As the Fantastic Four discover a shocking secret of the Marvel Universe, the origin of Namor‘s iconic “Imperius Rex!” battlecry has finally been explained. Marvel’s new ‘Giant-Size’ initiative is playing out over 2024, with iconic heroes getting extra-size specials that depict truly epic adventures, often adding major new twists to Marvel lore. In the case of Giant-Size Fantastic Four, even just the first three pages live up to that promise.
In a preview of Giant-Size Fantastic Four, the team track down a missing submersible. However, rather than the desperate crew, they encounter a formidable Atlantean who wastes no time in attacking. The narration reveals that this being – an ancient Atlantean king named Natlus – is the origin of Namor the Sub-Mariner’s iconic battlecry of “Imperius Rex!”
This cod Latin phrase has been Namor’s motto for decades, and is used when the king charges into battle representing his undersea nation. However, it turns out that Namor’s boast is a way of comparing himself to the legendary Natlus – a figure who just debuted in Marvel canon as an enemy of the Fantastic Four.
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Namor’s “Imperius Rex!” Battlecry References an Atlantean Ruler
The Iconic Phrase Is Finally Explained, As Its Namesake Fights the Fantastic Four
Namor has been using “Imperius Rex!” for years, ever since his fateful battle against the warlord Krang (though later stories retconned the phrase as being used far earlier.) The phrase is so inextricable from Namor that it even appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where Tenoch Huerta plays the half-Atlantean/half-human monarch. An antihero who has little love for the ‘surface world,’ Namor is the ruler of all domains under the sea, and the protector of Atlantis. He has a long history of fighting alongside the Avengers, however recently he was imprisoned after carrying out a series of executions on polluters. Namor was only partly to blame for his actions, however his personal honor meant that after assisting the Avengers in their defense of the multiverse, he surrendered himself for punishment.
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It seems that Giant-Size Fantastic Four may necessitate his freedom, as Natlus effortlessly attacks the Fantastic Four with powerful hydrokinesis. So far, it’s unclear why Natlus has returned – it may be that the submersible accidentally awoke the legendary figure, or that Namor’s imprisonment has somehow resulted in his return. However, with Atlantis lacking a ruler and still struggling to recover from various acts of destruction, the undersea nation may be willing to embrace Natlus in Namor’s stead.
Almost as powerful as the Hulk and one of Earth’s great rulers, Namor has been a friend and enemy to the Fantastic Four and a key member of the Avengers. However, it turns out even Namor gets his self-image as a conquering ruler from an even more powerful being – one who just set their sights on the Fantastic Four.
Giant-Size Fantastic Four #1 is coming from Marvel Comics February 28.
