It’s time to reboot Atlantis as a democracy

[Blind Wedjat]

How about it's time to finally stabilize Atlantis as a single, definable place. After 80 years Atlantis is still so utterly vague it can drive you nuts. Is it just a city? A State? An Empire? How many times has it been destroyed? How many different places have actually been called Atlantis? Where exactly is it? How big is it? How many Atlanteans are there? Do they have colonies? Are there OTHER cities? Other nations? What does the city actually look like? Every time it's in a book it seems to be designed at the artist's whim, most likely because they too have no idea what Marvel's Atlantis is supposed look like. Sometimes it's a domed city, sometimes not, sometimes it's crazy looking with pink and blue glowing spires, sometimes it has a more classical influenced look. Even if it is a Monarchy, how is it run? What institutions does it have, how does it's military work? Sometimes Atlantis is described as being highly advanced, among the most advanced technology on earth. Other times people have spears and live in huts and ride sea creatures.

I have lots of head-canon for this issue, but it amounts to little since I don't work at Marvel. Democracy would not help Namor and Atlantis a be bigger influence at Marvel, legitimate world building would. Namor has next to none and it's frustrating as hell.

This is the HUGE advantage DC's Atlantis has over Marvel's. At least by reading the Geoff Johns New 52 run of Aquaman only pretty much all of these questions are answered or don't need to be asked. It's a shame Marvel has barely attempted to flesh out their Atlantis in this way.

I wish there was a Marvel wide initiative to restore all of their monarchies back to normal and start making interesting stories about their uniqueness as monarchies, instead of destroying and deconstructing them every chance they get. It has gotten extremely boring.

In short, no. Keep Atlantis as a monarchy.

[U.N. Owen]

I'd like to see someone deconstruct democracy. So far, we just have obstructive politicians or already begin in the aftermath of democratic failure. That, or we get a story so poorly written that it might as well be the aftermath of democratic failure. Looking at you, Civil War.

[MichaelC]

The entire genre is already a deconstruction of democracy. The basic premise is that the masses are too blind to be trusted to police themselves or regulate a police force, hence individuals who can clearly see objective morality needing to put on masks and become unregulated policemen/soldiers.

[Agent Z]

The entire genre is already a deconstruction of democracy. The basic premise is that the masses are too blind to be trusted to police themselves or regulate a police force, hence individuals who can clearly see objective morality needing to put on masks and become unregulated policemen/soldiers.

Yeah after decades of depicting democracies as ineffective at best, outright corrupt and evil at worst, I think it's only fair monarchies get some dirt thrown on them.

[JudicatorPrime]

Namor can't shout, "Imperius Rex!" if you make Atlantis a democracy.

[Michael Watkins]

Namor can't shout, "Imperius Rex!" if you make Atlantis a democracy.

then just switch to 'Sufferin Shads!'

[JudicatorPrime]

then just switch to 'Sufferin Shads!'

Or something more of the times, like "Deep State!"

[XPac]

At least Doom is back to being his usual totalitarian leader self .

Although I think the "ceremonial" status is only really relevant to Coates' stuff. Everyone else seems to treat T'Challa as a normal Superhero king.

And Thor is king now, right?

I think the point of Coates run with BP was to have him a functional super hero king... meaning he still had the power and wealth that came from being a king, but without the day job of actually running a country so that he could play super hero with his buddies in the states. I think people like Black Bolt and Namor are more full time kings... the super hero stuff just sort of happens on the side when they have free time. But especially now with T'Challa running the Avengers and Agents of Wakanda, the super hero stuff is more a full time gig.

[MyriVerse]

In my opinion, Namor is cooler when he's not a monarch.

But I still don't think Atlantis should be a democracy.

[chamber-music]

It seemed like comic writers generally didn't like constitutional monarchies for years. Most monarchs were written as absolute monarchs even if they were not and despite the the fact only a handful of countries ruled by absolute monarchies exist anymore in the real world. The idea of royal characters not be decision makers isn't that exciting I suppose. Most remaining monarchs in the democratic countries are glorified figureheads who are bound by convention to not use any of the existing power they still have.

[XPac]

It seemed like comic writers generally didn't like constitutional monarchies for years. Most monarchs were written as absolute monarchs even if they were not and despite the the fact only a handful of countries ruled by absolute monarchies exist anymore in the real world. The idea of royal characters not be decision makers isn't that exciting I suppose. Most remaining monarchs in the democratic countries are glorified figureheads who are bound by convention to not use any of the existing power they still have.

Monarchies probably work best for the sake of drama. Things more associated with monarchies, like coups, often work better in stories. Villain want absolute power, so the heroes throne represents a nicer target.

[DrNewGod]

It seemed like comic writers generally didn't like constitutional monarchies for years. Most monarchs were written as absolute monarchs even if they were not and despite the the fact only a handful of countries ruled by absolute monarchies exist anymore in the real world. The idea of royal characters not be decision makers isn't that exciting I suppose. Most remaining monarchs in the democratic countries are glorified figureheads who are bound by convention to not use any of the existing power they still have.

These royal characters were created when comics were largely accepted as being for kids. Bogging a Liege down with the complexities of a constitutional monarchy carved a lot of cool off them for most kids I'd think.

[lordozone]

It seemed like comic writers generally didn't like constitutional monarchies for years. Most monarchs were written as absolute monarchs even if they were not and despite the the fact only a handful of countries ruled by absolute monarchies exist anymore in the real world. The idea of royal characters not be decision makers isn't that exciting I suppose. Most remaining monarchs in the democratic countries are glorified figureheads who are bound by convention to not use any of the existing power they still have.

Oh, there is a lot of "strong" and absolute monarchies in the world: Marocco is a semi-constitutional monarchy but the king is the head of the state, can fire the prime minister, dissolve the parliament etc. and have in fact all the executives powers. and there is a lot of countries like this: Monaco, Lichtenstein, Koweït...

And there is stil some absolute monarchies: Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Swaziland, Saoudi Arabia.

Countries who are very small, like Latveria or Atlantis are rarely democratics in the real world.

We sometimes forget that real democratic countries are a minority worldwide.

[Chris0013]

In my opinion, Namor is cooler when he's not a monarch.

But I still don't think Atlantis should be a democracy.

Maybe he should be ousted then....Not in favor of some warlord or tyrant...but someone who is not going to go around starting stuff with the surface world.

[Master Planner]

Make Atlantis a theocratic monarchy, because Neptune wills it!!!