{"id":36176,"date":"2026-08-10T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T08:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=36176"},"modified":"2026-08-07T17:58:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T17:58:34","slug":"namor-the-sub-mariner-epic-collection-volume-5-the-invasion-of-new-york-1972-1974","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/08\/10\/namor-the-sub-mariner-epic-collection-volume-5-the-invasion-of-new-york-1972-1974\/","title":{"rendered":"Namor, the Sub-Mariner Epic Collection volume 5: The Invasion of New York 1972-1974"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-bk-250x385.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-36181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-bk-250x385.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-bk-150x231.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-bk-768x1183.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-bk.jpg 982w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-frt-250x385.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-36182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-frt-250x385.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-frt-150x231.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-frt-768x1182.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-frt.jpg 982w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><br \/>\nBy<strong> Bill Everett<\/strong>,<strong> Steve Gerber<\/strong>, <strong>Mike Friedrich<\/strong>, <strong>Marv Wolfman<\/strong>, <strong>Howard Chaykin<\/strong>, <strong>Steve Skeates<\/strong>, <strong>Bill Mantlo<\/strong>, <strong>Dan Adkins<\/strong>, <strong>Alan Weiss<\/strong>, <strong>Sam Kweskin<\/strong>, <strong>Don Heck<\/strong>, <strong>George Tuska<\/strong>, <strong>Win Mortimer<\/strong>, <strong>John Tartaglione<\/strong>, <strong>Jim Mooney<\/strong>, <strong>Frank Giacoia<\/strong>, <strong>John Sinnott<\/strong>, <strong>Syd Shores<\/strong>, <strong>Don Perlin<\/strong>, <strong>Frank Chiaramonte<\/strong>, <strong>Frank Bolle<\/strong>, <strong>Vince Colletta<\/strong>, <strong>John Romita Sr.<\/strong>, <strong>Gil Kane<\/strong>, <strong>Marie Severin<\/strong>, <strong>Franc Reyes<\/strong> &amp; various (MARVEL)<br \/>\nISBN: (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n<p><em>This book includes <strong>Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In his most primal incarnation (<em>other origins are available but may differ due to timeslips, circumstance and screen dimensions<\/em>) <strong>Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner<\/strong> is the proud, noble and usually upset offspring of the union of a water-breathing Atlantean princess and an American polar explorer. That doomed romance resulted in a hybrid being of immense strength and extreme resistance to physical harm, able to fly and thrive above and below the waves. Over decades, a wealth of creators added to the fishy tale and today\u2019s Namor is hailed as Marvel\u2019s First Mutant as well as the original \u201cbad boy Good Guy\u201d. He was created by young, talented Bill Everett, for non-starter cinema premium <strong>Motion Picture Weekly Funnies<\/strong>: #1 (October 1939) so &#8211; technically &#8211; Namor predates Marvel, Atlas and Timely Comics.<\/p>\n<p>The Marine Miracleman first caught the public\u2019s avid attention as part of an elementally appealing fire vs. water headlining team-up in the October 1939 <strong>Marvel Comics<\/strong> #1 (which renamed itself <strong>Marvel Mystery Comics <\/strong>from #2 onwards). The amphibian antihero shared honours and top billing with <strong>The Human Torch<\/strong>, having debuted (albeit in a truncated, monochrome version) in the aforementioned promotional booklet designed to be handed out to moviegoers earlier in the year. Our late-starter antihero rapidly emerged as one of the industry\u2019s biggest draws, winning his own title at the end of 1940 (cover-dated Spring 1941).<\/p>\n<p>His appeal was baffling but solid and he was one of the last super-characters to vanish at the end of the first heroic age.<\/p>\n<p>In 1954, when Atlas (as the company then was) briefly revived its \u201cBig Three\u201d line-up &#8211; the Torch and <strong>Captain America<\/strong> being the other two &#8211; Everett returned for an extended run of sublimely dark, mordantly moody, creepily contemporary fantasy fables. Even so, his input wasn\u2019t sufficient to keep the title afloat and eventually Sub-Mariner sank again. In 1961, as Stan Lee &amp; Jack Kirby were reinventing superheroes with their <strong>Fantastic Four<\/strong>, they revived and reimagined the awesome, all-but-forgotten aquanaut as a troubled, angry semi-amnesiac. Decidedly more bombastic, regal and grandiose, this returnee despised humanity: embittered and broken by the loss of his subsea kingdom, which had been (seemingly) destroyed by American atomic testing. His urge for rightful revenge was infinitely complicated after he became utterly besotted with the <strong>FF<\/strong>\u2019s <em>Susan Storm<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Namor knocked around the budding Marvel universe for years, squabbling with star turns such as <strong>The Hulk<\/strong>, <strong>Avengers<\/strong>, <strong>X-Men<\/strong> and <strong>Daredevil<\/strong> before securing his own series as one half of <strong>Tales to Astonish<\/strong>. From there he graduated in 1968 to his own solo title again.<\/p>\n<p>Cumulatively spanning cover-dates June 1972 to September 1974, this subsea selection trawls <strong>Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #50-72, signalling the end of another era and rising dominance of genre fare in the superhero-saturated market of that period. Also dredged up and tipped in is a tentative attempt to revive his solo star status as seen in <strong>Marvel Spotlight<\/strong> #27 (April 1976) just as horror-heroes began to wither away in the light of shiny space operas and resurgent superheroes as we all unwittingly bided our time until the advent of <strong>Star Wars<\/strong> unleashed a wave of Science Fiction sagas. Here, however, we see the triumphant glorious last hurrahs of originator Everett in salty sagas and dry land dramas&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Namor had endured months of escalating horror as old enemies including <em>Prince Byrrah<\/em>, <em>Warlord Krang<\/em>, <em>Attuma<\/em>, <em>Dr. Dorcas<\/em> and sinister shapeshifter <em>Llyra<\/em> perpetually assaulted his sunken kingdom. They were soundly defeated, but these constant clashes led to the murder of Namor\u2019s bride-to-be <em>Lady Dorma<\/em>. He had been betrayed by his most trusted ally and, heartsick, angry and despondent, abdicated the throne, choosing to pursue the human half of his hybrid heritage as a surface dweller. The decision was fraught with more potential grief, leading to battles with surface world authorities; deranged psionic hermit <em>Stephan Tuval<\/em> and mind-tyrant <em>Turalla<\/em>; monster-maker <em>Aunt Serr<\/em>, <em>M.O.D.O.K.<\/em> and AIM. Namor seldom fought alone and initial clashes with old friends like <em>Diane Arliss<\/em> and <em>Walt Newell<\/em> (part-time undersea Avenger <strong>Stingray<\/strong>), <strong>Spider-Man<\/strong>, <strong>Daredevil<\/strong> and <strong>Human Torch<\/strong> <em>Johnny Storm<\/em> ultimately resulted in refreshed alliances, culminating in a poignant but brief reunion with his long-lost father <em>Leonard McKenzie<\/em>, a man Namor had for his entire life believed killed by Atlanteans in 1920.<\/p>\n<p>When that tragic hostage to fortune was murdered by post-human horror <em>Tiger Shark<\/em> &amp; Llyra, twice-orphaned, traumatised Namor lost his memory again, and was exploited as cannon fodder by <strong>Doctor Doom<\/strong> before eventually breaking free to retrench in bitter confusion and ponder his future&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Thus , a fresh start begins in #50 as Everett resurfaces to ask <em>\u2018Who Am I?\u2019<\/em>, with the bewildered amphibian reeling in confusion at the beach until his heroic instincts kick in and he saves a drowning teenager from seaweed and pollution. His actions are completely misunderstood and she savagely attacks him, before swimming off right out to sea&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Lesson learned, Namor concentrates on his own woes and sets off for Antarctica, eventually fetching up in the Ross Sea to explore the crumbling remains of the original Atlantis. His reveries are shattered when he is attacked by mutant crab creatures guarding the tomb of his beloved long-lost cousin and WWII partner in crimefighting <strong>Namora<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Confronting sinister leader <em>Salamar the Sustainer<\/em>, Namor discover a bizarre scheme to exploit the vast oil reserves under the ocean floor, and learns old foes are shaping events: treacherous cousin Byrrah and seemingly unkillable Llyra. He also meets again that abrasive teenager and discovers she is Namora\u2019s wayward daughter&#8230;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1904\" height=\"1368\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1.jpg 1904w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1-150x108.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1-250x180.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1-768x552.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-1-1536x1104.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nAs all hell breaks loose, former prince and newfound cousin <em>Namorita<\/em> make a break for it in a hail of blaster fire as <em>\u2018Armageddon\u2026 at Fifty Fathoms Full!\u2019 <\/em>(scripted by Mike Friedrich) exposes a scaly hidden hand behind the carnage. Byrrah is allied with the alien Brotherhood of Baddoon, who want the (radioactive!) oil reserves, albeit not for the reasons they share with the usurper. Ultimately, the aliens, Byrrah, and Salamar\u2019s savage crab people can\u2019t agree and the seagoing cousins are participants in a shattering showdown that results in environmental catastrophe\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Seeking to confirm Namorita\u2019s account of how Namora died whilst dumping her with his old girlfriend <em>Betty Dean Prentiss<\/em>, Sub-Mariner cruises into a clash with ultra-nationalist Japanese mutant and future X-Man <strong>Sunfire<\/strong> as <em>\u2018The Atomic Samurai!\u2019<\/em> &#8211; ever receptive to deranged patriotic ranting &#8211; falls under the sway of war criminal demagogue <em>Dragon-Lord, last of the samurai<\/em>. He plans to unleash his new Nipponese army and deadly defoliants upon America, a tactic that might destroy the oceans&#8230;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1928\" height=\"1383\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2.jpg 1928w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2-150x108.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2-768x551.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-2-1536x1102.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nAfter a spectacular new incidence of the classic Golden Age \u201cFire vs Water\u201d duel, Everett took full creative control for follow-up <em>\u2018\u2026And the Rising Sun Shall Fall!\u2019<\/em> wherein Sunfire sees sense and switches sides to save the seas, leading to all-out war in concluding half-chapter <em>\u2018Now Comes\u2026 the Decision!\u2019<\/em>,: a brief battle that leaves room in #54 for a \u201cMighty Marvel Mini Classic!\u201d with Friedrich &amp; Alan Weiss detailing how <em>\u2018Namor the First, Prince of Atlantis battles<\/em> <em>The Mer-Mutants\u2019<\/em>: a light but lovely puff piece involving a mermaid acting as a subsea honey trap for her hungry kin&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>NtSM<\/strong> #55 sees Namor at last wave goodbye to \u201cNita\u201d &amp; Betty before revisiting Antarctica and enduring an unexpected and brutal encounter with scavenging wrecker <em>\u2018The Abominable Snow-King!\u2019 <\/em>The literally monstrous <em>Torg<\/em>\u2019s ambition is to pit enslaved sea life against humanity but sinks once the Sub-Mariner gets involved, after which Friedrich &amp; veteran illustrator Dan Adkins steer the abdicated Prince back to his forsaken kingdom in <em>\u2018Atlantis, Mon Amour!\u2019 <\/em>Sadly, he\u2019s too late to stop his former subjects making a tragic fear-fuelled mistake that results in atrocity and genocide after aquatic alien refugee beg for aid&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>When Everett returned he opened the doors to Marvel\u2019s Atlas era-past with a tempestuous yarn that would eventually affect the entire continuity. <em>\u2018\u2026In the Lap of the Gods\u2019<\/em> reintroduced 1950s sensation <strong>Venus<\/strong>, whose impact would ripple out across the MU and ultimately reveal her hidden history as part of the <strong>Agents of Atlas<\/strong> sub-franchise.<\/p>\n<p>It begins in a shattering storm as Namor rescues a lovely mystery woman stranded on a rock and stumbles into a long-running grudge match between the Hellenic gods of Love and War. A contemporary tale of dissent and unrest, the story reunites him with Namorita, who, in his absence, has become a college student and activist. Moreover, her favourite lecturer &#8211; Humanities Professor <strong><em>V<\/em><\/strong><em>ictoria <strong>N.<\/strong> <strong>S<\/strong>tarr<\/em> &#8211; also has a concealed alter ego and lethal stalker: malign divinity and former pantheon mate <strong>Ares<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Having held at bay one angry god, Namor returns to Atlantis, resolved to restore the undersea nation to forefront of civilisation but his program of changes is stalled when <em>\u2018Hands Across the Waters, Hands Across the Skies\u2026\u2019<\/em> (Everett supervising, steering and inking dialoguer Steve Gerber &amp; layout artist Sam Kweskin) uncovers a survivor and witness to the recent massacre of alien ambassadors by Atlanteans. <em>Tamara of the Sisterhood<\/em> claims to offer forgiveness and seek understanding, but many of the perpetrators would rather there were no testimony or recriminations to deal with. Most tellingly, the superstrong survivor and her pet monster have their own plans and soon the prince is sucked into more pointless battle\u2026<\/p>\n<p>With John Tartaglione inking Everett\u2019s plot, Gerber &amp; Kweskin forecast <em>\u2018Thunder Over the Seas!\u2019<\/em>, a tale of tragic miscomprehension as Namor again clashes with the surface world. As the Sub-Mariner\u2019s new advisor, Tamara is targeted by Atlantean scout <em>Lorvex<\/em> &#8211; who is driven wild by her exotic beauty and rarity. Obsessively stalking and assaulting her, Lorvex drives her into Russian trawler nets where the rubicund refugee becomes a prized possession after the vessel and its contents are impounded by the US Coast Guard. Now Tamara is a <em>cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre<\/em> and topic of heated debate at the United Nations\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Having dealt with Lorvex, Namor seeks out his new friend, and crashes into chaos as the war of words over the alien mermaid triggers the usual bellicose response amongst humans. By the time surface-dwelling Namorita summons her cousin to rescue Tamara, founding Avenger <strong>Thor<\/strong> has stepped in to keep the peace. Sadly it\u2019s too late to stop<em> \u2018The Invasion of New York!\u2019<\/em> (Everett, Gerber, Kweskin &amp; Jim Mooney), with Lorvex exploiting the campaign to regain position and secretly abduct Tamara from UN custody. Enraged and resigned, Sub-Mariner acts decisively and violently to end the crisis, and accepts at last the fate he has been really fighting, finally accepting once more the throne and responsibilities of ruling Atlantis.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1922\" height=\"1376\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3.jpg 1922w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3-768x550.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-3-1536x1100.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nIt was an open secret that Everett was dying at this time, but his Marvel friends and employers allowed him to work on until he couldn\u2019t. Thus <strong>Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #61\u2019s<em> The Prince and the Pirate!\u2019<\/em> &#8211; credited to Gerber, Everett, Win Mortimer &amp; Mooney &#8211; opens with the old master pictorially revealing revelry in the subsea kingdom as Namor\u2019s coronation ends before a new storyline starts on page 4 as Namorita and human guardian Betty Prentiss are abducted along with an entire passenger plane. The voyagers are victims of deranged geneticist <em>Dr. Hydro<\/em> who mutates them all (bar already amphibian Nita) into human-merman hybrids to populate his army of environmental conquest. When Namor tracks the ongoing abductions and invades mobile island Hydrobase to save his cousin, he is soundly defeated by the maniac\u2019s super science. Moreover, the failed assault inspires Hydro to invade Atlantis and make it his new stronghold from which to convert the rest of humanity\u2026<\/p>\n<p>The drama plays out in #62 as Gerber, Sam Kweskin &amp; Frank Giacoia explore <em>\u2018A Realm Besieged!\u2019 <\/em>before Tamara in Atlantis and Nita on Hydrobase thwart Hydro\u2019s schemes; leaving the Sub-Mariner to ponder what to do with the hundreds of innocent, unwilling scaly amphibian freaks that neither Atlanteans or surface-dwellers want anything to do with\u2026<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1898\" height=\"1376\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4.jpg 1898w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4-150x109.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4-250x181.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4-768x557.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-4-1536x1114.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nSteve Gerber was a uniquely gifted writer who combined a deep love of Marvel\u2019s continuity minutiae with dark irrepressible wit, incisive introspection, barbed socio-cultural criticism, a barely reined-in imagination and boundless bizarrely wilful surrealism. His stories were always at the extreme edge of the company\u2019s intellectual canon and never failed to deliver surprise and satisfaction, especially when he couched his sardonic sorties in thinly veiled attacks on burgeoning cultural homogenisation and commercial barbarity.<\/p>\n<p>With critical success <strong>Man-Thing<\/strong> he was holding up a mirror to many cordoned-off and taboo subjects and weaving history from scattered snippets of Marvel\u2019s continuity. With his final stint on Sub-Mariner, Gerber expanded that universe exponentially, building by exploring pre-cataclysm history, aided by Howard Chaykin in back-up series <em>\u2018Tales of Atlantis!\u2019<\/em> Here the first chapter &#8211; inked by Joe Sinnott &#8211; sees antediluvian, human-built Atlantis losing its war with rival superpower Lemuria and Emperor <em>Kamuu<\/em> and his bride <em>Zartra<\/em> prepare for the bloody end&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Over Everett\u2019s posthumous plot, Gerber, Kweskin &amp; Syd Shores produce #63 as <em>\u2018\u2026And the Seas Shall Explode!\u2019<\/em> sees seemingly dead Dr Hydro return to destroy the Atlanteans by triggering a volcano under their city and compelling Namor to take no chances and offer no mercy to save his subjects once and for all, Tales of Atlantis resumes as Gerber, Chaykin &amp; Sinnott reveal how the fate of the first Atlantis is sealed by <em>\u2018Cataclysm!\u2019 <\/em>As hand-to-hand combat peaks, the city sinks beneath the seas, but its heritage is saved, carried away by missionary sorceress <em>Zered-Na<\/em> and her devout disciples; for which you need to scope out Gerber\u2019s other contemporaneous assignments: <strong>Son of Satan<\/strong> in <strong>Marvel Spotlight<\/strong> and <strong>Man-Thing<\/strong> in <strong>Adventures into Fear<\/strong>. We\u2019ve covered them elsewhere so feel free to scroll away in the search engines&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Here, though, and wading off at a weird tangent, Gerber, Don Heck &amp; Don Perlin play with satire and pop culture in #64\u2019s <em>\u2018Voyage into Chaos!\u2019<\/em> When intolerant Atlanteans intern the aimless, despondent amphibian victims of Dr. Hydro, furious, ashamed Namor responds with a fit of fury, just as cool heads are needed to assess another astounding incursion. Soon, a quartet of strange visitors from magical dimension Zephyrland &#8211; <em>Ariel the Musician<\/em>, <em>Ibbar the Scolar<\/em>, <em>Kabal the Wizard<\/em> &amp; <em>Zargus<\/em> <em>the Warrior<\/em> &#8211; are petitioning the Sub-Mariner to hop in their Golden Submarine and help them liberate their enslaved homeland from bestial, tone-deaf horror <em>Virago the She-Beast<\/em>. Willing and even eager to go for many reasons Namor joins them but is ambushed and defeated as soon as arrives in the land of golden meanies&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Third Tales of Atlantis episode <em>\u2018In the Wake of the Warriors!\u2019 <\/em>reveals how, five millennia later, nomadic clans of water-breathing <em>Homo Mermanus<\/em> settle in the ruins of the sunken city-continent and clash constantly, thanks to the enmity of sworn enemies <em>Widow-Queen<\/em> <em>Elanna <\/em>and <em>King Stegor<\/em>. They cannot see waves of destiny pushing their battle-hardened children towards an incredible coalition. Successive instalments <em>\u2018The Lurker in the Ruins!\u2019<\/em> (Gerber, Mooney &amp; Frank Chiaramonte in #65 and concluding chapter <em>\u2018The Sword in the Throne!\u2019<\/em> inked by Sinnott in #66) ended the series abruptly as those children &#8211; destiny- touched <em>Kamuu <\/em>and Elanna\u2019s daughter <em>Zartra<\/em> &#8211; after meeting ghosts and battling demons, unite the tribes to create the dynasty of sunken Atlantis that will lead millennia later to the coming later of Namor\u2026<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1937\" height=\"1383\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5.jpg 1937w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5-250x178.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-5-1536x1097.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nBack in the now, the series was struggling, sparking a rapid radical rebrand as <strong>Prince Namor, the Savage Sub-Mariner<\/strong> and #65 offering <em>\u2018The Cry of the She-Beast!\u2019<\/em> as Gerber, Heck &amp; Perlin detail how Virago crushes resistance at home, physically humiliates Namor and launches an attack across dimensions upon Atlantis. Her departure sparks a successful but so-costly revolution in Zephyrland and (with valiant Namor clinging to her hurtling Golden Submarine) provokes a shocking resurrection after splashing down on Earth in #66.<em> \u2018Rise, Thou Killer Whale\u2019<\/em> (Gerber, Heck &amp; Perlin) sees Virago driven away from Atlantis at great cost, only to stumble upon the tomb of defeated &#8211; but apparently only dormant &#8211; <em>Orka the <\/em>(humanoid) <em>Killer Whale<\/em> &#8211; who unites with a clearly kindred spirit to devastate the sunken city with an armada of crazed cetaceans&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The catastrophic clash leads to the Sub-Mariner again falling, but this time amidst toxic nerve gas dumped by surface dwellers. The chemical poisons alter his body chemistry, making it impossible to breathe air or maintain body moisture. Moreover, as the cloud of death expands currents wash it over Atlantis, plunging all within the perimeter &#8211; Virago and Orka included &#8211; into comas in landmark tale <em>\u2018Seawinds of Change!\u2019<\/em> (Gerber, Heck &amp; Frank Bolle).<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, whilst dying Namor heads for the surface to be found by old ally <em>Triton<\/em> of <strong>The Inhumans<\/strong>, who brings Namor to former foes the Fantastic Four. Smartest Man Alive <em>Reed Richards<\/em> swiftly diagnoses and rapidly constructs a bodysuit to provide constant artificial respiration &#8211; over Namor\u2019s churlish and violent protests &#8211; and he heads home to finish his fight. Sadly, what he finds in #68 (January 1974, Mooney inks) leaves him <em>\u2018On the Brink of Madness!\u2019 <\/em>Only Tamara, Nita and Hydro\u2019s amphibians escaped the nerve agent\u2019s effects and now must calm down the bereft monarch. To stabilise the crisis, they relocate to vacant Hydrobase and direct Namor to a human scientist whose forcefield researches might provide a means to protect dormant Atlanteans from predators and further harm.<\/p>\n<p>After seeking spiritual guidance from patron god <em>Father Neptune<\/em>, Namor sets off, but when the king without a kingdom seeks out <em>Dr Damon Walthers<\/em>, he discovers the genius\u2019 works stolen by his assistant. Shot from the sky by neophyte supervillain <em>Force<\/em>, their initial clash is inconclusive but does draw the attention of passing student <em>Peter Parker<\/em>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile in Zephyrland, the war goes badly and the survivors consider calling in Sorcerer Supreme <em>Stephen Strange<\/em>\u2026<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1940\" height=\"1370\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6.jpg 1940w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6-150x106.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6-250x177.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6-768x542.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-6-1536x1085.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nGeorge Tuska &amp; Vince Colletta illustrate <strong>Prince Namor, the Savage Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #69 as Gerber rapidly wraps up his hanging plot threads in anticipation of a sudden cancellation. <em>\u2018Two Worlds \u2026and Dark Destiny!\u2019 <\/em>sees <strong>Dr Strange<\/strong> offer aid, a pointless battle between spider hero and fishman and a final encounter with Force that leaves Namor victorious, in control of Walthers\u2019 forcefield tech and Atlantis safely stored \u201cunder glass\u201d until a cure can be found &#8211; an inauspicious but satisfactory stopping point. Confoundingly the series still had three issues to run with Marv Wolfman, Tuska &amp; Colletta depicting <em>\u2018Namor Unchained!\u2019<\/em> in #70 whilst adding further safeguards to sleeping Atlantis, until targeted by now-independent mutated fishmen grown by Dr. Dorcas under the guidance of an ambitious aquatic atrocity. The brutal duel delivers more deaths and butchery as #71 clamours <em>\u2018Comes the Pirahna!\u2019<\/em> and the series finally sank with #72 (dated September 1974 and on sale from 18<sup>th<\/sup> June) as Steve Skeates, Dan Adkins &amp; Colletta catered an alien encounter as Namor faced obnoxious humans and a lost interstellar shapeshifter in <em>\u2018From the Void It Came\u2026\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The antihero resurfaced in <strong>Giant-Sized Super-Villain Team-Up<\/strong> #1 (cover-dated March 1975), revived as one half of a tag-team with fellow misunderstood autocrat <strong>Doctor Doom<\/strong> whilst seeking a cure for his people and his own condition. That sustained momentum led to the last tale here, a solo exploit taken from <strong>Marvel Spotlight<\/strong> #27 (April 1976) as Bill Mantlo &amp; Mooney revealed <em>\u2018Death is the Symbionic Man!\u2019<\/em> Incorporating Prime Earth\u2019s military industrial villain <em>Captain Simon Stryker<\/em> (of alternate Earth epic <strong>Deathlok the Demolisher<\/strong>) the pacy yarn saw Sub-Mariner hunted for potential spare parts and powers by the messianic maniac and battling Stryker\u2019s most deadly killer-cyborg yet&#8230;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1955\" height=\"1509\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7.jpg 1955w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7-250x193.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Namor-the-SubMariner-Epic-Collection-vol-5-illo-7-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><br \/>\nBonus material includes covers by Everett, John Romita, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema, Al Weiss, Jim Starlin, Larry Lieber, Joe Sinnott, Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, Mike Esposito, Vince Colletta, &amp; Al Milgrom, supplemented with original art pages and personal commissions by \u201cWild Bill\u201d. Also on view are House ads; the editorial page from #67 wherein Gerber explained the costume change plus Romita\u2019s original designs for the new outfit. Special treats comprise Everett\u2019s unused cover watercolour rough for <strong>Marvel Comics<\/strong> (1939) #2; the Everett cover and Franc Reyes frontispiece of <strong>Marvel Index<\/strong> #7b (1978); a stellar Venus pinup from <strong>Marvel Spotlight<\/strong> #2 (1972) and &#8211; following the announcement of Everett\u2019s death &#8211; a visual memorial from editor and friend Thomas, limned by Marie Severin &amp; Giacoia as it appeared in <strong>Sub-Mariner<\/strong> #65 (September 1973).<\/p>\n<p>In comics, the best thing about \u201cthe Mighty falling\u201d is that so often another time throws up fresh ideas and creators who will regenerate faded concepts. It a cycle as timeless and relentlessly repeating as the tides. The venerable Sub-Mariner always comes back stronger and more appetising, and you owe it to yourself to be ready for the next wave by getting to know these classics. Many early Marvel Comics are more exuberant than qualitative, but this volume, especially from an story-lover\u2019s point of view, is a wonderful exception: historical treasures with narrative bite and indescribable style and panache that fans will delight in forever.<br \/>\n\u00a9 2025 MARVEL.<\/p>\n<p>Today in 1923 French creator <strong>Jean Graton<\/strong> (<strong><em>Michel Vaillant<\/em><\/strong>) was born, sharing natal celebrations with comics genius <strong>Eddie Campbell<\/strong> (<strong>Alec<\/strong>, <strong>Bacchus<\/strong>, <strong>From Hell<\/strong>) in 1955 and colourist <strong>Christie Scheele<\/strong> in 1957.<\/p>\n<p>Losses include cartoonist <strong>Virgil Partch<\/strong> in 1984; Belgian writer <strong>Henri Gillain<\/strong> (<em>Il y a un sorcier \u00e0 Champignac<\/em>, <em>Le Tr\u00e9sor d\u2019Alaric<\/em>, <em>N\u00e8gre Blanc<\/em>) in 1999; <strong>Mad<\/strong> mainstay <strong>Jerry DeFucchio<\/strong> in 2001 and Filipino artist <strong>Mar Amongo<\/strong> (DC anthologies, <strong><em>Noli Me Tangere<\/em><\/strong>, <strong>The Tiger\u2019s Fang<\/strong>, <strong>Talons of Time<\/strong>) in 2005.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Bill Everett, Steve Gerber, Mike Friedrich, Marv Wolfman, Howard Chaykin, Steve Skeates, Bill Mantlo, Dan Adkins, Alan Weiss, Sam Kweskin, Don Heck, George Tuska, Win Mortimer, John Tartaglione, Jim Mooney, Frank Giacoia, John Sinnott, Syd Shores, Don Perlin, Frank Chiaramonte, Frank Bolle, Vince Colletta, John Romita Sr., Gil Kane, Marie Severin, Franc Reyes &amp; &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/08\/10\/namor-the-sub-mariner-epic-collection-volume-5-the-invasion-of-new-york-1972-1974\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Namor, the Sub-Mariner Epic Collection volume 5: The Invasion of New York 1972-1974&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_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},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[335,191,94,427,175,158,255,54,102,332,189,146,79,396,328,225,242,111,107,385,39,256,100,93,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activism","category-adventure","category-avengers","category-bill-everett","category-defenders","category-dr-strange","category-environmentalism","category-fantastic-four","category-fantasy","category-gil-kane","category-inhumans","category-marvel-horror","category-marvel-superheroes","category-monsters","category-music","category-mystery","category-pirates","category-satirepolitics","category-science-fiction","category-sea-stories","category-spider-man","category-sword-sorcery","category-thor","category-war-stories","category-x-men"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-9pu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36176","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=36176"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36186,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36176\/revisions\/36186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}