Marvel Comic Book Character Namor the Sub-Mariner

One of Marvel's oldest characters, Namor (aka Sub-Mariner), has an important place in comic book history. He is considered to be one of the first comic book anti-heroes. Although he has served as a superhero, he has also played the role of villain and antagonist to land dwelling humans. He is certainly not as high profile as other Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man or The Incredible Hulk, but he has stood toe-to-toe with most in the Marvel universe.

Namor first appeared in 1939 as part of a one-shot giveaway comic. He has since enjoyed many solo titles as well as affiliations with some of Marvel's most famous teams, such as The Avengers, The Defenders, and The Invaders. His full name is Namor Mackenzie and he is the hybrid son of an Atlantean princess and a sea captain. Namor, half human, was raised in Atlantis because his father, Leonard Mackenzie, was killed after taking Namor's mother, Fen, as his bride.

Namor's appearance has Atlantean features, evident by his pointy ears and eyebrows (he closely resembles a Vulcan). However, he has pink skin instead of blue, like other Atlanteans. Although a superhero, Namor has an undying loyalty to Atlantis and will attack the surface if he feels it is threatened. He has battled The Fantastic Four and proven that he can withstand The Human Torch's flames, The Thing's strength, and Sue Storm's force fields.

The characteristics of Namor and DC's Aquaman are amusingly similar (right down to the scaly underoos!). His powers are greater undersea, but he is incredibly strong on land as well. Namor is amphibious and can breathe underwater like a fish. He possesses super strength, super fast swimming abilities, and can communicate with undersea creatures. Also, he is able to fly when he is out of the water. With Captain America in the team The Invaders, Namor defended his underwater kingdom from the Nazis.

Today, you can see Namor redefined in Ultimate Fantastic Four, an updated retelling of The Fantastic Four's story. Namor also makes appearances in other Marvel comics on occasion. Although he isn't as famous as many of his Marvel costars, there are talks of a Sub-Mariner film in the works. The release date is slated for 2007, tentatively.