Issue(s): Marvel Comics Presents #155, Marvel Comics Presents #156, Marvel Comics Presents #157, Marvel Comics Presents #158 (Namorita story only)
Cover Date: May-Jul 94
Title: New Warriors Solo: "Matrix syndrome" / "Baby talk" / "Mother may I?" / "Reversal of fortune"
Credits:
Ed Lazellari - Writer
Ed Lazellari - Penciler
Joe Rosas - Inker
Michael Kraiger - Assistant Editor
Richard Ashford - Editor

Review/plot:
A couple notes about the title of this story. First, Namorita is going by the name Kymaera at this point and that's how the story is labelled, but since she's much better known by the name Namorita, that's how i've labelled the entry. Second, in issue #155, the story arc is labelled as "Matrix Syndrome" part 1 of 4, with no subtitle. But for the remaining three parts, the arc is labelled as "New Warriors Solo". So i'm treating "Matrix Syndrome" as the subtitle for part 1.

"New Warriors Solo" sounds like a placeholder name for an ongoing feature where the various New Warriors characters would eventually all get arcs. Following this arc, there will be another New Warriors feature, and it does only feature three of the New Warriors (Speedball, Rage, and Turbo), and then there will be a Turbo story. So it does seem like "New Warriors Solo" (or semi-solo) was a deliberate ongoing feature. But it ends after those. Which makes sense since three other New Warriors already had solo books at that point (minis or ongoings).

Namorita is four hours late to a lunch meeting with Misty Knight at Oracle, but as she's flying there, she's attacked by a helicopter.

Despite losing her temper, Namorita manages to prevent the helicopter - which turns out to be automated and unoccupied - from crashing into people below. As she's explaining the situation to the police, she's again attacked, this time by someone in a mech suit.

In fact, it turns out there are several people in mech suits and she's defeated and captured. She's brought to a Mother Matrix.

Namorita is being held in a vat of "Hydro-P" which is a type of "anti-water" invented by "the government" after "the Atlantean invasion" (Namor's first Silver Age attack on New York? Atlantis Attacks?).

Mother Matrix wants Namorita for her womb, to make super-babies.

Namorita manages to escape and re-hydrate herself using the sprinkler system in Mother Matrix's headquarters, which turns out to be a submarine. She fights another mech-suit, but the tides change (ha ha) when she floods the submarine. But Mother Matrix escapes.

Ed Lazellari repeatedly shows Namorita losing her temper or overly enjoying the violence she's engaged in, which is an element of the Kymaera persona that is more emphasized here than what i've seen in the New Warriors book. Lazellari also sets up the possibility that Mother Matrix has the ability to restore Kymaera to her Namorita form, making her a potential repeat villain. But Mother Matrix won't appear again.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Namorita becomes blue and starts using the name Kymaera. Namorita wonders if Misty Knight will recognize her, so this is the first time they meet while Namorita is blue. The MCP place this between New Warriors #46-47 and before Namor #49.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A