Namor’s portrayal inMarvel Rivalsis familiar to fans of the comics, as he uses the power of the ocean to attack his opponents on the field. Of course, he is wielding his trusty trident and speeds through the map with the help of the wings on his ankles. Recently, the King of the Seas received a newMarvel Rivalsskin that explores his alliance with the X-Men.
TheMarvel Rivalsskinis aptly called Namor’s Retro X-Uniform, which has the classic yellow and blue palette of the uniform with additional fin-like elements to match his aquatic origins. This is an interesting choice because not only does it look different from his X-Men costume in the comics, it also recognizes the often-overlooked fact that he’s Marvel’s first mutant.
Marvel Rivals Paying Homage to Namor’s Mutant Identity is Much-Needed
Namor debuted inMarvel Comics #1in 1939, where he was initially called “The Submariner.” He’s considered one of the first Marvel heroes, as well as the first mutant, because he’s a half-Atlantean and half-human being with the X gene. While this seems to be common knowledge for hardcore Marvel fans since he has allied himself with the X-Men in the past, Namor’s mutant identity is often downplayed because he’s mostly staying in Atlantis (or Talokan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and his allegiance will always be to his people. What’s great is thatBlack Panther: Wakanda Forevermade it canon in theMCU that Namor is a mutant, making this information more widespread, even to casual fans.
Now,Marvel Rivalsis joining the fray with the introduction ofNamor’s Retro X-Uniform skin, which is a unique design for the hero shooter. As mentioned, the costume is different from Namor’s X-Men costume in the comics, which shows him in a dark chest-baring suit with the signature X belt. The vibrant blue and yellow suits are usually associated with characters like Wolverine and Cyclops, so the fact that Namor got the same design forMarvel Rivalsreally hammers down the fact that he’s a mutant that people should pay attention to, especially if the game adds more lore entries that play up this important part of his identity. It already recognizes in Namor’s bio that he sought the aid of his mutant allies living in the future of Krakoa to gain a new territory, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more mutant-related stories.
In the comics, Namor found out about his mutant status through Charles Xavier in the 1950s, where they worked together to find more of their kind around the country. He would later become a known antihero who faced many X-Men characters, even allying himself with Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants at one point. Namor shows up in many major battles in Marvel Comics, such as Civil War and the rivalry between the Avengers and X-Men. But when he’s not working with other Marvel heroes and villains,Namor spends most of his time ruling Atlantisand watching over his people.
Namor is also considered an Alpha-level mutant, meaning that he’s a powerful being in the same class as Professor X, Phoenix, and Storm. Canonically, Namor has superhuman strength and speed, aquatic healing and telepathy, and the ability to adapt to underwater conditions, among many other powers. He’s also skilled at close combat, making him a deadly opponent on the field. It’s no surprise thatMarvel Rivalsclassified Namor as a Duelistbecause of his fighting prowess.
With Namor potentially getting more lore entries that hopefully involve the X-Men, it’s also high time forMarvel Rivalsto add more mutants to the roster. There are already rumors thatMarvel Rivalsmight be launching Jubileein a future update, but the X-Men as a whole is a diverse faction of talented individuals that’s definitely worth exploring in the game.
