Defenders (1972) #13

While Namor doesn't appear prominently on the cover of this book, I bought it anyway because I recall that it was one of the first comics I read as a kid. That was several years after its publication, mind you, because the version I read was a black and white reprint, translated into French. Nonetheless, I really got into the Squadron Sinister (great name!) as a result of that and, of course, the Sub-Mariner.

What my 40-year old memory failed to recall is that Namor doesn't appear until well into the story. It begins with Nighthawk literally blowing the doors open at Doctor Strange's mansion in order to get the attention of the Defenders.

Ha ha ha ha ha! I love these dramatic leaps of logic of the time. I'm going to try that with my neighbor. Blow the doors off her house and tell her I've saved 15% on my car insurance. I'm sure she'll be impressed with my intensity. And my savings.

In fairness to Nighthawk, his situation is a big more dramatic. After the obligatory scrap against the team (Strange, Valkyrie and Hulk, at this point), he explains that some cosmic tool named Nebulon has freed the Squadron Sinister and will use them to destroy the planet. Shit!

So basically accelerated climate change.

Doc Strange figures this is right up Namor's alley and teleports him in against his will. That goes over with Namor like a turd in punch bowl but since he can't resist blonde chicks, Valkyrie talks some sense into him.

Agreeing that global destruction is bad, the Avenging Son joins in.

The Defenders reach the glacier on which the Squadron sinister have begun their melting villainy and split up to tackle them. Namor ends up against Whizzer (worst name ever). And he does quite well.

Then when Whizzer tries to truck him...

Nebulon, however, traps the whole team in a force field and we have ourselves a cliffhanger.

Pretty fun stuff from Len Wein and Sal Buscema. This would be among the first times that Namor wore the blue pants outfit, too, based on conversation when he is forced onto the team. \
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I don't believe Namor stick around much beyond the next issue, but Nighthawk would become a regular from this point on.