Type: Divergent Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Presumably vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Atlanteans, Gods, Humans, Omnophages
Significant Inhabitants: Attuma, Byrrah, Destiny (Paul Destine), Princess Fen, the Galapagos Islands Scientific Expedition team, High Priest Kormok, Warlord Krang, Marqus, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Neptune, Emperor Thakorr
Significant Locations: Atlantis, the Galapagos Islands, the spiraled Nautikon (within whose winding walls the warlords of Atlantis meet in council), the Temple of Neptune
First Appearance: What If? I#41 (October, 1983)
History: (What If? I#41) - During a battle with Destiny, who was attempting to destroy Atlantis using his Helmet of Power, Namor the Sub-Mariner managed to defeat Destiny and he then swam to the bottom of the ocean, where he buried the Helmet of Power into the ground. While Namor was away, his cousin Byrrah manipulated the Emperor Thakorr into giving up his throne. Using the signet ring given to him by Thakorr, Byrrah used his newfound regent status to imprison Princess Fen, the mother of Namor. Following the imprisonment, Byrrah struck a deal with Warlord Krang to give Krang power in exchange for his service, followed by a similar deal struck up with the High Priest Kormok of the Temple of Neptune. Later that evening, Byrrah spoke to the populace of Atlantis against Namor the Sub-Mariner, turning them against the Avenging Son.
Upon Namor's return, the general public of Atlantis spoke down to him and when he went to visit Emperor Thakorr, guards prevented his access to the Emperor. Namor then met with Byrrah himself, who revealed all that had happened in Namor's absence. Angered, Namor left for the time being, opting to not give the Atlanteans reason to suspect him. That night, as Namor slept, Byrrah crept into Thakorr's room and murdered him, as well as the two guards guarding the room. Byrrah then snuck into Namor's room and left the bloody knife by his bed, so that Namor would be falsely accused of murder. The next morning, Warlord Krang arrived in Namor's room with six guards and accused Namor of murder and treachery. As the guards prepared to seize Namor, Namor fought them off and swam through the wall and out into the ocean. Namor was halted almost immediately when the Greek God of the Seven Seas, Neptune, appeared and presented Namor with his trident. The Sub-Mariner declined the offer, claiming that he would never return to such a blind race that would reject without cause. Neptune warned Namor to beware of pride and disappeared with the waves. Weeks later, Byrrah had taxed his subjects of Atlantis into poverty, taking the ring off of a poor man's finger. While the taxing continued, Attuma plotted against Byrrah, as well as Kormok and Krang, who were planning to stage a coup. While Krang was speaking with Kormok, Attuma and his hordes attacked Atlantis.
Days later, Namor the Sub-Mariner was still attempted to find solace inside what he thought was a cave. Unfortunately, the "cave" was actually an omnophage, a carnivorous plant creature, which attempted to devour Namor. As Namor struggled against the grip of the omnophage, he was saved by a scout ship from Atlantis itself. The occupants of the ship then announced to Namor that Atlantis was under attack and that they needed the Sub-Mariner's help. Namor declined to help, as the Atlanteans had shunned him in favor of Byrrah. As Namor was swimming away from the scout ship, he noticed a surface ship in danger. Flying high above the ship, he discovered that the ship was on fire and a trio of humans atop a nearby rock. The humans called for help as two of their men were still aboard the flaming vessel. Namor jumped into action and saved the two men onboard. As he flew back to the ground with the men, the crew of the ship thanked him on behalf of the Galapagos Island Scientific Expedition team. The crew invited Namor to stay for a toast and Namor did so, staying with the crew on the Galapagos Islands for a day or two. While on the island, Namor aided the scientific team in retrieving fossil samples from the bottom of the sea until another scout ship from Atlantis came afloat near the Islands, once again beseeching Namor for help against Attuma, revealing that Namor's mother, Fen, had been slain.
Angrily diving into the oceans, Namor yelled for Neptune, who once again appeared and offered his trident to Namor. Namor accepted the trident this time and confronted the defeated army of Atlantis. The army was retreating and did not acknowledge Namor when he attempted to rally the troops. Knowing that he would have to confront Attuma himself, Namor tore his way into the Atlantean throneroom, where Attuma demanded that his men seize Namor. Namor pushed the columns from the ceiling, causing it to collapse atop Attuma's men, killing all but Attuma himself and Namor. The two battled furiously, resulting in Attuma's death by Neptune's trident. Following Attuma's defeat, Namor spoke to the populace of Atlantis, revealing that they were now free, but the populace asked why Namor did not return earlier, as Atlantis was now destroyed and the remaining Atlanteans were leaving in self-exile. Soon after, Namor sat atop the throne to Atlantis, despite having no subjects.
Comments: Created by Alan Zelenetz, Marc Silvestri, and Mel Candido.
Namor (not the Watcher) says that he is destroying the "machines that empowered the Helmet of Power". Since Namor had only seen Destiny for five minutes when he made this statement, he did not know the truth about the Helmet of Power, and thus wrongly concluded where its source of power lay.
That said, on Earth-616, Set did use his power to
preserve a dynamo of the Ancients, hoping that someday
someone would again find the metal-encased Crown.
--John McDonagh
Clarifications:
No known connection to
ATTUMA
When Byrrah had assumed the throne of Atlantis and Namor had left in self-exile, Attuma saw this as an opportunity and attacked Atlantis. Within days, Attuma had destroyed Atlantis and killed Princess Fen, Namor's mother. When Namor finally returned, he killed Attuma's men and battled Attuma, killing him by impaling him on Neptune's trident.
-- What If? I#41 (#41d,
BYRRAH
Byrrah manipulated Emperor Thakorr into giving him his signet ring, giving Byrrah a regent status. Byrrah then killed Thakorr and assumed the throne, taxing the Atlanteans into poverty, until Attuma arrived and ravaged Atlantis. Once Namor returned and defeated Attuma, Byrrah and the last survivors of Atlantis left in self-exile.
-- What If? I#41
DESTINY
(PAUL DESTINE)
Using his Helmet of Power, Destiny attempted to destroy Atlantis, but was stopped by Namor, who buried the Helmet of Power and destroyed the machines that powered it.
-- What If? I#41
PRINCESS
FEN
Princess Fen was the mother of Namor and was imprisoned by Byrrah when he assumed the throne of Atlantis. When Attuma attacked Atlantis, he had Princess Fen killed.
-- What If? I#41 (#41d,
WARLORD
KRANG
When Byrrah assumed the throne of Atlantis, he struck a deal with Warlord Krang. He would provide Krang with power, in exchange for service. When Byrrah killed Thakorr, Warlord Krang was the one who accused Namor of murder. Before Attuma attacked Atlantis, Warlord Krang spoke with High Priest Kormok, planning a coup to overthrow Byrrah and rule Atlantis for themselves. Before their plan could be carried out, Attuma attacked Atlantis and when Attuma was finally defeated by Namor, Krang revealed that he had learned that power was just a deceitful wanton. Krang then left with the other surviving Atlanteans in self-exile.
-- What If? I#41
Marqus was an Atlantean who guarded the throne room of Attuma after Attuma had usurped the Atlantean crown. Marqus was quickly knocked out when the Sub-Mariner arrived to battle Attuma.
--What If? I#41
NAMOR
THE SUB-MARINER
When Destiny attacked Atlantis, Namor was called in to stop him, which he did. After Destiny's defeat, Namor was gone from Atlantis for a lengthy period of time, which he spent burying Destiny's Helmet of Power and destroying the machines that powered it. Upon his return, Namor found that his cousin, Byrrah, had killed Emperor Thakorr and assumed the throne. Leaving in anger, Namor remained in self-exile until a scout ship from Atlantis found him and asked for his help in freeing Atlantis from the grip of Attuma. Namor declined, as Atlantis had cast him out without reason. Days later, Namor was once again contacted by the scout ship, who revealed that Attuma had killed Princess Fen, Namor's mother. Namor vengefully returned to Atlantis, killed Attuma, and freed the Atlanteans, but the remaining Atlanteans opted not to remain in a destroyed Atlantis. The survivors left in self-exile, leaving Namor to rule over an empty kingdom.
-- What If? I#41
The omnophages were monstrous, carnivorous plants that resided in the dark depths of the ocean. While the Sub-Mariner was in exile, he mistakenly swam into one of the omnophages, thinking it to be an underwater cavern. The plant began to wrap its leaves around the Avenging Son and pull him into its mouth. The Sub-Mariner eventually managed to free himself with the help of an Atlantean craft and its occupants.
Omnophages had superhuman strength in their leaves, sufficient enough to hold
the Sub-Mariner at bay. They also possessed razor-sharp teeth.
--What If? I#41
EMPEROR
THAKORR
Emperor Thakorr ruled Atlantis when Destiny attacked. Thakorr ordered Namor to stop him, which he did. Upon Namor's return, Thakorr had granted regent status to Byrrah by giving him his signet ring. Soon after, Byrrah snuck into Thakorr's room and murdered him.
-- What If? #41 (#41d,
images:
What If? I#41, front cover (Namor surrounded by his enemies)
p4, pan2 (Emperor Thakorr)
p4, pan4 (Namor the Sub-Mariner)
p5, pan2 (Destiny)
p9, pan1 (Princess Fen)
p9, pan5 (Byrrah)
p22, pan3 (Warlord Krang)
p25, pan3 (Omnophage)
p33, pan3 (Marqus)
p36, pan1 (Attuma)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 06/18/05
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