Namor first appeared way back in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1. Namor has a certain reputation in the Marvel Universe, and it’s one that he earned all those years ago. Namor isn’t exactly a villain, but starting with the Golden Age Human Torch, Namor was just as likely to fight the heroes as fight along with them. Namor has been a rather big problem for the Avengers and the Fantastic Four over the years. Namor’s love of Susan Richards is his biggest bone of contention with the Fantastic Four and his problem with the Avengers is that they are basically an arm of the United States government, which is a problem for the monarch of another country. Namor has also been a member of both the Illuminati and the villainous Cabal, where he also caused his share of problems. However, Namor has a rather good relationship with the X-Men, all because of one character — Emma Frost.
Namor joined the X-Men in the years after House of M, when mutants were gathering together to protect themselves from their enemies. Emma Frost was the reason he stayed with the group; while Emma Frost’s relationship with Cyclops was the defining relationship for the character in the 20th century, an argument can be made that her relationship with Namor is the next most important in her life, much more so than her more recent dalliance with Iron Man.
Namor’s Love of Emma Frost Made Him a Great X-Man
Now, obviously, Namor was something of a problem for the X-Men. That’s just who Namor is. Namor is a fabulously wealthy king, ruling the largest kingdom on Earth. He’s used to having his own way, so put Namor into any team where he’s not the number one, and he’s going to cause trouble. Cyclops is exactly the kind of leader that Namor doesn’t like, because Cyclops knows what he’s doing. Namor always questioned and needled Cyclops, and that’s where Emma Frost came in. Emma Frost is a beautiful blonde; she’s Namor’s type exactly. However, there’s a difference between Emma and Sue that made Namor treat Emma much better. It’s not entirely the fact that Emma actually gave Namor more than kisses — although that certainly helped Namor like her more — but that Emma was able to make Namor see her as an equal, and did it without ever resorting to her mental powers. One of the best ways to describe Emma Frost is a word that has always been associated with Namor — imperious. Emma Frost demands respect and exudes grace and power everywhere she goes. Emma is, in her own mind, royalty, and she demands that kind of treatment. One would assume that this would anger Namor, but it did quite the opposite; Namor found someone he could actually be with.
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One of the problems with Namor and Sue Richards — beyond her marriage — is the power imbalance. There’s this feeling that Namor is slumming when it comes to Sue, and that he would be the first to order her around. His treatment of her when she isn’t doing what he wants is cold indifference. There’s something very emotionally abusive about Namor towards Sue, and that isn’t there with Emma. Namor actually listened to Emma, and even gained a measure of respect for Cyclops that he never had for Reed Richards, just because Emma was attracted to him. Emma was able to convince Namor not just of her beauty and grace, but also that she was on the same level as him. He respects her a person in a way that he never seemed to respect Sue. Even when Emma wasn’t doing what Namor wanted, Namor never treated her nearly as badly as he does Sue. There’s really no such thing as Namor having what any of us would consider a normal relationship; his time with Emma was the closest he ever came to having a relationship with a woman that wasn’t about him wanting to possess her. That’s a really big change for Marvel’s first mutant and why this is Namor’s best relationship.
Namor Actually Loves Emma Frost
The above image says it all about what Namor thinks of Emma Frost. Emma was under the control of an enemy and Namor was able to stop her from murdering someone. He tells her his thoughts on her — that no matter what her situation in life would be, she is a queen. This is what Namor truly thinks of Emma Frost, and it’s why his relationship with her is so different. Namor doesn’t just love Emma for her beauty, like he does Susan Richards. He loves her because she has that aura of royalty.
Namor’s time with the X-Men saw him playing a major role in the team, all because he wanted to be with Emma Frost. Namor’s relationships with teams like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four always fall apart rather quickly. This didn’t happen with the X-Men because of Emma Frost and Namor’s love for her. Unlike his love for Sue, his love for Emma was enough to keep him in a subordinate position in the X-Men for years, just to be around her. He listened to her like he never listened to anyone, and that’s a huge thing for Namor.
Do you think Namor and Emma Frost are true love? Sound off in the comments below.
The post I’m Convinced Namor’s Best Relationship Was With Emma Frost appeared first on ComicBook.com.
