Issue(s): Sub-Mariner #57
Published Date: Jan 73
Title: "...In the lap of the gods!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Bill Everett - Penciler
Bill Everett - Inker

Review/plot:
Namor rescues Victoria Starr from a storm at sea. Starr is a Professor of Humanities. Namorita is studying under her while living with Betty Dean, now Betty Prentiss, an old lady who disapproves of many things in the modern world, including the idea of a female professor and the fact that she has been leading her students into anti-Vietnam protests.

Starr is, of course, Venus...

...and Ares also does not like that she is leading anti-war protests (plus he's in love with her)...

...so Venus enlists Namor to help fight him. By keeping the battle under the sea, Namor is able to prevail against Ares.

Everett drew Venus' series for a while in the Golden Age, so it's nice to see him have a chance to revisit her. The story is largely corny, but there are interesting bits touching on the Vietnam war, and especially Namorita's dismissal of democracy.

While Namorita's skepticism of the concept is partially based on how she sees it abused in America, it's mainly because she has grown up accepting the concept of monarchy, and indeed her idol and cousin Namor is a monarch, so she has no special attachment to democracy. This idea had a lot of potential, but of course this isn't meant to be a primarily political comic.

There's nothing here to support or contradict the idea that the Venus appearing in these stories is actually a Siren and not the Roman goddess (as revealed much later in the Agents of Atlas series). Ares clearly believes she's the real deal but that doesn't really mean anything.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Venus in modern era

Chronological Placement Considerations: Sub-Mariner comics are compressed a bit due to his Defenders appearances.

References:

• Namor compares his rescue of Victoria Starr with his rescue of Namorita in Sub-Mariner #50
  
• In Sub-Mariner #55, Namorita gave Namor an earring, which it is now revealed serves as a communicator.
  
• Venus was "once the star of her own Marvel mag - one whose timeless tales was reprinted in Marvel Spotlight #2, remember? - Roy".

Cross-over: N/A

Continuity Implant? N

Reprinted In: N/A

interesting on the monarchy/democracy debate. i didnt think marvel ever said anything against democracy.
Its a story i always wanted to see in the black panther, eg the people of wakanda pushing for democratic reforms and possibly seeing a hero go against the idea of democracy. heady stuff. wishful thinking, tho.