Random Happenstance

I have vague memories of disappointing and/or pissing off a high school friend, for not trying out for a school play; but they were doing a musical and that was well outside of my comfort zone. I did go see the play, though...and have absolutely no recollection of it, except the lead song had a chorus to the effect of, "DES-TINEEEE, AAAA-OOO-AA." It haunts me. At least Destiny no longer haunts the Sub-Mariner, not after this issue! From 1980, Tales to Astonish #7, reprinting 1968's Sub-Mariner #7, "For President--the Man Called Destiny!" Written by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Dan Adkins. TtA #7also has a striking photo-montage cover, updated from the original.

Demagogue Paul Destine is on the campaign trail, proclaiming to anyone "new left" or "far right," doesn't matter: if you're not on his side, you're a traitor. That may just be the Sub-Mariner's nightmare, since he had a bone to pick with Destine and didn't want to see him "ruler of my father's nation." Putting that aside, Namor checks in on his prisoner, Tiger Shark: Namor has to tell Tiger Shark's sister Diane that he's still alive, if cranky and insane. Lady Dorma opts to go with him, to check out this other girl; taking her air-breather pill for an hour of surface time. While a senior cop, who remembers Namor tearing up the city in the 40's, tries to stop him; Namor flies off since he won't rampage with Dorma there. But he's surprised to find Destine's campaign ads everywhere, a nightmare come true!

After Destine makes another of his hate-filled "us-or-them" speeches, a reporter wonders how a politician who seems to "hold his audience in contempt!" could be pulling in so many followers. It's easy, when you have the Helmet of Power! Which Destine does, and he doesn't even have to wear it all the time, just have it near him, in order to bend the people's will to his own. And his televised speech that evening should add to that number. Speaking with Diane, Namor notices the way her eyes glaze over as she parrots support for Destine, and realizes his plan. Rushing to the television studio, Namor smashes in, but Destine doesn't wait for Namor to attack, he takes it to him. Out of water for too long, Namor is starting to weaken; but at least he can breathe: Lady Dorma rushes to the scene as well, her skin already starting to revert to its normal blue.

And just as quickly, the fight is over; but not with Namor's usual find-water-somewhere-and-turn-the-tide. Nor were pages necessarily missing out of the fight: per the GCD pages 11 and 14 were cut for the reprint. Destine throws the beaten Namor off of a building, to his death; then discards the Helmet of Power as unnecessary. The real power was inside him, right? Um, no, not so much: attempting to levitate to his loving masses, Destine falls to his death. While he's really dead, Namor was not: his death scene was a delusion of Destine's when he was unable to beat him. Cheat!

The Helmet of Power would be retconned years later: it was really the Serpent Crown! If I recall my Marvel Saga correctly, Destine was the one that beat amnesia into Namor, leaving him to spend an indeterminate number of years as a homeless bum.