The Atlantean-Human hybrid and mutant Aquaria Nautica Neptunia is nicknamed Namora, after her cousin Namor McKenzie, AKA Namor the Sub-Mariner, and grows up learning how to use her superhuman strength and underwater capabilities to protect others. She joins the Agents of Atlas, an elite group of secret superhuman operatives.
Atlantean-Human Hybrid
Born circa 1921 as the daughter of an undersea Atlantean man and an Icelandic woman who was returned to the surface after giving birth, Aquaria Neptunia is nicknamed “Namora” in honor of her adopted cousin Namor, the product of a similarly mixed heritage. Neither youth knew that Atlantean scientist Tulem had manipulated their Atlantean parents into conceiving with humans in a centuries-long eugenics program.
During her early adolescence, Namora and her father move to the Atlantis Antarctic capital, where Namora becomes a playmate of fifteen-year-old Namor, his cousins Dorma and Byrrah, and other royal youths. A few years later, father and daughter relocate to a northern colony, where they remain mostly uninvolved in Namor’s surface activities, both against and on behalf of the USA.
In 1946, Namora’s skin, formerly the typical Atlantean blue, fades to the Caucasian tone of her dead mother, and her father revealed her half-human heritage. Shortly thereafter, father and daughter again relocate to Antarctic Atlantis. In early 1947, when Atlantean security relaxes during Emperor Thakorr’s birthday celebration, surface criminals led by Brian “Stoop” Richards, a thief and gambler armed with special machine guns designed to function underwater, raid the city, stealing treasure and killing several Atlanteans, including Namora’s father. Working with Namor and surface authorities, Namora tracks down and punishes Richards’ gang, avenging her father in her first prolonged surface visit.
Sea-Woman
Namora possesses superhuman strength beyond typical Atlanteans, enabling her to lift at least 75 tons; her skin is bulletproof and resistant to most other forms of impact, and her body can gradually overcome even the most virulent poisons. She can swim nearly 60 mph and, flies at roughly the same speed via feather-like fins that form small wings on her ankles. Prolonged dehydration (without any water contact or consumption), combined with repeated exertion, can reduce her strength and possibly kill her, although even slight contact with water will restore her. She possesses the normal Atlantean traits of a prolonged lifespan, body adaptation to deep underwater pressures, augmented vision to penetrate ocean depths, and specialized blood circulation to withstand freezing temperatures.
Like Namor, Namora’s lungs presumably contain oxygen-diffusing membranes, or lamellae, allowing her to extract oxygen from water as she inhales it; she can thus survive indefinitely either underwater or on land, but she must periodically make skin contact with water, preferably by immersion, to keep her powers replenished. Although Namora lacks the fully developed gills of typical Atlanteans, she presumably possesses vestigial, partially functional gills behind her ears that are nonetheless somehow essential to her respiration. She currently wears a Uranian-designed costume of remarkable durability, which, among other functions, automatically removes dead skin cells and waste.
Atlantean Allies and Alien Enemies
Namora often protects her home of Atlantis alongside Namor, her cousin and love interest, and together they battle communist-controlled killer whales and warmongers. They eventually acknowledge their romantic feelings for each other, but discover they were both a part of a centuries-long eugenics program by Atlantean scientist Tulem and parted ways unsure of whether their feelings were true or a manipulation.
One of Namora’s rivals Llyra, the Lemurian/human hybrid, poisons her which apparently kills the Sea Queen. Believed dead by the world, it wasn’t until Namora’s allies the Agents of Atlas, discovered her body in a sealed coffin which projected a holographic image of her decomposing corpse. They helped liberate Namora who was actually kept in suspended animation while her system healed from the poison.
Afterward, Namora joins the Agents of Atlas and helps them protect the world from the notoriously criminal empire, the Atlas Foundation, as well as from the alien invasion by the Skrulls. She also works with the Agents to undermine Norman Osborn, AKA Green Goblin’s schemes.
Namora’s Herstory
Curious about her mother’s people, Namora lived on the surface for many months, sharing adventures with Namor and an apartment with Betty Dean, Namor’s longtime human girlfriend. Like Namor, Namora frequented various seaside towns along the United States northern coast, and swimming champion Jim Torrence sought her affections, although she spurned him; Namora’s true romantic feelings were for Namor himself, although she kept this secret. Soon after capturing the Richards gang, Namora and Namor captured masked female pirate White Flower in Shanghai, China, only one of dozens of self-styled pirates the pair would defeat over the years. The pair’s other early enemies included dome-headed Sidney Onselm, AKA Brain, and his murdering assistant Herschell Scora, AKA Knife, seagoing arsonist Damon Malone, AKA Firebrand, deranged scientist Dev Mencha, guilty of human experimentation, and Iron Brain, a cyborg genius whose brain was augmented by metal implants.
In 1948, Namora joined Namor in infiltrating James Stenchly’s waterfront gang as the McGoon brothers, Joe and Fishy, although she allowed the more experienced Namor to do most of the talking. Namora took the lead in a later case, when the blackmailing Tattler demoralized Namor by claiming a man had committed suicide as a result of Namor’s erroneous criminal charges; guilt-ridden, Namor considered giving up crimefighting, but Namora disproved the Tattler’s claim and, with Namor, shut down his extortion racket. After defeating the metallic malcontent Bronze, who used a giant statue honoring the crimefighting cousins as a hideout, Namora and Namor repelled Karlak of Mu’s invasion of Pearl Harbor. Namora also undertook a series of solo adventures around the world. In Mexico, she prevented ex-archaeologist Big Jim Derry from robbing the lost Mayan city of Apaco. During a return visit to Shanghai, she uncovered Paul West’s diamond thefts, and in Turkey, she befriended Magda Yusef, daughter of a high-ranking official. When several officials were slain, Namora traced the crimes to rabble-rouser Efril Amouzecar and a coup directed by Magda’s father. Soon afterward, she diverted to nearby Egypt, where Tut-Ak-Mun led undead Mummy-Men in conquest until Namora absconded with his empowering magic ring.
Back in the US, Namora and Namor encountered Hunsen and his Vikings, last survivors of a lost Norse colony dating back to 1248. Hunsen proved strong enough to challenge even Namor, but ultimately he and his crew died in a shipwreck near the Massachusetts coast. Elsewhere along the north coast, the mysterious Hooded Man framed lighthouse keeper Ezra Hanson for various crimes, but Namora captured the evildoer and exposed him as would-be suitor Jim Torrence. Iron Brain resurfaced in late 1948 and tried to extort Earth by moving it closer to the sun, melting metals across the world and setting the ocean to near-boiling, but Namora and Namor tracked him to his undersea citadel, which Namor destroyed using Iron Brain’s own genetically engineered creature, Aquasaurus Rex. In early 1949, Namor withdrew from surface affairs to spend more time in Atlantis, and Namora did the same.
In 1953, Namora and Namor independently decided to again frequent the surface world, and by 1954 Namora joined Willie Roese’s aquacade, unaware the operation was a front to illegally recover nearby sunken treasure. Seeking amusement, Namor also joined the show and was reunited with Namora; the Atlantean cousins soon discovered and halted Roese’s activities. Visiting Betty Dean in Florida, Namora and Namor prepared a surprise birthday party for Betty, who jealousy suspected the pair of romantic rendezvous and was almost killed by a giant octopus while snooping. More apolitical than her cousin, Namora subsequently assisted Namor in stopping communist-controlled killer whales from attacking ships but just as willingly supported Byrrah’s attempted conquest of Isla de la Juventud (part of Cuba). When Betty Dean investigated the Atlantean/surface conflict, Namora, proving Betty’s earlier suspicions not unfounded, tried to alienate her from Namor by claiming he, not Byrrah, had begun the hostilities, but Namor forced Byrrah’s army to retreat, and the three friends reconciled. In the fall, Namora helped Namor douse widespread midwestern fires that were traced to an alliance between communist warmongers and an extraterrestrial race dubbed “the Unseen.”
In 1955, Namora married Talan, an Atlantean man, but despite her willingness to start a family, she retained her interest in surface adventure. In 1956, several adventurers, most of them superhumans, organized as the Monster Hunters, and eventually Namora joined their exploits. Her marriage with Talan became strained when, due to her hybrid nature, she proved unable to bear children. In 1957, she chanced to encounter exiled Atlantean scientist Vyrra, whom she persuaded to implant within her an altered cloned embryo, enabling her to become pregnant. In early 1958, she gave birth to a daughter, Namorita, whose true nature Namora shared only with Namor. Shortly after Namorita’s birth, Namora accompanied the Monster Hunters to investigate a Long Island research center, encountering the heroes who soon founded the First Line. Soon afterward, Namor was rendered amnesiac and sent to wander New York by telepathic madman Paul Destine, AKA Destiny. Eventually concerned by Namor’s absence, Namora searched the seas for him. In late spring, FBI agent Jimmy Woo sought Namora’s assistance in rescuing President Eisenhower from the Yellow Claw; unwilling to divert from her search, she led Woo to the sunken M-11, aka the Human Robot, who spent months in Woo’s informal “G-Men” team.
In 1961, finally accepting Namor’s loss, Namora, Talan, and Namorita left Atlantis for the Atlanteans’ Maritanis colony. Soon afterward, Maritanis was decimated by a surface atomic bomb test; Talan and many others were slain, and Namora took Namorita to live in Lemuria. After several years, she became attracted to Lemuria’s Prince Merro. By the time Namorita reached adolescence, Namora’s Lemurian/human hybrid rival Llyra poisoned Namora; although believed dead, Namora had actually entered suspended animation while her system recovered from the poison. Llyra may have suspected Namora’s true state, since Namora’s sealed coffin was eventually fitted with a holographic device to simulate decomposition of her “corpse.”
In recent years, Namor regained his memories and resumed his activities as a surface hero, and Namorita eventually emulated him; years later, she was apparently slain by super-villain Nitro. Soon afterward, Jimmy Woo reorganized the “G-Men” as the Agents of Atlas, and M-11, in a reversal of 1958’s events, led the team to Namora’s coffin and released her. Guardian crab-creatures attacked, but Namora quickly defeated them and accompanied the Agents on their mission against the Atlas Foundation. After Woo took Atlas Foundation leadership for himself, Namora, mourning her daughter, returned to Atlantis for the first time in over 40 years; although Namor had never had reason to suspect her survival, she nonetheless resented what she perceived as abandonment.
When young genius Amadeus Cho, AKA Brawn, failed to persuade Namor to support Bruce Banner, AKA Hulk’s stand against the Illuminati members who had banished the Hulk into space, Namora sympathized with the Hulk’s plight. Blaming the Illuminati for vilification of Namorita and her New Warriors teammates (widely blamed for the civilian deaths caused during their battle with Nitro), Namora joined Cho, Heracles, AKA Hercules, and Warren Worthington III, AKA Angel, as the Renegades, although they ultimately had little effect on the ensuing battle between the Avengers and the Hulk’s Warbound.
Namora rejoined the Agents of Atlas, and during the alien Skrulls’ “Secret Invasion,” the team fought Skrull forces in Oregon and elsewhere. Following the Skrulls’ defeat, Namora enjoyed a romantic vacation with Hercules until the Amazons declared war on Atlantis. After helping resolve the conflict, Namora joined the Agents in undermining Norman Osborn’s schemes. After the Agents confronted Namor about his participation in Osborn’s schemes, the two Atlanteans considered romantic involvement but, learning their marriage was the intended culmination of Tulem’s genetic manipulation, parted company, unsure if their emotions had also been manipulated.
When the mad Titan Thanos’ forces attacked Atlantis, Namora sought Hank Pym’s help but it was too late and the kingdom was destroyed. At some point, Atlantis recovered but with Namor ruling as a tyrant. Namora led a rebellion against him and her actions eventually let loose a monster which forced the two sides to work together and stop the creature. Namor’s forces then captured Namora and she requested a public execution versus imprisonment. Just before he struck a killing blow, he was stabbed with a trident and the people overtook him, demanding he end his tyrannical reign. Namora stopped the crowd and revealed helped Namor realize how he failed his people. He admitted to his wrongdoing and agreed to end his authoritarian ways.
