Comic Vine News

106 Comments

Battle of the Week RESULTS: Aquaman and Mera vs. Namor and Invisible Woman

The couple from DC or the two powerhouses from Marvel? The votes are in and one team has taken a clear victory!

Unfortunately, Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, will soon end his time as our latest Character of the Month. Before he steps out of the spotlight, he had one last fight to finish. In the previous editions of the Battle of the Week, he took down She-Hulk and Iron Man, but he was unable to overcome Red Hulk. Would he face one more loss before leaving the segment or will he proudly take another victory? This time, Arthur wasn't fighting solo. When faced with Namor and Invisible Woman, Mera joined his side to help him battle the duo from Marvel. So, who wins? According to the voters, Aquaman and Mera take the victory!

Image created by the Comic Viner vinomonster
Image created by the Comic Viner vinomonster

Aquaman vs. Namor could have people arguing for quite some time, but no matter which side of the argument you're on, odds are you're okay with believing it wouldn't be a brawl that ends quickly. So, as those two slug it out, the debate was focused on Mera and Invisible Woman. Both of them have powers they can use in game changing ways, but which one is more effective? What about more versatile? And who would be willing to unleash sooner? There was an extensive debate about this (over 400 posts!) and, even though Sue is a powerhouse, the majority believes the location (Battery Park in New York) benefits Mera and the fact she'd be more willing to let loose made more people support her. While Sue has great potential with her abilities, her morals means she isn't likely to go all-out, and the voters think Mera is likely to eventually dehydrate Sue. Taking place near the ocean gave a majority of the voters even more confidence in her abilities.

Aquaman and Mera held onto the lead and the poll closed with them with receiving 58% of the votes. Only 38% of voters thought Namor and Invisible Woman had what it takes to earn the win. Meanwhile, just 3% thought this one was too close to call. As said above, there was a lot of debating going on in the original article, so let's take some time to see exactly what a few Comic Viners had to say about the match.

No Caption Provided

jwrose5

It would be very interesting to start; Arthur and Namor batting each other around and Namor shouting "Imperius Rex!" while force fields and water constructs are thrown around by Sue and Mera.

But I don't think this is a fight that Sue is desperate to win. Her daughter isn't on the line. She won't be brain popping anyone, and this fight will most likely end up in water. Sue won't be a huge factor there, at least not for long, and it would turn into a two on one battle.

Gotta give this one to Aquaman and Mera.

GHoST2130

This is very interesting, Namor vs new 52 Aquaman would have been an argument for the ages adding the women makes it so much harder to call, but I will try anyway. I give my victory to Namor and the Invisible Woman, not by much but they do win. Arguing Namor vs Aquaman is a never ending battle. Aquaman is a better fighter, not by much but it is a noticeable difference. While Namor is physically stronger, once again not by much but it is noticeable, and he can fly. In actuality, the difference makers in this fight are Mera and Invisible Woman, and the Invisible Woman is just more powerful.

The Invisible Woman was stated to have been able to hold a city from the armies of annihilus when Johnny returned from the negative zone, during this same event she was also able to instantly cover the Baxter building in a force field and simultaneously destroy two space fighters. Sue's force field powers have essentially evolved into green lanterns powers, using them more often in the shape of powerful constructs as well as using then to move objects rather than to simply to protect herself, which she still can do shown when she blocks a bolt from fake Thor instantly. While Mera is powerful, she does not have the same level of feats that Sue has. Now don't get me wrong, Sue will not be popping heads, its not in her nature to just jump to that even though she has the capability. However, the same can be said for Mera. She has only been shown to pull water from a living creature once and that was for torture, and it was not a fast process, and while I think the speed was due to the nature as torture, I do not think that Mera can instantly pull all the water from a living creature, it takes time and concentration, and the idea that she can do that to Namor or Sue before either of them can break her concentration is giving her too much credit and them not enough.

The standard uses of Mera's powers are constructs and blasts on a fairly small scale, shes not a green lantern and in new 52 has not shown the capability to create constructs to that scale, while she has shown the ability to create whirlpools that's underwater. As stated above, I think this is very close fight, but Namor and Sue take this, the power difference is just too great.

No Caption Provided

bejaranoezski

Sue is a game changer. I can think of any number of ways she can tilt the way this fight Is going. Force bubble to deprive a foe of water or air. Force bubble to contain the trident. A large force bubble around one or both opponents that is quickly compressed, any air or water that is inside is compressed and super heated to near plasma levels in no time flat. Make the trident invisible. Etc, she is very smart and VERY powerful, not to mention she is very familiar as to how her partner fights as well.

Hawkguy

Arthur and Mera.

80% of the fights will go with Arthur and Mera splitting up and taking the enemy of the same gender. Everyone seems to be underestimating Mera's ability to manipulate water. Even if Sue goes invisible Mera could EASILY control her with the 65% of water content in her body. Not only that but Mera's morals aren't as strict as Sue's, she'd do it without hesitation. That means flooding Sue's brain, causing any internal organ to explode or outright draining her entire body dry in a matter of seconds.

Now Aquaman vs. Namor is a closer fight but Namor's feats have decreased recently, he was even defeated by T'Challa in the current New Avengers run. I don't see Namor's flight coming into play at all since Arthur wouldn't be so easily removed from the battlefield, especially considering that Mera would have his back like no tomorrow once she has dealt with Sue.

In terms of speed and strength both males seem equals, Arthur's biggest advantage will be, as I mentioned earlier, having Mera by his side very soon after the fight has started. Reason being, if Namor's biological aspects are Atlantean then he's just as susceptible to Mera's abilities as the Atlanteans in the Aquaman comic, and Mera had killed 3 of them by controlling water she was able to access through a crack in a wall (Aquaman #25) let alone having access to a river or small pond.

Arthur's trident is just icing on top.

No Caption Provided

Owie

The fight starts 50' apart. Sue goes invisible, makes Namor invisible, and puts a forcefield around Arthur's trident, forcing him to drop it. Namor goes off and beats on Arthur. Regardless of who's stronger or more durable (and Namor did survive a sword in the heart, followed by Black Bolt yelling at him, followed by falling to a planet's surface from orbit, all of which just knocked him out briefly), an invisible Namor with his own trident beats Aquaman without his trident.

Meanwhile, in character, Sue puts a forcefield around herself flies in the air, and shoots a series of force balls at Mera. This doesn't knock Mera out, she's too durable. Mera meanwhile is trying to figure out where Sue is and calls on the nearby water to make hard-water objects, trying to shotgun them all around and see if she can find Sue by haphazard distribution. This may or may not work. Sue, meanwhile, realizing her forceballs aren't doing anything, puts a forcefield around Mera and imprisons her, as she effortlessly did to numerous powerful heroes in the last Avengers when she couldn't even see them. If Namor hasn't already taken down Aquaman, she puts him in a forcefield too.

Mera may now try to dehydrate Sue. But not only does she probably not know where she is, Sue's forcefield will quite possibly block that power from taking effect. Regardless, it seems to take a while to dehydrate someone, and in that time Sue can easily send both Mera and Arthur away, winning through either incapacitation or BFR. Or, if desired, by cutting off the air supply through the field and winning through KO.

MadeinBangladesh

I DON'T KNOW MAN!!! TOOOO DAMNNNNNNNNNNNN CLOSEEEEE TO CALL!!!!!!!!!!!

No Caption Provided

Well, it looks like Aquaman is ending his run with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. Not bad, Arthur! Our next Character of the Month will be Green Lantern (John Stewart), so feel free to make battle suggestions for him in the comments below or via Twitter.