It’s often overlooked, but historically speaking the shared Marvel Universe starts with Namor the Sub-Mariner (and, of course, Jim Hammond the original human torch). I remember interviews with Stan Lee during the 80’s in which he repeatedly championed his efforts to get a Namor movie to the big screen, well before Blade opened the floodgates of superhero cinema that we know and love today.
I never quite got the fixation with Namor – him? – but modern comics have helped me appreciate the character. Few heroes in the Marvel universe are more regal than Namor, with only characters like Black Panther and Doctor Doom rivaling Namor’s fierce commitment to the crown. His brash arrogance is almost endearing in the right hands, as is his perpetual fluctuation between light and dark.
Below you’ll find a complete reading order for Namor the Submariner. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts or any questions in the comments, and enjoy the comics!
Namor The Sub-Mariner Comic Books
0) Golden Age Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner: Golden Age Masterworks Vol. 1
Collects: Sub-Mariner Comics #1-4
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The original Sub-Mariner comics from the Golden Age of comic books, by Bill Everett and Alex Schomburg. Namor vs. Nazis!
Sub-Mariner: Golden Age Masterworks Vol. 2
Collects: Sub-Mariner Comics #5-8
Sub-Mariner: Golden Age Masterworks Vol. 3
Collects: Sub-Mariner Comics #9-12
Golden Age All-Winners Masterworks Vol. 1
Collects: All-Winners Comics (1941) #1-4
Namor’s earliest Invaders exploits during World War Two. Fighting in a team alongside Captain America, Bucky, the Human Torch and Toro (as well as the Whizzer, Destroyer, Angel, and Black Marvel!).
I) Fantastic Four Return & Sub-Mariner Solo Comics
The Fantastic Four Omnibus (Lee & Kirby) Volume 1
Fantastic Four #4
Fantastic Four #6
Fantastic Four #9
Fantastic Four #14
Strange Tales #107
Fantastic Four Annual #1
Fantastic Four #27
Fantastic Four #33
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 1
Avengers #3
Avengers #4
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner – Volume 1
Collects: Tales To Astonish #70-87, Daredevil (1964) #7 And Tales Of Suspense #80
Fresh from his Fantastic Four resurrection and into his own solo series by Stanly the Manly and Gene Colan. Far from my favorite solo title from Marvel’s glorious 60’s, but essential for any Namor and Atlantis fans.
Marvel Masterworks: Sub-Mariner Vol 2
Collects: Tales To Astonish #88 To #101, Iron Man & Sub-Mariner #1, Sub-Mariner #1
Marvel Masterworks: Sub-Mariner – Volume 3
Collects: Sub-Mariner #2-13
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner – Volume 4
Collects: The Sub-Mariner #14-25
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner Volume 5
Collects: Sub-Mariner (1968) 25-38, Ka-Zar (1970) 1
II) Defenders
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders – Volume 1
Collects: Sub-Mariner Nos. 34-35, Marvel Features Nos. 1-3 & The Defenders Nos. 1-6
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner Volume 6
Collects: Sub-Mariner (1968) 39-49; Daredevil (1964) 77
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders – Volume 2
Collects:
Invaders Classic: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Giant-Size Invaders 1; Invaders 1-22, Annual 1; Marvel Premiere 29-30; Avengers 71
Invaders Classic: The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects: Invaders (1975) 23-41, Invaders (1993) 1-4, Giant-Size Invaders 2, What If? (1977) 4
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner Vol. 7
Collects: Sub-Mariner (1968) 50-60
Marvel Masterworks: Sub-Mariner Vol. 8
Collects: Sub-Mariner (1968) 61-72
Fantastic Four Masterworks Vol. 14
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961) #142-150, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2, Avengers (1963) #127 And Material From Giant-Size Super-Stars #1
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders – Volume 3
Collects: Defenders 17-21, Giant-Size Defenders 2-4, Marvel Two-In-One 6-7
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders Volume 4
Collects: Defenders (1972) 22-30, Giant-Size Defenders 5, Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) 18
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders Vol. 5
Collects: Defenders (1972) 31-41, Annual (1976) 1, Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) 12
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders Vol. 6
Collects: Defenders (1972) 42-57; Material From Foom (1973) 19
Super-Villains Unite: The Complete Super-Villain Team-Up
Collects: Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up 1-2; Super-Villain Team-Up 1-14, 16-17; Avengers 154-156; Champions 16
III) Atlantis Attacks & John Byrne Solo Series
Invaders: The Eve of Destruction
Collects: Marvel Universe #1-7
Defenders Epic Collection: The Six-Fingered Hand Saga
Collects: Defenders (1972) 92-109; Marvel Team-Up (1972) 101; Captain America (1968) 268
Defenders Epic Collection: Ashes, Ashes
Collects: Defenders (1972) 110-125, Avengers Annual (1967) 11
Alpha Flight Classic Vol. 2: v. 2
Collects: Alpha Flight (1983) #9-19 And X-Men (1963) #109
Namor makes major appearances and develops a romance in Alpha Flight issues #12 to #16. John Byrne’s infatuation with the prince of Atlantis begins taking shape.
Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner (1984)
Collects: Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner #1 To #4
Avengers Epic Collection: Under Siege
Collects: Avengers (1963) #264-277, Alpha Flight (1983) #39, Avengers Annual #15, And West Coast Avengers Annual #1
Namor becomes a regular in Avengers for a short spell.
The Avengers Epic Collection: Judgment Day
Collects: Avengers (1963) #278-285 And Avengers Annual #16; Plus: Marvel Graphic Novel #27: Emperor Doom; X-Men Vs. Avengers #1-4; And West Coast Avengers Annual #2
Collects: Avengers (1963) 286-293
Collects: Silver Surfer Annual #2, Iron Man Annual #10, Marvel Comics Presents #26, Uncanny X-Men Annual #13, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23, Punisher Annual #2, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9, Daredevil Annual #4, Avengers Annual #18, New Mutants #76, Annual #5, X-Factor Annual #4, Web Of Spider-Man Annual #5, Avengers West Coast #56, Annual #4, Thor Annual #14, Fantastic Four Annual #22
Namor Visionaries – John Byrne, Vol. 1
Collects: Namor, The Sub-Mariner (1990) #1-9
John Byrne’s time writing and drawing Namor, the Sub-Mariner begins! The surprising transformation from lord of the high seas to king of the boardroom begins here.
Namor Visionaries by John Byrne – Volume 2
Collects: Namor The Sub-Mariner (1990) #10-18
IV) Namor Enters the 2000’s
Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection Vol. 3
Collects: Black Panther (1998) 36-49, 57-58; Incredible Hulk (2000) 33; Thor (1966) 370; Material From Marvel Double-Shot 2
You don’t need the entire Priest Black Panther run here, but there is a good Namor vs. Doom vs. T’Challa arc!
Fantastic Four/Inhumans: Atlantis Rising
Collects: Namor The Sub-Mariner 60-62, Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising 1-2, Fantastic Force (1994) 8-9, Fantastic Four (1961) 401-402, Fantastic Four Unlimited 11
Collects: Fantastic Four: 1234 #1 To #4
Grant Morrison and Jae Lee’s Marvel Knights era deconstruction of Marvel’s first family. Naturally, Namor is ready and waiting to send Reed Richards into turmoil.
Collects: Namor Vol. 2 #1 to #12
V) Civil War + Illuminati
Collects: Frontline #1 to #11
Frontline winds up involving a plot referencing Atlantis.
Collects: Sub-Mariner #1 to #5
Collects: New Avengers Illumaniti #1 To #5
Collects: Sub-Mariner: The Depths #1-5
Collects: Dark Reign: The Cabal #1
Sets up Namor’s Dark Reign involvement.
Collects: Avengers/Invaders #1-12
Collects: Invaders Now! #1-5
Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four #570
Namor is not a major player in the Hickman era of Fantastic Four, but since Atlantis is one of the four cities, he does play a role.
VI) Namor and the X-Men
Uncanny X-Men: The Complete Collection by Matt Fraction – Volume 2
Collects: Uncanny X-Men #513 To #531
Namor joins the X-Men after Dark Reign.
Namor: The First Mutant – Volume 1: Curse of the Mutants
Collects: Namor: The First Mutant #1-6
Namor gets his own X-Men related spinoff after the relaunch of X-Men #1 in 2011.
Namor: The First Mutant Volume 2: Namor Goes to Hell
Collects: Namor: The First Mutant #5-11
Defenders By Matt Fraction Vol. 1
Collects: Defenders #1-6
Defenders By Matt Fraction Vol. 2
Collects: Defenders (2011) #7-12
Uncanny X-Men by Kieron Gillen Vol. 1
Collects: Uncanny X-Men #1 to #4
Collects: Avengers Vs. X-Men 0-12, Point One (Avx Story)
VIII) New Avengers To Secret Wars
New Avengers Volume 1: Everything Dies
Collects: New Avengers 1-6
New Avengers Volume 2: Infinity
Collects: New Avengers 7-12
New Avengers Volume 3: Other Worlds
Collects: New Avengers 13-17
All-New Invaders Volume 1: Gods and Soldiers
Collects: All-New Invaders 1-5
All-New Invaders Volume 2: Original Sin
Collects: Invaders 6-10
All-New Invaders Volume 3: The Martians are Coming
Collects: All -New Invaders 11-15
New Avengers Volume 4: A Perfect World
Collects: New Avengers 18-23
Collects: Avengers 35-44, New Avengers 24-33
Collects: Secret Wars 0-9
IX) Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme Vol. 1: By Any Means Necessary!
Collects: Squadron Supreme (2015) #1-5
Squadron Supreme Vol. 2: Civil War II
Collects: Squadron Supreme (2015) #6-9
Squadron Supreme Vol. 3: Finding Namor
Collects: Squadron Supreme (2015) 10-15
Collects: Secret Empire #0, Secret Empire #1-10, Secret Empire Omega #1, Captain America #25 And Material From Free Comic Book Day 2017 (Secret Empire 1)
Namor plays a tangential, ill-defined role in the proceedings of Secret Empire. If you weren’t intersted before you knew Namor was involved, keep on rolling, but if you have interest in the event anyway, you’ll find Namor within. Namor is primarily found in the Secret Empire: Brave New World
X) Return to Atlantis Attacks – Namor the Supervillain
Avengers by Jason Aaron Vol. 2: World Tour
Collects: Avengers (2018) #7-12
Collects: Invaders #1 to #6
Specifically, Namor appears in Powers of X #5. For the full event reading order, check out Comic Book Herald’s House of X guide.
Invaders Vol. 2: Dead in the Water
Collects: Invaders #7 to #12
Latest Additions:
King in Black: Atlantis Attacks
Collects: Atlantis Attacks (2020) #1 to #5
Collects: King in Black: Namor (2020) #1 to #5
Check out CBH’s full King in Black Reading Order!
Collects: Maestro: World War M #1 to #5
Collects: Namor The Sub-Mariner: Conquered Shores #1 to #5
If you plan to start in the Golden Age, I highly recommend starting with Golden Age Marvel Comics 1-7. That it where Namor is introduced and his story begins. I found his inclusion in these comics more enjoyable than his own Golden Age run, as he did things other than fight the Axis over and over (and over).
He also crosses over into Golden Age Human Torch a few times.
Namor’s involvement in Hickman’s New Avengers made me a huge fan of him. It’s too bad Unlimited is so spotty with his issues.
His Tales to Astonish run almost reads like a sword and sorcery tale.
I’ve become a big Sub-Mariner fan over the past few years. When i started with Fantastic Four masterworks vol. 1 i was surprised i had never heard of the character.
I’m up to issue #13 on his silver age solo series and have really enjoyed it.