Avengers (1963) #268: "The Kang Dynasty"

Writing up a post yesterday about an early team up between Namor and Hercules reminded me that I still have a few Avengers issues from the 80s to read. The two characters were both team members during that run but egos got in the way and they didn't always get along so well.

Let's see see if they get chummier as the story progresses.  For that matters, let's see if Namor even shows up because he was not a big part of the previous two or three issues (the recaps for which can be found by clicking the "Avengers (1963)" tag at right). 

The team is split in two at this point. Time-hopper Kang has abducted a few members (specifically they are The Wasp, Black Knight and Hercules) and dropped them in limbo in an elaborate scheme to control the various alternate timelines.

To the rest of the team (Namor among them), they seem to have vanished without a trace. By analyzing the machinery the abducted members were using at the time, they are able to deduce that Kang is the kidnapper. 

Hm. That conclusion was reached rather quickly...

The book then cuts to Kang's captives for a while as they find their way to his lair in limbo but upon our return to the real world, we find Jarvis watching protests, and counter-protests, surrounding Namor's Avengers membership. This has been going on for a while now so clearly they're going somewhere with this and I'm eager to see where that is. 

Namor doesn't care about all that noise, at least at the moment, because his segment of the team is working on a time machine of their own so that they can find and assist their teammates. It proves to be frustrating work, as you might expect time-machine building to be, and Namor is not the most patient dude around.

They do get it to work though, of course. When they arrive in limbo, they struggle to find their teammates until they get a huge clue, literally.

Hercules seems like the most likely suspect so they head in the direction from which this android emerged. They find the other members in no time and help subdue Kang, but another Kang takes the entire team down. 

Ha! I love that next title...

Not bad, we moved along a fair bit, which is good because this series has had a tendency to drag at times. I don't blame writer Roger Stern for that, I think he had to pace around that awful Secret Wars II mini series that ran at the time but it was good to get back to a normal pace. Namor is starting to fit in better and his difficulties in doing so were an interesting aspect of Stern's handling of him. I suspect this story concludes in the next issue so we'll probably get to that fairly soon.

The Avengers (1963) #267: "Time...And Time Again!"

The previous issue of this series was reviewed recently and in terms of Namor content, it was basically a throwaway. This one is as well so we'll get through it and move on to something else for a while.

Kang likes to screw around with time and in doing so has created a number of alternate timelines. As a result, he has also created copies of himself in those timelines. He is now attempting to destroy those copies and be the one and only.

What does that have to do with Namor? Precious little, I'm afraid. But the issue starts to hint at things to come for the Atlantean monarch.

Back in issue 263, a couple of cops showed surprise at seeing Namor with the Avengers. You try to destroy the surface world a few times and some people just can't seem to let it go.

Writer Roger Stern provides us with a reminder of this attitude by the general public towards Namor as The Wasp arrives at Avengers manor to be greeted by protestors.

Namor doesn't give a carp's ass though because he's out with Captain America and the Captain Marvel of the time, Monica Rambeau. They're testing out the team's new sub so of course he'd prefer to hang with them.

Cap suggests that being an Avenger will help bring out Namor's good side as opposed to his ego and arrogance. Gad, let's hope not! He also recognizes that Rambeau doesn't quite trust the avenging son. That might be a little nugget to file away.

The other team members have been abducted by Kang and thrown into his scheme so presumably this bunch will head off for the big rescue in the next issue, but for now that's it for Namor. Hopefully he starts throwing some fists in the next one, I can only read about the Wasp and the Black Knight so much!