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Namor the Sub-Mariner Reading Order, Imperius Rex!

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Namor the Sub-Mariner is one of Marvel’s earliest characters and is sometimes considered their very first original character. He was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for the comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. The title was never released, and Namor’s real first appearance was in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939). He was one of Timely Comics’ (Marvel’s predecessor) most popular characters at the time, alongside the Human Torch and Captain America.

Although he is not as popular today as he was during the Golden Age of comics, Namor remains a historically significant character with a publishing history spanning over 80 years. He has even found his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he is played by Tenoch Huerta in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

But who is Namor, the Sub-Mariner? Namor McKenzie is the mutant son of a human sea captain and an Atlantean princess. As the current king of Atlantis, he will do whatever it takes to protect his people. Depending on the circumstances, he can be a villain, a hero, or an antihero to the surface dwellers. He is almost always a hero to the people of Atlantis.

Namor is a highly powerful character with superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, senses and reflexes. Like all Atlanteans, he can breathe underwater and communicate with and command sea life. He has vestigial ‘wings’ on his ankles that allow him to fly, and he can also manipulate the weather like Storm. It has to be said, with all these powers comes a quite volatile and arrogant personality! Namor is a complex character. While he can be insufferable, he is also a prince devoted to his people, and a man suffering from PTSD due to his actions during World War II.

Namor Reading Order: The Sub-Menu

You can right now explore Marvel’s Seven Seas with our Namor Comics Guide, taking you from his classic stories by Bill Everett to the modern age of Namor with John Byrne, his several times with the Avengers or the X-Men, and more:

  1. Start Here: Best Namor Comics for Beginners
  2. The Golden Age Namor: From Marvel Mystery Comics to the Solo Series
  3. The Silver and Bronze Age Namor: The Return of Namor and the Defenders
  4. Modern Age Namor: The Saga and Reinvention of the Sub-Mariner by John Byrne (Classic Entry Point)
  5. Sub-Mariner Revolution: From the noughties to the Civil War era
  6. Namor: The First Mutant: The Sub-mariner, Member of the X-Men
  7. Marvel NOW! Namor: Member of Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers
  8. All-New All-Different Namor: Optional Years featuring the Squadron Supreme and Secret Empire
  9. Namor Fresh Start: Part of Jason Aaron’s The Avengers
  10. Namor New Avengers: Member of the new Bucky Barnes Team (The Current Era)

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Best Namor Comics For Beginners

If you’re new to Namor and want to find out more about the Sub-Mariner, below is a short list of recommendations to help you get started:

  • Saga of the Sub-Mariner (1988) #1-12 – From Roy and Dan Thomas, with art by Rich Buckler. If you have never read a Namor comic before, this miniseries is the perfect entry point to discover the character. It is a recap of Namor’s life, from his Golden Age to the end of the eighties – and the start of the modern Age. It covers almost 50 years of comic history, giving you all you need to know about the Emperor of the Deep.
  • King in Black: Namor (2020) #1-5 – From Kurt Busiek, with art by Benjamin Dewey and Jonas Scharf. A series mostly set in the past, revealing an untold tale of the young Sub-Mariner – and the dark, chilling birth of one of Atlantis’ greatest villains!
  • The Invaders (1975-1979) – From Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. Namor has been part of a few teams, such as The Defenders, but his time as an Invaders, alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch, highlights his years during WWII, taking on Nazi threats and making new allies.
  • Marvel’s Snapshots: Sub-Mariner(2020) – From Alan Brennert and Jerry Ordway. This one-shot told from Betty Dean’s point of view takes us back to 1946, and explore how Namor’s trauma from the War.
  • Sub-Mariner (2007) #1-6 – From Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson with art by Phil Briones. Following a terrorist attack in the U.S., Namor and Atlantis find themselves in the crosshairs of S.H.I.E.L.D. Namor must now race between the sea and the surface to track down those responsible for the attack.

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Namor the Sub-Mariner Complete Reading Order

The Golden Age Namor: From Marvel Mystery Comics to the Solo Series (1939-1955)

As one of Timely Comics’ most popular characters, Namor had many adventures during the Golden Age, most of which were written by his creator, Bill Everett. While these are still classic Golden Age stories, they have aged better than other comics from this era. Namor’s characterisation and the world of Atlantis are more nuanced than you would expect from this time period.

During this period, Namor appeared in several titles:

  • Marvel Mystery Comics #1-91 (1939-1949) – Namor appears regularly in the first comic book from Timely Comics.
  • Human Torch #1-37 (1940-1954) – Namor appears in the backup stories.
  • All-Winners Comics #1-21 (1941-1946) – An anthology title with a 2-to 13-page story for each character, including Namor. Timely/Marvel’s first superhero team, the All-Winners Squad, with Namor, made its first appearance in issue #19.
  • Sub-Mariner Comics #1-42 (1941-1955) – Namor’s first solo series! The title was canceled in the fall of 1949 (with issue #32), before being briefly revived starting in 1954.
  • Daring Comics #9-12 (1944-1945) – Another superhero anthology, where Namor appears in the last issues.
From Sub-Mariner Comics #2

When Bill Everett joined the army in 1942, his major successor as Sub-Mariner artist was Carl Pfeufer, while Mickey Spillane became one of the main writers for the character. Most of those issues are uncollected, except for some backup stories in Human Torch, reprinted in out-of-print Masterworks volumes:

After his service in World War II, Bill Everett returned to the Sub-Mariner “without missing a beat,” and Marvel Comics has collected his works on the pointy-eared Prince in another Omnibus that includes the Sub-Mariner’s revival during Marvel’s Atlas Era.

Not from Bill Everett, and as such, uncollected are the following issues:

    • Sub-Mariner Comics #25 and #31
    • The Namor stories in Human Torch #29, #31-36, and #39-42
    • Marvel Mystery Comics #87-89
Namora, the cousin of Namor, made her debut in Marvel Mystery Comics #82 (May 1947). The next year, she was the star of her own comic book series, which lasted only three issues. She was a recurring character in Marvel Mystery Comics and also in Sub-Mariner until that series ended in 1955.

World War II Interlude with The Invaders!

After introducing the team in The Avengers #71 in 1969, the excellent Golden Age Retro Storyteller Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema explored their adventures several years later (in 1975), first in a Giant-Size Invaders issue detailing the team’s formation, then in their ongoing series. It lasted 41 issues plus an annual, coming to an end in 1979. Thomas would come back to the team once more, for a follow-up and short limited series, this time with artist Dave Hoover, in 1993.

  • The Invaders Omnibus
    Collects Giant-Size Invaders (1975) #1-2, Invaders (1975) #1-41, Invaders Annual (1977) #1, Marvel Premiere (1972) #29-30, Avengers (1963) #71, Invaders (1993) #1-4, What If? (1977) #4, Fantastic Four Annual (1963) #11, Marvel Two-in-One Annual (1976) #1, Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #20, material from Captain America Comics (1941) #22.

  • Marvel Universe (1998) #1-3 is set in 1945, before the end of WWII. Collected in Invaders: Eve of Destruction

The Invaders fought through World War II. But then members of the team got lost, disappeared, or were supposedly dead. The Invaders would reunite many years later, but before that… Namor disappeared after the war until the early days of Fantastic Four… To know more about what happened to Namor, check out Marvel Comics Presents (2019) #1 (the War’s End story), written by Greg Pak and Tomm Coker.

The Return of Namor by Roy Thomas and Bill Everett himself! (1962-1986)

At one point, Namor went missing, only to be rediscovered by Johnny Storm (the new Human Torch) living as a homeless man with amnesia in Fantastic Four #4 (May 1962). In an attempt to help him regain his memory, the Human Torch threw him into the water. However, upon discovering the underwater wreckage caused by humankind, Namor demanded revenge! During the ’60s, the Sub-Mariner became an anti-hero, fighting against the human race while also being on a quest for identity. Namor was also too fiercely independent to remain an ally of villains such as Magneto and Doctor Doom for long.

While Namor was once again quite popular among readers, he could not have his own title for a time due to publication and distribution restrictions. Instead, he appeared as a guest star in several titles, including Tales of Astonish, before finally getting his own ongoing series again with Sub-Mariner, in 1968. Roy Thomas was the main writer for the first part of the series, mainly with John Buscema as artist. Creator Bill Everett came back to the title for the 50th Anniversary issue and wrote and pencilled the next 10 issues. Steve Gerber, Gerry Conway and Gene Colan have also worked on this title, which lasted 72 issues.

Namor The Sub-Mariner Omnibus:

  • Namor The Sub-Mariner Omnibus Vol. 1 [2025]
    Collects Sub-Mariner (1968) #1; Fantastic Four (1961) #4, #6, #9, #14, #27, #33 and Annual (1963) #1; Avengers (1963) #3-4; X-Men (1963) #6; Daredevil (1964) #7; and material from Tales to Astonish (1959) #70-101; Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1; Tales of Suspense (1959) #79-80; Strange Tales (1951) #107 and #125; and Not Brand Echh (1967) #1, #4 and #9

Namor The Sub-Mariner Epic Collection:

The Defenders - Hulk Reading Order

During this era, Namor also teamed up with Doctor Strange and the Hulk to protect the Earth, and the Defenders were formed. Although Namor left the group for a time to join the Super Villain Team-Up, he later returned to the Defenders.

The Original Defenders in Omnibus:

  • Defenders Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Sub-Mariner (1968) #34-35; Marvel Feature (1971) #1-3; Defenders (1972) #1-19; Giant-Size Defenders (1974) #1-2; Avengers (1963) #116-118; material from Avengers (1963) #115.
  • The Defenders Omnibus Collection is right now incomplete. Waiting for a reprint and new volumes in this format!

The Original Defenders in Epic Collection:

Flashback miniseries! Coming from Alan Davis and Paul Renaud is the 2020s miniseries Tarot set during the first years of the Defenders. A strange and impossible lost memory from his days in World War II draws Namor the Sub-Mariner to his one-time compatriot Captain America—but the two heroes and their respective allies find themselves pulled into a labyrinth of pain, destruction and madness courtesy of the Infernal Ichor of Ish’lzog!

Currently, the four-issue miniseries Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner by J.M. DeMatteis and Bob Budiansky and published in 1984, remains uncollected. After that, the character was not associated with any titles and simply made guest appearances for the next few years.

The Sub-Mariner: Marvel Masterworks Collection

Marvel Comics has collected many of the pointy-eared Prince’s classic adventures in their Marvel Masterworks line. Since then, the publisher has stopped this collection. Some of these books are already hard to find; most will soon be.

Namor The Sub-Mariner #3 by John Byrne

Modern Age Namor: The Saga and Reinvention of the Sub-Mariner (1988-1997)

Classic entry point! Like most classic characters with decades of history, Namor’s past is filled with contradictions and conflicting stories. As the Modern Age began, it was the perfect time to lay everything out and recap his history. The husband-and-wife team of Roy and Dan Thomas, with artist Rich Buckler, revisited the life and times of Marvel’s mightiest mutant in the now-classic 12-issue maxiseries The Saga of the Sub-Mariner (1988–1989). This is the perfect comic for learning about Namor.

Following this series, our pointy-eared prince was part of two Marvel crossover events: Atlantis Attacks and Acts of Vengeance.

Most importantly, the Sovereign of the Seven Seas entered the nineties with a new ongoing series helmed by no other than the legendary John Byrne — who had recently returned to Marvel after working on Superman at DC Comics. A new era started for our Prince, who became the CEO of Oracle, Inc., a corporation devoted to reducing pollution, especially in the ocean. After writing and drawing the first 25 issues by himself, newcomer artist Jae Lee was brought on the title to help Byrne, who was starting to feel drawn out. Byrne would go on until issue #32, leaving the title, maybe because of overlapping deadlines more than by choice. He was followed by Bob Harras (#33-40), then by Glenn Herdling and artist Geof Isherwood who took over creative duties for the rest of the series.

Following the tragic events of Atlantis Rising, Namor appears in Fantastic Four until the conclusion of the series

Heroes Reborn (totally optional)! Namor was also moved into the pocket Universe with the Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Captain America during the relaunch Heroes Reborn. He appeared in a few issues during that time:

Sub-Mariner Revolution: From the noughties to the Civil War era (2001-2008)

While the popularity of manga in recent years has led to the creation of the successful DC Compact line, this is not the first time that one of the ‘Big Two’ has tried to appeal to manga readers. Marvel Comics tried and failed in 2003 with the creation of the Tsunami imprint. One of the titles published under that imprint was a solo Namor from Bill Jemas, Andi Watson, and Salvador Larroca, focusing on a younger version of the character. It was a flop!

Mostly, present-day Namor could be found in team-book titles, such as new volumes of Defenders. The team was reunited for a second volume, created by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen. Unfortunately, to discover those stories, you’ll have to go on a quest in your local comic book shop in hope to find some floppies as it has not been collected.

  • The Defenders (2001) #1-12
  • The Order (2002) #1-6 is the direct follow-up to The Defenders

In 2011, Marvel Comics resurrected and finished some unpublished stories. One of these was a Defenders story plotted by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Mark Bagley. However, Nicieza’s plot has been lost, and nobody remembers what the story was about. There is still the art from Bagley, though! As Nicieza was unavailable, Kurt Busiek came up with an idea to fit the art, and the result was published in:

Then, the non-team was once again reunited, this time by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis (both of whom had previously worked on Defenders), and Kevin Maguire, a trio famous for their Justice League International run. They put their humorous brand on a Defenders miniseries:

Between two reunions with his Defenders teammates, Namor was reunited with the other Invaders to combat the Axis Mundi, a global terrorist network born from the ashes of the Third Reich. This team-up was orchestrated by Allan Jacobsen and C. P. Smith.

Namor in Civil War #7

Following a massive tragedy, the U.S. Government passed the Superhuman Registration Act, a legislation forcing all superhumans to register with government authorities. For Namor, it was first a surface world problem until a dear one was killed in their Civil War. From there, Namor wanted vengeance while some conflicts arose with Atlantis. While Namor will take a stand in the end. Civil War is an optional event for the character.

Not long after, the “super-team of World War II finds themselves transported from the battlefields of the Second World War to a future they never imagined!”. Yes the Invaders from the past are brought to a present post-Civil War to show “kind of power, courage, and sheer determination it took to defeat the forces of unrelenting evil in the Twentieth century.” This is from Jim Krueger, Alex Ross, and Stephen Sadowski.

The present-day Namor finds himself headlining a new miniseries, where he discovers the existence of his long-lost son, Kamar, who attempts to usurp the throne of Atlantis. Then, the surface world is shaken by a Secret Invasion, an event that Namor is confronted with as part of the secret organization known as the Illuminati.

Sub-Mariner: The Depths is an out-of-continuity horror tale published under the Marvel Knights imprint. From British writer Peter Milligan and painter Esad Ribic, this is the story of an expedition gone wrong. Beware, Namor hardly features in it, but if you like gothic horror tales, this is for you.

Namor: The First Mutant and the X-Men (2008-2013)

In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion came the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn. During that period, Namor was part of the Dark X-Men team before leaving the group to join the proper X-Men. Spinning from the pages of X-Men (Vol. 3) #1 was a new book starring the world’s first mutant, Namor, from Stuart Moore, Ariel Olivetti, and Carlos Rodriguez. But the comic didn’t find its audience and was cancelled after eleven issues.

During this period, the original Invaders are brought together for the first time in decades by a mysterious force relating to the darkest moment in Invaders’ history. From Christos Gage, Alex Ross, and Caio Reis.

The Defenders - Hulk Reading Order

Fear and chaos are spreading into the Marvel Universe during the Fear Itself event. To help him keep the seas safe, Namor allies once again with his old friend Dr. Strange, and a new version of the Defenders emerges. The team quickly reunited to solve a mysterious conspiracy deep in the heart of the Marvel Universe!

Namor is mostly absent from the second volume, making a reapparence for the last two issues of the series.

In the wake of the Schism (Namor was obviously occupied with the Defenders during this story), Cyclops became the leader of an Extinction Team, fighting Mister Sinister and his clone, dealing with extinction-level events, and more. Namor joined this team, although he often clashed with Cyclops, as he is not a man used to taking orders from someone else! He also stands with his fellow X-Men against the Avengers when the two groups collide after the return of the Phoenix Force.

Marvel Now! Namor: Member of Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers (2013-2015)

We enter Marvel Now!, a period when Namor became part of Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers. The title focuses on the members of The Illuminati (Black Panther, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Sub-Mariner, and the Beast) who are armed with the six Infinity Gems against an infinite legion of parallel realities. Check out Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers Reading Order for more Avengers stories and other collections.

  • Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Avengers (2012) #1-23, New Avengers (2013) #1-12, Free Comic Book Day 2013: Infinity #1, Infinity #1-6, Infinity: Against The Tide Infinite Comic #1-2, Astonishing Tales: Mojoworld #1-6, Material From Shang-Chi: Master Of Kung Fu (2009) #1.
Namor in New Avengers #3

In the following weeks, Namor spent some time away from the Illuminati to rebuild Atlantis. The Sovereign of the Seven Seas was then attacked by the Kree Tanalth in pursuit of the God’s Whisper. To save the Earth against a new Kree attack, Namor is reunited with his fellow Invaders Captain America, Bucky and the Human Torch

The prince of Atlantis reconnected with the Illuminati for the last part of Jonathan Hickman’s run, facing the threat of the Incursions and the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it.

All-New, All-Different Namor

A totally optional time for Namor. After the creation of the new Marvel Universe, Namor became the target of the Squadron Supreme, a group of heroes from different universes that are determined to make him pay for his crime.

World surface problems once again invaded the Atlantis Kingdom in Secret Empire. Captain America established a Hydra Empire in the United States. While Namor tried to stay neutral, the situation took a turn that made it difficult to protect his people, pushing him towards tyranny.

  • Secret Empire
    Collects Secret Empire #0-9, Free Comic Book Day 2017 Defenders #1

    • Mostly for context, although Namor makes a few appearances in it.
  • Secret Empire: Brave New World
    Collects Secret Empire: Brave New World #1-5.

Namor Fresh Start: Jason Aaron’s The Avengers Era (2018-2025)

A newly resurrected Jean Grey came to Namor for his support in the mutant nation before the United Nations. Namor helped her, and even made himself available to the team.

While Namor started this new era as an ally, he soon waged a war against the Avengers. To protect Atlantis, the Prince put in place some aggressive new policies while he became mentally more unstable as time passed. Wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt and to avoid a war with Atlantis, his old allies from the Invaders went on to investigate and stop him, if necessary, in a new Invaders series from Chip Zdarsky and Carlos Magno.

Namor: The Best Defense, NCover by Ron Garney

While Knull, the ancient, eldritch god of symbiotes, was launching a massive invasion of Earth in King in Black, Namor’s hot temper would put him into opposition with the Agents of Atlas in the Atlantis Attacks miniseries before he felt compelled to release members of the Black Tide to stand with him against the invading symbiote dragons for a new miniseries filled with flashbacks to his childhood. None requires reading King in Black, as there is really no connection (the event is referenced in the second story).

While Aaron was finished with the Avengers, he wasn’t with the once mighty Sub-Mariner. He took a closer look at the Prince and the Dark history of Atlantis in an eight-issue series illustrated by Paul Davidson and Alex Lins:

Namor the Sub-Mariner: Conquered Shores is an out-of-continuity story set a century into the future where not much land remains on Earth. Namor, the Sub-Mariner is no longer King of Atlantis but ruler of the entire world! The Sub-Mariner sets off across what little devastated surface of Earth remains, looking for answers to save his adopted subjects!

Namor: New Avengers (2025-Present)

Welcome to the New Avengers! Sam Humphries and Ton Lima’s new comic revolves around volatile personalities. Characters who are always on the brink of conflict! Bucky Barnes and Natasha Romanov must prevent their allies from killing each other if they want their mission to succeed. And Bucky has asked King Namor to join this new team, which comprises Carnage (Eddie Brock), the Hulk, Clea, and Wolverine (Laura Kinney’s duplicate).

Did we forget an important issue? Did we make a mistake? Let us know in the comments!

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