S.S. RECOVERY
Membership: Chip Anderson, Ev Carley, Captain Leonard Johnson, Rod Nelson, Peters, unidentified first mate, others
Purpose: Salvage operations
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Namor the Sub-Mariner
Base of Operations: Mobile near the South Pole, 1930s
First Appearance: (Unpublished) Motion Picture Funnies Weekly#1 (1939); (published) Marvel Comics#1 (October, 1939)
History: (Marvel Comics#1/3/Saga of the Sub-Mariner#2) - The S.S. Recovery performed a salvage operation near the South Pole, unknowingly near to the underwater civilization of Atlantis. After a week on the seas, diver Rod Nelson discovered a sunken ship, but was surprised to see a knife that was practically new in an old wreck. Nelson was sent on another exploration with diver Ev Carley, and they were attacked by Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who had returned to the wreck to find his missing knife. Thinking the divers were robots because of their suits, Namor cut their hoses. The divers sealed in their remaining air, but Namor attacked and killed them both. When diver Anderson went down and saw their bodies, he quickly returned to the Recovery and related his findings to the captain. The first mate ordered the ship off to alert the coast guard, but Namor swam after the ship, and tore at its rudder. The ship veered off course and wrecked itself upon a coastal reef, tearing the ship in two. It is not known whether any of the crew survived.
Namor brought Nelson and Carley's bodies to Emperor Thakorr, and after removing the helmets realized that he had killed a pair of humans. Princess Fen ordered Karal to ossify (remove flesh) the bodies and put them on display in the royal chamber to serve as a warning.
(1939 Daily Bugle) - Captain Leonard Johnson survived and was in stable condition when he told the Daily Bugle about the incident.
Comments: Created by Bill Everett.
When these events were recounted in Saga of the Sub-Mariner#2, Thakorr turned Nelson and Carley's remains over to his priest Kormok with instructions to bury them "with all due rites of Father Neptune." A kinder, gentler Atlantis?
Thanks to Gammatotem for pointing out that the character previously referred to as captain was actually the first mate.
This story received an article during Marvel's 70th year anniversary in 1939 Daily Bugle. Within the article the name of the captain, Anderson's first name and the age of each crew member (Captain Johnson, 54; Chip Anderson, 32; Rob Nelson, 37; Ev Carley, 42) were revealed. Due to people missing that the first mate was not the captain the first mate was not mentioned. BTW Captain Johnson survived the incident. The location of the incident was mistakenly moved to Flat Shoals near Block Island, Massachusetts. Maybe Captain Johnson lied!
Profile by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
The S.S. Recovery should not be confused with:
Or any other recoverers
Anderson was one of the crewmen of the S.S. Recovery. The ship's captain sent him down to investigate the disappearance of Nelson and Carley. After seeing their dead bodies below, he quickly returned to the ship, fearful that he might suffer the same fate. He was possibly killed when Namor wrecked the Recovery upon a reef.
--Marvel Comics#1/3 (1939 Daily Bugle
The S.S. Recovery's first mate sent Nelson and Carley to investigate the sunken ship where they were killed by Namor. After Anderson had seen their bodies, the first mate set out to inform the coast guard, but Namor wrecked the Recovery upon a reef. The first mate may have been killed in the crash.
--Marvel Comics#1/3
Rod Nelson was a diver aboard the S.S. Recovery. While investigating a sunken ship near Atlantis, he noticed Namor's lost knife aboard the ship, and wondered how such a fine blade came to be in a wreck. In a second dive, he was joined by Ev Carley, and as the two men set out to investigate the ship again, they were attacked by Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Namor, thinking they were robots because of their diving gear, slit their suits' cables. They sealed their remaining air inside their suits, but Namor stabbed one and crushed the helmet of the other, killing them both. When Namor brought the bodies to his grandfather, Emperor Thakorr, he removed the helmets and realized that he had killed a pair of humans. The Atlanteans Karal and Kormok were charged to deal with their bodies.
--Marvel Comics#1/3 (Saga of the Sub-Mariner#2, 1939 Daily Bugle
Ev Carley was a diver aboard the S.S. Recovery. After Rod Nelson noticed Namor's knife during a salvage operation, Carley joined him for a second dive. As the two men set out to investigate the ship, they were attacked by Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Namor, thinking they were robots because of their diving gear, slit their suits' cables. They sealed their remaining air inside their suits, but Namor stabbed one and crushed the helmet of the other, killing them both. When Namor brought the bodies to his grandfather, Emperor Thakorr, he removed the helmets and realized that he had killed a pair of humans. The Atlanteans Karal and Kormok were charged to deal with their bodies.
--Marvel Comics#1/3 (Saga of the Sub-Mariner#2, 1939 Daily Bugle
Images (not counting ads):
Marvel Comics#1/3, p5, pan7 (main image)
Marvel Comics#1/3, p4, pan6 (Anderson)
Marvel Comics#1/3, p4, pan6 (First Mate)
Marvel Comics#1/3, p1, pan5 (Nelson)
Marvel Comics#1/3, p2, pan2 (Carley)
Last updated: 03/09/16
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!