Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: June 30, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Fabulous script: Stan Lee Fascinating art: Gene Colan Fantastic inks: Dick Ayers Free-hand lettering: Sam Rosen Fancy haberdashery: Irving Forbush 12 pages
You are too conspicuous, walking around the city in that manner! Find the nearest clothing store…
In Avengers #17, the Avengers search for the Hulk, and end up vaguely near him, but not meeting him. But it’s sort of a crossover. Not really, but sort of.
In this issue, Namor is searching for Hulk, because he’s been brainwashed by Number One of the former Secret Empire, who wants revenge on Hulk for destroying the Secret Empire. Even though Hulk has never met the Secret Empire and had nothing whatsoever to do with their demise.
I would suggest the writer of the Namor stories hasn’t been reading the Hulk stories, but both series are allegedly written by Stan Lee.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner! Release: June 2, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee Pencilling: Jolly Jack Kirby Inking: Darlin’ Dick Ayers Lettering: Adorable Artie Simek And, in the unlikely words of Irving Forbush: Imperius Rex! 12 pages
Jack Kirby takes on another issue of the Sub-Mariner. Perhaps Gene Colan remains out sick.
I had a choice here. I’ve got this comic, Tales to Astonish #83 in my hand. I could read it in order, as any normal person would. Starting at the first page, and then turning the pages in order until I reach the end.
Or I could realize that the story makes no sense if I do that, so instead turn to halfway through this comic to the Hulk story, read that, and then flip back to the beginning to read the Namor story.
The story makes slightly more sense to do it that way, but it doesn’t really make sense no matter how I read it. And certainly no kid picking this up in 1966 would have known to jump to the middle. Maybe some did anyway because they are big Hulk fans.
So I’m going to start this comic from the beginning, get very confused, then eventually get to the end of the comic, and resolve some, but not all, of that confusion.
Namor just had his big brawl with Iron Man, and then left to continue to pursue Krang and Dorma. As far as I know, the last thing Hulk did was rescue Betty Ross from Boomerang, who escaped with some goons from the Secret Empire, who as far as I know remain an active threat. As are Them/AIM.
Dorma is with Krang because he agreed to spare Namor’s life. But now he’s trying to kill Namor. So maybe that’s grounds for an annulment?
But Dorma hadn’t read the fine print. Krang agreed to spare Namor from the Behemoth, not to spare him generally. Again, I would just leave him now and find a lawyer to discuss the contract with.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: May 3, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Plotted by Smilin’ Stan (who then went on vacation!) Scripted by Rascally Roy (who wishes he had!) Begun by Gallant Gene (who caught the flu after finishing the first two pages!) Finished by King Kirby (who drew the last ten pages, then asked who Sub-Mariner was!) Inked by Darlin’ Dick (who else?) 12 pages
Never will Prince Namor surrender! Never shall your eyes view the true Sovereign of Atlantis humbled! Not all your vaunted power will give you the final triumph!
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and my mother, this blog’s most loyal reader, always liked Namor in her youth. So this is for her.
The digital reprints leave off the letterer credit, and I don’t own the original of this comic. And my reprint in Marvel Masterworks has the same misprint as the digital version. But the GCD tells me there should be one more line in the credits, which reads:
Adorable Arthur (Who??)
Where were we? Red Skull is alive and has been working with Them, and AIM and Them may be the same organization. AIM/Them had created the Cosmic Cube, which Red Skull used to make himself a god, but was still defeated by Captain America. AIM is a defense contractor trying to worm its way into SHIELD and convince the government to remove Col. Fury. But Fury suspects what they are up to.
The Secret Empire is after the Orion Missile, and has hired Boomerang to the task. He has kidnapped the General’s daughter, Betty Ross, as the first step in his plan.
To save Namor from the Behemoth, Dorma agreed to marry Krang, and they ran off together. Unaware of her noble intentions, a furious Namor pursued them to the surface.
Returning to America from a battle with Ultimo, Iron Man found that his factories had been closed, and that he was running low on power and friends. Happy, Pepper, the Avengers… none were home when he desperately needed them. Happy and Pepper may have been on a date. The Avengers may have been in a hidden kingdom in South America.
Krang attacked Iron Man, then escaped. Namor blamed Iron Man for the escape, and decided to stop pursuing Krang and battle Iron Man instead.
This is the direct continuation of the story from Tales of Suspense #80.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: May 10, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, Sovereign of Script Gene Colan, Prince of Pencilling Gary Michaels, Imperator of Inking Artie Simek, Lord of Lettering 12 pages
At last! I’m at the peak of my power! This is the moment that makes all the agony of the past more than worthwhile! This is the supreme sensation which no other living being can ever experience– the feeling which none can ever fully comprehend– the triumphant moment when the strength of a thousand transistors flows thru me and I stand once more ready for battle– as the invincible Iron Man!
Namor attacks Iron Man. Superheroes do that when the meet, generally. And Namor has always walked that superhero/supervillain line.
Superhero brawls are a well-established trope by this point. A one-on-one battle between Namor and Iron Man was due. Of course they’ve fought before, but then Iron Man had all the Avengers on his side. And Namor still held them at bay.
The battle will exploit their respective weaknesses. They both need the occasional charge. Iron Man needs to plug in. Namor needs water.
When a Monarch Goes Mad! Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: April 5, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Amazing story: Stan Lee Astonishing art: Gene Colan Astounding inking: Dick Ayers Agonizing lettering: Sam Rosen 12 pages
The color of one’s skin is but a chance accident of fate! It alters nothing else about the person!
Namor was fighting a Behemoth last issue, and Krang convinced Lady Dorma that Namor’s only chance for survival was for him to relinquish his control on the Behemoth, which he would only do if Dorma agreed to wed him.
This issue picks up right where that left off. Dorma had told Vashti she was to wed Krang, but not why. And Vashti has just delivered the news to Namor.
Namor declares the mention of Dorma’s to name to be treason. Rational. Namor claims he has the fury of youth. He had been a youth 25 years earlier when introduced in 1939. Not sure how long he can use that excuse. Vashti notes Namor had been the gentlest and noblest of monarchs. I am not sure that is true.
Featuring: Avengers Release: January 11, 1966 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Incredible script by: Stan Lee Inconceivable art by: Don Heck Indescribable inking by: Frank Ray Indelible lettering by: Artie Simek 20 pages
He endures so much– to hold the Avengers together! And yet– none can help him! He walks– alone!
A recap. Giant-Man and the Wasp left the Avengers in Avengers #16. Then in Tales to Astonish #69, they agreed it was time to retire from superheroing and work on their relationship. And presumably on Pym’s scientific interests as well. Flash forward to Tales to Astonish #77 and Hank’s experiments involve drilling into the ocean to learn the secrets of life. These experiments are wreaking havoc on Namor’s domain. This leads to conflict. Namor breaks their equipment and then decides to head to New York. In a nonsensical plot decision, Jan decides to become the Wasp once more to race Namor across the ocean to New York. But she’s the size of a wasp, and can presumably fly at about the speed of a wasp. She obviously can’t cross an ocean. But she tries anyway.
Unsurprisingly, we haven’t heard from her since. Surprisingly, we will hear from her again.
I’d like to start thinking about something as we read the next several Avengers comics. At some point very soon, the Fantastic Four are going to fight a massive global threat, one the Avengers probably should have helped them with. The Avengers do not show up to help, which implies the Avengers are busy. So let’s be on the lookout for where the Avengers might be at the time that they don’t notice a very noticeable world-ending threat.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner! Release: March 3, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Story by Smilin’ Stan Lee Pencils by Grinnin’ Gene Colan Inks by Dazzlin’ Dick Ayers Lettering by Snarlin’ Sam Rosen 12 pages
Where were we. Krang and Puppet Master have teamed up to control the Behemoth. Hank Pym and Janet were around at some point. We’ll catch up with them next time in the pages of Avengers.
We’re supposed to believe that because Krang is controlling the Behemoth through the clay puppet, the creature has better reflexes than it would otherwise. That makes little sense to me.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: February 3, 1966 Cover: May 1966 12 cents Now this is a story! By: Stan Lee Now this is pencilling! By: Adam Austin Now this is delineation! By: Bill Everett Now this is lettering! By: Artie Simek 12 pages
Without much fanfare, we have Bill Everett inking Gene Colan. Bill Everett is the creator of the Sub-Mariner. Of course, for whatever reason, it’s the publisher and not he that controls the character. So Marvel gets to publish and profit off Sub-Mariner stories, and he only gets paid if he does more work. So here he is inking Colan’s pencils with Stan adding dialogue. Once Everett wrote and drew Namor’s adventures entirely on his own.
He’s slowly coming back to do more work for Marvel. The last thing he did for them was create Daredevil. But his Daredevil comic was drawn with immaculate detail and unfortunately not within deadline. So he got immediately removed from his own character, and only now 2 years later is starting to get regular work with Marvel again.
As of last issue, he’s the regular finisher on the Hulk stories within this title. He’s just filling in on this Namor story, but will be returning to Namor regularly soon.
I was down to two choices for the pull quote at the top of this quote. I went with one that best exhibited Namor’s personality. I could have gone with the more standard Stan Lee heroic purple prose: There is a time to flee– and a time to fight! While life endures–I shall ever choose the latter course!
I’m never quite clear on what the powers of all these characters are. Namor sometimes seems like Superman. But we see here he’s not bulletproof. He gets shot in the shoulder, and is wounded and losing blood.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: January 4, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Blue ribbon story by: Stan Lee Prize winning pencilling by: Adam Austin Academy Award winning inking by: Vince Colletta Booby prize lettering by: Artie Simek 12 pages
Fire! The one element which is alien to me! The one element I fear!
Austin had unmasked as Gene Colan last issue. Not sure why were are back to the pseudonym.
We are into Namor’s second story arc in his new series. Though it will turn out to be less of an arc than a bunch of loose threads. Surface experimentation is threatening Atlantis; Namor resolves to go to the surface to stop it; the earthquakes created unleash the Behemoth; Namor finds Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne–formerly Giant-Man and Goliath–responsible for the testing.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: December 2, 1965 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, writer Gene Colan, penciller Vince Colletta, inker Sam Rosen, letterer 12 pages
Supreme is the head that wears the crown! The decision must be Namor’s alone to make! Imperius Rex!
A secret has been revealed! Not to us, because I spoiled it when he first showed up. But this is the first time Gene Colan’s name has shown up in the credits. Yet it’s clearly the same artist as last issue, drawn by “Adam Austin”. So Adam Austin must be Gene Colan!
Just like superheroes have secret identities, artists do too. In this case, it was likely to disguise the fact that he was moonlighting for both DC and Marvel. Some comic artists used pen names so that their lesser comic work wouldn’t get conflated with the great novels or works or art they were one day to create. For many, it may have been to make their names sound less Jewish.
Since Namor got his own series back in issue 70, he’d been on a continuous quest to retake his kingdom from Krang. Last issue was almost a clean ending to that quest, save for the final pages. Namor was now the ruler again, with Lord Vashti his Grand Vizier. But then an earthquake strikes, and Namor suspects atomic tests of the surface world are responsible. He resolves to go to the surface world to sort this.
If Namor is the ruler of Atlantis, why is he Prince Namor? Why not King Namor? The Atlanteans must do it differently.
Vashti sits on Namor’s council and offers the wisdom that the choice of action is Namor’s, as the absolute monarch. Then why even be on the council, Vashti? Namor knows it’s his decision. Advise him!
This next story arc is going to get quite convoluted. The last one was relatively clean. Krang had taken the throne. Namor needed to recover some ancient artifact to reclaim it and followed a series of clues. This story begins with an earthquake and Namor’s plan to go to the surface world to get them to stop the tests. Let’s see where it goes from there.
