Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forNamor#1!
For the most part, theAvengersare looked up to in the Marvel Universe, but now the publisher has settled who the most hated member of the team is–and it is notSpider-ManorShang-Chi. Namor has been a member of several different teams, including the Avengers. However, Namor must continually contend with his violent and brutal legacy. As seen in a preview forNamor#1, this has impacted how he is perceived.
Namor#1 is written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Paul Davidson and Alex Lins. The preview opens with Namor being brought to prison. As the guards harass and try to intimidate the Prince of Atlantis,Namor reflects on his legacy.Namor recounts how he felt his hatred was a “birthright,” brought about by not fitting in wherever he went. This self-loathing has led him to lash out at others many times, impacting his reputation. The guards can barely contain their disgust with Namor.
Namor’s fellow prisoners are also not happy to see him either.
Namor Has Been Both a Hero and a Villain
Namor’s Heroics Have Been Met With Controversy Before
For over 80 years, the mercurial and petulant Namor has at turns been enemy and ally.
The preview ends there, leaving fans wondering how Namor will get out of his current predicament, but he is correct: he is one of the most hated people on Earth. For over 80 years, the mercurial and petulant Namor has at turns been enemy and ally. An uneasy friend during World War II, Namor returned to the Silver Age as a villain, launching numerous campaigns against the surface world. However, Namor’s honor has led him to side with Earth’s heroes on more than one occasion. He has been an Avenger, a Defender and a member of the X-Men.
The preview forNamor#1 may lead fans to think the hatred for the character is new, but in fact it goes back much further. During Roger Stern’s late 1980s’ run onThe Avengers, Namor joined the team. This move was met with controversy by the public, who had a long memory of Namor’s previous antics. Protesters gathered outside the Avengers mansion, and while Namor’s time with the team was largely uneventful, it was still tense. Namor fared slightly better with the X-Men, but came to blows with them during the Krakoan era. Namor is once again on his own.
Namor Only Respects One Shocking Fantastic Four Member
Namor has a long history working against the Fantastic Four — but he respects perhaps the last member of the team fans would ever expect.
Namor Must Finally Reckon With His Legacy
It Will Be the Biggest Fight of Namor’s Life
And now, in prison, Namor must contend with his messy legacy. Years of warfare against the surface world have soured the public on Namor, and his seemingly switching sides constantly has not helped. Namor must not only find a way to break out of prison, but perhaps salvage his legacy as well.Shang-ChiandSpider-Manare some of the most hated Avengers heroes, but Namor has outdone them all–and he is now in for the toughest fight of his life in the first issue of his new title.
