Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner #1

In "The Sub-Mariner," Prince Namor, heir to a lost undersea kingdom, grapples with the brutal history of his people’s betrayal by surface dwellers. Fueled by rage and a sense of duty, he resolves to strike back—though the path he chooses may cost him more than he ever imagined.

In "In Mortal Combat with...Sub-Mariner!", Namor takes a radical stand against humanity by hiring lawyers Franklin and Murdock to sue the world on his behalf—only to find the courts no match for his fury. When diplomacy fails, he deliberately gets arrested, forcing a trial that escalates into chaos, drawing in Daredevil in a battle that tests both hero and villain. Written by an unknown hand and illustrated by an unknown artist, this intense 20-page story explores Namor’s clash with civilization, culminating in a moment of reluctant respect and a desperate race to save Atlantis from Krang’s rising threat.

Namor returns to Atlantis to find his throne seized by the warlord Krang, and when Lady Dorma betrays him, he’s imprisoned as a traitor. With only the legendary Trident of Neptune offering a chance to reclaim his kingdom, Namor makes a daring escape to begin his quest.

In "Escape...to Nowhere!", Namor ventures into the treacherous Forbidden Deeps on a desperate hunt for Neptune's Trident, while Krang dispatches Seaweed Man to halt his progress. Back in Atlantis, simmering unrest among the people grows under Krang's oppressive reign, setting the stage for a clash of wills both beneath the waves and within the heart of the undersea kingdom.

In "A Prince There Was!", Sub-Mariner presses on in his search for the fabled Trident of Neptune, evading a treacherous seaweed swarm before falling prey to the disorienting glare of the Diamonds of Doom. Meanwhile, back in Atlantis, Krang, frustrated by Lady Dorma’s refusal, banishes her to the mysterious realm of the Faceless Ones.

In "By Force of Arms!", Namor summons a swarm of electric eels to turn the tide against the Demon of the Diamonds, then races to the realm of the Faceless Ones to rescue Dorma, who’s been exiled there. Meanwhile, back in Atlantis, unrest brews as the people rise up against Krang’s rule.

In "The End of the Quest!", Namor battles the Nameless Ones while shielding the unconscious Dorma, his resolve tested as Neptune intervenes and bestows his trident upon the prince of Atlantis. With Dorma’s life hanging in the balance, Namor entrusts the trident to the watching Vashti the Elder before rushing her to the revitalizer, only to face a deadly trap set by Krang—whose final move threatens to end everything.

In "To Walk Amongst Men!", Namor ventures to the surface when earthquakes shake Atlantis, only to discover Hank Pym using a massive drill in search of ancient secrets. The clash of underwater royalty and scientific ambition sets the stage for an uneasy encounter beneath the waves.

In "The Prince and the Puppet!", Namor finds himself caught between duty and deception when the Puppet Master hijacks his mind during a tense standoff with Hank and Jan over an underwater drilling operation. Forced to obey a villain’s commands, the Sub-Mariner is sent to New York to rob a bank, returning with a stack of unbreakable treasury bonds—only to be thrust into a deadly confrontation with military forces as the Puppet Master’s control tightens.

When Rises the Behemoth finds Namor caught in a web of deception, his mind enslaved by the Puppet Master as the military hunts him for a crime he didn’t commit. Wounded and desperate, he flees to the Hudson River, where he’s drawn to Lady Dorma’s urgent mission: the ancient Behemoth has awakened, and it’s threatening Atlantis—though its true master is now Krang. As Namor fights to reclaim his will, a new puppet is already being prepared.

In "To the Death!", Namor faces off against the monstrous Behemoth as the fate of Atlantis hangs in the balance. With Krang manipulating the beast through a puppet he’s built, Namor fights not just the creature but the growing dread of what Krang plans next. When Krang arrives in Atlantis and threatens to unleash the Behemoth again unless Lady Dorma agrees to marry him, the stakes rise beyond battle—personal honor and the future of the undersea kingdom are now on the line.

When a Monarch Goes Mad! sees Namor unraveling after the betrayal of Lady Dorma, whose choice to marry Krang to protect him has shattered his trust. With Dorma and Krang now hiding in the surface world, their transformed skin a stark contrast to their underwater roots, the Sub-Mariner is left to grapple with fury and grief in the wake of a love that turned to treason.

In "The Sub-Mariner Strikes!", the ocean's mightiest warrior clashes with the enigmatic Krang in a brutal showdown over New York. After the battle leaves Sub-Mariner disoriented and his memories gone, a mysterious figure known only as "Number One" of the Secret Empire approaches, claiming they’re allies — but can he be trusted?

In "Like a Beast at Bay!", Namor, disoriented and memoryless, is manipulated by the Leader of the Secret Empire into hunting down the Hulk across New York. When a sudden blast from Krang reignites his lost memories, the tide of his mission shifts—though not without consequences.

In "--And One Shall Die," Namor writhes in agony as unseen forces twist his mind, unaware he's being manipulated by Number One of the Secret Empire, who seeks to use him as a weapon against the Hulk. Meanwhile, the Hulk, fleeing the chaos of the city, climbs toward the penthouse lair of Number One, where a deadly trap awaits—its detonation timed to crown the villain with glory, but fate has a different plan.

In "The Wrath of Warlord Krang!", Namor is framed for a devastating tidal wave that levels New York City, while Krang and Dorma hang helpless above the streets, trapped in a net and struggling to breathe without water. As Namor races to save Dorma, the Army’s weapons are already locked onto him—unaware of the true architect behind the chaos.

In "Moment of Truth!", Namor confronts Krang and Dorma in a trial by combat to settle the fate of Atlantis. With Krang armed and Namor bare-handed, the clash tests not just strength, but the very soul of leadership. The outcome will decide who truly belongs in the throne room—and who must pay for their crimes.