This is "Provide Some Answers," which is a feature where long unresolved plot points are eventually resolved.
Today, based on a suggestion from my pal, Chris N., we look at the surprisingly complex story of when Captain America (Steve Rogers) first met Namor in Marvel continuity.
It would appear that the answer to this question is simple enough, as Captain America, Namor and the other Timely heroes all had their first big team-up together in 1946's All-Winners Comics #19 (by Bill Finger and Syd Shores)...
However, Marvel continuity later revealed that the Captain America in that story was not Steve Rogers, but was instead a different patriotic superhero known as the Spirit of '76 (as Cap and Bucky were thought to be killed before the war ended, as revealed in Avengers #4). So that couldn't be their first meeting.
Okay, so 1953's Young Men #26 (by Don Rico and John Romita) also see a meeting between Captain America and Namor...
But again, Marvel continuity later revealed that the Captain America in that story was William Burnside, not Steve Rogers.
In Avengers #4 (by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and George Roussos), we see Namor find a frozen Captain America and chuck him into the ocean, where he later thawed out and joined the Avengers...
They fight each other later in that issue, but don't seem to recognize each other...
However, in Avengers #71 (by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema and Sam Grainger), we see that Captain America and Namor were hanging out together in 1941. So that was definitely Steve Rogers...
That appearance later led to the Invaders comic book series by Roy Thomas...
Thomas, though, obviously knew that that meant that there was no "first meeting" between Cap and Namor in Marvel continuity, so he wrote one in Captain America #423 (by Thomas, MC Wyman and Charles Barnett III)...
That's the only issue during his run, by the way, that Mark Gruenwald didn't write an issue of Captain America.
Years later, Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting and Dave Stewart gave a different first meeting between Cap and Namor in Marvels Project #6...
There ya go!
Thanks for the suggestion, Chris!
If anyone else has a suggestion for a comic book plot that got resolved after a few years (I tend to use two years as the minimum, as otherwise, you're probably just in the middle of the actual initial reveal of the storyline, ya know? But I'll allow exceptions where a new writer takes over a storyline and has to resolve the previous writer's unresolved plots), drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!