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Warning: contains spoilers for Ultimates #10!
Namor may not enjoy the best reputation among his fellow heroes, but yikes–he got a horrible death. One of Marvel’s first characters, Namor the Sub-Mariner has been a mercurial presence since the Golden Age of Comics. At times a hero and other times a villain, Namor marches to his own drum, which has not endeared him to others. Now, in Ultimates #10, Namor’s grisly end is revealed.
Be on the look out for Deniz Camp’s Absolute Martian Manhunter, coming soon from DC.
Ultimates #10 was written by Deniz Camp and drawn by Juan Frigeri. The Ultimates, including Captain America and the Human Torch, have infiltrated the Grand Skull’s castle. The heroes are greeted by a disturbing site: a dead, but still perfectly preserved Namor mounted to a wall. The Torch and Captain America are mortified, but the Grand Skull assures them this was not his doing. He tells the heroes that Namor was killed in an Atlantean coup. Atlanteans flocked to his dead body, so it was taken away and mounted on the wall by a previous Grand Skull.
Namor’s Place in Marvel’s New Ultimate Universe, Explained
Namor’s Fate Fits Perfectly in With the New Ultimate Universe
Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe has proven wildly popular with fans, thanks to the unique and cutting-edge nature of the characters and stories. At its core, the new Ultimate line follows a disparate group of heroes as they attempt to overthrow the Maker and his Ruling Council. The Maker arrived at this Earth before the dawn of its heroic age, and actively kept certain heroes from manifesting, while bringing others, such as the Hulk, under his thumb. The result is a world where true freedom is just an illusion, but the Ultimates are doing something about it.
The Maker is actually an evil Reed Richards from the previous Ultimate Universe.
Per Ultimates #10, the Maker had nothing to do with Namor’s death, but it proved most advantageous. Namor, like Captain America and the Human Torch, remembers a world before the Maker arrived, a world that was free. These memories make this trio dangerous, but Namor in particular. Ultimates #10 also mentions that after his death, Atlanteans held pilgrimages to his body. The Grand Skull tells the Ultimates that, according to rumor, even the microbes still respect Namor, as seen in his non-decomposed body. Even in death, Namor becomes a symbol of resistance, something the Maker does not need.
Even though the Maker, and even the Grand Skull, did not kill Namor, the sight of his body mounted on a wall ranks as one of the most disturbing scenes in recent history.
Even though the Maker, and even the Grand Skull, did not kill Namor, the sight of his body mounted on a wall ranks as one of the most disturbing scenes in recent history. Namor was once a beloved king, as well as a reluctant hero who saved the world many times over. Namor had been a member of the Invaders, and even the Avengers and the X-Men on Earth 616. Seeing this once-proud man stripped of his dignity and mounted as if part of a collection is the ultimate morale-killer. The Maker could not have done it better.
Some Good May Come of Namor’s Death Yet
Namor Could Become a Symbol of Resistance Against the Maker
It may be tempting to write Namor’s death off as being in vain, but, ironically, some good may come of it. As noted in Ultimates #10, Namor’s body has not decomposed in all the years since his death. The issue only speculates as to why, but regardless of the reason, Namor’s body is perfectly preserved. Those loyal to Namor took that as a sign, undertaking pilgrimages of almost religious intensity to his body. Namor was still well-loved, and his dead body became a symbol of resistance against authoritarianism and fascism, two concepts the Maker embodies.
Related
“World War Sea” Gives Marvel Its Next World War Hulk-Scale Conflict
The disgraced former King of Atlantis, Namor, must once again battle for the fate of his people as Atlantis endures the destructive World War Sea.
And if Namor’s body became a rallying point for a resistance movement once before, then it could happen again. As the Ultimates return Namor’s body to the ocean at issue’s end, Captain America eulogizes him, hoping that he will inspire a revolution once again. Namor, who has a reputation for being arrogant and haughty on Earth-616, is a point of resistance on Marvel’s new Ultimate Earth, and while his death may seem a bit much, it could also come back and hurt the Maker in a major way.
Ultimates #10 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
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