Fantastic Four (1961-1998) #4

Fantastic Four (1961)

by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby (Illustrator)

The Coming of the Sub-Mariner!
Out on his own, Johnny encounters and helps restore the memory of a fallen hero, the Namor the Sub-Mariner! When Namor returns to his undersea kingdom and finds it decimated, he assumes the surface world is the cause and unleashes a powerful monster onto New York City and the Fantastic Four.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Comic Book, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

25 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 1962

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee/Kirby show their genius by bringing Namor from the Golden Age to the early Silver Age in this transitional story - they would do this again in Avengers #4 when Captain America returns - Silver Age key. This was a stroke of genius; it helped 'mesh' the continuity between WW II and the early 60's in a way that helped build the foundation of Marvel comics.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fantastic Four has moved to New York and with new matching outfits!
The team was ripped apart from the events of last issue (that I didn't read).
Johnny, the Human Torch is on his own when he finds the mysterious, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner!
After vowing revenge on the human race, the Sub-Mariner calls upon a gigantic sea monster to rip New York apart! After a brief distraction, courtesy of the beautiful Susan Storm, Namor is thrown back into the sea, hate and revenge clear in his promise of return!
Overall, a good comic that re-introduces an old comic book character into the Silver Age of comics (I think this was the Silver age anyway).

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I'm really starting to get into reading the Fantastic Four. I am soooo surprised that I enjoyed this one more than I expected. The Thing and I have a complex relationship. While I understand why he's upset about his appearance, I get really frustrated with him when he makes random decisions that drive the team members away or puts them in danger. He has such a combative relationship with the Johnny (Human Torch) and it drives me CRAZY. I really liked the intended villian of this book: sub-mariner. He's an Atlantean like character that seeks revenge on the entire human race. I really liked him and can't wait to see what issues he'll provide in the future. One thing that is interesting about this issue is the subtle promotion of The Hulk. On random pages there are questions that say "who is the hulk" and "what is the hulk." I thought it was crazy unique that they would envision doing something like this in a current series.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Human Torch has decided to leave the Fantastic Four! While attempting to avoid the other team members, Johnny hides out in the Bowery where he encounters a amnesiac homeless man. But there is more to this mysterious stranger than can first be seen and he could just be the one who can bring down the Fantastic Four!

The Marvel Universe begins to widen here as Stan Lee brings back a Golden Age character that hadn’t been seen for several years - Namor, the Sub-Mariner! While he was a hero in his previous appearances, here Namor is set up as the villain. After Johnny helps him regain his memories, Namor speeds off to find his undersea home destroyed. Sensing traces of radiation, he assumes that humans destroyed the city with nuclear testing and vows to destroy humanity and take over Earth.

Namor chooses to use a huge sea-creature called Giganto as the vehicle for his revenge. You can see that four issues in and Stan Lee hasn’t shaken the idea of the “Monster” comics yet. Even the Skrulls from issue 2 fit the mold of the previous Marvel books, but with the Mole Man, the Miracle Man’s animated monster, and now Giganto, we’re still reading about monsters.

There’s a lot more character stuff in this issue which is a highlight. Even though we’d consider Namor’s reactions pretty cliche today, this is kind of where those cliches come from, so he has a better motivation for his actions than previous villains. There is also another instance of Fate teasing Ben Grimm as he momentarily turns back to human form, only to revert again to his Thing appearance.

There’s a lot to like in this issue. Definitely a landmark in Marvel history.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This issue is mostly spent with Reed and Sue looking for Johnny, who blazed out of the group last issue, and Thing looking to beat some sense into the kid himself. While avoiding the gang, Johnny finds an old disheveled man and some classic Namor comics, another man says that the old guy is actually Namor, so Torch brings him to the water to see. He dumps him in the drink and what do you know? The old man wakes up and actually is Namor! Then we follow Namor as he visits his undersea kingdom, discovers it's been nuked, then restarts his war against mankind in earnest. Again. For like the 5th time. He calls up Giganto, a kaiju whale with arms and legs to attack the humans, but Sue makes him lose control of it, stealing his summoning conch horn. Then Johnny sucks him up in a whirling water spout and dumps him in the deep ocean. I'm not sure if Johnny has rejoined the team. Also Namor was offering Sue to be his bride, and become the new Namora? That gives me so many questions about the Golden Age Namor and Namoras relationship

[Britt Halliburton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best issue of Fantastic Four thus far, with the reintroduction of Namor from the old Marvel Comics series. But even before Namor enters the picture, the story is interesting as Johnny wants to be away from the team, but Ben keeps being an asshole. Ultimately, Ben almost sacrifices himself to take down Giganto, earning him respect and shining a new light on his heroism. My only gripe about this issue is that it feels we’re missing a lot of the nuance to Namor that existed in his original stories, where he wasn’t just some villain all the time, though this does give him justification with the destruction of his home.

[Flávio Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the cliffhanger final of the 3rd issue, this 4th starts directly where the before finished. Reed, Sue and Ben look for Johnny who hides in a garage with a few friends until the Thing finds him, but the Torch manages to escape. In the second act, we are introduced to Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who was amnesiac in a sketchy hotel in a dark corner of NY. After getting in contact with sea water, he remembers what the humans had done with his home and in a few pages he transforms into a genocidal maniac who pledges revenge against humanity. As the fourth act starts the Four reunite once more with Johnny briefing the situation. After Namor unleashed Giganto, "the largest living thing in all the world", the attack at an evacuated NY starts, with massive destruction. In an altruist gesture, Ben advances to the insides of the creature with an atomic bomb strapped to his back, killing the beast. Namor is defeated, and sent to the sea once more. Nevertheless, he pleadges revenge against The Fantastic Four.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhh, it feels like we are starting to establish some recurring villains and themes with this volume. The Thing and Torch have their own arc going, I wish Dr Reed and Sue were getting similar treatment.

[Shane Stanis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ep. 1 1962

Read if you read the Human Torch/Submariner crossover in 1940, or if you’re a big submariner fan.

[deadcedrics · Rating 3 out of 5]

these first 4 ff are so nostalgic it makes me so happy

[Ayesha (Seokjin's Version) ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

My man Namor is such a good character, hopefully we'll see more of him later.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moral of the story, don’t argue with Johnny and let him out on his own. On a sweeter note, apparently the only person on the team, even compared to his own sister, that actually knows where to find him if he ever goes missing…is Ben! After the argument last issue and Johnny leaving the team, they all set out to find him. Invisible woman and mister fantastic kinda just went around asking random people aimlessly. But Ben immediately went to check a garage that Johnny frequents and immediately found him there. Now normally that would be great, but this is Ben we are talking about, and instead of just knocking on the door and asking to talk/apologize…he tried to take Johnny by force and basically destroyed the garage in the process! Surprisingly Ben got another one of those temporary lapses of becoming human again, and Johnny was able to take off before Ben turned back into the thing. This was Johnny to the Bowery where he found a men’s shelter to sack down for the night. And that is where the main conflict of this issue is found, as it’s there, through some of their magazines, that Johnny is reminded of an old character his sister used to talk about…the sub-mariner! Said to live underwater and be strong as ten men, and supposedly immortal, but no one ever knew what happened to him. One of the other men noticed Johnny reading and decided to introduce him to their own strong man. Turns out the shelter has an older bearded man who they like to show off as being super strong. Johnny really didn’t want to cause trouble and it seemed like the old man didn’t want to be bothered. But as the other men persisted, the old man got up and knocked all of them away without breaking a sweat! Now the rest of the men are in a mob, and the old man is just as confused as ever as he still can’t remember who he is. Johnny steps in between the group and the man and offers to help. The man clearly has amnesia, maybe it would help to see what he really looks like and cut away the facial hair. As Johnny did, to everyone’s surprise, then man was revealed to be none other than the pointy eared and sharp chinned sub-mariner!

as the rest of the four continue to look around aimlessly, Johnny decides he is going to help the sub-mariner remember who he is. Earlier in the garage it was established that Johnny can control his flames, allowing him to do stuff like picking up and flying the sub-mariner around without hurting him. Johnny took him and dropped him right into the sea, and as the sub-mariner embraced the sea he discarded his clothes and found new life as he remembered who he was! He immediately races off to find his family, friends, and undersea kingdom…only to find travesty, the entire kingdom was destroyed and irradiated! It must have been the work of humans and their atomic tests! Even if they are alive he will never be able to find them in the vast ocean, as such the sub-mariner decides to declare world on the entire human race for revenge! Upon this declaration, Johnny calls the rest of the fantastic four to his location to assist him. Below the sea the sub-mariner located the slumbering giant sea monster known as giganto, and proceeds to use the trumpet horn of his ancestors to wake it up and direct it towards the surface world on an unstoppable path of destruction! Boats off shore noticed the giant and were able to radio ahead to the mainland where evacuations and military defenses were setup. But all seemed useless in face of the power of giganto, but the thing has an idea. He walked over to the military depot and strapped one of their nuclear bombs to his back (WHAT?!), he then proceeded to walk over directly into the mouth of the monster until he was deep inside and could deposit the bomb. Within he found other sea monsters he had to punch back, before eventually running out before the bomb went off. Thing missed the cutoff but just a moment and was thrown out of the monster. But as the monster died, the thing quickly woke back up.

Elsewhere, Sue has invisibly snuck up to the sub-mariner and stole the horn he used to control the monster directly from his hands! He quickly realized the trickery afoot and was able to tackle Sue. And this is where things once again go back to that 60s timestamp, as Namor noticed her beauty and immediately objectified her, promising to stop his assault on the world of he became his bride. Ahem…no wonder his people never came looking for him, lol. The rest of the four show up, and are like…Sue you don’t have to make that choice, that’s ridiculous. Namor then proceeds to claim he will take her and the world! Sue laments and promises she will do anything to spare humanity even if it means becoming his bride. Namor is confused, she speaks as if she is sacrificing herself when she would be the co-ruler of earth. The rest of the four have had enough and decide to jump in to try and put him down for good, but that good ol strength of 10 men knocks them all back. But then Johnny gets an idea, he turns out his flames then used his speed he beings to create a man made tornado which he uses to suck up Namor and the dead giganto before depositing them back into the sea. Ahhh of course, the fantastic four signature move. Throw their adversary back to where they are most strongest…but out of sight, out of mind. Day is as good as saved, lol.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, Namor was a personal favorite of mine during the Golden Age, glad they brought him back. I felt this could have gotten a 5 from me if it weren't for the fact that the Silver Age silliness is still here.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great return for Namor from the Golden Age, finally showing a glimpse of the original, fiery version of the character. After Johnny runs away from the rest of the team, there’s a short sequence where Reed, Sue, and Ben try to find him. The way they use their powers to search is certainly amusing—though completely illogical. It seems mostly an excuse to showcase their abilities again and add a few comic moments.

The key moment, however, comes when Johnny finds Namor living as a homeless man with no memory. After getting to know him, Johnny restores his mind by throwing him into the ocean. From that moment, we finally see the return of Namor’s cynical, vengeful, and sadistic personality as he swears to annihilate humanity for destroying Atlantis through nuclear testing. The monster he unleashes is a solid foe for the team, and the way Ben manages to stun it both highlights his strength and provides one of the issue’s funniest moments.

I would have preferred a direct battle between the Fantastic Four and Namor, but hopefully that’s something we’ll see later. The ending is rather “particular” and surprising—Johnny uses his powers in a very unconventional way that I’m not entirely sure is physically possible.

Overall, this story focuses mainly on Johnny, portraying him as a fragile boy who hides behind arrogance and sarcasm while yearning for connection. His dynamic with Ben already shows signs of growth, and I’m eager to see it evolve into a genuine friendship. The artwork has definitely improved compared to the early issues, and Namor himself looks much more realistic and defined, even if the fight scenes still suffer from a lack of detail.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic Four #4, "The Coming of... Sub-Mariner!"

The Human Torch has moved on from the team due to a spat with the Thing, forcing the rest of the team to go looking for him. As Johnny wanders the town hoping to evade his former teammates, he encounters a haggard looking man in a local bar. The other folk in the bar believe the man to be none other than Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and begin to attack him. Johnny comes to the man's aid, but comes to realize that he is none other than the Sub-Mariner, who seems to have become an amnesiac. Hoping that bringing the Sub-Mariner back into the water will help him, Torch carries the man into the ocean. Memories returning once more, the Sub-Mariner makes his way back to his former underwater kingdom, only to find that it is in complete ruin. Blaming the surface world for the downfall of his kingdom, the Sub-Mariner begins his plans to destroy humanity. Torch rejoins the Fantastic Four to defeat the Sub-Mariner.

This issue marks the return of the Sub-Mariner in Marvel continuity, and is regarded as his first Silver Age appearance. Later Sub-Mariner centered comics would utilize the amnesia storyline to bridge the gap between his Golden Age appearances and that of his contemporary (to the 1960s, at least) continuity. The first three issues really establish the Fantastic Four as a mainstay in the budding Marvel Universe, but this issue marks the first of many foundational stones that would grow the connected universe into greater heights.

[Wm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel a little bad judging these classic books through modern
WHO IS THE HULK??
eyes, but so much of it is straight-up cringe. They've inspired
WHAT IS THE HULK??
truly great works. So, I'm somewhat grateful that they're
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE THE HULK!
being reprinted in their original form, as I never had the
WHAT IS THE HULK??
patience to read such drivel. I mean, Brave New World, Crime
WHO IS THE HULK??
and Punishment, Nineteen Eighty-Four – and so many
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE THE HULK!
more – already exist at this point, so IMO there's no excuse.
THE HULK IS COMING!
I suppose I'm reminded of the pop culture shift during the rise
WHAT IS THE HULK??
of rock and roll, that the performer became the creator b/c
WHO IS THE HULK??
writing was where the real money was. And song lyrics
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE THE HULK!
suffered because of it. That's this.

[Eddie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a good coming of Namor, The Sub-Mariner.
Yet here's a glimpse of Stan Lee's logic:
And Stan Lee's manners:

[Hades Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly it was pretty good. It's cheesy and full of camp given the era, but still fun. The Sub-Mariner is actually fairly intimidating, especially for that era of comics. It's interesting to see how fractured this team has been the first few comics. Though the Sub-Mariner looks like that weird white dude that always wanted to fight despite the fact that he looks like a stick. His appearance is an odd choice for someone so strong. I guess maybe they were going for a swimmer's body? I am glad to see that they didn't go for the exaggerated muscles and size, but it seems as though they over corrected.

[Draconian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Namor is such an iconic character and he does show glimpses what makes him so formidable.
The conflict between the team specially the Thing's tantrums, seems a bit over the top since all of them got affected by the cosmic rays but he does end up redeeming himself a little in this one.

One of the first comics with a noteworthy antagonist, give it a go just for Namor.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again probably between 3 and 4 - another enjoyable tale, and the Sub-Mariner / Namor is an interesting character introduced here for me, as first time I've read about him. Again, quite a bit of drama in here as well, as the Four continue to not really get on that well, but still managing to co-operate enough to deal with the threats.

[looneybooks79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnny left the Fantastic Four after a fight with the Thing (see issue #3). The other members go look for him but he escapes their hands every time. When he meets a man who’s lost his memory, Johnny unleashes a force unknown and beyond the grasp of any superhero, Namor the Submariner! Johnny has to call on to his teammates to stop this menace who has a few tricks up his oceanic sleeve!

[Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it but I wish we could have seen more Namor as I feel like he could have been a really good villain but I can say I liked him better than the villain in the previous issue, I just was hoping we could have seen his destructive capabilities

[Valeria]

La cosa è più roccioso e la torcia umana non è più fatto di sole fiamme.
La torcia umana ha deciso di abbandonare il gruppo, ma ovviamente non lo farà.
Primo ingresso di Namor nell'universo Marvel - Stan Lee lo ripescherà più avanti modificando il personaggio.

[Robert Hultman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool comic book with historical significance, but sort of quick and simple to a degree that makes it cheap. Not the overdrawn mess of the 90s or the new digital nonsense, but the art is amateurish and hasty looking.

[Reianna Overstreet · Rating 2 out of 5]

The introduction of Namor! I've read very little of him (& what I did read, he was a good guy) — it was so much fun to see his introduction to Marvel & to read him as a villain. Also, a horn that can summon a sea creature is cool as hell.

[Lser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sub-mariner has become so underrated

[Nigel Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun! The Thing still kinda frustrates me though. #johnnydidnothingwrong

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Namor debuta en la continuidad Marvel.
Se agravan las diferencias de grupo.
Kirby va mejorando mucho el dibujo, usando más fondos detallados.

[Mark Plaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sol Brodsky does great inking for the brilliant pencils of Jack Kirby!

[MR P · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Slowly, warily, knowing that each step might be his last, The Thing stalks deeper and deeper inside the gigantic sea creature..."