Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner
Cover of Sub-Mariner #1, textless variant. Art by Michael Turner.
Publication information
Publisher	Timely Comics Marvel Comics
First appearance	Motion Picture Funnies Weekly (April 1939)
Created by	Bill Everett (writer / artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Namor McKenzie
Species	Atlantean/Human Mutant hybrid
Place of origin	Atlantis
Team affiliations	Invaders All-Winners Squad Avengers Defenders Deep Six Illuminati The Cabal Dark X-Men X-Men The Order Heroes for Hire/Oracle, Inc. Phoenix Five
Partnerships	Namora Namorita Fin Dorma Stingray
Notable aliases	Namor the First, The Avenging Son, Imperius Rex, The Sub-Mariner
Abilities	Aquatic adaptation Superhuman strength, speed, agility and reflexes Mild invulnerability Flight via tiny wings on his ankles Longevity Formerly: Telepathic control over sea creatures Ability to copy the powers of sea creatures

Namor the Sub-Mariner (/ˈneɪmɔːr ðə ˌsʌbˈmærənər/) (Namor McKenzie) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for Funnies Inc., one of the first "packagers" in the early days of comic books that supplied comics on demand to publishers looking to enter the new medium. Initially created for the unreleased comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, the Sub-Mariner first appeared publicly in Marvel Comics #1 (cover-dated Oct. 1939) – the first comic book from Timely Comics, the 1930s–1940s predecessor of the company Marvel Comics. During that period, known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Sub-Mariner was one of Timely's top three characters, along with Captain America and the original Human Torch. Everett said the character's name was inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". Everett came up with "Namor" by writing down noble sounding names backwards and thought Roman/Namor looked the best.