Namor is a fictional character that appears in Marvel comics. He is also known as the Sub Mariner. He made his debut in 1939 and was created by the writer Bill Everett. The character was first seen in Marvel Comics #1. Namor was born in the capital city of the Atlantean empire. The city was situated under the Antarctic ice pack thus he is often named Marvel’s Aquaman.
He was the son of Fen and Leonard McKenzie, the American sea captain. Namor has been in Marvel forever and would finally be getting his big-screen debut. Namor is all set to appear in MCU’s highly anticipated film, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘. Before the movie comes out let’s take a deep dive into the character and its powers.
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Why Is Namor Called Marvel’s First Mutant?
Marvel has claimed that Namor is Marvel’s first mutant. However, he is not the oldest mutant in the Marvel universe. Mutants like Selene, Apocalypse, Exodus, Wolverine, Mystique, and Destiny came before him. In fact, Marvel’s first published mutant was the ancient Egyptian villain Apocalypse. Thus, Apocalypse is older than Namor.
But, in X-Men #6, 1964 Professor X and Magneto witness Namor’s hybrid powers and realizes that he is unique. In 1990 marvel released a separate series named, ‘Namor the Sub-Mariner’. Marvel published it with a tagline, “Marvel’s First and Mightiest Mutant.” The solo series ran for five years before he joined X-men.
What Are His Powers?
Namor’s unique genetic heritage makes him different then other people. He is a hybrid and contains Human and Atlantean DNA. Namor contains superpowers like super strength, agility, durability, and speed. He can even fly which can be a bit confusing as none of his parents did. Namor can survive underwater for years and years and has a special vision that doesn’t get hindered by water.
“He is an ultra-man of the deep [who] lives on land and in the sea, flies in the air, [and] has the strength of a thousand [surface] men,” according to Bill Everett. Namor himself stated, “I have the powers of all the creatures who live beneath the sea! I can charge the very air with electricity – using the power of the electric eel!“
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