Pax Atlantea

Trying to return to the present in their Time-Platform, the Fantastic Four instead find themselves shunted into another reality where Namor apparently rules he world. The sudden appearance of the Fantastic Four panic the locals and they are soon attacked by Atlantean soldiers. During the fight Ant-Man shrinks down in size only to be knocked out in a gutter. The rest of the team try to fight off their attackers but with the addition of both Namora and Namorita. Johnny is shocked to see Namora in particular because as far as he knows she is dead. Johnny, Ben and Sue are easily trounced and taken prisoner. They are soon taken to the royal palace of New Atlantis which is ruled by the Sub-Mariner. With his loving woman Dorma and his step-brother Byrrah, Namor demands to know where these three strangers came from. While trying to figure things out it gets heated, however Sue explains that they come from an alternate reality. Sue then explains that on her world, Namor wandered New York for decades with amnesia until her brother was able to revive his memory. Namor at first became an enemy of the surface world, almost succeeding in conquering New York City. She also mentions how Llyra killed his wife Lady Dorma and how on her world, Namor has recently championed an environmental cause.

Byrrah explains that this is not how things happened here. While Namor wandered with amnesia for years. Not even a comic book about his exploits during World War II could jar his memory. On a day where four explorers died in a space flight (this realities version of Sue and the others), Namor was jumped by some of the other men who lived in the flop house and dumped in the ocean. His memories revived and recovered the Horn of Proteus and unleashed Gargantus on the surface. When the creature was defeated by the military, Namor retreated into the ocean where he rediscovered his people and retook the Atlantean throne. After marrying Dorma, Namor decided that he would conquer the world. He then formed alliances with Attuma, Llyra and Karthon adding to his kingdom's strengths. In one massive invasion, Namor and his allies were able to take the whole world. Addressing the United Nations, Namor told the surface dwellers that they could resume their usual lives provided they respect the ocean and every port that became central hubs in the Pax Atlantea. When the world's super-heroes tried to stop Namor they failed and learned to accept his rule. Even though there are some rebellions they are usually crushed in short order.

After hearing all this, Sue points out that Namor rules over 3/4 of the world, and that on her world his people and hers live in relative peace and that he doesn't need such a large empire. Convinced that these are frauds, Namor orders them to be placed in a stasis chamber. Seeking to get out of this jam, Sue decides to use Byrrah's naturally traitorous nature to her advantage. To this end she whispers to him that he would be a better leader than a half-breed like Namor. As Namor and his followers try to make sense of these visitors, back out in the city Ant-Man awakens in the gutter. Almost eaten by a cockroach, he resumes his normal size and is approached by some members of the human resistance. Scott decides to join them in the hopes of rescuing his friends and he meets their leader a mysterious masked woman. But when that woman takes off her mask, Lang is shocked by who it is underneath.

Back at the palace, the other members of the Fantastic Four have been bound in devices that counteract their powers. Although they are trapped for the nonce, Sue is glad to see it when Byrrah comes to question them. She tries to convince him to let them free to help him overthrow the Sub-Mariner, but he refuses to do so out of fear that they will abandon him the moment he tries and leaves, but Sue is convinced that this will still work. Not long after this Ant-Man leads a rebellion as they storm the castle. Having decided that he believes the strangers now, Byrrah comes and rescues them from their traps, but instead of fighting beside Byrrah, Sue knocks him out. As the Fantastic Four make a break for it, Namor and his family watches developments on a view screen. Suddenly the rebels break into the throne room and Dorma is shot.. The Fantastic Four soon come piling in with Ben fighting Namor, Sue fighting Namora and Johnny battling Namorita. As the battle rages on, Ant-Man and the resistance leader arrive on the scene. The leader of the resistance removes her mask revealing herself as Namor's old wartime ally, Betty Dean. Realizing the errors of her people's way, Dorma appeals to Namor that they should let the surface dwellers go. Before Namor can make up his mind, he is shot dead by Byrrah who is making his play for the throne. Ben and the Torch manage to disarm him, but Namora executes Byrrah by throwing off the top of the palace.

With Namor dead, Dorma orders an end to all hostilities and the immediate withdraw of her people from the surface world. Free and having diffused the crisis on this world, the Fantastic Four recover their Time-Platform and attempt to return home one more time.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing, Ant-Man)

Continuity Notes

• At the time of this story Mister Fantastic was presumed dead in Fantastic Four #381. However Sue believed that her husband might be lost in time and space and began searching other realities in Fantastic Four #387-388. As it turns out Sue is right when it is discovered that Reed has been a prisoner of Hyperstorm as seen in Fantastic Four #405.

• The Thing's face is scarred here because he was slashed in the face by Wolverine back in Fantastic Four #375. His face is later healed in Fantastic Four #409.

• Johnny mentions two facts about Namora and Namorita:

  • On Johnny's world, Namorita is a founding member of the New Warriors which first formed in Thor #411.

  • He also claims that Namora is dead. At the time of this story, Namora was seemingly killed by Llyra in Sub-Mariner #51. However this was revealed to be an elaborate trick and she was really trapped in suspended animation and freed years later as seen in Agents of Atlas #3-4.

• It is stated in this story that the year is 1994. However per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 this should be considered a topical reference relative to the date of publication.

• Sue goes over some of the tangible differences between her reality and the one they find themselves in:

  • How it was the Human Torch who revived Namor's memories leading to his early conflicts with the surface world and the Sub-Mariner's infatuation with Sue, as seen in Fantastic Four #4. It's not specified here, but in Sub-Mariner #1 it's explained that Namor was stricken with amnesia by Destiny in 1959 and had been wandering New York ever since.

  • She also mentions when Namor briefly conquered New York City, that happened in Fantastic Four Annual #1.

  • Sue also mentions how Llyra killed Lady Dorma, Namor's first wife. That happened in Sub-Mariner #37.

  • She also mentions how Namor left his kingdom in order to defend the environment. This is what Namor was up to at the time of this story since Namor the Sub-Mariner #1.

• In this reality the test flight that created the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #1 ended tragically.

• The Namor in this reality mentions both the Invaders and the Avengers. On Earth-616, Namor was a founding member of the Invaders as seen in Giant-Size Invaders #1. He was also an early antagonist for the Avengers, fighting the group in Avengers #3 and 4. Apparently in this reality the Hulk never left the Avengers (like he did in Avengers #2) and Namor did not rediscover the body of Captain America (like he did in Avengers #4).