Differences between Aquaman and Namor

Aquaman is a superhero who, although with a long history, has never received the acceptance, fanaticism, or adequate respect of the stature of characters such as Batman or Superman. But honestly, in his beginnings, he was created just to be a secondary character in the stories of DC comics. Still, throughout the years, he has earned his fanbase and solo series, where writers such as Geoff Johns or Peter David thrived.

Thanks to an excellent portrayal by Jason Momoa, who is entirely different from the comic book character, leaving the typical stereotype that he represents, the character began to gain fame and followers, starting a new era of success for the King of Atlantis.

However, fans tend to compare this character with the superhero Namor, which belongs to Marvel comics. Both characters have certain similarities, such as being part of Atlantis royalty in their respective universe. Still, it’s also worth pointing out that they have noticeable differences.

So, what we want to do here is to present the differences between the two characters, thus giving comic book fans or potential comic book fans a better understanding of both Arthur Curry and Namor.

Among the differences we have:

Year of creation:

Namor made his first appearance in 1939 in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, the first Marvel comic. The publisher at that time was Timely Comics. This character was one of the primary ones, along with heroes like Human Torch and Captain America.

For his part, Aquaman debuted in 1941, created by the hand of Moert Weisinger and the artist Paul Norri

Origin:

In the comics, Namor was created as a hybrid with the characteristics of being the son of an Atlantean and a human carrier of the X gene. This means that Namor is a mutant. However, unlike Aquaman, he grew up under his mother’s tutelage in Atlantis and felt ashamed of his impure blood.

On the other hand, Aquaman has had various origins over the years. For example, he is sometimes presented as the son of a human and a princess of Atlantis. In contrast, others have his origin from the bond of an immortal sorcerer with an Atlantean.

Physical abilities:

One of Namor’s most unusual characteristics due to his shared genetics between an ordinary human and an Atlantean is the power to fly. Both heroes are endowed with abilities related to the sea, such as super-speed underwater, super strength, the power to communicate with sea creatures, and, most obvious of all, the ability to breathe underwater.

But Namor, unlike Aquaman, was created with wings on his ankles (much like Hermes, the messenger god of Olympus) which allowed him to have the ability to fly. Aquaman lacked this ability until 2011, when DC writers wanted to present this character with the superpower of flying by the blessing received from Poseidon. Not the best idea because it drew even more comparisons to Marvel’s King of Atlantis.

But speaking of physical abilities, we can also present Aquaman’s water hand, which was granted by a marine deity after he lost his flesh and blood hand after a confrontation with a crazy Charybdis. With this hand, Aquaman could develop powers based on magic, such as opening portals in different parts of the world, reviving the dead, or even having the ability to heal others. But, at a certain point, Aquaman dies, and when he revives, he returns with his old hand, leaving that one full of magic in the past.

Heroic ideology:

It is common in comics to present heroes and anti-heroes. Namor can apply to both since his character, over time, has done missions as both a hero and an anti-hero. However, in the latest Marvel movie, Wakanda Forever, he is portrayed as a villain. Namor is known to lose his temper and take revenge for harmful acts committed against his kingdom. Therefore, he can be considered a neutral character.

While on the other hand, Aquaman has always been portrayed as a hero and considered noble and friendly to the people of Atlantis. Using his knowledge and skills to defend what he considers fair and correct.

Appearances:

The truth is that for Namor, it has been difficult for him to appear in an animated series or movie since his character is not well known. We can assure you that the very few people that know him are comic book fans. But someone not well-versed in the medium would probably have never heard of Namor were it not for the latest Blank Panther movie.

On the other hand, Arthur Curry has had several appearances and endless mentions in other series, such as the Super Friends TV show. We can look at the Justice League animated series, the Smallville show, or the recent DC movies to see the Aquaman.

Conclusion:

So, long story short, it’s challenging for me to rate these characters or decide if one is better than the other. So, I leave you to your own to choose. But, if you are like me, you will accept and support each hero, for they are ultimately unique.