Giant-Size Super-Villain Team Up (1975) #1

There had been a bit of interaction between Namor and Dr. Doom in the Black Panther books I read recently hinting a some tense history between the two characters. As a result, I'd been looking forward to reading Super-Villain Team-Up quite a bit but I'm sorry to say it turned out to be rather disappointing.

"Three titanic tales" told over 68 pages for $2 (digital). So far so good. Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott on creative duties sounds like a win too.

We get a recap of the events of recent (at the time) issues of Fantastic Four which led to Doom plunging from space and into the ocean where he is found, rescued and revived by Namor. Doom's reaction?

Arsehole. I'd have corked him in the chin right there and then.

Instead, Namor chooses to ignore the insult, and Doom's own reminder of a past betrayal, to suggest they are natural-born allies. While Doom contemplates this we flashback to...Sub-Mariner #20. It appears as though the entire issue is reprinted here.

Okay, so in THAT issue...Namor is ranting and raving in the city (presumably New York) following a recent battle. The military is after him so he beats a rare retreat and ends up at...The Latverian embassy.

Doom attempts to recruit Namor to his side to, basically, take over the world. Namor, at this point, had no desire to take over the surface world again, so he bluntly refuses the offer.

Doom, then, orders his henchmen remove every drop of water from the mansion, right down to the ice cubes, in order to keep Namor weak and therefore force him into submission.

You picked wrong Atlantean to pull that trick on, Doom! Namor attacks nonetheless and the two monarchs scrap for a while.

  Doom, of course, has every advantage (including home turf) so Namor turns the tide (so to speak) by starting a fire. The fire department displays incredible response time, Namor gets a good soaking from the fire hoses, and beats it.

And that's the end of the flashback. The book then reprints another story in which Doom had unsuccessfully teamed with another villain, Diablo. Namor does not appear in that story at all.

After all that reminiscing, Doom refuses Namor's offer by blasting him into the wall. You've got to give it to him, the dude has a way of making a point. And so they scrap again.

Doom, claiming he can't be bothered to fight (even though he started it), leaves the ship. Namor lets it all go, reasoning that Doom will go on failing at his own plans and come crawling back to him one day.

And that's about it. The story can be broken down to Namor saying "join me" followed by Doom responding with "screw you". And the logic involved with both the question and the response is questionable.

The reprinted material from Sub-Mariner #20 includes about a page-long cameo of Dorma and Triton of The Inhumans. That was a pleasant surprise.