Super-Villain Team-Up (1975) #3: "If Vengeance Fails!"

The introduction to Orka in the previous post, and his similar origin to that of Tiger Shark put me in a villainous mood so we'll move ahead today in the Super-Villain Team-Up series.

The ending to the previous issue had suggested that an enraged Namor would be kicking a lot of ass at the beginning of this one following the death of his close friend Betty Dean at the hands of...*ugh*...Dr. Dorcas. So let's get right into the thick of things!

Well, that's disappointing.

There was a writer switch between these two issues, from Tony Isabella to Jim Shooter. I can't imagine that this is what Isabella had in mind in continuation of his cliffhanger from issue #2.

Doctor Doom, who had sought to assist Namor in the previous issue in order to make him an ally in the future, eventually steps in to interrupt the beating and takes the Sub-Mariner to (relative) safety.

Namor takes some time to recover and once he has, Doom explains that he plans to help the prince get revenge for the death of Betty Dean.

This is not entirely altruistic, of course. Doom knows that Namor will not partner with him towards world domination if Dean's death is not avenged.

Doom attacks the villain army at Hydrobase by air, in his ship, causing a distraction that allows Namor to release the hostages held there. Namor is particularly interested in one hostage named Tamara for reasons that totally escape me at this point. He is incensed to find out that she has been taken away for "questioning" so he crashes that party.

That done, Namor rushes back to fight the villains alongside Doom. But even though Doom gave him a weapon that could immobilize Tiger Shark, Attuma and yes, even Dr. Dorcas, Namor smashes it against the rocks and starts swinging instead.

I don't know how he managed that move combination.

For that matter, I don't know why he chose to take a shot at Dorcas at all when Attuma is standing right there. Who do you think is the bigger threat?? I suppose since Dorcas was the one to pull the trigger on Betty Dean, Namor's temper overrode his strategic sense.

Attuma actually kind of disappears from this whole skirmish. It ends up being Namor against Tiger Shark and Dorcas.

By Poseidon's beard, I hope Dorcas is dead...

So in the end, Namor and Doctor Doom make a pretty good team, right?

Or perhaps not...

I've looked ahead and the next issue will be written by Bill Mantlo and the one after that by Steve Englehart who would carry it from there for a while. Some stability might have made this book a little better but as it is, it's still kind of fun.