One of the oldest pieces of original Marvel Comics artwork still in existence, depicting Namor The Sub-Mariner in the very first Marvel comic book has suddenly resurfaced (pun intended). But it won't just be cause for celebration, but a trigger to some -- since it makes one of the world's greatest forces against heroism clear, right from the beginning. At least, to Namor.
Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort has recently been taking to Twitter, sharing obscure and rarely seen vintage artwork from throughout the course of the publishing house's decades-long history. The original design for Thanos shows how much the past can revealed, but the oldest image shared is from the company's first issue ever, 1939's Marvel Comics #1, and shows a black and white outline of the final page of the Namor story told within. After completing a mission to the surface with his cousin Dorma, Namor returns to the water, with the narration calling out the new mission adopted by the King of Atlantis: "And so Namor dives into the ocean again - on his way to further adventures in his crusade against white men!"
Before anyone grabs their pitchforks and torches, and as strange as this might sound on paper, some context is needed. Considering the hero and the time at which his character was introduced, Namor is likely referring to the human race as a whole -- or at the very least, Europeans and Americans in the West -- and not specifically 'Caucasian males.' In the story, Namor is told by his mother, Fen, that in the 1920s humans on the surface had been experimenting with underwater explosives, inadvertently killing most of the Atlantean race. Twenty years later, Namor, a quasi-villain at the time, travels to the surface to destroy a lighthouse in the hopes of hampering further efforts to explore the area.
After his mission, he returns to the ocean, with the now infamous subtitle placarded underneath. Taking into account that this was 1939 and comics weren't exactly known for their diversity at the time, it's not too far of a stretch of the imagination to assume that Namor's reference to "white men" really just meant humanity in general, or the parts of it he would be interacting with in coming stories (as opposed to being explicitly racially motivated). Either way, considering this is probably the oldest piece of surviving Marvel art, it's significant.
Brevoort's feed has a bunch of vintage artwork to pore over, much of which is being highlighted by Marvel's official web page. You'll find Daredevil concept art, early designs of Jessica Jones and Firestar, and much, much more. Any Marvel devotee owes it to themselves to check out Brevoort's twitter feed. Even if The Sub-Mariner's "crusade against white men" riles you up, you'll be sure to find something you can appreciate. And if, based on this one panel, you still think Namor is a bigoted lunatic, find a copy of Marvel Comics #1 and decide for yourself.
Source: Tom Brevoort
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