Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #32

Mar 8

Mar 8 Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #32

Abyss

Washed overboard while out sailing in the Pacific, the Invisible Woman sinks to the bottom of the ocean. The following day a rescue-chopper finds her boat 1000 miles off the coast of Hawaii. Onboard at the Human Torch and Mister Fantastic. Johnny dives into the water but finds no trace of his sister. Fearing the worst, he hopes that Sue was able to create an invisible force field with enough air to help her survive in the depths of the ocean. Reed is wracked with guilt as his work kept him from being out sailing with his wife. The coast guard has less than optimistic news, the storm that passed through the region was incredibly powerful, and Sue was caught in the middle of it.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep below the ocean's surface, Sue recounts how she was washed overboard in the storm and suddenly realizes that she is still alive and can somehow breathe underwater. Realizing that the necklace that Namor gave her earlier has now become visible she now realizes that this gift also allows her to breathe underwater. Realizing that she owes Namor her life, Sue strips down to her bathing suit and begins swimming in the hopes of finding rescue. While the Fantastic Four recover Sue's sailing boat, the coast guard informs them that they are calling off the search for her. Johnny decides to continue searching on his own, using his abilities to view traces of heat in the water and is able to determine the path the storm took.

At that moment down below, Sue has given up swimming because the distances are just too far for her and she is exhausted. She is surprised when she is suddenly found by the Sub-Mariner. However, their happy reunion is cut short when Namor is shot in the back with a harpoon fired by a group of Atlantean soldiers. Confused as to why these warriors are attacking their king, Sue fights them off and swims away with Namor. She eventually comes across a sunken vessel and heads toward it to seek shelter. While above the water's surface, the Fantastic Four track the trail of the storm in the Pogo Plane in the hopes of finding Sue. While Reed is certain that his wife is most likely dead, both Johnny and Ben tell him to have a little faith. While down below, Sue informs Namor of the deception the Fantastic Four took to keep Doom's generals in line, including the phony wedding to Doctor Doom. Finding cover, Sue bind's Namor's wounds. Soon they are found by the warriors chasing them as well as their leader, Queen Dorma the ruler of Atlantis on Counter-Earth.

Sue fights off Dorma and her minions but when Namor spots Dorma he is shocked to see her, as the Dorma of his world -- his late wife -- has been dead for years. Namor is still weak from his earlier injury and Sue comes to his rescue. However, as Sue fights Dorma, she leaves herself open to Dorma's minions and is subdued. Before Dorma can execute the Invisible Woman, Namor finds the strength to fight back. Soon they are joined by the Fantastic Four who have arrived in a bathysphere. While Reed and the others subdue Dorma's warriors, Namor bests her in combat. He is about to execute Dorma with his own sword when his hand is staid by the Invisible Woman who convinces him that there is a better way. Namor agrees to turn Dorma over to the Fantastic Four to face justice on the surface world. After bidding the Sub-Mariner farewell, Reed asks Sue if she still has feelings for the Sub-Mariner. When considering if they have second thoughts about their marriage, they decide they still love each other very much and that they will remain together as partners, and as members of a team and a family with the Fantastic Four.

Continuity Notes

This story ties up the loose ends of the Counter-Earth Saga. Some facts about the references made in this story: Doctor Doom and his Generals came to Earth from Counter-Earth to conquer the planet in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #25 leading to a forced union between the Fantastic Four and Doom to stop the Dreaming Celestial from merging both worlds together. This resulted in Reed Richards becoming trapped in Doctor Doom's armor. Posing as Doctor Doom in the following issue, Reed kept the Generals in line. He and Sue held a mock wedding in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #27, this is when Namor gave Sue the necklace that she uses to breathe in this story. Eventually, Reed was freed from Doom's armor in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #31 and most of the Generals were banished to Counter-Earth in Fantastic Four Annual 2000.

Namor is shocked to see Dorma... On Earth-616, Lady Dorma was Namor's long time lover and the pair got married in Sub-Mariner #36, Dorma was later murdered by Namor's foe Llyra in Sub-Mariner #37. This version of Dorma is from Franklin Richard's Counter-Earth, first created to be Namor's love interest on that world as first seen in Fantastic Four Vol 2 #2. Her personality was altered into a brutal warrior by the Dreaming Celestial as seen in Heroes Reborn Doomsday #1.