Marvel's Oldest Hero Officially Gets a Major Redesign and New Powers

There aren’t many characters who can claimed they’ve been around the world of Marvel for even longer than the likes of Captain America, Iron Man or the Fantastic Four and yet one particular hero has been flying around since before the Second World War. He’s been a friend, a foe, an absolute nuisance to many and he’s never been that interested in playing nice but now, Marvel has decided it’s time to give this hero one of the biggest power upgrades in their history.

Marvel Comics has officially unveiled a major redesign and new powers for Namor the Sub-Mariner, with the iconic Atlantean receiving magical armor and enhanced abilities in Black Panther/Namor: Doomed . The latest issue, written by Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan, with artwork by Stefano Nesi, sees Namor and Black Panther embark on a dangerous mission into Hell, where they’ll find themselves facing none other than Doctor Doom.

The upgrade comes courtesy of the Scarlet Witch, who uses her extraordinary magical abilities to strengthen the two heroes before their journey into the underworld. Her spell provides protection against dark magic while enhancing their physical abilities, with Namor receiving an elaborate suit of golden armor, a winged coronet, and a formidable new trident. Considering he’s already one of Marvel’s most physically powerful characters, that’s probably not particularly encouraging news for anybody unfortunate enough to get in his way.

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Is Marvel Preparing to Kill Off Namor?

First appearing in 1939’s Motion Picture Funnies Weekly , Namor predates many of Marvel’s most recognizable characters, including the original Human Torch, although both would subsequently appear in Marvel Comics . His long history has seen him serve as both a hero and an antagonist, frequently clashing with the Avengers and Fantastic Four while fiercely protecting Atlantis.

The new storyline sees Namor working alongside Black Panther to investigate demonic attacks targeting Atlantis and Wakanda. Their investigation leads them into Hell, where Doctor Doom has recently seized power from Mephisto. However, Doom reveals that he isn’t responsible for the attacks, instead identifying a mysterious new enemy known as the Kingkiller as the true culprit.

Namor has also become increasingly recognizable to movie audiences following Tenoch Huerta Mejía‘s portrayal of the character in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, although the cinematic version rules Talokan rather than Atlantis.

Black Panther/Namor: Doomed is available now from Marvel Comics.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever