Warning! Spoilers for Captain Marvel #24 below
How do you fight a villain when's he crafted a futuristic paradise? Such is the plight of Carol Danver's Captain Marvel as she comes across Marvel's best new villain - Namor's son! Stuck in a futuristic New York, Carol must determine whether its new ruler is a friend or foe. His charm alone already has readers wary; they've seen smooth-talking villains before. So, what makes Ove, the ruler of New Atlantis, so much better than previous villains?
As mentioned, Ove is the son of Namor the Submariner. As such, he names his new kingdom accordingly as New Atlantis. 2020's Captain Marvel #24 by Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, Belen Ortega, and Antonio Fabela highlights Carol's adventures as she finds herself stuck in Ove's futuristic society. All seems well, but Captain Marvel can't shake the feeling something is off, and she couldn't be more correct.
Right away, Carol comments to Ove about his society, saying it's, "undoubtedly impressive...but at what cost?". Ove is proven to be a velvet-talking extraordinaire. When confronted about the status of their seemingly kidnapped friend, Hisako Ichiki, Ove lightly laughs-off the matter, expertly explaining that the team's pal "volunteered" to be in his territory. Anything that seems suspicious is easily explained away as Ove sprinkles in lovely compliments to whomever he addresses. He gaslights left and right, boggling the heroes as they try to make sense of this odd future world
As Ove describes more and more of his loyal volunteers, both Carol and the reader pick up that these volunteers might not be so willing to offer their power to Ove as Ove suggests. Armor, Jolt, Luke Cage, and Crystal are just some of the heroes mentioned who are in 'service' to New Atlantis. But Ove reassures Carol that all is well, and distracts her with a tale of woe about his tragic backstory.
Being half-Atlantean and half-Asgardian, Ove and his mother were seen as unworthy to inherit Atlantis. Cast out by a rebellion after witnessing his own father's murder, Ove and his mother find themselves as outcasts as neither the ocean nor Asgard will welcome them. Finding themselves stranded on the surface world, Ove realizes that he can build a new kingdom. A few survivors remain following the fall of the human world, mostly powerful mutants, and superpowered individuals. Ove sees their utility and his opening and begins the work of building New Atlantis. However, unlike the harmony-filled lie Ove feeds Captain Marvel, Carol and her team discover the truth of Ove's treachery in the dark dungeons of his kingdom.
Ove has enslaved Magik, and it's discovered she's being forced to lure other supers into New Atlantis so that Ove can snatch them into his power. Ove can literally control others, transforming them into his tools and 'treasures'. His mother is also revealed to be Enchantress, and with the mother and son's power combined they are quick to overpower Carol and ensnare her team into their collection.
Readers will just have to wait to see how Carol gets out of this mess, as well as to discover what Ove's plan is for Captain Marvel. How will he manipulate her power to his advantage, and who can overpower his control? It's no question that his beguiling tricks, lavish kingdom, and mind-bending talents make him one of Marvel's newest and best villains in recent publications. After all, who doesn't love a silver-tongued, dashing villain?