Issue(s): Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #1
Cover Date: Mar 75
Title: "Encounter at land's end! / Pt.1: Sub-Mariner rising!" / "Pt.2: In the darkness dwells... Doom!" / "Interlude" / "Pt.3: This man... this demon!" / "Pt.4"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
John Buscema - Penciler
Joe Sinnott - Inker

Review/plot:
I'm pretty sure this book holds the award for most hyphens in a title.

This book is essentially a reprint book, printing Sub-Mariner #20 and the Doom story from Marvel Super-Heroes #20 with an extended framing sequence by Thomas/Buscema/Sinnott.

The framing sequence shows the Sub-Mariner rescuing Dr. Doom after a fall from outer space.

Namor proposes an alliance with Doom. Doom considers the last time he encountered Namor, leading to the reprint of Sub-Mariner #20.

He then thinks to an alliance he once had with another super-villain, Diablo, and Marvel Super Heroes #20 is reprinted. He recalls that the alliance was 'not one of my finest hours'.

In the end Doom correctly states that if Namor and Doom became allies, one would inevitably betray the other. Namor doesn't like that answer, and the two briefly fight...

...and then Doom leaves (i dare not say that he flees!)...

...but Namor swears that they will one day be allies.

In the afterword by Roy Thomas, he makes it clear that this series is meant to be a Doom/Namor title. The title is somewhat misleading to me, since it seems to promise various team-ups (a la Marvel Team-Up) as opposed to a static lead cast. I also question Namor's qualifications as a super-villain at this point, having starred as the hero of his own book for over five years.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - setting up the Doom/Sub-Mariner alliance that will form the basis of the Super-Villain Team-Up series.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Despite the publication date, this takes place in between Dr. Doom's appearances in Fantastic Four #144 and Fantastic Four #155. Occurs "soon after" the events of Sub-Mariner #69. I am interpreting "soon after" a little broadly, because of some complexity around some Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One issues, but the important point is that it occurs after Sub-Mariner #69 (i have it after #71). Proximity to FF #144 is the more important thing, because we can't have Doom floating in the ocean for too long.

References:

• Dr. Doom appeared in Fantastic Four #155 to fight the Silver Surfer, but he had last been seen fighting Darkoth in outer space in Fantastic Four #144.
  
• This issue reprints Sub-Mariner #20 and Marvel Super-Heroes #20.
  
• The Sub-Mariner and Dr. Doom first Teamed-Up in Fantastic Four 6.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Before this title got published, FOOM#9 stated that Tony Isabella was the writer, and that he intended to use the Piranha, Jason "Voice of Doom" Craig from 1960s Ant-Man, and have a Ghost Rider/Son of Satan teamup against Dr. Doom & Sub-Mariner.

Before FOOM#9, the otherwise DC-oriented Legion Outpost#7(spring 1974) contained a news item stating that this book was to be called "League of Super-Villains" and would also have stories featuring the Living Laser, Grim Reaper, and Man-Ape.

Maybe somebody at Marvel suddenly realized that the name "League of Super-Villains" was too close to DC's already-trademarked "Legion of Super-Villains" and so they changed the title at the last minute. A news item about it in Legion Outpost #7 would have brought the similarity to the attention of anyone at DC who was familiar with the LSV. This would also help to explain why they went to press with such a cumbersome triple-hyphenated title as G.S.-S.V.-T.U. It was probably a hasty, and therefore ill-considered, last minute change.