Sub-Mariner #6Sub-Mariner #6
Title: “…And to the Vanquished… Death!”
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: John Buscema
Inker: Dan Adkins
Editor: Stan Lee
Tiger Shark holds
Dorma by the arm. He says that Namor is finished, and that now he
is ready to take on all comers for the throne of Atlantis. Tiger
Shark tells Dorma that now is the time to choose sides. He says
that she can “keep the faith with that pointy-earred
has-been” that he flattened, or she can side with him and
save her own skin. Dorma thinks about it for a while and then
starts leading Tiger Shark out to see. Tiger Shark 
says that he might let her live for making the
right choice. Dorma thinks to herself that the real reason that
she is leading Tiger Shark away is so that he can’t hurt
Namor when he gets out. Dorma worries what might happen if no one
comes along to help Namor, but tells herself that she must put
that out of her mind because that is the way of madness. She
thinks that she has to concentrate on leading Tiger Shark to
Atlantis and hoping that the combined might of the Realm Eternal
might be able to defeat Tiger Shark.
In Doctor Dorcas’ lab, Dorcas is waking up to see Diane Arliss putting on skin-diving gear. Diane says that she is going after her brother, and that Dorcas had better hope that she can find him before it is too late because if she can’t that Dorcas will find out that a woman can thirst for revenge also. Dorcas says that her threats do not scare him. He reminds her that he is the only one that can cure Tiger Shark. Diane thinks to herself that Dorcas is right, and that she can’t let anything happen to him because then Todd could never be cured. She drops into the water to try and see what happened to him, and to the weakened Namor. Diane starts swimming by the wreckage of Tiger Shark and Namor’s fight and she spots Namor’s hand sticking out from under the wreckage. Diane wonders if Namor is dead and Dorcas has turned her brother into a murderer. Namor senses the movement in the water currents from Diane’s movements. He thinks that she is Tiger Shark and grabs her arm. He bashes her into the wreckage and then crawls out. He starts telling Tiger Shark that they are going to battle to the end now, but then he sees Diane lying unconscious on the ground. He says that she came down to help him, and that this is how he repaid her. Namor picks Diane up to take her up to land. He sees that she is still breathing, but that she is going to need the care of a physician. Namor smashes through Dorcas’ wall. He says that Namor has the girl, but not Tiger Shark. Namor tells Dorcas that he has to attend to Diane right away. Dorcas tells Namor to forget her and that if Namor helps him catch Arliss that he will be richly rewarded. Namor lifts Dorcas off the ground by the head and says that if he wants riches he can draw them from the ocean’s floor. He says that Dorcas will attend to Diane.
Minutes later, Dorcas says that Diane just went into temporary shock, and that he can easily treat her. Namor tells him to do so while he goes to look for Todd Arliss. He warns Dorcas that if something bad happens to Diane while he is gone that there will be no place on Earth that will protect Dorcas from his vengeance. Namor takes off to find Tiger Shark. Namor thinks to himself that he will do what he can to see that Todd Arliss is cured, but that he better not have harmed Dorma.
Tiger Shark and Dorma are swimming along when a giant sea monster reaches out and snags Dorma. Dorma says that no one but Namor can save her now. Tiger Shark freaks out and says that she keeps thinking abut Namor when she should be calling out his name. He dives into the monster’s face and hits it so hard that it drops Dorma. Dorma says that Tiger Shark is as powerful as Namor just as she feared. Dorma says to Tiger Shark that he saved her even though it put him in danger. She says that some spark of humanity must remain in him. Tiger Shark tells her to dream on. He says that he just saved her so that she could lead him to Atlantis, and so she could serve as proof of his victory over Namor. Tiger Shark says that when Dorcas created him that he made a new breed of people, and that they might just be the ones who will inherit the world.
A few hours later at the Atlantean encampment, one of the soldiers reports to Vashti and Lord Seth that a white skinned warrior is attacking their nether flanks. Seth wonders if it is Namor, but decides that Namor would never menace his own people that way. The people are running from Tiger Shark when Vashti and Seth arrive. Tiger Shark stands over all the unconscious guards. He says that he hasn’t hurt any of them, but that he will do far worse to them if they don’t hand over the crown of Atlantis. Tiger Shark says that if anyone has a problem with that to tell him now. Lord Seth challenges Tiger Shark’s claim since one such as him should never hold sway in the Realm Eternal. Dorma says that Seth can’t fight him, but Seth says that even though his life is forfeit that he has to do it. Vashti says that Seth is right, and that they have to assemble the elders and the people.
Finally the people are gathered around, as Tiger Shark and Seth are about to fight for the Trident of Power. Tiger Shark says that he is sick of this stalling, and that the sooner the fight starts the sooner he gets what he wants. Vashti says that he couldn’t signal the start of the fight until they were all present. Vashti says that to the victor goes the Trident of Power. Tiger Shark asks what happens to the loser. Seth says that the loser gets death by that same trident. The battle begins and Seth charges Tiger Shark with a mace and shield even though Tiger Shark refused a weapon or a shield. Seth swings his mace at Tiger Shark, but Tiger Shark blocks with his fist and destroys the mace. Tiger Shark says that his impenetrable skin is his shield. Tiger Shark says that while he is stunned that he will show his what power is. Tiger Shark grabs Seth’s wrist and drives him to his knees. Seth says that only Namor could break such a grip. Tiger Shark is angry and asks how long he has to listen to the name of that “simpering weakling”. Tiger Shark says that he has Namor’s power, and now he is taking his place. Tiger Shark grabs the Trident of Power and says that this should shut Seth up. As Tiger Shark is about to strike a voice calls out to tell Tiger Shark to stay his hand. Tiger Shark asks who dares to give him orders. The Council of Elders says that it has always been their responsibility to decide who lives and dies, and that they say that Lord Seth must be spared. Vashti says that Tiger Shark should heed the council’s decision if he wants anyone to recognize his victory. Tiger Shark says that is fine, but that from now on he is Warlord of Atlantis. Seth says that Tiger Shark has to kill him because he cannot bear this defeat. Tiger Shark starts celebrating his win when Seth admits defeat. Dorma goes to Seth, but Seth tells her to leave him in his spare.
Namor is swimming as fast as he can. Namor says that he would spare his people the ravages of Tiger Shark. Namor says that it is odd to think of them that way after they banished him so that he would not lead them into battle against the surface dwellers. Namor says that perhaps being a despised outcast is his destiny. Suddenly Namor realizes that he had forgotten all about Destiny, but that it keeps coming back to haunt him until the day when they meet again.
Destiny makes sure
that no one sees him as he sneaks down an alley. He opens the
door to his hideout. Destiny says that now he can discard his
outer trappings and once more be the man that he was born to be. 
Destiny says that he has hidden there for
weeks, but that now he has finally acquired the final piece that
he needs to locate the one man that he has pledged to destroy.
Namor’s image starts to form on Destiny’s mento-screen.
Destiny says that Namor is not heading towards America as he
thought but deep into the Atlantic. Destiny says that for now he
doesn’t need to worry about Namor, but that for now he can
concentrate fully on his plans that shall soon place the entire
nation within his grasp.
Namor passes the point where he encountered Attuma and says that they couldn’t have gotten very far since then. He soon spots a crew of Atlantean workmen. The workmen spot Namor coming and wonder if he knows of their “bitter travail”, or if he has come for vengeance. Namor talks to them and they tell him what has happened, and that Tiger Shark has ordered that they build the new Atlantis right there. One worker says that the surface men’s ships travel overhead, and that they couldn’t go long without being discovered. He says that they will not be able to live in the peace that they desire. Namor says that they will have their peace, and that Tiger Shark will soon be a bitter memory.
In the makeshift throne room, Tiger Shark kicks one of his subjects to the ground. Tiger Shark says that no one disturbs him while he is eating. Namor enters the room and says that “perhaps he had best cease his wanton gluttony…” Tiger Shark says that he left Namor buried under a ton of wreckage. Namor says that will never stop him while Tiger Shark walks the ocean floor. Namor tells Tiger Shark to look upon the face of regal retribution. Tiger Shark laughs says that Namor is washed up. He says that he did something that even the Hulk couldn’t do. Namor says that words cannot save him now and calls Tiger Shark a coward. Tiger Shark says that nobody calls him a coward. Vashti and some others watch as Namor is hurtled from the throne room. One says that it is Prince Namor. Tiger Shark holds the trident and says that they still think of his as their “great white father”. Tiger Shark says that he defeated Namor before, and that this time he is going to finish the job. Namor says that the last time he fought that he was just a shadow of himself. He says that Tiger Shark isn’t going to get any easy wins this time.
One of the women tells Dorma that Prince Namor has returned. Dorma says that she knew that Namor would return to her, and that she must go to him at once. The woman tells Dorma that she must for more reasons than she knows. She says that Namor is fighting Tiger Shark in a battle to the death.
Tiger Shark says that he hears that this trident was given to Atlantis by Neptune himself. He figures that means that it will pierce even his hide. Namor says that is true enough, but that he must be fast enough to hit him. Namor dodges Shark’s lunge. Namor says that while Tiger Shark might have his strength that he will never be his equal in hand to hand combat. Tiger Shark says, “So you say, Fish-Face. Namor replies, “Correction surface man! So speak the Sub-Mariner!” Namor punches Tiger Shark. Dorma says that Namor knocked Tiger Shark down, but that he gets back up again. Dorma wonders if Tiger Shark is too powerful for Namor to vanquish. Vashti says that even if Namor prevails that there waits “the most dangerous pitfall of all”. Tiger Shark starts hurling rocks at Namor, but Namor stands his ground and then decks Tiger Shark. The two of them battle back and forth until eventually Namor stands over Tiger Shark holding the trident. The Council of Elders chants for Namor to kill Tiger Shark the way that Tiger Shark would have killed Seth. Tiger Shark tells Namor to go ahead and do it if he wants his throne back. Namor says that the throne comes with a price that anyone who would sit upon the throne must pay. Namor misses on purpose and stabs the trident into the ground by Tiger Shark. Namor says that to him there is no prize that is worth the cost of a single human life. Vashti says that Namor’s words are wiser than he knows. He says that the Council’s vote was just a test to see if he had learned to value mercy over power. Vashti says that the throne is Namor’s again if he wants it. Namor says that he does.
Later Tiger Shark is seen shouting at the walls of his prison. He says that Namor thinks that he has won, but that he is wrong. Tiger Shark says that as long as he lives he won’t rest until he is the ruler of the deep.
Namor stands with his crown and trident. He says that he has regained the throne, but that his people have no homeland to call their own. Namor says that they must have one before he can go after the man called Destiny.
Prince of the Realm rating: 8 out of 10
A cool story and some cool art. My only real critique of the book falls along the lines of many of the older comics. I wish that there were more attention to how the colors line up with the actual art that appears in the book. Many of Buscema’s great panels are ruined by the double exposure effect. As I’ve said before, the dark reflection villain is almost always my favorite and Tiger Shark does what all good dark reflection villains do… they lose. They lose because their villainy makes them less than their heroic counterparts.