Or . . . Can a Small-town Girl Find Happiness with a Brilliant Research Scientist in the Cosmopolitan City of New York?
Ain’t love grand? It gets you high; it gets you low. But once you get that glow . . .
Love was no stranger to comic books. Starting with the sterile romances of the Golden Age to the (relatively) mature approaches of the Silver Age that depicted more realistic entanglements, most super-heroes had significant others. Most often, they were pesky girl friends whose main purpose was as a plot device to cause the hero some trouble. Occasionally, they were true helpmeets to the hero, providing genuine assistance in his adventures.
Either way, these attachments tended to be cut-and-dried, unchanging in their status. It wasn’t until Stan Lee came along that we saw a comic book treat love, with its natural ups and downs, like a soap opera.
And what better time than Valentine’s Day to examine the courtship of Reed Richards and Susan Storm of the Fantastic Four? The bumpy road of Marvel Comics’ first romantic couple may as well have had Oxydol as its sponsor.
As early as the fourth panel of the team’s origin sequence in Fantastic Four # 1 (Nov., 1961), Reed and Sue’s relationship seems solid enough.
They’re engaged, which is pretty firm ground for a romance. But already Lee tosses in a wrinkle — by insinuating, in the same chapter, that Ben Grimm is a rival for Sue’s affections.
He drops a similar hint in Fantastic Four # 3 (Mar., 1962).
That’s the end of it, though. Lee must have reconsidered the notion of an in-group triangle. Or maybe he’d already come up with a better idea. In any case, Reed and Sue’s engagement is put on the back burner, too. There had been no mention of it since that single panel in issue # 1. In fact, there was no mention of any sort of relationship between the two, other than as teammates. Probably, the Smilin’ One was levelling the playing field for what would prove to be the biggest obstacle in Reed Richards’ pursuit for the hand of Susan Storm.
Fantastic Four # 4 (May, 1962) was the landmark issue that reïntroduced the Sub-Mariner to the Marvel Universe. In this classic tale, the Human Torch, having quit the Fantastic Four, discovers an amnesiac Sub-Mariner living in a Bowery flophouse. When the Torch drops Namor into the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to restore his memory, his tactic works too well. The fish-man remembers who he is, all right. But when he returns to his undersea kingdom, he finds it abandoned and in ruins. Subby blames the surface-dwellers and their underwater atomic tests. As he is wont to do, the arrogant Prince of the Deep overreacts and declares war on humanity.
Johnny Storm rejoins the F.F. as the team overcomes the Sub-Mariner’s first foray against us surface-folk. Namor’s gearing up for round two when he encounters the Invisible Girl. Sue makes quite the initial impression on him.
Maybe you could blame it on all those years he spent in the Bowery without female companionship.
Yet, when Prince Namor threatens to launch his most vicious attack yet against mankind, Sue acquiesces to his offer of marriage.
Typical royalty, the Sub-Mariner is insulted that Sue doesn’t see becoming his princess as the honour it is. And while he’s on his high horse over the snub, the F.F. gets the upper hand, depositing Subby and his giant-beastie army into the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean.
The dousing doesn’t dampen the spark that has been lighted, however. On both sides.
“We pause now for a word from our sponsor . . .”
“And now, back to . . . The Romance of Susan Storm!”
In Fantastic Four # 6 (Sep., 1962), we see that the Sub-Mariner keeps a photograph of Sue in his undersea bachelor pad.
Meanwhile, Sue, with a nosey kid brother to worry about, is more discreet. She hides a photo of Namor behind some books on a shelf. It’s not the best of hiding places, though.
When her teammates discover this, they’re perturbed that the Invisible Girl harbours a crush on the sworn enemy of mankind. Interestingly, the prospect that she’s stepping out on Reed isn’t even a thought. And, to the readers, why should it be? There hasn’t been a hint of romance — not so much as a “my darling” — between Reed and Sue in the last three issues.
When the Sub-Mariner appears at the Baxter Building claiming to seek peace, Sue is the only one to take his word for it. She talks Reed and Ben and Johnny out of pounding the fish-man into kelp. That comes back to bite her in her shapely derrière when it turns out that Subby’s offer of friendship was a treacherous ruse to lure the F.F. into a death-trap arranged by Doctor Doom. Yet, even after the heroes barely escape with their hides, the smitten Sue Storm still defends Prince Namor.
And Reed Richards doesn’t seem the least concerned about this, professionally or personally.
After two uneventful issues, at least, in terms of romance, Fantastic Four # 9 (Dec., 1962) find the F. F. facing a crisis more familiar to us normal folk — they’re bankrupt. Reed’s poor investments in the stock market have left the team penniless. Our Heroes see a way to avoid the poorhouse when a motion-picture company, S. M. Studios, offer them a cool million dollars to star in a movie. Things look less promising when the F. F. arrives in Hollywood and learns that the head of S. M. Studios is none other than the Sub-Mariner. Namor claims to have gotten bored sitting around all day, plotting against the surface world, and insists the offer is genuine. The pile of money he shoves at them is real enough, and the F.F. signs the contract.
While Reed and Ben and Johnny go on location to film their individual scenes, Prince Namor wines and dines Sue at a Beverly Hills night spot. The Invisible Girl finds herself fascinated by her regal suitor.
O.K., a show of hands from everybody who thinks this movie opportunity is on the up-and-up? Yeah, I thought so. The so-called film shoots disguise deadly perils for the three spear-side members of the F.F. Confident that he has eliminated them, the Sub-Mariner puts the moves on Sue. He reveals that he has done away with her teammates and asks Sue to marry him. She turns him down flatly, but her rejection is telling.
“Perhaps, if you hadn’t deceived us — if you had been honest with us, I might have answered you differently,” says the Invisible Girl.
But Namor is through with the gentilities of courtship. He means to have his way with her, now. What follows is a super-powered version of chasing her around the desk, as Sue struggles to preserve her virtue.
She holds off the pointy-eared Lothario long enough for Reed, Ben, and Johnny, who aren’t as dead as advertised, to smash through the door. All three of them are suitably pissed at Subby, but the one most emotionally charged is the Human Torch.
“That’s my sister he’s threatening! He’s mine!” demands Johnny.
The three advance with blood in their eyes. But what follows is one of those things that have left men scratching their heads over female sanity since the beginning of time. Despite Namor’s near-sexual assault of her and his attempts to murder her three teammates, Sue insists that they let him go free.
Namor heads for the surf. Reed's irritated enough over that, but he still isn’t showing any romantic inclinations toward Sue. Me? I’d be thinking that I’d dodged a bullet when that “fiancée” business got dropped back in issue # 1.
“And now, here’s Susan Storm, for Breck Hair Set Mist . . . “
“Breck Hair Set Mist---available wherever beauty products are sold.”
It’s uncertain how much time has elapsed since the last issue, but Fantastic Four # 10 (Jan., 1963) shows it’s been at least long enough for Reed Richards to put aside his next experiment to return the Thing to his human form and think about Sue in a more personal manner. Even so, this eggiest of egg-heads might not have mentioned the subject to the girl herself---except for the person of the Sub-Mariner to come up during a visit to Alicia Masters’ art studio.
Reed brings up the subject again, in the next issue, # 11 (Feb., 1963), and once more, Sue demurs.
At this point, poor Reed seems destined for the “Nice Guy” Friendzone. Reed must be starting to think so, too. As we see in Fantastic Four # 14 (May, 1963), Mister Fantastic is getting tired of being Sue’s doormat.
It doesn’t help that this issue embroils the F.F. with Prince Namor once again, prompted by Sue’s desire to see him. And it ends with the Invisible Girl still fence-sitting.
The Sub-Mariner spends the next several months sulking, and the romance between Reed and Sue lapses into complacency, with little more than a “Sue, dearest” or a “Reed, my darling” to tell us that they are supposed to be an item. Without Namor in the picture, Richards appears to have taken their relationship for granted.
Meanwhile, the lovelight shifts to the flourishing romance between the Thing and Alicia Masters.
The Reed-Sue-Namor triangle gets moved back to the front burner in Fantastic Four Annual # 1 (Sep., 1963) — only a wrinkle has been added. The tale opens with the Sub-Mariner finally discovering the new location of his people, the Atlanteans, and with much pomp and circumstance, Namor returns to the throne. Among his admiring subjects is Lady Dorma, whom, back in the Golden Age Sub-Mariner series, was Namor’s love interest. That was twenty years ago. Now, he regards her fondly, but Dorma’s torch for him has not extinguished.
“At last, my loved one has returned to me!” she rejoices.
With a vast army of warriors under his command now, the Sub-Mariner makes the bold decision to conquer the surface world, and because it’s a Marvel comic, he launches his campaign with an invasion of New York City. In a lightning attack, Namor’s forces take occupation of Manhattan. But when Reed Richards’ scientific genius devises a way to evapourate the water in the Atlanteans’ helmets, the blue-skinned invaders are forced to abandon New York and scurry back to the ocean.
Only the Sub-Mariner remains to carry on the fight, but when he is overwhelmed by the Fantastic Four, he retreats, taking the Invisible Girl as a hostage. Subby leaves Sue in the custody of his warlord, Krang, and Lady Dorma, while he makes plans for a second assault. Big mistake. Namor’s obvious concern and affection for Sue incites a jealous rage in his old girl friend, Dorma.
Dorma smashes a porthole, and Sue is subjected to the sea’s crushing depths. The Sub-Mariner is forced to break off his war with the F.F. and the surface world to save Sue’s life. That act comes at a cost, however, as his subjects desert him when he gives up the fight over his love for a “pink-skin”.
Though Sue doesn’t go as far as defending Namor’s actions this time, a special F.A.Q. feature on the F.F. in the annual makes it clear that he’s still in the running for her heart.
“Will Reed finally have it out with Prince Namor? Will Sue ever decide between them? Stay tuned to find out — after this commercial break . . .
“And now, we return to The Romance of Susan Storm . . .
The first half of 1964 shows Sue has fallen back into the comfortable, if passionless, rôle as Reed’s girl. Most likely because the Sub-Mariner has spent the last several months brooding in his undersea castle, with only a few squads of his loyal warriors to keep him company. But, in Fantastic Four # 27 (Jun., 1964), Reed has finally figured out that Sue won’t be content just cleaning his test tubes forever. He’s going to ask her to marry him, and he’s serious. He’s headed to Tiffany’s (that is, if he’s really a genius) to buy an engagement ring for her.
At the same time, Namor has also grown tired of waiting for Sue to pluck that last petal off the I-love-him-I-love-him-not daisy. But, for a Prince of the Blood, it’s nothing so common-folk as popping the question. The Sub-Mariner issues an imperial command that Susan Storm will be his bride. That’s the last straw for his remaining troops abandon him as fast as they can swim from the city gates.
The stubborn Namor continues with his plan of betrothal on his own. In a surprise attack on the Baxter Building, he immobilises the Thing and the Human Torch in order to make his proposal to Sue.
When she refuses, he forcibly abducts her, in a twentieth-century version of a Neanderthal dragging his intended mate back to his cave by her hair. When Reed returns with the engagement ring and finds out what’s happened, he is rightly pissed.
Reed determines to have it out with the Sub-Mariner once and for all. He orders the Thing and the Torch to stay out of it. This is a personal matter. Reed uses one of his super-scientific devices to locate Namor’s undersea palace, and one jet-helicopter ride later, he confronts his rival in his lair. This is not the rational, pragmatic, imperturbable Mister Fantastic. He’s fighting for the woman he loves, and he attacks the Sub-Mariner without warning. Subby retaliates, and the battle for Susan Storm’s heart is joined!
It's a pitched combat between the two suitors, with no clear victor. It ends only when the Invisible Girl uses her force-field to protect Reed from a renewed assault by the Sub-Mariner. Namor assumes she saved Reed out of loyalty to her teammate. But, no. Sue has finally decided with whom her heart lies.
Ever the hot-head, Subby does not take the news well. But before he can do anything more than stamp his winged foot, Doctor Strange (long story) whisks the loving couple, along with the Human Torch and the Thing (more long story) away to safety.
So, finally, the matter is settled — Sue loves Reed. Or is it? Sue is certain, but like most super-intelligent people, Reed overthinks the matter. He can’t help wondering if Sue declared her love for him simply to prevent his battle with the Sub-Mariner from continuing.
“Now, a message for all of you housewives . . . “
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Ever the egg-head, Reed’s doubt in Susan’s love continues for the next several issues. Significantly, it takes another run-in with the Sub-Mariner, in Fantastic Four # 33 (Dec., 1964), before he finally figures it out. For once, they aren’t doing battle with the prince of Atlantis. Rather, at the request of Lady Dorma, the F.F. comes to his aid against the merman forces of Attuma the barbarian. Stan Lee shows how love can take a tangled course, for Dorma herself is responsible for the Sub-Mariner’s plight. When Subby spurned her affections, Dorma enabled Attuma and his hordes to enter the undersea city, on the promise that Namor would not be harmed. And, of course, anybody but the love-struck Dorma could guess the likelihood of the barbarian honouring that promise. In desperation, the blue-skinned noblewoman turns to the F.F. for help.
You have to give Reed Richards credit for his principles. He may not like the pointy-eared pain-in-the-ass, but he commits the team to saving his hide. And they manage to do so without revealing their involvement, thus preserving the arrogant fish-man’s pride. And it pays off for Reed in an unexpected way — when he finally is convinced of Sue’s love for him.
At last, the course of true love runs straight and true for Reed and Sue. They commit to their love at the end of Fantastic Four # 35 (Feb., 1965).
In the next issue, the couple announces their engagement (and this one sticks), resulting in considerable hoopla from the press and the public.
And the engagement party is one of the most memorable on record . . .
Of course, there is the wedding rehearsal, in F.F. # 37 (Apr., 1965).
Finally, the tortuous four-year romance of Reed and Sue culminates in Fantastic Four Annual # 3 (Oct., 1965).
Like all weddings, there are some unexpected problems. In this case, Doctor Doom, no doubt peeved at being left off the guest list, pulls out the stops to interfere with the Big Day. But, despite the considerable efforts of his party-crashers, not even Doom can put asunder the long-awaited nuptials.
* * * * *
For television series with “will they or won’t they get together?” sub-plots, the marriage of the characters represents the culmination of the shippers’ hopes, and the wedding episode usually skyrockets in the ratings. However, without the romantic tension, interest in the couple’s subsequent relationship wanes. Pretty much the same thing happened after Reed and Sue wed. The readers weren’t as interested in the personal lives of a contented married couple. (Although it did peak a bit, when the fans welcomed the birth of the Richards’ son, Franklin, in Fantastic Four Annual # 6 [Aug., 1968]. As to be expected, the blessed event did not take place smoothly.)
Thus, as many soap operas are required to do, Stan Lee shifted the romantic focus to others — Ben Grimm and his on-going relationship with Alicia, and more vitally, to the ill-starred love interests of Johnny Storm.
Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl were not the first super-hero pair to reach the altar in the Silver Age — Aquaman wed Mera in Aquaman # 18 (Dec., 1964), and Hawkman and Hawkgirl débuted as a married couple in The Brave and the Bold # 31 (Feb.-Mar., 1961). Yet, none had the tumultuous path to wedded bliss as ...
Replies
Trouble is, Namor's memory loss after his first meeting with Paul Destine / Destiny is not only a background plot element since Tales to Astonish #101 (late 1967), Iron Man/Sub-Mariner #1 (early 1968) and issue #1 of his 1968 series, but also leads to a foreground plot starting with #5 that seeds many later stories that have quite a lot of follow-up.
Most notably, his Helmet of Power is revealed in #9 to be an alternate form of the Serpent Crown, which proves quite significant indeed. It is the first time that it is clearly shown and named, AFAIK, and is directly followed by the stories that introduce Karthon and Naga.
Are you proposing that the Serpent Crown was revealed in some other way, and that Karthon and Naga's initial storyline derives from that other way instead?
I don't think that's a deal-breaker. Namor could battle Destine, discover the serpent crown inside the helmet and after the battle with Naga a few issues later, lose it at sea. Krang then uncovers it as part of Madame Hydra's Serpent Squad decades later.
Are you proposing that the Serpent Crown was revealed in some other way, and that Karthon and Naga's initial storyline derives from that other way instead?
Works for me. As Fraser commented, not a deal breaker. The key word in my head canon is fluidity.
A bit of infatuation happens.
I have been reading quite a bit of Prince Valiant lately, ranging from the time Karen and Valeta (Valiant and Aleta's twin girls) are 11 until they are 16, when they have romantic fantasies about every single male character from five to ten years older than they are who happens to wander into the plot. Anyone who has a problem with Sue's girlish infatuation with Reed should steer far clear of Prince Valiant.
Five to ten?
Whoops. "Five to ten years older than they are."
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