosmic Order—there's nothing forced about that at all.
A member for quite some time, King Shark eventually left the group behind to try and find a more peaceful existence. At this point, he basically gave up on being a supervillain and tried to do something different, though he never seemed to be sure what that was.
Moved To Atlantis
Part of trying to live life the right way meant moving to Atlantis. Before doing so, King Shark quite naturally went to Aquaman and petitioned to move into his new home. Aquaman agreed, believing that his former enemy had changed his ways.
While King Shark didn't go full supervillain, again, he did carve out a life for himself as a crime lord in the lower levels—but at least he wasn't trying to eat Superboy, anymore.
Saved Mera From Drowning
During King Shark's time in Atlantis, Aquaman was deposed as the kingdom's ruler. A megalomaniac named Rath supplanted him, becoming the new leader of Atlantis, a move that was not popular with many of the city's residents.
One of those individuals was certainly Mera. Unfortunately for her, she ended up losing her powers and started to drown. She was ultimately rescued by King Shark and his gang who, held onto her as a bargaining chip. It wasn't an endearing move, but he did technically save her life.
Helped Aquaman Fight King Rath
Eventually, Aquaman decided to fight back against Rath. His biggest problem was that he lacked an army and needed serious backup. As such, the former King of Atlantis headed for the lower levels and King Shark.
Getting King Shark to go along with the plan was an utter failure. He didn't believe that Aquaman would win the fight. In the end, King Shark chose to fight alongside each other, with Shark bringing the gangs of Atlantis with him.
Loyal Suicide Squad Member
Being in charge of something like the Suicide Squad comes with a lot of trials and tribulations. Fortunately for Amanda Waller, she's one of the most assertive and driven people in DC. If anyone can get the remotest amount of loyalty from the Squad, it's her.
That being said, much of that loyalty comes from Waller implanting bombs in the necks of the team members. Still, King Shark has actually shown what seems to be legitimate loyalty to Waller and the Suicide Squad at times. They might be the closest thing he has to a family these days.