Submariner Summer 30
Ay mi amigos, it is time for a key edition of #SubmarinerSummer, because here in part 30 we are covering Tales to Astonish #96: Somewhere Stands...Skull Island! Namor faces off Plunderer and his vibra-gun on Skull Island right on the cover; love both figures' sense of motion
Raymond Marais takes over the tale, with Everett pencils and Colletta inks. The Title page gives us Namor back on his throne in Atlantis, ready for another Council of War. Dorma's still voicing her misgivings, though, thinking he's acting in rash hatred.
But Namor can't let go that the "air-breathers" had the temerity to build an undersea city in his territory. He feels its too late for diplomacy and he must act now. Vashti speaks up and reminds him he'd best take care of Plunderer first; Namor agrees, and knows where he is
As a Ka-Zar villain, Plunderer's base is of course in the Savage Land. So, Namor goes towards Antarctic waters since the Savage Land is hidden there. While there he visits the crumbling ruins that was his boyhood home, the previous Atlantis now destroyed, and makes his way to-
-the grave of Princess Fen, his dear beloved mother, the very sight of which threatens to overwhelm him. He attempts to banish the sadness with a happy memory. But he soon recalls instead the city's death and destruction, and her's, at the hands of an attack from the surface
So now we've seen how he lost his first city, his mother, and his memory, though he isn't sure who on the surface is to blame. But the surface keeps pushing, so he feels he must go to war...once Plunderer is taken care of. Before he can, though: Savage Land sea monster attack!
Just then, Dorma arrives, having felt compelled to go where Namor went. Unfortunately, she picks the wrong moment to get closer, as just then Plunderer attacks Namor and she gets caught in the blast radius!
But it takes more than that to stop Namor, especially when he's in the water, much to Plunderer's shock. Just as Namor is about to wrap him up, he reveals he saw Dorma sink from the previous attack and a wild-eyed Namor lays him out before going to her. She's actually fine, but he's angry
She wants to be beside him, but he tells her to return to Atlantis. She wonders if there's something else behind his anger. You ask me, he should keep Action Dorma. Unfortunately by the time Namor returns to the Plunderer, he's laid a trap for our Prince
Um. Plunderer sure knows how to outfit some henchmen, huh? Better rename it from Skull Island to Beefcake Island. At any rate, Plunderer has a scheme in motion because, y'know, villain. Meanwhile, Dorma makes it back to Atlantis, where their screens give a puzzling view of Namor
But the truth is Namor is caught, and the Plunderer's plan is conquest! We are once again at a cliffhanger, Namor Nation.
Once again we see the debate between Dorma and Namor about war, we revisit the site of the Atlantis from the Golden Age comics, go over its destruction, and the loss of one of the key characters in all Namor's history, his mother Fen. Oh, plus a sea monster, and a villain scheme. Quite a full issue, and you see why I called it key right at the start!
But now we look forward, because NEXT we will cover Tales to Astonish #97: The Sovereign And The Savages