Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Villain: Who is Namor?

With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to release later this year, Marvel fans will be thrilled to see the inclusion of a new villain, Namor The Sub-Mariner, who will be hitting the big screens for the first time in the character’s history. 

I’m sure you are interested to know a bit more about this complicated villain. Here is all the information you’ll need to know before you see him in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in cinemas.

Who is Namor?

Namor is the ruler of Atlantis, essentially being the Marvel equivalent of DC’s Aquaman (who was actually created after Namor). But unlike Aquaman, this maritime human and mutant hybrid is much less of a clear-cut good guy, instead being seen much more as an anti-hero/ villain across his 80 year comic book history. 

Namor first appeared in Marvel comics way back in 1939, in Marvel Comics #1. His character was created by Bill Everett and has been both a hero and a villain to the surface world. 

Namor Key Facts: 

• Real Name: Namor McKenzie (His name meaning “the avenging son”)
• Known Aliases: The Sub-Mariner, King Namor  
• Appearance: Blue eyes, balck hair, humanoid  
• Parents: Leonard McKenzie (Human Father) and Princess Fen (Atlantian Mother)
• Superhero Groups he’s been a member of: X-Men, Illuminati, Avengers, Defenders 

Namor Powers: 

Namor is stronger and tougher than any normal human or Atlantean. Over his history he has fought some of the strongest beings on earth come out unscathed, especially when he finds himself underwater which greatly increases his strength. Namor also has telepathic abilities from his Atlantean heritage that allow him to communicate and command not only sea life, but also his fellow Atlantean soldiers if need be. On top of this, Namor has a much longer lifespan than a human, showing little signs of aging, despite being born many decades ago and also is gifted with the power of flight, which is represented by the tiny wings on his ankles. 

The History of Namor and Black Panther (Atlantis vs Wakanda):

In the comics, the worlds of Namor and Black Panther have never gotten along. There has always been a great rivalry between the sides, with Namor seemingly always acting as the ‘bad guy’ in the situation. Namor and T’Challa’s rivalry began way back in the 2012 crossover storyline Avengers vs. X-Men. Here, Namor launched an invasion of Wakanda over a disagreement about whether mutants should rule the world. His invasion devastated the entire kingdom with a massive flood and killed countless innocents. Since then in the comics, T’Challa never forgave Namor for his crimes.

However unlike in the comics, in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, these two characters have never met, and sadly never will after Marvel announced they will not recast T’Challa (Black Panther) following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. So this leaves fans wondering how the two worlds of Atlantis and Wakanda will meet, and more importantly, what will happen when they do?