Namor the Sub-Mariner #10-12 (January-March 1991)

These three issues of Namor the Sub-Mariner are essentially an Invaders reunion story, which is light on Captain America in the present day but features many other Invaders, including several rather pivotal developments in their lives. (You know I love this team and its members, which I indulge a bit here.)

In issue #10, Namor sees an editorial cartoon in the Daily Bugle referring to the reunification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall, and he begins to fear the resurgence of Nazi sympathizers, so he visits an old friend he expects might feel similarly… and he is not wrong.

Neither is Namor wrong about the Nazi threat itself, for as he and his cousin Namorita fly to Germany, the old Invaders foe Master Man is working with fellow sympathizers to resurrect Warrior Woman, going so far as to kidnap the original Human Torch, whose artificial blood helped revive Spitfire (in Invaders #11).

At the end of the issue, Namor busts in on the operation and battles Master Man, but is hit from behind by Warrior Woman, and in issue #11 he finds himself imprisoned in a body-hugging oven (with Anne Raymond, the widow of the Human Torch’s sidekick Toro, imprisoned nearby). In a daze, he starts reminiscing about his World War II adventures, including the commissioning of the Invaders (somewhat different than what was shown in Giant-Size Invaders #1, as he realizes).

Namor eventually breaks free but, in his dehydrated state, is overcome by his foes… and then he sees some welcome faces.

Oh, you have questions? You should, as confirmed at the bottom of the following page from issue #12.

Below we see who actually showed up, Namor’s hallucination notwithstanding: It is Spitfire, but as she currently looks; the current Union Jack, Joey Chapman, who took up the mantle of Union Jack in Captain America #254; and Namorita, not her mother Namora (to be fair, they were clones, as will soon be revealed in Namor the Sub-Mariner #19).

After Union Jack takes care of the thugs, Namor gets a refreshing splash of water just in time to fight Master Man, whose form diminishes before the Sub-Mariner’s eyes, and a new Master Man enters the game. At the same time, Anne tends to the Torch, along with Jacqueline, who thought her super-speed had long ago left her…

…but soon discovers she just needed a reason to use it.

Namor suffers a blow in his battle with the new Master Man, but an old friend shows up to lend a hand (finally!).

Cap’s surprise appearance on the scene further rejuvenates Namor—who doesn’t seem to consider that Cap may be a hallucination as well. (Maybe he’s just hallucinating the red trunks, which are either a coloring error or a really obscure reference to Strange Tales #114, the first appearance of “Cap”—really the Chameleon—since the 1950s.)

As the villain Jacqueline attacked disintegrates, the Torch turns to his fellow Invader, whom he offers his blood to save once again, even though he was recently drained by the Nazis to revive Warrior Woman.

Being a true hero, Jim Hammond does not hear Anne’s concerns (although he does underestimate the value of his own artificial life).

Meanwhile, everyone else is still fighting, until the despondent former Master Man triggers an explosion that threatens everyone, and naturally Cap thinks first of civilians, regardless of their ideology.

After saving as many people as they could, the heroes regroup, and Cap and Namor ask after the Human Torch, whom they find motionless beside Jacqueline…

…who is feeling much better.

Later, at the headquarters of Larry Ellison’s Namor’s company, a memorial is hold for Jim Hammond…

…including an appearance by that other Human Torch.

Afterwards, Jacqueline checks with Hank Pym, aka Red Jumpsuit Man, who tells her she is physically sixteen years old (?)…

…and also his theories regarding the extent of her transformation, as well as why it worked differently the second time around. (Seems to me someone is trying to nip any continuity questions in the bud before he gets burned by them.) And oh yeah, the Human Torch is alive too, and saw the whole ceremony on the teevee.

(I wonder if Cap has ever watched any of the many memorials held after his many deaths? I don’t imagine he would voluntarily, but it would make a funny scene to have his friends force him to watch one with them.)

On his friends’ advice—and given the loss of his powers—Jim decides to live a private life for the time being…

…apparently with Anne at his side, which is a little weird. (As it happens, she is never seen again after this issue—which is also weird, albeit in a much different way.)


ISSUE DETAILS

Namor the Sub-Mariner #10, January 1991: John Byrne (writer, pencils, inks, letters), Glynis Oliver (colors). More details at Marvel Database.

Namor the Sub-Mariner #11, February 1991: John Byrne (writer, pencils, inks, letters), Glynis Oliver (colors). More details at Marvel Database.

Namor the Sub-Mariner #12, March 1991: John Byrne (writer, pencils, inks, letters), Glynis Oliver (colors). More details at Marvel Database.

All collected in Namor Visionaries by John Byrne, Volume 2.


ALSO THESE MONTHS: Avengers #328 and Avengers Spotlight #40 (January 1991), Captain America #381-382 (January-February 1991), Nomad #3-4 (January-February 1991), Avengers #329 (February 1991), Captain America #383 (March 1991), and Avengers #330 (March 1991)

NEXT ISSUE: Namor the Sub-Mariner #13 and Captain America #384 (April 1991)

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