ComicBookReligion.com logo

The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964):
“The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!”
by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman

The Avengers (vol. 1) #3

Title: “The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!”

Medium: comic

Cover date: Jan. 1964

Publisher: Marvel
Written by: Stan Lee
Art by: Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman


22 characters in this story:

Character
(Click links for info about character
and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)
Religious
Affiliation
Team(s)
[Notes]
Pub. #
app.
Iron Man Iron Man (Tony Stark) hero
CBR Scale: I futurist; technophile; mostly secular; sometimes prays; Alcoholics Anonymous
Force Works; Illuminati...  Marvel 5,673
Thor Thor (Donald Blake) hero deity
CBR Scale: D Norse/Teutonic deity
Asgardian; Cosmic Avengers...  Marvel 4,362
Giant-Man Giant-Man (Hank Pym) hero scientist
CBR Scale: U atheist
Commission on Superhuman Activities; Secret Defenders...  Marvel 1,543
The Wasp The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) hero
CBR Scale: U Dutch Reformed (nominal); atheist
Lady Liberators; The Avengers...  Marvel 1,339
The Hulk The Hulk (Bruce Banner) hero scientist
CBR Scale: I Catholic (lapsed)
Hulkbusters; Pantheon...  Marvel 4,551
The Sub-Mariner The Sub-Mariner (Namor) hero
CBR Scale: S Atlantean Greco-Roman
classical religion
Atlantean; Dark X-Men...  Marvel 1,864
A-Bomb Rick Jones supporting character
  Loners (founder); The Avengers (honorary member)...  Marvel 572
Spider-Man Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
(3-panel cameo, pg. 3-4)
hero scientist
CBR Scale: I Protestant
Secret Defenders; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends...  Marvel 10,664
Mr. Fantastic Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)
(3-panel cameo, pg. 3, panels 2-4)
hero scientist
CBR Scale: SCBR Scale: I humanist; portrayed alternatively as explicitly believing in God and as atheist
Fantastic Five; Illuminati...  Marvel 4,661
Professor X Professor X (Charles Xavier)
(3-panel cameo, pg. 4, panels 3-5)
hero scientist
CBR Scale: S religious
Brotherhood of Mutants; Genoshan Excalibur...  Marvel 4,999
The Thing The Thing (Ben Grimm)
(2-panel cameo, pg. 2-3)
hero
CBR Scale: S Jewish
Fantastic Five; The Avengers...  Marvel 5,017
Invisible Woman Invisible Girl (Susan Storm Richards)
(2-panel cameo, pg. 3, panels 3-4)
hero
CBR Scale: S Episcopalian
Lady Liberators; The Avengers...  Marvel 4,069
The Beast The Beast (Hank McCoy)
(2-panel cameo, pg. 4, panels 3-4)
hero scientist
CBR Scale: ICBR Scale: S Episcopalian; agnostic
Academy of Tomorrow; Brotherhood of Mutants...  Marvel 5,233
Phoenix Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)
(2-panel cameo, pg. 4, panels 3, 5)
hero
CBR Scale: I Episcopalian
Metro College; The Twelve...  Marvel 1,905
Iceman Iceman (Bobby Drake)
(2-panel cameo, pg. 4, panels 3-4)
hero
CBR Scale: I Jewish Catholic
Secret Defenders; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends...  Marvel 1,752
The Teen Brigade The Teen Brigade
(2-panel cameo, pg. 7, panels 6-7)
supporting character group
  [helpful young ham radio operators] Marvel 42
Human Torch Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
(1-panel cameo, pg. 3, panel 2)
hero
CBR Scale: I Episcopalian
Fantastic Five; Fantastic Force...  Marvel 4,393
Cyclops Cyclops (Scott Summers)
(1-panel cameo, pg. 4, panel 3)
hero
CBR Scale: SCBR Scale: I Protestant; mutant supremacist
Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; Summers Rebellion...  Marvel 8,371
Angel Angel (Warren Worthington III)
(1-panel cameo, pg. 4, panel 3)
hero
CBR Scale: I Episcopalian
Academy of Tomorrow; Horsemen of Apocalypse...  Marvel 1,741
Jane Foster Jane Foster
(1-panel cameo, pg. 8, panel 6)
supporting character
  Secret Avengers (staff)
[nurse/girlfriend of Donald Blake (Thor)]
Marvel 341
Hercules Hercules
(mentioned, pg. 6, panel 5) 
hero deity
CBR Scale: D Greco-Roman classical religion
Heroes for Hire; Olympian...  DC Marvel 1,029
Ben Hur Ben Hur (Judah Ben-Hur)
(mentioned, pg. 8, panel 5) 
hero
CBR Scale: M Jewish; Christian (convert)
[gladiator; merchant...] Harper & Brothers 10

Reprints of this comic:
Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 1) #21 (July 1969): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!"

Excerpts

BELOW: The Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner join forces, united in their hatred for humanity: Upon meeting the Hulk for the first time, Prince Namor tells the green behemoth: "We BOTH share a burning hatred for the human race! If we act TOGETHER, we can bring humanity to its knees!" The Hulk concurs, saying, "I hate humans, too!" Their shared hatred for humans is somewhat ironic, given he fact that Namor is half-human and the Hulk's alter-ego is fully human.

The Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner join forces, united in their hatred for humanity

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 17-18. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: hate; The Hulk (Bruce Banner); The Sub-Mariner (Namor)

BELOW: The alliance between the Hulk and Sub-Mariner is a tenuous one: Although temporarily allied against the Avengers, they are both already thinking about betraying each other.

The alliance between the Hulk and Sub-Mariner is a tenuous one

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 18, panel 3. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: betrayal; The Hulk (Bruce Banner); The Sub-Mariner (Namor)

BELOW: Thor invokes Asgard: In an utterance which seems as though it might be the equivalent of "By God" for an American, the Norse god Thor invokes his homeland, Asgard. Asgard is the mystic realm of the Norse/Teutonic pantheon of deities.

Thor invokes Asgard

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 18, panel 6. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: invocation (other); Norse/Teutonic paganism; Thor (Donald Blake)

BELOW: The Wasp: "Thank Heavens": The Wasp is not portrayed as particularly religious, but she appears to have at least some religious sensibility. When she finds herself alive rather than tramples because of a fortuitous gap in the ground, she spontaneously thinks "Thank Heavens the ground here is so uneven!" The phrase "Thank Heavens" or "Thank Heaven" is often used by religiously observant people as an intentional way to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain (one of the Ten Commandments). Is this why the Wasp uses this phrase? Possibly. But this may be more of a linguistic expression borne of a religious background or upbringing rather than a conscious, intentional expression of gratitude to the Divine.

The Wasp: Thank Heavens

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 21, panels 4-5. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: gratitude to God; Heaven; The Wasp (Janet van Dyne)

BELOW: The Hulk's irrational hatred of humanity is not shared by his Bruce Banner, his alter-ego: During a battle with the Avengers, the stress the Hulk is experiencing causes him to revert to his normal form: Bruce Banner. Banner does no hate humanity (he is, after all, completely human). He has no desire to battle the Avengers. He simply flees the scene, leaving his temporary ally the Sub-Mariner to face the super team alone. The Hulk's hatred of humanity may seem irrational, given the fact that the Hulk is actually a human, Bruce Banner. But this hatred is understandable on one level when one considers the fact that the Hulk is not really a distinct individual, but is a manifestation of Bruce Banner's negative emotions, primarily his inner rage and hatred.

The Hulk's irrational hatred of humanity is not shared by his Bruce Banner, his alter-ego

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 24, panel 5. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: hate; The Hulk (Bruce Banner)

BELOW: After the Hulk (as Bruce Banner) flees the battle against the Avengers, his ally Sub-Mariner finds yet another reason to hate humanity: Namor exclaims: "He DESERTED me... BETRAYED me! Now I realize NO human can be trusted! I despise you ALL!"

After the Hulk (as Bruce Banner) flees the battle against the Avengers, his ally Sub-Mariner finds yet another reason to hate humanity

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 25, panel 2. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: hate; betrayal; Iron Man (Tony Stark); The Sub-Mariner (Namor)

BELOW: Namor to the Avengers: "I pray we meet again!": This may not be the most sincere ever prayer uttered. It's probably not really a "prayer" at all. Namor is actually hoping for another chance to battle the Avengers and exact his revenge against humanity.

Namor to the Avengers: I pray we meet again!

Source: The Avengers (vol. 1) #3 (Jan. 1964): "The Avengers Meet... Sub-Mariner!", pg. 25, panel 7. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman. See also: pray; The Sub-Mariner (Namor)