SUB-MARINER #49 (1972)
by Gerry Conway & Gene Colan
The conclusion to the Namor/Doom team-up. MODOK will pay for taking Doom’s place on the cover!
Namor is under attack by MODOK’s androids. They don’t speak, but luckily Namor talks enough for a dozen people.
Unfortunately the combined forces of the androids and MODOK’s mental powers prove too much for Namor, who is taken hostage.
Doom goes to rescue him, wondering if it’s out of respect because Namor is also a monarch, or if it’s because of their blossoming bromance.
Interesting discussion between Doom and MODOK, highlighting the contradiction of Doom alienating himself from other people while at times being protective of them… and the implication that Doom detests MODOK’s lack of humanity because it reminds him of Doom himself.
Good stuff! Who would’ve thought that the most introspective comments would come from MODOK, of all people!?
But of course, Doom’s gonna Doom.
If you’re wondering why on Earth didn’t MODOK just kill Namor: he plans to use the Cosmic Cube to transfer his mind into Namor’s body.
So much for MODOK’s talk about being the ultimate lifeform!
Unfortunately, while MODOK might be a super-genius… he’s an idiot.
Maybe he should’ve spared a little of his gigantic brain to give his androids SOME intelligence!
Namor finds the Cosmic Cube… kind of… and discovers its secret… kind of.
More on that later.
When even Doctor Doom makes fun of you because you use too many robots, maybe you’ve gone a little overboard.
Despite this being Namor’s title, Doom has definitely a better showing against AIM.
Although MODOK manages to escape because it turns out that Doom was just fighting a double.
How often is Doom the one to fall for the Doombot trick!?
Throughout this issue, the henchmen mention that one of their members, named Kenner, has gone mad. When he shows up, we are told that the real Kenner has been replaced by this one, under the orders of an unnamed “Master”.
But while Doom is busy working his way towards the Cosmic Cube…
…Not-Keller knocks Doom out!
And then… Not-Keller dies, disintegrated by the Cosmic Cube.
We’ll never be told who his “Master” is, why Not-Kenner was sent to infiltrate Doom’s forces, why he wanted Namor dead, or even what exactly Not-Kenner WAS.
So, uhm, yeah. THAT just happened.
It seems that the Cosmic Cube has gone critical, and Doom has to be saved by Cindy, who has just managed to escape from her cell.
Namor has a second match against MODOK, winning relatively easily…
…while Doom is lured by the Cosmic Cube.
Namor stops Doom before he’s disintegrated; judging by the dialogue, the Cube is going critical because Namor “released it”.
Your guess is as good as mine, folk!
Doom reluctantly agrees, and we find out why he wanted the Cosmic Cube in the first place…
…to use its reality-warping power to heal his face.
They leave the AIM base just in time before it explodes.
And so Doom leaves after a couple of very Gene Colan panels, warning Namor about the master who sent Not-Kenner to kill him.
Like I said, nothing will come from this.
Historical significance: 0/10
This was obviously the setup for a future menace to fight Namor, but it seems it was dropped altogether.
Doom significance: 0/10
Despite some interesting insight into his character, this has basically zero repercussions for Doom.
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Subplots can disappear in any era, but Not-Kenner sounds just like the typical Silver Age nonsense.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
What a disappointment. Despite a rather good start and some neat points, this isn’t a good finale. Both Doom and Namor have rather lackluster fights with MODOK, and they don’t even fight together. Having Doom be upstaged by the henchmen of another unnamed villain doesn’t do the story any favor. And Cindy, who had some hints of an interesting personality in the previous issues, is just your typical damsel in distress here.
It was a Doombot all along
No indication one way or the other. It’s probably the real Doom since he wants the Cube to heal his face, but it could just be a Doombot that wants to bring the Cube to the real one.
Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
As anticipated, Doom just wanted the Cube to heal his face.
Crazy tech
Another disappointing issue… the only thing we get is Doom’s portable disintegrating ray, but even that is barely mentioned.