Tales to Astonish #70

Featuring: Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner
Release: May 4, 1965
Cover: August 1965
12 cents
Story by Stan Lee, unchallenged king of the spoken word!
Art by Adam Austin, Marvel’s newest prince of pageantry!
Inking by Vince Colletta, lordly emperor of embellishment!
Lettering by Artie Simek (someone’s gotta carry the spear!)
12 pages

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Imperius Rex!

And… we’re back. Happy Labor Day!

Namor has been flittering through the Marvel Universe as a villain or anti-hero, fighting enough different heroes to help serve as the glue binding the universe together. It has been a decade since his last ongoing series was cancelled. He now makes his triumphant return and will again star in his own title for the next decade before again facing the ignominy of cancellation.

Giant-Man and Wasp just had their regular adventures cancelled. Giant-Man in various guises had been the star of this title since issue 35, sharing it with the Hulk for the last 10 issues. Now the title will be shared by Hulk and Namor. A fitting combo. Neither a hero per se, both acting primarily as villains across different titles for the last couple years, even teaming up once against the Avengers.

A bit of a pattern is taking hold. Tales of Suspense features two of Marvel’s more traditional superheroes, Iron Man and Captain America, the former having long shed any initial horror roots. Journey Into Mystery is entirely Thor’s title now, with the backup features telling stories of Asgard’s past. This series will feature Marvel’s anti-hero characters, Namor and Hulk. Leaving Strange Tales for the not-quite-superhero characters, Marvel’s resident spy and sorcerer, respectively. The combined titles remain a necessity of longstanding distribution difficulties on Marvel’s part, but now there at least seems to be some thematic consistency amongst the titles.

Adam Austin is Gene Colan. He’s learning. Colletta’s inking perhaps doesn’t show Colan at his best. You have to squint or know what you’re looking for to see hints of someone who will soon become one of Marvel’s greatest artists.

The style of layouts will already be different, and reflects a move these comics are slowly making, away from very even grids of pages with 6-9 panels to larger panels of varying shapes and layouts.

Interesting to have a new artist without Kirby to assist. Who is plotting the story? Lee? Colan?

Here’s the plan. They’ve set up a pretty standard adventure here. Namor has lost his crown and needs to go on this quest. There will be various clues. The issue takes him to the first clue.

I guess that seems like a plot Lee could maybe have come up with without Kirby.

We’ll keep reading Namor’s story while this quest is going on. Meanwhile, Hulk is embroiled in the “Leader Saga”. So we’ll read both stories from the next several issues of this title. As will happen often, Hulk’s story will reach a natural breaking point sooner than Namor’s, so we’ll break the comics up and read a little ahead in Namor’s story, and then try to get them back in sync later.

The story opens with the phrase “Imperius Rex!”. What does that mean? Sounds almost Latin. Something like “Imperial King”. I don’t know. I don’t speak Latin. I suspect Stan doesn’t either. Whatever it means, it is now Namor’s official catchphrase and will be for decades to come.

In the 1930s, Namor and Dorma were cousins. Now she seeks to be his bride. They haven’t mentioned familial relations in any 1960s stories, only potentially romantic relationships. They are royalty, so I guess they could be cousins still.

“Unhand me, woman!” says Namor. Ever the romantic.

For reasons not made clear, Dorma assumes Namor won’t marry her because he is king, and deduces that helping Krang win his rebellion will win Namor’s heart. All these Marvel characters have pretty complicated courting rituals.

“Let him see that he has lost his throne forever … For, only then may I hope to win his heart.”

Anyways, Dorma proceeds to have Namor arrested, somehow confident this will lead to their marriage.

Krang plans to lead an invasion of the Surface World, to avenge wrongs committed against their people. Namor has led plenty of invasions of the Surface World in his day for that reason. Only in the recent Daredevil story did we see a different motivation, a birthright claim of Atlantis to all the world.

I appreciate that Krang’s costume has a decent logo and not just the letter K.

The guards’ motivations shift pretty quickly. At first they seem apologetic, like arresting Namor is just doing their jobs, but then they insist he will rot in his cell, like they are enjoying this duty.

Anyways, the ancient King Neptune had a contingency plan for rebellions. The true king just has to go on a quest to find a trident, and then all will be well.

The first clue is guarded by a giant killer squid. Namor has dominion over all sea life except apparently this squid.

Continuity notes. This takes place immediately after Daredevil #7, offering further evidence Namor’s appearance in Avengers #16 takes place before that issue. All these events must be happening in very close proximity, and all shortly before Reed and Sue’s wedding. Namor doesn’t mention the wedding in this issue, but is presumably aware of it.

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So who is this Namor guy anyway?

The story begins circa 1939 with a creator named Bill Everett working for a packager of comic stories called Funnies Inc. He wrote a story about an underwater adventurer called the Sub-Mariner, which was first packaged into an anthology called Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, which was to be a promotional giveaway at the cinemas.

The comic was cancelled and never circulated, though copies of the original issue exist.

The 8-page story was sold again, now colored and expanded to 12 pages for Marvel Comics #1. Thus the Sub-Mariner became one of Marvel’s very first heroes, premiering alongside the Human Torch, Ka-Zar, and Angel. That is, if hero is the right word. The story opens with the Sub-Mariner murdering two divers. In fairness, he claims he mistook them for robots.

We meet the emperor of the Sub-Mariners, an unnamed squid-like fellow Namor addresses as “Holy One”, his grandfather, who rules the Antarctic kingdom of Aquaria.

In these modern Sub-Mariner comics, the kingdom of Aquaria seems to be instead named Atlantis, and it seems to be somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, not particularly close to Antarctica. Sub-Mariner Comics #31 told the mythological story of the origins of Namor’s people, which began with the kingdom of Atlantis sinking into the sea. Modern comics refer to Namor’s people as Atlanteans, whereas Everett always referred to them as Sub-Mariners.

Namor’s mother is the Princess Fen and his father was a human, Captain Leonard McKenzie.

In 1920, Captain McKenzie led the Oracle on a scientific expedition to the South Pole, not realizing their research was destroying the home of the Sub-Mariners below. Fen was sent to spy on the humans. She fell in love with McKenzie and bore his son, but still hated the humans for the destruction they wreaked. It had taken 20 years to replenish their numbers and build a new home, but they were now ready for Namor, the Avenging Son, to lead a war against the Surface World.

The details of their courtship were greatly expanded on by Everett 8 years later in Sub-Mariner Comics #32.

Namor’s hybrid genes mean he can live in either land or sea, that he can fly, and that he has the strength of a thousand men. He flies with the help of the tiny wings on his feet.

Namor’s cousin is Dorma. Since her reintroduction in the 1960s, Dorma has been in love with Namor and seeking to marry him. They yet haven’t mentioned in this decade that they are cousins, and I don’t ask too many questions.

Soon into his war on the Surface, he becomes attracted to a human woman, not his last. A police officer tries to rescue her from him, and Namor murders the cop. Hero?

Police officer Betty Dean is sent to stop Namor’s rampage, because of her skill with swimming and good looks. She becomes Namor’s first potential love interest, perhaps more of a “girl Friday”, and convinces him to redirect his energies.

If he must war on humans, why not Germans instead of Americans? And so Namor goes to war against Germany almost 2 years before America does.

Mainly because of his fondness for Betty, he returns to America to be a proper superhero and reconcile with his would-be enemies. They appreciate his service, but still insist he stand trial for all the murders he had committed. Namor agrees and they execute him, but the electricity only makes him stronger, and he renews his war against all mankind.

This pattern will basically continue throughout Namor’s life. Declare war on humanity, meet a girl, relent, declare war again.

His next rampage against the Surface will lead into an epic battle with the Human Torch, spread across Marvel Mystery Comics #7 through issue 10.

The next human Namor falls in love with is named Lynne Harris. Her boyfriend is a mere nuisance not to be bothered with, and Namor plans to force Lynne to undergo an operation that will allow her to live under the sea.

In Human Torch #3, Torch and Namor meet again. This time, Torch and his sidekick Toro rescue Namor from the German military.

In that issue’s prose story, Torch and Namor had another fight, this time over who had the better artist, Carl Burgos or Bill Everett. (Sorry, Torch, Namor’s right on this one.)

In Marvel Mystery Comics #17, they team up to stop a secret German invasion of America. Still a year before America actually enters the war.

In Sub-Mariner Comics #1, the Emperor is killed by Nazis and Namor assumes the throne. Later, he will seem to be not dead.

Soon enough, Namor was appearing regularly in four titles: Marvel Mystery Comics, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner Comics, and All-Winners Comics.

In Human Torch #5, Namor and Angel first team up against the Nazi Zombies, or Nazombies. Having met both Human Torch and Angel, this foreshadows Namor’s role in the coming Marvel Universe, where he will meet the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Daredevil, thus binding the stories tightly together into a universe.

Marvel Mystery Comics #24 sets the stage for what will be a regular theme of Namor’s 1960s adventures, including the story we just read. Namor’s crown has been usurped and he must regain his kingdom, when only Dorma remains loyal to him. This time, the usurper is Namor’s uncle (or maybe cousin), Daka. Daka also happens to be in love with Dorma. Daka seems to be the template character for Warlord Krang.

We’ve already covered the great epic that is Human Torch #5*, Namor’s boldest attempt to end World War II and install himself as the ruler of the Surface World. Plans which included flooding Manhattan, in a story featuring Human Torch, Toro, Angel, Patriot, and Ka-Zar.

When America finally joined Namor in the war, Bill Everett signed up and spent 4 years in the military, taking him away from Namor’s comics.

Other artists would greatly exaggerate Namor’s triangular head, remove the wings from his feet, take away his ability to fly, and be inconsistent regarding Namor’s strength levels.

Eventually, Namor met his female counterpart, Namora. She and Namor decide to work together after her father is murdered. Her name is Aquaria Nautica Neptuna, but she assumes the name Namora to be Namor’s partner. They met for the first time after her father’s death, and they are almost certainly not cousins. Namor’s cousin is Dorma. Namora agrees to be a flatmate with Betty Dean, Namor’s old cop friend, now a reporter. They become regular partners, and Namora even gets her own brief spin-off series.

The three of them have an odd relationship. Namor and his two women. Betty is occasionally jealous that Namor may be more interested in Namora (again, not his cousin) than her, but Namor usually makes it clear he’s more interested in adventure than women.

At one point, we see the first meeting of Namor and his cousin Namora as children. Yet we also saw them meet as adults, her take on the name Namora, and they weren’t cousins.

I’d understand if she were introduced as a love interest and then revealed to be his cousin a decade later or something, but we’re talking about issue 34, where we saw the Namor/Betty/Namora love triangle at play, and issue 39 where we learn Namora’s his cousin he met as a child. The same writer, just a few months later.

It’s really weird that there are two women in Namor’s life where the writers can’t recall if they’re a love interest or cousin or both. Sue’s never been revealed to be his cousin, has she?

These tales of Namor’s early life are further confusing because we saw he grew up away from his people and only rejoined them upon reaching adulthood and ready to lead the war on the Surface.

Bill Everett returns from the war and takes the reins again. But the popularity of superheroes is on the wane, and by 1949, Namor’s series will be canceled.

He gets a brief revival in 1954 alongside Human Torch and Captain America, and his return outlasts the others, but his series is cancelled again in 1955.

That catches up to the story we’ve been reading, when Namor returned in Fantastic Four #4. Namor was a regular foe of the Fantastic Four, and competition for Reed in his love for Sue.

My mother as a child was always rooting for Namor and Sue.

He teamed with Dr. Doom against the Fantastic Four and with the Hulk against the Avengers. He was indirectly responsible for the triumphant return of Captain America. He fought the X-Men, and famously Daredevil…

And in this way united the disparate titles into a single universe. He was a common enemy for all the heroes.

He and the Fantastic Four made peace and they secretly aided him against Attuma.

A lot has changed about Namor without explanation under Kirby’s brush. Now his people look basically human except blue. They used to have scales and large eyes and inconsistent coloring. His kingdom is now definitely called Atlantis. It doesn’t seem to be particularly confined to the Antarctic, and he seems to claim his dominion is all the seas, and maybe even the entire world. Dorma is his love interest, and it’s not been mentioned recently that they are cousins. We don’t yet know what became of Betty Dean.

Namor has also gained a variety of new powers, including the ability to mimic the abilities of random undersea creatures, and also the ability to communicate with random undersea creatures.

This latter power along with much of the new status quo seems to be stolen from DC’s Aquaman, who started off as a copy of Sub-Mariner. Art imitates art imitates art…

* Yes, I know I seemed to describe two different comics entitled Human Torch #5. Let’s not ask too many questions.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 55/100
Significance: ★★★★☆

I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner vol. 1.

Characters:

• Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
• Lady Dorma
• Warlord Krang
• King Neptune

Story notes:

• Possible full title: Beginning: “The Start of the Quest!”
• “Namor, the First, Prince of Atlantis, Emperor of the Deep, Lord of the Seven Seas, and Supreme Commander of the Undersea Legions.”
• Namor’s Kingdom is named Atlantis.
• Namor prays to Neptune, ancient king of Atlantis.
• Krang has claimed crown; people will stand with Namor; Dorma offers to help Namor reclaim crown.
• Namor scorns love of Dorma.
• Guards defeat Namor with his Hydro-ray.
• Krang accuses Namor of having a heart that belongs to the Surface World, that he pleaded for peace while his people cried for vengeance.
• Namor cannot break out of the prison he created.
• Dorma claims the people now support Krang.
• Legend: When Neptune retired from ruling Atlantis to begin the “Sleep of Ages”, he noted his enchanted trident was the symbol of imperial power. He hid it until the day a pretender seized the throne that his rightful heir may find the trident and reclaim his crown. The clues are deadly; the quest dangerous.
• Namor commands Dorma to bring him the Vibra-key.
• First Clue in the Cave of Shadows. Quest begins there.
• None before have gotten past the Cave of Shadows.
• Krang is monitoring Namor.
• Namor seeks a shell with Neptune’s mark guarded by a giant killer squid.
• Krang had the cave sealed. Namor has the clue, but Namor is trapped with the squid, 100x stronger than he.

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Strange Tales #136	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #70, Story B
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