We made it people! The 100th Imperius Rex and Namor doesn’t even say it. Haha. This post will be different since I want to talk about the Sub-Mariner’s famous catchphrase. So Subby fans let’s dive right in:
Rules of the Imperius Rex:
1.) It is to be shouted before entering a battle. This goes for any Atlantean and not just Namor.
2.) It can be said during emotional times when there is no fight to vent frustration as a curse or to wish a loved one well. Also during times of atlantean ceremony.
3.) If Namor ever whispers it or says it softly then run very far and very fast. Seriously he only says it quietly when he is extremely pissed off so be careful.
4.) After battle it is a time for savoring your victory and no time for Imperius Rex.
5.) Imperius Rex is a state of being, you either have it or you dont.
Namor’s Catchphrase:
Namor was created by Bill Everett in April 1939 and is among comic’s first Superheroes and is the first Anti-Hero. In the Golden Age he did not say “Imperius Rex!” but was more often found to say “Suffering Shad!”
This catchphrase did not age well and when Namor was reintroduced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four (1961) #4 he needed to get with the Silver Age. Continuing with Bill Everett’s Roman style for the Sub-Mariner they gave Namor the iconic Imperius Rex!
Yet the first time that we see the now famous catchphrase it was not said but written out in very small letters in Tales to Astonish (1959) #70 published (1965):
In fact the very first time that the words Imperius Rex were said it was not by Namor but by Lord Vashti in Tales to Astonish (1959) #77 published (1966)
Namor says it for the first time in the following panels of the same comic page:
Then also the Lady Dorma as she wishes Namor well on his journey:
The first time Namor says Imperius Rex in the pages of Fantastic Four (1961) is in issue #102 published (1970) so nine years after he entered the Silver Age:
What does Imperius Rex mean?
Imperious Rex are both latin words and Namor’s creation was rooted in the Roman empire. In fact Namor is Roman backwards. It was Bill Everett, the Submariner’s creator, who chose to depict Namor and his people as underwater people with the style of a Roman Empire.
Imperius is not the correct spelling. However it is speeled this way for most of time, the O was added and then it was dropped again, sometimes writers wrote it as Imperius and other times as Imperious.
The definition of Imperious is: befitting or characteristic of one of eminent rank or attainments;
marked by arrogant assurance; commanding; domineering.
Also this word is close to Imperium which is defined as: the right to command the force of the state in order to enforce the law; a nation having or exerting supreme power; superpower; sovereignty; empire.
Rex is latin for King.
So when Namor and his people say Imperius Rex they are basically uttering a war cry of ‘For the Empire and King’.
If we were to take this one step further in a fan letter reply it was explained why Namor was called a prince for so many years and not a king:
So taking the fact that Namor was Prince ruling under their King Neptune the phrase Imperius Rex could be translated as “For the Empire and for God” Since Neptune is the Atlantean deity.
Namor needed a catchphrase sometime on parr of the Thing’s “It’s Clobbering Tme!” also like the well known “Avengers Assemble!” what better way to express his charcter than through Imperius Rex? Anyway you define it the word has long been a part of the Sub-Mariner’s journey through the pages of comics.
This wraps up my post on Namor the Sub-Mariner’s Imperius Rex and I hope you all enjoyed it! I have created a sideblog where you can see all the Imperius Rex posts @imperiuswrecked
