Sub-Mariner

History

Namor's father, American seaman Leonard McKenzie, embarked on an expedition to Antarctica in 1920. McKenzie's ship was searching for the Lemurian city rumored to house the mythical Helmet of Power at the behest of one of his passengers, Paul Destine. However, McKenzie distrusted the uses to which Destiny would put the Helmet and caused an avalanche to bury the city. Making his way to safety, McKenzie set explosive charges to break up ice floes in the ship's path, unaware that Atlantis lay beneath the waters. The city sustained heavy damage, and Atlantean Emperor Thakorr commanded his daughter Fen to investigate the cause of the explosions. Startling McKenzie's crew, the blue-skinned princess wound up staying aboard the ship for several weeks. In a strange twist of fate, Fen and McKenzie quickly fell in love and were married. Thakorr, fearing his daughter had been kidnapped or killed, sent an Atlantean war party to search for her. Thinking her a captive, the Atlanteans slaughtered McKenzie's crew and apparently McKenzie himself. Afterwards, Fen returned with the War party to Atlantis. Nine months later, Namor was born the first known Homo sapien - Homo mermanus hybrid.

The young prince grew up with a short, nasty temper and a hostile attitude toward surface-dwellers, whom he blamed for the near-destruction of Atlantis. When Thakorr discovered men in diving suits near Atlantis, he assumed they were advance scouts for an invasion force causing the fiery Sub-Mariner to launch frequent pre-emptive attacks against humanity, causing untold destruction throughout New York City and leading him into confrontation with the original Human Torch. When Nazi troops attacked Atlantis, however, Namor joined the Allied cause alongside Captain America and his fellow Invaders.

Atlantis largely avoided the damage sustained by the surface world during World War II, but did fall prey to a series of severe earthquakes at war's end that destroyed much of the fabled city and Namor again was dispatched to New York, where he fell afoul of Paul Destiny, who had finally obtained the Helmet of Power and was causing the quakes. His power destroyed much of Atlantis, killing Thakorr and Fen. Under compulsion of the Helmet, Namor returned to New York with amnesia and became a wandering derelict.

Eventually, Johnny Storm, the second Human Torch, discovered Namor in the bowery. Burning away the extra hair and substantial beard Namor had grown, Storm dropped the Atlantean in the harbor. The immersion restored most of Namor's memory. Assuming humans had destroyed Atlantis, Namor rashly invaded New York to avenge the destruction of his homeland. Even after the survivors of the Atlantean civilization welcomed him as their rightful king, he stubbornly spent the next several years warring with the surface world, most often opposed by the Fantastic Four. In the midst of his campaign against humanity, Namor developed an attraction to Susan Storm, the Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl. In his regal arrogance, he has courted her for years, seemingly undeterred by Sue's relationship with Mister Fantastic. Though he later realized he couldn't have her, and focused his attentions instead upon his Dorma. Against the surface dwellers, Namor has teamed up with both Doctor Doom and Magneto, though both turned against him once they felt they had the upper hand. With the help of the Fantastic Four, Namor soon defeated both one-time partners.

Eventually, Namor realized he had to put aside his hatred for humanity for the good of his people and banned official acts of war against Homo sapiens. Namor even grudgingly began using his superhuman abilities to defense of the surface world. First and foremost, he was the monarch of Atlantis. As such, he was beholden only to his subjects. The Sub-Mariner was a founding member of the loosely knit group of heroes known as the Defenders, brought together with Doctor Strange and the Hulk when an ultimate computer called the Omegatron threatened Earth. However, a curse forced the original three Defenders and the Silver Surfer to part ways. The condemnation was lifted, but Namor did not return to the Defenders at that time. Even though they had saved the earth many times, Namor viewed his duties with this loose-knit band of Defenders a distraction at best. The team eventually disbanded, due to circumstances beyond their control. Later, the founding three Defenders and the Surfer were drawn together once again to battle the forces of evil. For several years Namor was part of Illuminati, a group of influential super heroes who met secretly to share information. The meetings were kept secret because demands made by Namor. The Illuminati were eventually disbanded after some serious disagreements including but not limited to the fact that Iron Man wanted the Illuminati to support the super hero registration act but most of the others, including Namor, disagreed.

Powers & Abilities

Namor possesses a high level of superhuman strength, enabling him to lift/press up to 100 tons while in contact with water; his strength gradually decreases according to the length of time he is out of water and can eventually dwindle to no more than slightly above human level.

In addition to his great strength, Namor possesses superhuman stamina and durability, a result of his body’s adaptation to underwater pressures. He also possesses superhuman agility, reflexes, and speed, with a maximum swimming speed of roughly sixty miles per hour. Namor is able to fly via the finlike wings on his ankles, and he possesses a telepathic rapport with many, but not all, forms of marine life. Like all Atlanteans, he has a prolonged lifespan and his body is specially developed for underwater conditions, granting him specialized blood circulation to withstand freezing temperatures and highly developed vision to see clearly even in murky ocean depths. This hybrid physiology means he can survive indefinitely underwater or on land (though he would still need occasional contact with water to survive). Namor possesses an empathic bond with his cousin Namorita.

In the past, Namor has demonstrated additional powers similar to the attributes of various forms of sea life, including the electricity-generating capabilities of an electric eel and the radar sense of cavefish; however, he has demonstrated such abilities only sporadically, suggesting that they depend upon some factor of his Atlantean mutant nature that is not yet understood.

When not exposed to water, Namor’s physical attributes gradually decline and can diminish over time to near-human levels, robbing him of his strength and rendering him vulnerable to conventional injuries; renewed exposure to water will immediately restore his abilities. Complete lack of contact with water will prove fatal in about a week’s time. Namor has demonstrated a vulnerability to oxygen imbalance when remaining too long in either water or air, resulting in manic-depressive mood swings; he can prevent this imbalance by dividing his time between the two atmospheres. He has occasionally used scientific or magical means to regulate his oxygen levels.

Weakness

Gallery

Comments

Hero commented on - 2012-03-31 20:05:18

He should be able to control water cause he has cotroled a tidal wave says marvel. Com