Black Panther: Wakanda Forever significantly changes Namor’s (Tenoch Huerta) origin story. The MCU has a new kingdom for Namor to rule, a different explanation for where the underwater people came from, and even some updated superpowers for Talokan citizens, such as siren-like hypnotic singing. However, Wakanda Forever sticks close to the comic books regarding Namor’s mutant nature. After all, both in the MCU and Marvel Comics, Namor is much more powerful than his subjects. But what are Namor’s mutant powers in the MCU? And how does the metahuman’s MCU origin differ from Marvel Comics? Now that Wakanda Forever is available for streaming on Disney+, there's no better time to dive into the secrets of the Sub-Mariner.
Namor Mutant Origin in Marvel Comics
Namor was created by Bill Everett in 1939. At first, the character was supposed to appear in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, a promotional comic issue planned to be given away at movie theaters. The project sank fast, though, with only a handful of sample copies getting printed. So, Namor’s first official appearance happened in Marvel Comics #1, which was published by Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics. That brief history lesson shows just how old Namor really is and how important the Sub-Mariner would become to Marvel Comics. After all, Namor was one of the first metahumans to ever show up in a Marvel Comics story.
For a long time, Namor was also said to be the first mutant in Marvel Comics. Born from an Atlantean princess and an American sea captain, Namor inherited the underwater people's powers while retaining the ability to breathe freely on the surface world. That means Namor is super strong as an Atlantean, has a healing factor when submerged in water, superhuman reflexes, and an athlete's endurance. Since Atlantians usually live beyond one hundred years, Namor also ages slowly compared to other Marvel superheroes.
As if these powers were not impressive enough, Namor was also born with wings on each of his heels. These wings reflect Namor’s ability to fly freely, giving him another layer of agility on top of everything else. The wings don’t come from Atlanteans or humans. They actually originate from a mutation, making Namor a unique character: half-Atlantean, half-human, and all mutant. No wonder Namor remains one of the strongest characters in Marvel Comics.
Namor Mutant Power in the MCU
Since Marvel Studios didn’t have the rights to Namor for a long time, they couldn’t introduce the character early on in the MCU. So, the issue with bringing Namor to the theaters is that the half-Atlantean looks a lot like DC’s Aquaman. Even though Aquaman only showed up for the first time in 1941, making him a copy of Namor, DC’s Atlantean is the most recognizable hero, which led Marvel Studios to opt for a brand-new origin story. Fortunately, these changes fit like a glove in Ryan Coogler's Wakanda Forever, as Namor's relationship with Wakanda is reinforced by their shared history. That’s because instead of Atlantis, the MCU Namor comes from the Mesoamerican kingdom of Talokan.
In the MCU, a second vibranium meteor fell on Earth, in the Pacific Ocean, close to Mexico’s coast. The vibranium’s unique properties gave birth to a particular plant, not unlike Wakanda’s heart-shaped herb. In 1571, a Mesoamerican community decided to consume the plant, following the instructions of a shaman who saw in a dream how the underwater herb could free them from persecution by Spanish colonizers. The plant changed their bodies forever, giving them gills, allowing them to swim faster than any human, and granting them enhanced strength, agility, and the ability to bond with underwater creatures. So, instead of Atlanteans, in the MCU, we have a Mesoamerican community deciding to abandon the land and build the hidden kingdom of Talokan.
One of the people who ingested the herb for the first time was Namor’s mother, who was pregnant when she consumed the body-changing plant, affecting Namor’s physiology in the womb. As a result, Namor mutated before he was even born. And when he finally came to life inside the ocean, his people realized he had wings on his feet, the ability to fly, lungs that could breathe air, and extended longevity. In the MCU, Namor has been alive for hundreds of years, with his special powers leading him to be considered a god in Talokan. No wonder Namor was originally named K’uk’ulkan, the Plumed Serpent God.
While the MCU gives Namor a completely reimagined origin story, Namor remains a mutant-hybrid, retaining all his impressive comic book powers. That’s more than any fan could hope for, even more, because the new origin story is arguably better than the original comic book one. Now, we just need to wait for Namor to return to future movies and TV shows. Hopefully, that will happen soon enough.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now streaming on Disney+.