{"id":30563,"date":"2024-09-18T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T09:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=30563"},"modified":"2024-09-17T16:42:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T16:42:43","slug":"namor-the-sub-mariner-epic-collection-volume-3-who-strikes-for-atlantis-1968-1970","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2024\/09\/18\/namor-the-sub-mariner-epic-collection-volume-3-who-strikes-for-atlantis-1968-1970\/","title":{"rendered":"Namor, the Sub-Mariner Epic Collection volume 3: Who Strikes for Atlantis? (1968-1970)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Roy Thomas<\/strong>, Marie Severin, John Buscema, Gene Colan<\/strong>, Sal Buscema<\/strong>, Jack<\/strong> Katz, Dan Adkins<\/strong>, Mike Esposito<\/strong>, Johnny Craig<\/strong>, Frank Giacoia<\/strong>, George Klein<\/strong>, Joe Sinnott<\/strong>, Vince Colletta<\/strong>, Jim Mooney<\/strong> & various (MARVEL)
\nISBN: ?<\/strong>978-1-3029-4974-7 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner<\/strong> is the offspring of a water-breathing Atlantean princess and an American polar explorer; a hybrid being of immense strength, highly resistant to physical harm, able to fly, and thrive above and below the waves. Created by young, talented Bill Everett, Namor technically predates Marvel\/Atlas\/Timely Comics, and this is his 85th<\/sup> year of fictive existence.<\/p>\n

He first caught the public\u2019s avid attention as part of an elementally appealing fire vs. water headlining team-up in the October 1939 Marvel Comics<\/strong> #1 (which renamed itself Marvel Mystery Comics <\/strong>from #2 onwards). The amphibian antihero shared honours and top billing with The Human Torch<\/strong>, but was first seen (albeit in a truncated, monochrome version) in Motion Picture Funnies<\/strong>: a promotional booklet handed out to moviegoers earlier in the year. Rapidly emerging as one of the industry\u2019s biggest draws, Namor won his own title at the end of 1940 (cover-dated Spring 1941) and was one of the last super-characters to vanish at the end of the first heroic age.<\/p>\n

In 1954, when Atlas (as the company then was) briefly revived its \u201cBig Three\u201d line-up – the Torch and Captain America<\/strong> being the other two – Everett returned for an extended run of superbly dark, mordantly timely fantasy fables. However, even his input wasn\u2019t sufficient to keep the title afloat and eventually Sub-Mariner sank again.<\/p>\n

In 1961, as Stan Lee & Jack Kirby were reinventing superheroes with landmark title Fantastic Four<\/strong>, they revived the awesome, all-but-forgotten aquanaut as a troubled, semi-amnesiac antihero. Decidedly more bombastic, regal and grandiose, this returnee despised humanity: embittered by the loss of his subsea kingdom which had been (seemingly) destroyed by American atomic testing. His rightful revenge became infinitely complicated after he became utterly besotted with the FF<\/strong>\u2019s Susan Storm<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Namor knocked around the budding Marvel universe for a few years, squabbling with other star turns such as The Hulk<\/strong>, Avengers<\/strong>, X-Men<\/strong> and Daredevil<\/strong> before securing his own series as one half of Tales to Astonish<\/strong>, and from there graduating in 1968 to his own solo title. This third subsea selection collects The Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #4-27, spanning August 1968 to July 1979<\/p>\n

Previously, the hero\u2019s recapitulated origins and some plot seeding had introduced malign super-telepath Destiny<\/em> (who was responsible for those memory-deficient years), and the Prince had begun a search for the villain which led to his meeting undersea Inhuman<\/strong> courtier Triton<\/em>. This volume resumes with Namor still hunting Destiny, and falling into the sadistic clutches of subsea barbarian Attuma<\/em> after the merciless warlord attacks displaced, wandering Atlanteans. Although he triumphs in \u2018Who Strikes for Atlantis?\u2019<\/em> (by Roy Thomas, John Buscema & Frank Giacoia) and liberates his people, the Sub-Mariner swims on alone, believing his beloved Lady Dorma<\/em> to have perished in the battle…<\/p>\n

Twin nemeses debut next, in the forms of deranged bio-engineer Dr. Dorcas<\/em> and disabled ex-Olympic swimmer Todd Arliss<\/em>, who is mutated by mad science and Namor\u2019s own hybrid powers into a ravening amphibian killer in \u2018Watch Out for…<\/em> Tiger Shark!\u2019 <\/em>As Dorcas\u2019s blind ambition and lust for power unleash an aquatic horror he cannot control, Lady Dorma stumbles into Tiger Shark\u2019s clutches after he seemingly kills Namor. The man-monster parlays the situation into an attempt to seize the throne of Atlantis (once it\u2019s rebuilt) in \u2018…<\/em>And to the Vanquished…<\/em> Death!\u2019<\/em> (inked by Dan Adkins).<\/p>\n

Namor is rescued by Arliss\u2019 sister Diane<\/em> (another beautiful surface-dweller who will be a romantic distraction for Sub-Mariner for years to come) but has no time for gratitude as he tracks the mutated human and defeats him in personal combat. Restored to his throne, people and beloved, the Sub-Mariner is immediately called away when his greatest enemy is located. The tyrant telepath is about to seal his plans by taking control of America in \u2018For President…<\/em> the Man Called Destiny!\u2019<\/em> (we all know there have been far worse choices) but as Namor and Dorma challenge him in Manhattan, the villain\u2019s own pride proves to be his downfall (Destiny, that is…)<\/p>\n

An epic clash in #8 pits arrogant, impetuous Sub-Mariner against the Fantastic Four<\/strong>\u2019s Ben Grimm<\/em> – AKA T<\/strong>he Thing<\/strong> – for possession of the eerie helmet which furnished Destiny\u2019s mental powers. However, such pointless devastation \u2018In the Rage of Battle!\u2019<\/em> is almost irrelevant: what is truly significant is the reintroduction of a woman from Namor\u2019s past who can reason with him with as no other human can…<\/p>\n

Penciller Marie Severin joins writer Thomas and inker Adkins for a landmark moment as the helmet of power metamorphoses into an arcane artefact that will shape the history of the Marvel Universe. In \u2018The Spell of the Serpent!\u2019<\/em> the helm is exposed as a seductive supernatural crown that seizes the minds of the citizenry in Namor\u2019s absence, recreating an antediluvian empire ruled by elder god Set<\/em>. On his return, Namor confiscates the corrupting crown and is granted a glimpse of Earth\u2019s secret history as well as a vision of a lost Pacific undersea race – the Lemurians.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no such thing as coincidence though, so when their emissary Karthon the Quester<\/em> attempts to take the serpentine totem, Namor is ready to resist in the Gene Colan limned modern-day pirate yarn \u2018Never Bother a Barracuda!\u2019<\/em> As a tale of dawn age skulduggery unfolds involving demonic immortal priest Naga<\/em> and valiant Lemurian heroes who saved the world by stealing his crown, the water-breathers are ambushed by airbreathing pirate Cap\u2019n Barracuda<\/em> and forced to assist his scheme of nuclear blackmail…<\/p>\n

Seizing his chance, Karthon swipes the crown and flees, leaving Namor to face \u2018The Choice and the Challenge!\u2019<\/em> (George Klein inks), and eventually scuttle the atomic armageddon agenda, before making the perilous journey to Lemuria to challenge the mystic might and deadly illusions of Naga in \u2018A World Against Me!\u2019<\/em> – gloriously pencilled, inked and coloured by Severin. The epic encounter concludes as Joe Sinnott inks \u2018Death, Thou Shalt Die!\u2019<\/em> with Naga overreaching and losing the world, the crown and everything else…<\/p>\n

Next, innovative action and shameless nostalgia vie for attention as Thomas, Severin & Mike Esposito (moonlighting as Joe Gaudioso) decree \u2018Burn, Namor…<\/em> Burn!\u2019<\/em> in Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #14, as the Mad Thinker<\/em> apparently resurrects the original – android – Human Torch<\/strong> and sets him to destroy the monarch of Atlantis. This epic clash was one prong of an early experiment in multi-part cross-overs (Captain Marvel <\/strong>#14 and Avengers<\/strong> #64 being the other episodes of the triptych).<\/p>\n

Inked by Vince Colletta, \u2018The Day of the Dragon!\u2019<\/em> finds Namor back in Atlantis after months away, only to find his beloved Dorma has been abducted by Dr. Dorcas. The trail leads above the waves and to Empire State University, culminating in brutal battle against mighty android Dragon Man<\/em>…
\n\"\"
\n\u201cGaudioso\u201d inked Namor\u2019s voyage to a timeless phenomenon in search of Tiger Shark who had already conquered \u2018The Sea that Time Forgot!\u2019<\/em>, after which the Avenging Son contends with an alien intent on draining Earth\u2019s oceans in \u2018From the Stars…<\/em> the Stalker!\u2019<\/em>, pencilled in tandem by Severin and Golden Age Great Jack Katz, under nom de plume Jay Hawk.<\/p>\n

The saga ends calamitously in \u2018Side by Side with…<\/em> Triton!\u2019<\/em> (Thomas, Severin & Gaudioso) as, with the help of the aquatic Inhuman, Namor repels the extraterrestrial assault, but is stripped of his ability to breathe water. Forced to dwell on the surface, the despised Atlantean then crushingly clashes with an old friend in the livery of a new superhero in \u2018Support Y<\/em>our Local Sting-Ray!\u2019<\/em> This bombastic battle yarn also delivers a delicious peek at the Marvel Bullpen, courtesy of Severin & inker Johnny Craig\u2019s deft caricaturing skills…<\/p>\n

John Buscema resurfaces in #20, with Thomas scripting and Craig inking a chilling dose of realpolitik. \u2018In the Darkness Dwells…<\/em> Doom!\u2019<\/em> sees Namor lured by the promise of a cure to his breathing difficulties into the exploitative clutches of the Monarch of Latveria. Trapping Sub-Mariner and keeping him, however, are two wildly differing prospects…<\/p>\n

Informed of Namor\u2019s condition, \u2018Invasion from the Ocean Floor!\u2019<\/em> (Severin & Craig art) features the armies of Atlantis marshalled by Dorma and disgraced Warlord Seth<\/em> and besieging New York City. The clash almost invokes a new age of monsters…<\/p>\n

As Namor\u2019s malady is treated by Atlantean super-science, a key component of a new Superhero concept begins…<\/p>\n

Last of the big star conglomerate super-groups, T<\/strong>he Defenders<\/strong> would eventually count amongst its membership almost every hero – and many villains – of the Marvel Universe. No surprise there, as initially they were composed of the company\u2019s bad-boys: misunderstood, outcast and often actually dangerous to know. The genesis of the team in fact derived from their status as distrusted \u201cvillains\u201d. Before all that latterday inventive approbation, three linked tales of enigmatic antiheroes – Prince Namor, Incredible Hulk<\/strong> and Doctor Strange<\/strong> and stemming from the industry downturn in costumed superheroics started the ball rolling…<\/p>\n

Dr. Strange<\/strong> #183 (November 1969 and not included here) introduced infernal elder demon race the Undying Ones<\/em>, hungry to reconquer the Earth before that title folded. Now – cover-dated February 1970 – Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #22 tells what came next in \u2018The Monarch and the Mystic!\u2019<\/em> luring the Prince of Atlantis into the macabre mix, as Thomas, Severin & Craig\u2019s moody tale of sacrifice has the Master of the Mystic Arts apparently die to hold the gates of Hell shut with the Undying Ones pent behind them…<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re curious, the saga concludes on an upbeat note in Incredible Hulk<\/strong> #126 (April 1970). You might want to track down that too..<\/p>\n

Even restored to full capacity, there\u2019s no peace for the regal, and Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #23 finds Namor contending archvillain Warlord Krang<\/em> after he and Dr. Dorcas use the power-transfer process to create an Atlantean wonder possessing the might of killer whales (if not their intellects!) in \u2018The Coming of…<\/em> Orka!\u2019<\/em> The slow-witted psycho subsequently sets an army of enraged cetaceans against the sunken city as John Buscema & Jim Mooney step in artistically to depict how \u2018The Lady and the Tiger Shark!\u2019<\/em> finds Namor enslaved and Dorma making Faustian pacts to save Atlantis.<\/p>\n

A landmark tale follows as – restored to rule and ready to be riled – Namor becomes an early and strident environmental activist after surface world pollution slaughters some of his subjects. Crafted by Thomas, Sal Buscema & Mooney, \u2018A World My Enemy!\u2019<\/em> follows Sub-Mariner\u2019s bellicose confrontation with the UN as he puts humanity on notice: clean up your mess or I will. From this point on the antihero would become a minor icon and strident advocate of the issues, even if only to young comics readers.<\/p>\n

Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #26 offers more of Marvel\u2019s secret history as the recently self-appointed relentless guardian of the safety and ecology of all Earth\u2019s oceans, furtively returns to the surface world. In \u2018\u201cKill!\u201d Cried the Raven!\u2019<\/em> (art by Sal B & Gaudioso\/ Esposito) the Sub-Mariner comes topside to investigate reports of comatose superhuman Red Raven. <\/em>He was the human emissary of a legendary race of sky-dwelling Birdmen recently encountered by The Angel <\/strong>(X-Men<\/strong> #44) in their last clash with Magneto<\/strong>. With the covert assistance of Diane Arliss, Namor seeks to forge an alliance with the Avian race, but shocks, surprises and the Raven\u2019s trauma-induced madness all conspire to sink the plan\u2026<\/p>\n

Concluding this vintage voyage is another buccaneering bonanza as, back brooding in Atlantis in the wake of another failure, Namor\u2019s mood is further poisoned when a surface pirate uses his giant monster-vessel to attack shipping, leaving Atlantis bearing the brunt of blame \u2018When Wakes the Kraken!\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

Namor\u2019s hunt for bizarre bandit Commander Kraken<\/em> again involves Diane and ends only when the Sub-Mariner demonstrates what a real sea monster looks like\u2026<\/p>\n

With covers by John and Sal Buscema, Giacoia, Adkins, Herb Trimpe, Marie Severin, Colan, John Romita, Esposito, Sinnott, Frank Brunner & Craig; plus six pages of original story and cover art by the Buscemas, Giacoia, Severin, Craig, Colan, Adkins, and a magnificent Marie self-portrait print from 1970 this is a treat to savour. Many early Marvel Comics are more exuberant than qualitative, but this volume – especially from an art-lover\u2019s point of view – is a wonderful exception: a historical treasure trove with narrative bite that fans can delight in forever. With the Prince of Atlantis now a bona fide big screen sensation (albeit one nobody\u2019s ever heard of) this might be the time to get wise and impress your friends with the depth of your comics knowledge\u2026
\n\u00a9 2023 MARVEL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Roy Thomas, Marie Severin, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Sal Buscema, Jack Katz, Dan Adkins, Mike Esposito, Johnny Craig, Frank Giacoia, George Klein, Joe Sinnott, Vince Colletta, Jim Mooney & various (MARVEL) ISBN: ?978-1-3029-4974-7 (TPB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner is the offspring of a … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Namor, the Sub-Mariner Epic Collection volume 3: Who Strikes for Atlantis? (1968-1970)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,94,317,158,255,54,102,320,189,79,174,242,219,107,39,155,231,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-avengers","category-doctor-doom","category-dr-strange","category-environmentalism","category-fantastic-four","category-fantasy","category-human-torch","category-inhumans","category-marvel-superheroes","category-nick-fury","category-pirates","category-s-h-i-e-l-d","category-science-fiction","category-spider-man","category-sub-mariner","category-the-thing","category-x-men"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7WX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30563"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30568,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30563\/revisions\/30568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}