Winning always comes easy for Namor and this is once again proven in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever where he stages a successful attack on Wakanda, resulting in the death of a major MCU character. Even more interesting is that he easily gets away with the damage he caused by eventually aligning with Shuri.
In the comics, Namor has had several memorable victories too, though these haven’t always been followed by handshakes or peace treaties. Keeping up with his nature as a soulless individual, the Atlantean has made a habit of obliterating foes, including Daredevil and various members of the Hulk family, before going about his normal business.
10/10 Namor’s Attack On New York City
Daredevil (Vol. 1) #7: Story by Stan Lee/ Art by Wally Wood/ Letters by Artie Simek
Seeking to sue the surface world for exploiting the sea, Namor approaches Matt Murdock for legal representation. When Matt declines to be his lawyer, Namor becomes furious and goes on a rampage in New York City.
Victories are sweeter when the enemy is formidable and this ends up being one Namor’s most badass moments because his opponent is Daredevil. Known for being one of Marvel’s most skilled vigilantes, the New Yorker struggles to stop the Atlantean. Add the army of law enforcement officers that’s poured on the streets to stop him and the loss becomes even more embarrassing. The triumph is also more iconic for Namor because things could have been worse for his enemies. The only thing that spares the humans of a bigger loss is an emergency back in Atlantis that Namor has to attend to.
9/10 Namor Turns The Tide Against Venom
Sub-Mariner (Vol 2) #4: Story by Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson/ Art by Phil Briones and Paul Mounts/ Letters by Joe Caramagna
Mac Gargan, the former Scorpion, is tasked with hunting down Namor after attaching himself to the symbiote. What results is a brutal duel that involves Venom shooting Namor and ripping out his ankle wings. Luckily, Namor wins by ripping out Venom’s tongue.
The trope of the protagonist getting brutalized before coming out on top, in the end, is common in both movies and comics. Despite the cliché, this particular fight comes off as a fun experience because Venom brutalizes Namor in a way few people have. It’s one of the few times the Atlantean comes close to death hence the surprise triumph is a relief to both him and the readers.
8/10 Namor Regains His Kingdom
Fantastic Four (Vol 1) #104: Story by Stan Lee/ Art by John Romita and John Verpoorten/ Letters by Artie Simeku
Upon finding one of the key X-men foes, Magneto, unconscious near a volcanic eruption, Namor takes him to Atlantis before leaving to fight with The Fantastic Four. When he returns, he finds that Magneto has overthrown him, but he’s able to regain his kingdom.
Namor’s victory is remarkable, but it’s hard to pity him because he brings the mess on himself by trusting a traditionally treacherous individual. Additionally, he goes against his character by having empathy, yet he is normally mean. However, the win holds more meaning than others because the kingdom was at stake.
7/10 The All-Winners Squad Stops John F. Kennedy’s Assassination
What If? (Vol 1) #4: Story by Roy Thomas Penciler/ Art by Frank Robbins, Frank Springer and George Bell/ Letterers by Joe Rosen and John Costanza
During his time with one of Marvel’s first 10 superhero teams, the All-Winners Squad, Namor manages to stop the assassination of JFK. This is achieved by defeating Adam-II, who had vowed to replace world leaders with android versions.
Though Namor doesn’t do it alone as he often does, the victory holds much weight because it involves one of the most celebrated historical figures of all time. The fact that the victory changes the course of history also makes it more distinctive compared to the Atlantean’s other triumphs.
6/10 Namor The Robo-Destroyer
Sub-Mariner (Vol 2) #3: Story by Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson/ Art by Phil Briones and Paul Mounts/ Letters by Joe Petit
After classifying mutants as terrorists, the Department of Defense sends robots known as Sentinels after them. Namor is ambushed while at the X-Mansion but still manages to defeat the robot army.
In various X-Men comics, it has been demonstrated that a single sentinel is already a tough enough opponent, so the fact that Namor slays several is a confirmation of how great a combatant he is. This is specifically so because the sentinels that ambush him have lasers and tough armor. The win can be attributed to Namor using his intelligence more than his strength.
5/10 Namor Battles For Atlantis
Tales To Astonish (Vol 1) #88: Story by Stan Lee, Art by Bill Everett/ Letters by Sam Rosen
The warlord, Attuma spends his days trying to conquer Atlantis in order to fulfill the prophecy that a member of his race (the Skarka) would become ruler. In the Marvel issue, here tries again but fails.
It’s yet another fight where the kingdom is at stake so Namor has to give his all. And the win is more precious because events play out like the Battle of Thermopylae, with Namor’s forces being heavily outnumbered. Numbers aside, “cutting the snake’s head” turns out to be all that’s required and Namor does that by beating up Attuma, making the rest of his army surrender.
4/10 Namor Faces Off With Hulk
Incredible Hulk (Vol 1) #118: Story by Stan Lee/ Art by Herb Trimpe/ Letters by Artie Simek
After bumping into an injured Hulk, Lady Dorma brings him to Atlantis for medical care, Mistress Fara then lies to Namor that Dorma is flirting with Hulk. A fight thus breaks out.
While facing off against one of the strongest Avengers, Namor sure does a lot of work in his hands. But while he may not look like it, the Atlantean is equally robust, something M’baku can attest to in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This time, Hulk learns that the hard way too when he gets punched so hard he lands out of the water in his Bruce Banner state.
3/10 Namor Makes Light Work Of Luke Cage And She-Hulk
Uncanny X-Men (Vol 2) #12: Story by Kieron Gillen/ Art by Greg Land, Jae Leisten, and Guru-eFX/ Letters by Joe Caramagna
When the Avengers and X-Men clash over the Phoenix Force, Namor alligns with his fellow mutants. He ends up fighting She-Hulk, Luke Cage, and The Thing, defeating them all.
Winning in style is something to be proud of and Namor does that. From drowning Luke Cage to using the Harlem hero as a weapon against She-Hulk, Namor dominates from start to finish. Even more impressive is that he does this without any assistance from his fellow mutants.
2/10 Tiger Shark Gets A Royal Beatdown
Sub-Mariner (Vol 1) #6: Story by Roy Thomas/ Art by John Buscema and Dan Adkins/ Letters by Irv Watanabe
Soon after he gets word that the Olympic swimmer, Todd Arlis, has been modified into Tiger Shark by Dr. Dorcas, Namor springs into action. The best fights often involve plenty of things getting destroyed and that’s how events play out when Namor faces Tiger Shark.
Dr. Dorcas’ lab becomes a mess and so does the throne room where Namor finally achieves victory. It’s an outstanding win, because, on paper, Tiger Shark ought to be stronger. After all, he has both Namor’s DNA and shark DNA. But despite Tiger Shark’s advantage, it becomes clear that it takes a lot more to win against Namor.
1/10 Namor Defeats The Super Skrull
Namor: The Sub-Mariner (Vol 1) #18: Story by John Byrne/ Art by Glynis Wein
Posing as Iron Fist, Kl’rt The Super Skrull demands that Namor submit to him after abducting Namorita. Things don’t turn out as he expected, with Namor defeating him and destroying his doomsday paraphernalia.
Namor once again cements his status as a master of duels because he happens to be facing off against a very capable opponent. Not only is Kl’rt strong (thanks to him having the combined abilities of The Fantastic Four) but he also has a good track record, having fared well against Captain Marvel, Thor, and Spider-Man. Unfortunately for him, his great resume ends up being of no use.
