Issue- 6

Title- Captives of the Deadly Duo!

Writer- Stan Lee

Art- Jack Kirby

 

Summary:

Doom seeks out Namor, the Sub-Mariner in order to forge an alliance. Reluctant to be placed in a conflict where he will face the Invisible-Girl, eventually Doom goads him into his plan. Namor then travels to the FF's headquarters under the guise of extending the hand of friendship. With the exception of Sue, the team refuses to believe Namor's offer. Their fears come true when suddenly the entire building is ripped from the ground and slowly pulled into outer space. Namor then reveals that it was Doom's plan for him to plant a device called the magnetic grabber so that he could pull the building from his ship. He then realizes that Doom was only using him and has left him to the same fate as the FF. With the team's powers essentially useless to stop Doom, it is left to Namor. Using rocks from a passing meteor shower for support, Namor leaps and rips into Doom's ship and ultimately sends Doom fleeing into space where he is seemingly lost. Namor returns the FF and their headquarters back to where they belong before discarding Doom's ship into the ocean.

 
 

Notes:

  • When Doom meets with Namor for the first time he already has previous knowledge of Atlantis. He is also aware of the H-Bomb testing which destroyed the city during Namor's absence.

  • This is the first of many team-ups between Doom and Namor, see - Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up 1 & 2, Super-Villain Team-Up, Avengers: Emperor Doom, Sub-Mariner 47-49, and Rage Against Time (2099 crossover)

  • Doom's early armor is apparently susceptible to heavy electrical charges

  • Reprinted in Fantastic Four Annual #3, Marvel Treasury Edition #2, Essential Fantastic Four: Volume 1, Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Volume 1 (pictured below),

 
 

Comments:

Doom and Namor's rivalry and their hate/hate relationship begins here. This pretty much established the base for the much later Super-Villain Team-Up title of the '70's. I'm impressed with what sly manner Doom convinces Namor to join his plan. At the beginning, Namor is clearly cooled off from his recent outbursts and perhaps even considering leaving the surface world at peace when Doom pushes him into revenge mode again. The idea of launching a building into space may seem silly by today's standards of villainy, but the imagery is still exciting. While the story is a straight forward actioner, it is memorable as Doom and Namor's first team-up and Doom's first team-up ever. Bottom Line: *** out of 5

 

Return to Classic Period