Warning: contains spoilers for Namor: King in Black #3!
While some Marvel villains are deep, complex individuals whose goals and perspectives can be beguiling if presented in the right way, others are closer to bullies who just need to be slapped down when they get too ambitious. Despite some humanizing moments, the Atlantean Attuma - a bulky warlord with a ridiculous barbarian-style helmet - has generally fallen into this latter group. But in Namor: King in Black #3 written by Kurt Busiek with art by Benjamin Dewey, Jonas Scharf and Triona Farrell, readers are reminded that while Attuma's ceaseless quest to rule Atlantis may seem simple, that doesn't mean it isn't rooted in a very personal tragedy.
The warlord Attuma first appeared in Fantastic Four #33, published in 1964. In his debut issue, he desired to conquer Atlantis for exiling his tribe, the Chasm People. Wearing green armor (occasionally yellow, though the overall design hardly changes much during the decades) and an incredibly large and distinct dragon-skull helmet, Attuma fought Namor the Sub-Mariner over another matter: the heart of Lady Dorma. Setting his sights on the surface world after losing to Namor (with help from the Fantastic Four), Attuma would continue to be a thorn in Atlantis' side, often attempting to seize control of - or even just destroy - the underwater kingdom. Thanks to crucial information revealed in Namor: King in Black #3, readers know why.
In an extended flashback that encompasses the majority of the issue, a young Namor, Lady Dorma, and Attuma are tasked with retrieving the Unforgotten Stone and joining with the Swift Tide warriors at a village of the Chasm People. Despite Namor's best efforts, the trio struggles to catch up to the Swift Tide. Far ahead, the warriors are attacked by a mysterious black cloud that transforms them into grotesque forms. When the trio arrive at the settlement, Attuma is horrified to see the entire village littered with the bodies of his people. Not even their weaponized Great Sea Dragon survived, and only the bones of the beast remain.
Unbeknownst to Attuma, the Swift Tide has become the Black Tide. This is the work of Knull, the King in Black himself, who even in the past was a formidable threat to the underwater realms as well as the surface world. But Attuma sees the atrocity before him, and with the massacre of his family fresh in his mind, blames Atlantis. "Atlantis — sent us on the mission — sent us to retrieve the damned stone..." Attuma cries amidst a sea of bones. "And now...now Atlantis has done this." On the final panel of the issue, he cradles the skull of the Sea Dragon in his hands - a skull longtime fans will note closely resembles his classic helmet.
When Attuma first appeared on the pages of Fantastic Four #33, one could mistake him for yet another villain of the week. But Namor: King in Black #3 grants an insightful look into Attuma's mindset, giving a lesser-known villain some needed gravitas and relatability, and turning perhaps the silliest part of his costume into a symbol of the moment that fixed his dangerous worldview. The massacre of the Chasm People gives new meaning to Attuma's longstanding grudge against Namor and Atlantis (itself no stranger to controversial actions), and potentially sets the stage for the warlord to become a much more impactful villain in stories to come.
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