Is Marvel’s Namor an Atlantean or a mutant? Marvel’s King of the Seven Seas sits on the throne of Atlantis but has long been characterized as one of the universe’s first mutants, making the situation rather confusing.
Born to a human sea captain and a princess of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, Namor is a definitely human-Atlantean hybrid. Due to his maternal roots, Namor can breathe underwater, can mimic sea life, use sonar, and has superhuman strength. His ability to breathe on water and land, as well as his pink skin differentiates him from his blue-skinned Atlantean brethren who only breathe water. Still, those surface-dwelling traits can be attributed to his father. The one feature that makes Namor completely unique are the wings on his ankles that allow him to soar through the air. But while this makes him different, it does not necessarily indicate that he is a mutant.
Namor has a very long with Marvel’s X-Men. As early as X-Men Vol 1. #6, Professor Xavier and Magneto both suspect Namor has mutant origins and both attempt to recruit him for the Brotherhood and the X-Men. After a brief stint with the Brotherhood, Namor rejects Magneto’s ways and returns home. In later years, mostly due to relationship and subsequent pact with Emma Frost to protect mutant-kind, Namor would join the X-Men, serving as a member of their heavy-hitting Extinction Team which was intended to battle global threats.
Before ending his tenure with the X-Men, Namor even became a host of the Phoenix Force; while not an honor exclusively reserved for mutants, the Phoenix tends to favor mutant hosts over others. He even joined Jean Grey and her team of mutants and allowed them to make use of his Atlantean resources for a base. Despite his history with the X-Men, Professor Xavier recently approached Namor to join the mutant nation of Krakoa, an offer that Namor unequivocally rejected.
So, is Namor a mutant or an Atlantean? The answer is that he is both. There is no denying the Atlantean genetics from his mother, but even though his hybrid origins are confusing, his abilities are beyond those of humans and Atlanteans. If Professor Xavier, who literally possesses mutant-finding machine Cerebro, suspects you are a mutant, then you are most likely a mutant. Additionally, Namor’s willingness to fight alongside the X-Men, despite his undying allegiance to his Atlantean subjects, indicates that he himself is aware that he has some obligation to mutant-kind.
With Namor and Atlantis rumored to appear in MCU Phase 4 along with the X-Men, the question that truly remains is: will the MCU portray Namor as a mutant?
Next: Namor To Be Replaced as King of Atlantis By Wave Queen
