3rd Annual Namor the Sub-Mariner Advent Calendar

[Thor-El]

How did I miss this?!! Silly me, somehow I was waiting to see it in the appreciation thread. You should put an announcement there. Great work as always Rev!!

[Thor-El]

I just noticed something wrong with this drawing. The hole in the leotards should run around the ankle wings not above. lol

[Phoenixx9]

Yeah, I remember noticing that the first time I ever read the story, way back when.

I think I chalked it up to a "drawing/coloring mistake" (especially for my No-Prize!). lol.

[Reviresco]

!!!

That was "Fantastic"! I haven't seen those fighting panels of Thundra and Namor in decades, but they were exactly as I remembered them. The art was superb.

Thanks for putting up Thundra so soon in the month!

I love the calendar, by the way, in case I forgot to thank you.

You are welcome! I was happy to do so, as it is one of the most memorable of Namor's fights for me, since it was among the first I read. And the art was so dynamic, with the punches and reactions being over the top. Very much in the Kirby style. And I love Thundra's 70s feminist Amazonia statements. LOL!

After reading this again, I'm wondering why Thundra didn't help or speak up for Namor in SS.

I just noticed something wrong with this drawing. The hole in the leotards should run around the ankle wings not above. lol

Yeah, I remember noticing that the first time I ever read the story, way back when.

I think I chalked it up to a "drawing/coloring mistake" (especially for my No-Prize!). lol.

Wow! You guys are right. I didn't even notice that.

[Reviresco]

How did I miss this?!! Silly me, somehow I was waiting to see it in the appreciation thread. You should put an announcement there. Great work as always Rev!!

I should have done that! Will rectify it later tonite. Cause, well, I'm already a day behind.

[Phoenixx9]

You are welcome! I was happy to do so, as it is one of the most memorable of Namor's fights for me, since it was among the first I read. And the art was so dynamic, with the punches and reactions being over the top. Very much in the Kirby style. And I love Thundra's 70s feminist Amazonia statements. LOL!

After reading this again, I'm wondering why Thundra didn't help or speak up for Namor in SS.

My first Marvel super-strong woman was Valkyrie. Her story, the way the stories were written, the characters, and then the mystic sword Dragonfang, all made her my first fav super-strong Marvel lady! And while I also have loved WW from an even younger age, I knew Val was no WW.

Maybe about 2 years later, I heard of Thundra in some earlier FF stories. Then this FF arc, with Reed and Sue nearly divorcing and Subby acting as the villain. All the art, the power displays (did you notice how easily Sue demolished the old Pogo Plane? No stress at all for her.) And Thundra was taller and heavier than Namor and as built/meety and robust as he was! To quote JJ Evans, those few scenes were "dynamite"! I loved how Thundra was portrayed as even stronger than Valkyrie and my friends and I would often debate this topic! One of our friends was a tough girl, Mary, and we made her be Thundra. Always. LOL.

I am not familiar with the SS story you mention with Thundra not speaking up for Namor.

[Reviresco]

My first Marvel super-strong woman was Valkyrie. Her story, the way the stories were written, the characters, and then the mystic sword Dragonfang, all made her my first fav super-strong Marvel lady! And while I also have loved WW from an even younger age, I knew Val was no WW.

Maybe about 2 years later, I heard of Thundra in some earlier FF stories. Then this FF arc, with Reed and Sue nearly divorcing and Subby acting as the villain. All the art, the power displays (did you notice how easily Sue demolished the old Pogo Plane? No stress at all for her.) And Thundra was taller and heavier than Namor and as built/meety and robust as he was! To quote JJ Evans, those few scenes were "dynamite"! I loved how Thundra was portrayed as even stronger than Valkyrie and my friends and I would often debate this topic! One of our friends was a tough girl, Mary, and we made her be Thundra. Always. LOL.

I am not familiar with the SS story you mention with Thundra not speaking up for Namor.

If Mary was that tough, I'm sure she enjoyed being Thundra!

I was talking about the new Squadron Supreme, where Thundra is basically hiding in the bushes watching the SS destroy Atlantis and kill Namor.

Anyway, I was introduced to Val in Defenders and thought she was great, especially in what was basically a boy's club of a book. Also loved Aragorn!

This issue was my first intro to Thundra ... and then I found back issues. It was cool how she was basically bigger than all the guys, and was eager to fight. Especially amazing, back in those days.

I actually never really got into Wonder Woman, until George Perez.

[Phoenixx9]

Seems like you and I had similar first experiences with intro to Val and Thundra!

Oh, I didn't know the Squadron had reformed and that they killed Namor! Thundra should be out there, not hiding. She has the power to do something! Although, I don't think she ever found out that Namor wasn't the bad guy back in that FF arc. If I remember correctly, she wasn't seen at the end, so perhaps she didn't stick around after being dunked and yelled at by Reed?

(The very old WW stories were good, different, but good. I liked the way they drew her. Later in the original run she fought Supergirl, her black sister Nubia and even a red-headed Amazon even stronger than herself named Orana, who then became Wonder Woman! I didn't really like the later issues past 250 and I hated that "Double-WW" chest emblem!)

[Reviresco]

ORKA!
Sub-Mariner (1968) 23 & 24
Namor 43

Surprisingly, Namor and Orka didn't throw down all that often. Besides these two appearances, Orka appears in Sub-Mariner 66 with Virago, and in the Busiek and Larsen Defenders 2001 -- but Orka ends up fighting Hulk for that entire issue! So yes, Orka is definitely one of the strongest of Namor's foes -- but may be one of his dumbest.

From Subby 23, their first encounter, where Orka also has the power to command Orca whales...

[Reviresco]

21 Days to Christmas

Namor bounces right back up after that face smashing BRAAAK! But sadly, he does loses the fight, perhaps because he hesitates with Lady Dorma in peril. Of course, Kang goes over the top and insists on chaining up Namor ...




Despite chaining Namor to the front of an attacking Killer Whale, Kang, Dorcas, and Orka end up losing his Royal Highness, with Orka and Dorcas ending up dead... until ...

[Reviresco]

21 Days to Christmas

In the 90s Namor series, Dorcas is revived, and resurrects Orka, but bigger and stronger! And, of course, dumber. Dorcas has kidnapped Diane Arliss Newell, and Stingray enlists Namor's aid.

[Thor-El]

Fantastic battle between Namor and Orka!!! My fist exposure to Orka was in an Avengers 149 when Thor went against him.

[Of Atlantis]

Orka definitely needs to make a comeback, with a nice modern redesign along with another Namor series

[MindofShadow]

You are doing gods work


one of the coolest threads on CBR for sure

[Phoenixx9]

Ah, I forgot about Orka, the human killer whale!

I like how Orka looks on the cover of Namor 43 that you showed. Very scary and powerful.

The blue version from earlier Namor stories seemed more like a jobber than a great evil villain.