Killing Namor Was Just Part of "Squadron Supreme's" Big Plan

CBR

By Stephen Gerding

Published Dec 16, 2015

It's no secret Hyperion's team of inter-dimensional castaways took out Atlantis' ruler in their first issue, but that wasn't their only major move.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article discusses events from "Squadron Supreme" #1, on sale now.

Announced months ago, the death of Namor, aka the Sub-Mariner, was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to "Squadron Supreme's" first issue surprises.

In addition to killing one of Marvel's oldest characters in an incredibly convincing fashion -- he's beheaded on-panel by Hyperion -- writer James Robinson and artist Leonard Kirk upped that ante by first destroying the entire city of Atlantis. In an epic two-page spread, we see Hyperion lifting the fabled city, and longtime Marvel Universe mainstay, out of the water and into the air before sending it crashing down.

Despite making a point of allowing the undersea city's residents time to escape, the events of the issue set up the team as a convincing threat, drawing the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Uncanny Avengers. However, some people see them as a force for good rather than something to fear, especially those who have lost loved ones to Namor's past attempts at invading the surface world.

"Squadron Supreme" #1, by James Robinson and Leonard Kirk, is available now.