SUB-MARINER versus ATTUMA
What If... Destiny Had Not Destroyed Atlantis? (Marvel comics)
Where: What If? #41 When: October 1983
Why: Alan Zelenetz How: Marc Silvestri & Mel Candido

The story so far...
Possessing the Helmet of Power, a criminal mastermind called Destiny attempts to conquer the world, rock the undersea kingdom of Atlantis to it's very core.
Responding to the threat, Emperor Thakorr sends the avenging son, Namor, out into the field to put a stop to the attacks, but Namor is bested and has his memory stripped from him, leaving him to dwell among the surface dwellers lost and without a history.

In this world, however, the Sub-Mariner is victorious against the threat of Destiny, and while a plot of assassination and treason takes place back in Atlantis. Byrrah sets in motion his plan to seize the throne, and ultimately frames the Sub-Mariner himself for the murder of Thakorr.

Denying the will of Neptune himself, Namor enters a self-imposed exile, turning his back on a people blind enough to fall for the ploys of a corrupt dignitary.
Poetic irony sees Byrrah comes under a coup himself, set upon by the barbaric Attuma who believes himself a superior ruler to the pompous murderer.
But will Namor answer the call of his people, or turn his back forevermore?...

Previous Form:
Sub-Mariner (#27): Victories over the X-Men, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants & Dr. Dorcus.
Attuma (#244): Attuma was thwarted recently by the MODvengers.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Sub-Mariner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Sub-Mariner 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sub-Mariner 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Agility 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Attuma 2 (Projectile Weapon)


I love Namor, but seriously, if you want to talk about the keys to victory, most of his villains could probably just bore him to death. You can kind of understand his fading into obscurity when you take the Nazis out of the equation, and rule out the one hundred and ninety-seventh invasion of the surface/fight with the Fantastic Four.

Attuma's probably just about the pick of the litter when it comes to Namor-specific villains. Granted he doesn't have the snazzy van dyk of Dr. Dorcas, but what he lacks in villainous facial hair, he makes up for in brute force.

On the superhero richtor scale they're pretty comparable. Varying characterization sees each as a fraction more powerful than the other, but on the whole I'm going to say the Hulk-slapping Namor takes that post. Likewise on the strategic intelligence front, even though Attuma is no doubt a fine military mind.

What Attuma does generally have over Namor is numbers. Despite being the rightful and prosperous Prince, Namor's arrogant temper and conflicting association with the surface world leaves him with few truly faithful subjects.
Attuma on the other hand manages to regularly rally barbarian soldiers, and sway the political interests of Atlantis at a whim.

Ultimately Attuma probably serves more than a distraction for Namor, but more often than not the war will be won by the Sub-Mariner, if not every battle. Imperius Rex!

The Math: Sub-Mariner (Meta Class)
The Pick: Sub-Mariner

What went down...
With an eighties pop-rock ballad blaring, Namor returns to Atlantis, having done some general adventuring and soul searching. Ready to accept his birthright, he returns to Atlantis to open a can on the barbarian ruler Attuma, complete with Neptune's personal trident, which he previously had turned down.

The Sub-Mariner punches his way through the kingdom, making his way to the throne room, where he makes an explosive entrance, flying through the doors with demands that would do Zod proud, "Bend your knees to the true prince, Barbarian knaves!"

Attuma commands his guards to seize Namor, but they are less than enthusiastic about their duty. Reaching his hands out to columns at his sides, Namor mocks them. "How you tremble, lowly warriors of base-born Attuma. What -- do you fear the strength of Namor?" With that, he flexes his mighty mutant muscles, and pushes the load baring columns to the point of buckling. He literally brings the ceiling down atop the insurgents unwelcome to the throneroom.

Standing confidently beside the wreckage is Prince Namor, with Neptune's haloed trident in his stead. He waits while Attuma pulls himself from the wreckage of the besmirched Atlantean palace.
In possession of a sword, Attuma hunches and curses Namor's insurrexion, promising to feed him to the serpents.

Attuma's attack is powerful but undisciplined.
Namor is able to swiftly defend the attack with the trident, matching the warrior blow for blow, despite lacking the savage desperation of Attuma's movements.

As Namor talks up his game, Attuma manages to disarm him! With a whip of his sword he flicks the mighty trident from the Prince's hands, flinging it out to land staked by the staff in the undersea dirt.

Not too proud to fight dirty [*ahem*], the Sub-Mariner uses his strength to lift a heavy rock and hurls it at Attuma's face. With the advantage his again, he turns to more traditional means of combat, throwing his weight into a devestating right hand.

Attuma acknowledges his foe's strength, but with a left to the bread basket, scoffs it's comparison to his own impressive physicality. Attuma grabs at Namor's face and heckles, "Does defeat choke the boasts in your throat now, haughty man-fish?"

Namor reaches out to Attuma's face, and furious throws his weight into a left that gets his opponent off of him. Though rattled, Attuma is still in a position to quickly respond in kind with his own jaw-shaking punch, but Namor is likewise not so easily felled.

With one last righteous punch, Namor delivers his decree to the coup leader in word and fist.
"Never shall one soul more of proud Atlantis perish as victim of Attuma's lust for blood!"

No longer able to retaliate, Attuma is lifted off the ground, hoisted above the rightful heir to the throne with Neptune's trident baring witness to the grim occasion. Demanding justice of a murderer, the Sub-Mariner pledges to do what he must.

Attuma dies for his crimes.
Order is restored, and Atlantis is again with a worthy king, but it comes as too little, too late.

Disillusioned, the Atlantean people ask of Prince Namor why it was he did not answer their first plees for help.
With their kingdom torn asunder, much like their hope, the Atlantean peoples dissipate, scattering themselves across the ocean floor like the memory of the once mighty kingdom. Even the insidious Krang joins the other Atlanteans, mournful for his involvement in Byrrah's original manipulation. Thus, Namor takes the throne in an empty kingdom.

The hammer...
Though there is little left to rule over, Namor is king of Atlantis and victor once more in the Secret Wars of Infinite Earths!

A little bit of cross pollonation there. We said goodbye to What If Wednesdays at the end of last month, but I thought I'd bring sexy back one last time for the Monday MUA fun. While it isn't one of my favourite stories, I'm glad I did take the time to look over it again.

I'd love to know who out there is a fan of Atlantis, because honestly I think there's a real argument to be made for pushing it aside. With the Sub-Mariner mini-series coming up soon, I'm thrust into bemusement as solicitations trickle out concerning the heavy involvement it takes with Atlantis.

We've talked in the past about the viability in entertainment of undersea adventures, and how even films of that nature have fallen by the wayside.
I don't think there's anything to suggest an undersea story can't work. I think of a recent issue of Black Panther where the Atlantean backdrop was actually enjoyable, with Namor's involvement as a political figure taking centre stage.

I'm loathed to suggest destroying Atlantis, regardless of the dramatic potential such a concept has. It has been done before, and there's always a heavy expectency in the gut for events such as those to be undone. Still, I remain thoroughly unimpressed by all I hear about the mini-series, and am reminded here how unimpressive Atlantean pseudo-politics can be, despite it's potential.

One can't help but feel a boat was missed with Civil War. Looking to Black Adam for inspiration, you can see how the catalyst of Namorita's death could have been the spark which lit a fire to take Namor to a place of purpose.
Nobody wants to see Namor rip through the country on a murderous rampage just because it worked for Black Adam, but it seems tragic that Namor, who was characterized in such a manner long before Black Adam, is being outdone by a copycat. Instead, he languishes in an obscure limbo of being himself, yet not so.

Not to say change is bad. I still strongly stand by my concept of moving Namor back into the surface world, allowing him to take active interest in a role more reminiscent of a super-ambassador. With the political atmosphere so tense in post-Civil War Marvel, it becomes even easier to justify the shift, bouncing off of the Atlantis sleeper-agent/Damage Control conspiracy sub-plot.

Of course, the ultimate goal of my concept would be to have Namor taking a pro-active role in the criminal underworld, acting in the vaccuum left by the imprisonment of figures like Kingpin, Bullseye, Daredevil, Punisher, Owl, Hammerhead and other noteworthy gangsters. Even with DD and his fellows moving back to the scene, I think it would be wonderfully interesting to see the interplay between these characters.

That corner of the Marvel Universe is heavily directed by the prestigious Daredevil title, and while you could never ask to impede on the direction of that book, somewhere at the heart of the concept is that issue number five where DD and Namor met. It's so often noted as many fans' favourite fights, and I love the idea of giving some sort of logical validity to a scenario like that in a contemporary setting.

Yes, it's a distinct shift, but there are a lot of smaller moving parts that would make it work. It's probably a little too radical to happen even if I somehow establish myself as one of the most exciting new writers in comics, but damned if it isn't a pitch that will rip your fucking nipples off!
And yes. You can bet your arse I'm going to be peddling it again in the future, because what's coming is boring. I want excitement!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4
NEXT: Can a rag tag bunch of Z-graders possibly stand up to the might of the deadly DRAGON MAN?!

ATLANTIS versus AVENGERS
A Not-So-Beautiful Mind (Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #9 When: March 2007
Why: Jeff Parker How: Juan Santacruz

The story so far...
MODOK and the villainous group of criminal scientists called AIM have defeated and captured the Avengers, and attempted to perform horrible experiments on them.
Though there was a terrible explosion, the Avengers emerge as distorted reimaginings of their former selves, recreated in MODOK's own image!

Returning to the world as the MODvengers, they approach protecting New York City with an entirely new slant. With their intelligence, arrogance and cranial capacity all upgraded, they are more than ready to meet the challenges of villains head-on with a jaded and cynical superiority.

It would seem a most inopportune moment, then, for Lord Krang and Attuma to lead the hordes of the Atlantean military into an invasion of the surface world.

Previous Form:
The Avengers [#2]: The Avengers were previously unsuccessful against MODOK & AIM.
Lord Krang & Attuma: The Atlantean warriors have not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Giganto 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


As we continue our way through the villains of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, I have to admit to getting a little slack here. We should be featuring Byrrah, but as far as I know I don't really have much in the way of Byrrah, so I'm moving on to the next Atlantean on the list, Lord Krang. Thing is, I overlooked a far superior Lord Krang appearance in favour of mucking around more with MODOK. Sorry.

Lord Krang, like the whale monster Giganto, really only makes a cameo apperance. Krang at least has the benefit of some lines and a prominent position, but otherwise he's pretty insignificant in the issue. In fact, he's been coloured wrong to look caucasian, instead of a healthy Atlantean-blue.

Attuma (pictured left of the tape stats) is looking a radiant grey, with his big helmet thingy in full view. So, how does that affect his chances at victory?

Y'know, you've got the entire Atlantean military, giant robotic crabs, and crazy big monsters like Giganto and creature I'm unfamiliar with, like Tri-Gorr.
I don't know if I can really break this one down in the way I usually would, so let's just say this entire army really would give the Avengers a run for their money, but because we're in Marvel Adventures land, long-term storytelling isn't really an option. So, expect swift subsiding of your Atlantean invaders.

Because the stats do not take the nameless Atlantean soldiers into account, or even the nameless soldiers, the math may be uncharacteristically inaccurate.
For integrity's sake, I'm going to compensate that with my pick, even though we all know exactly how this is going down. Yeesh...

The Math: The Avengers
The Pick: Atlantis (Even though we know they lose...)

What went down...
Emerging from the rubble of the AIM underground science facility, Iron Man's gauntlet pings with the alert of a "pathetic official" rings through the smokey air. The suited female Governer cries for aid in saving Boston, which has come under attack from Atlantis. If you read anything before this point, you probably know that already...

At that point the Governer's computer is destroyed by a blast from Attuma's trident staff, prompting the American soldiers to call a retreat, much to the joy of the Atlanteans, who seem to have a penchant for thinking America is the only surface land on the face of the planet...

At that moment the giant eel creature Tri-Gorr suffers a zapping blow!

Attuma shows deep concern for the creature's well being, turning only to witness a counterstrike being waged by the hovering heads of the MODvengers!

Storm fries a quartet of airborne jellyfish looking creatures, while Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-man, Captain America and Giant-Girl all use their newly aquired mindblasts to fire upon the crowd of Atlanteans.

In the background, the hovering Hulk dukes it out with the giant whale creature, Giganto!

As the Atlantean Invasion forces find themselves struggling against the unrelenting aggression of the MODvengers, Attuma summons a potential equalizer in the giant Rommbu creature. A humanoid amphibian not unlike the creature from the Black Lagoon, in some superficial respects...

With enhanced brain power, comes enhanced responsibility, but Spidoc cares little for concepts as trivial as these!

His Spidey-senses prove to be multiplied, warning him of the impending danger before Attuma even orders it! With the use of his MODOK inspired mental capabilities, he easily overpowers the sea creature's simple mind, and turns him against his masters!

Rommbu turns and strikes the mechanoid crab Attuma rides with pride, spilling both he and the less involved Lord Krang!

Attuma foolishly verbalizes his dismay, that a mere seven bulbous headed surface dwellers could over power the entire Atlantean military force.

Irondoc's giant ears prick up at the affirmation that it is their entire force.
Woldoc (Wolverine) and Gi-doc (Giant-Girl) are each on the same page, extrapolating the notation to recognise Atlantis is completely without it's defense force, as well.

With a creepy grin, Giant-Girl exclaims, "Vulnerable for Conquest."

[The C in the Marvel Adventures "MODOC", and subsequently this variation on the Avengers characters, all with -doc added, stands for Conquest. - Marvellous Mike]

Attuma can only watch on, objecting to the invasion of his homeworld by the disinterested MODveners who file off in unison toward the waters of the dock.
"What... no! You can't... You can't invade my home!"


The hammer...
By playing it through the eyes of MODOK, the Avengers pick up the shared victory on this particular occasion. Who woulda ever thunk it?
The Avengers invading Atlantis? It's so brilliant it just might work!

Even though I'm still behind it's nice to finally be able to wrap up one of the biggest months in Secret Earths history! With the milestones of hitting 10k and 100 featured fights, we've seen a lot recently! Having already reviewed this very issue for fight #100, I have to admit I'm a little bit lost for words.

At the end of this fight Iron Man notes to a slightly horrified press that he has calculated that The Leader has figured out how to escape from his prison cell by this time. So, for those who are like me and maybe feel one of the great setbacks of the Adventures books is content, think again, friend!
We've still got a whole other fight to feature, still!

Might take a break from this issue, though, as we head toward what will officially be regarded as the Attuma feature, even though he was front and center, here.

Having employed the use of a new stat counter, I see there's been some traffic coming in from Google via searches for Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Hopefully gamers are getting something out of these Monday features, even if it isn't quite what they were originally searching for. Yeah, about that... Sorry guys, I can't tell you where the Daredevil dolls are, because I don't remember. Just be thorough when you're playing through a level, and explore a little -- including headquarters!

Wow, I got a bit sidetracked there... I guess that's what the late-end-of-the-month will do to you! We've still got plenty of Marvel Ultimate Alliance action coming at you, and if I remember to, you'll hear more about that and more in the Monthly Punch-Up in "tomorrow"'s post.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 5

NEXT WEEK: Attuma faces the fury of the Sub-mariner! Imperius Rex!