Featuring: Sub-Mariner
Release: October 26, 1953
Cover: February 1954
10 cents
By: Bill Everett
8 pages
We’re continuing to sample some of Sub-Mariner’s older adventures to catch us up on his history. We’ve read the start of his self-titled series, the conclusion of his self-titled series, and his return to comics in Young Men #24.
Why this next issue as well? Well, because I have it. I mentioned before that JC Penney put out an odd set of new printings of assorted classic Marvel comics, which I acquired as a young child. Young Men #25 was among the set. So I may as well include it.
The status quo now seems to be that Namor is hanging out with Betty in her East Side apartment and occasionally decides to investigate happenings he reads about in the newspaper to lend a hand to the humans. In particular, he is currently trying to help humanity, not destroy them. He tends to alternate a bit.
There have been some disappearances and related strangeness. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the answer is shark people from outer space.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 39/100
The scans above are from the reprint in the 1994 JC Penney Marvel Vintage pack. You can find this story in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes vol. 1. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Prince Namor/Sub-Mariner
- Betty Dean
Minor characters
- Finnegan (police officer)
- Jameson (police officer)
- Mr. Markham (Coast Guard Captain)
- Nichols (Coast Guardsman)
Story notes:
- Woman in Battery Park–where crowd is waiting for Staten Island Ferry– jumps into water and disappears. Only her clothes are found.
- Betty lives on the East Side, where Namor hangs out.
- Weeks pass from first disappearance. Next disappearance is on North River dock. Namor finds a mutilated corpse there.
- Shark people from outer space– mentally projected themselves to earth and assumed form of sharks who can transform into humans, and need to eat flesh. Plans to dominate the world.
Next post: PRELUDE: Young Men #28, Story C
Next in order: Fantastic Four Annual 1
Previous post: Young Men #24, Story C
Previous in order: Strange Tales Annual 2
I’m wondering if it was an editorial decision to make Namor more hunky and traditionally handsome. In a book titled “Young Men”. I mean, he is so pretty there, and look at that biceps.