Iron Man writer Christoper Cantwell and Thor artist Pasqual Ferry are teaming up for a new story set a century in Marvel's future, where the Avengers' deadliest member Namor the Sub-Mariner rules over a flooded Earth. Conquered Shores is a passion project for Cantwell, and an excitingly ambitious adventure for a hero who'll soon be gracing the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Namor was created by Bill Everett in 1939 for Timely Comics, Marvel's predecessor, and is one of the few characters that got carried over to Marvel Comics during its Silver Age, making his (new) debut in Fantastic Four #4, in 1962. As the arrogant Prince of the submerged realm of Atlantis - often at war against the surface world for its careless exploitation of the oceans - Namor personifies the comic-book antihero. Despite having his roots deep into the history of the company, Namor has rarely enjoyed a long-running and successful solo title, though he's a longtime Avengers ally, even though the team recently agreed he's their most dangerous member.
In more recent years, Namor has been featured as a prominent character in many teams and company-wide storylines, including his role as a member of the Illuminati during major events such as Secret Wars and most recently as one of the Avengers. Namor: Conquered Shores, however, will focus solely on the Avenging Prince. As revealed by Christopher Cantwell, a hundred years in the future, with Earth almost completely submerged by the oceans, Namor rules the world, but in his twilight years he reflects on his tumultuous life, the friends (and often foes) he has lost, and finally resolves to do something to help the few humans who still survive. Cantwell shared three covers on Twitter, along with his thoughts and comments on the project.
From the tone of the story, it looks very similar to Marvel's The End line of books, which depict its characters in faraway, usually tragic futures. It is also clear that the character and the project are very close to the writer's heart, as Cantwell promises to draw inspiration from Namor's origins in the Golden Age and from more contemporary stories, such as Grant Morrison's forgotten Fantastic Four masterpiece, 1, 2, 3, 4, to craft his "love letter to Marvel Comics itself." The setting will also help as, according to Cantwell, Pasqual Ferry will draw "an unrecognizable future brimming with echoes and ghosts of yesterday.". Namor will then act as a linchpin between Marvel's past, present, and future, something that only a character with such a profound legacy could accomplish.
Christopher Cantwell has gained much praise for his recent work on Iron Man and Pasqual Ferry is a proven talent ten times over, so Marvel fans should be very excited in hearing about this upcoming Namor series. Over the years, the character has often resonated with readers because his own set of morals place Namor on the thin line between hero and villain, making him strikingly different from his Avengers peers and allowing creators to tell more mature and nuanced stories. Namor the Sub-Mariner: Conquered Shores will certainly be one of those, and Marvel fans should make sure not to miss it when it goes on sale on October 19.