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
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| Tales to Astonish #82, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #83, Story B |
| Tales to Astonish #82, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #83, Story B |
…My Secret Empire may yet rise again!
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.
Kirby’s sticking to the large 3-4 panel per page format, similar to what Colan would do. As with last issue, this is likely for efficiency, so he can get out this extra comic with speed.
Namor offers Krang the chance to surrender and face a jury. Which is weird because we’d just seen Namor meting out punishment unilaterally for the crime of being the cousin to the woman who’d left him. But I guess Krang gets due process.
Nice that Namor at least has finally realized everyone is entitled to due process.
Krang reminds us that Namor once got amnesia from a blow to the head. Foreshadowing.
Of course we should be pausing to appreciate that Kirby is the fill-in artist, so the action is expectedly dynamic.
Apparently the Secret Empire, introduced two issues ago, has fallen. Number 1 is now a fugitive and angry with the Hulk for ruining his plans and toppling the Empire. All Hulk has done so far is rescue Betty from Boomerang. Did that topple the Empire?
Or would we learn more if we had read the Hulk story of this issue first?
We’d have learned a little more, but this still wouldn’t make any sense. The Secret Empire was introduced two issues ago as this powerful global empire. They hired Boomerang to steal a missile. He decided to kidnap a girl to help. Hulk rescued the girl. The Empire is now finished.
It was the accursed Hulk who frustrated my plans, and made me a fugitive! But now– I have found the one man whose strength might be the equal of the Green Monster’s himself! Thus, if I can find a way to make the Sub-Mariner serve me– my Secret Empire may yet rise again!
So, in the next tale let’s look to see how Hulk has frustrated his plans, made him a fugitive, and how the Secret Empire fell.
The last time Namor came to the surface, he became a slave of the Puppet Master. Now Number One hopes to do the same with his Lobotomizer.
He won’t need to. A blow to the head gave Namor amnesia again, and now he thinks he works for the Secret Empire. This was foreshadowed.
Maybe the second half of this issue will make sense of the first half.
Spoiler: It won’t.
I must emphasize that the Secret Empire debuted two issues ago as a background subplot while Hulk was fighting Mole Man and Tyrannus. So far, all we’ve seen them do is hire Boomerang to attempt to kidnap Betty Ross and fail. And now they’re finished. And I’m not even sure how.
I don’t appreciate Namor getting amnesia here. One of the problems with the Marvel Universe in the decades to come will be cyclical turns and repeated stories. The characters should be moving forward and having new adventures, not living in an endless loop, where Namor getting amnesia once means that has to happen again.
Rating: ★★½, 49/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Namor
- Lady Dorma
- Warlord Krang
- Number 1
Story notes:
- Picks up where last issue left off.
- Dorma views Namor on the magna-screen.
- Namor’s instincts lead him toward Krang’s sea-cruiser despite the metal-molecular camouflager changing the ship’s appearance.
- Krang fires hydro-force blast at Namor. After a blast, it takes 3 seconds for the energy circuits to again reach full capacity.
- Krang will attack with sonic vortex ray. Other options include a sun blast and power borer. Power Borer will be activated later.
- Krang notes Namor’s vulnerability to the top of his skull, as evidenced by the blow to his head that left him in an amnesiac state for years. Editor’s note references Fantastic Four #4 and Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics #8.
- Number 1 speaks of how Hulk frustrated his plans and made him a fugitive. He thinks the Secret Empire may rise again.
- Dorma tries to explain herself , but Namor cannot hear her.
- Number 1 follows the battle in pontooned hovercraft.
- Number 1 has lobotomizer to give Namor a brain jolt and make him his servant.
- Krang’s fleet destroyer is a special fission bomb.
- Namor takes care of the bomb but is knocked to sea by the explosion, which takes out his memory.
- Number 1 convinces Namor he is his friend and the rest of the human race is his enemy…
| Previous | #574 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #82, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #83, Story B |
| Tales to Astonish #82, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #83, Story B |
