Namor, the Sub-Mariner, is one of Marvel’s oldest characters. Namor existed long before Marvel Comics launched, introduced in 1939 in Marvel Comics #1 by Bill Everett. This was the same year DC Comics introduced Batman and Superman and two years before Captain America made his debut.
Marvel Comics as a company debuted in 1961, 22 years after Namor’s first appearance. He made his return in the fourth issue of Fantastic Four by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby with a slight reinvention. A World War II veteran, Namor became a hero, villain, and anti-hero in the new Marvel Comics Universe.
Namor’s Debut In Fantastic Four #4
Namor returned to the Marvel Comics Universe in Fantastic Four #4, reintroduced for a new generation. Human Torch quit the Fantastic Four in anger and when he goes to a homeless community, he finds a homeless man who seems familiar.
When Johnny uses his powers to shave the man, it turned out to be an amnesiac Namor. Johnny took Namor to the sea and when he dropped him in, Namor’s memory returned. He then caught interest of Sue Storm and became a Fantastic Four villain for the next year.
The Saga Of The Serpent Crown
The Saga of the Serpent Crown actually started out in the early days of the universe, when gods started killing each other to gain their powers. Set, the first murderer in existence, created the Serpent Crown, and that returned in the Sub-Mariner series in 1968.
It started when Destiny betrayed Namor’s father and Prince Namor lost his memory for decades, leading to his Fantastic Four re-appearance. Namor found the crown, and it caused an attack on Atlantis that he had to stop.
Saga Of The Sub-Mariner (1988)
In 1988, Namor was back in Saga of the Sub-Mariner. This was a 12-issue maxi-series that delivered a retrospective of Namor’s past, showing what led him to this point of his existence. It also worked hard to fix any discrepancies in Namor’s life to this point.
This also gave fans a chance to see the first Marvel hero, Jim Hammond, the android Original Human Torch. This is the perfect series to pick up to learn everything about Namor’s history.
Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Saga of the Sub-Mariner provided the definitive look at Namor’s history. Sub-Mariner: The Depths was a Marvel Knights series in 2008 that re-told the origin and updated it for a new generation of fans. This takes fans back to the 1950s and follows a myth buster named Dr. Randolph Stein.
This leads him to find that Atlantis is real. However, its protector, Prince Namor, will do anything to prevent the surface world from discovering it. This is a five-issue series.
Namor: The Sub-Mariner (1990)
Namor: The Sub-Mariner was a new long-running series by John Byrne for the first 25 issues. This series introduced the idea that Namor was the world’s first mutant. It delivered him into a new storyline that brings in other heroes like Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, and Namorita.
Namor went in a different direction as both a captain of industry and protector of the seas. For fans of Byrne or ‘90s comics, this brought Namor into the new era.
Sub-Mariner: Revolution (2007)
In 2008, the six-issue Sub-Mariner series titled “Revolution” and focused on Atlantis after the events of Marvel’s Civil War. This took place when the Initiative was in place. A terrorist attack struck the United States, with some blaming Atlantis. Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. came after Namor and Atlantis, and this meant war. However, the actual attack might have come from someone trying to usurp Namor’s rule and conquer Atlantis from the inside.
Namor: The First Mutant (2010)
A new Namor ongoing series hit in 2010 titled Namor: The First Mutant. However, things ended after just 11 issues. Despite the cancelation, this is a series worth checking out. This spun off of X-Men #1, which hit the same year, focusing on Namor as a mutant.
The first six issues show Namor trying to get revenge when the X-Men end up controlled by a vampire threat. Namor took the battle to the vampires, putting Atlantis at risk at the same time.
Young Namor (2003)
In 2003, a unique Sub-Mariner series hit titled Young Namor. As the title shows, this is a young Namor.
While there were several origin stories that reveal how Namor became a hero, this one goes back even further. This shows Namor as a teenager and his love story with Sandy Pierce. His love for her caused him to accept her father’s oil rig. This allowed malcontents who wanted the throne for themselves to turn Atlantis against their prince.
Avengers Vs. X-Men
In Avengers Vs. X-Men, Namor was one of the Phoenix Five. The Phoenix Five was Namor, Cyclops, Colossus, Magik, and Emma Frost. With those powers, the mutants set out to make the world a better place.
However, they also made enemies of the Avengers, who believed the Phoenix Force corrupted all it touched. In the war between the two groups, Namor was most brutal, using his powers to destroy Wakanda, making Black Panther an enemy for life.
King In Black: Namor
The most recent Namor Marvel storyline occurred during the King in Black crossover comics. Knull, the symbiote god, attacked Earth and it took the combined forces of all Earth’s heroes and villains to fight back. Namor had his own miniseries based on the series and it took a chance to reveal more Atlantis lore. This took things back to Namor’s youth again with teenage Namor, Lady Dorma, and Attuma.
This miniseries was a tale of betrayal, tragedy, and the birth of a threat that rose in power over the years.