Warning: minor spoilers ahead for King in Black: Namor #5!
King in Black: Namor #5 has revealed the war for the fate of Atlantis. The final battle against the Black Tide is about to begin.
King in Black has been an ongoing Marvel comic event with numerous tie-ins. King in Black: Namor has told the story of an ancient artifact and the effect of a darkness on Atlantis' own superhero team - the Swift Tide. A threat is coming to the oceans that young Namor s alongside the heroes to face. During their quest, the Swift Tide is corrupted by evil and proceeds to attack the ocean's inhabitants. Issue #4 saw the twisted heroes ready to destroy Atlantis itself.
Written by Kurt Busiek with art by Benjamin Dewey, King in Black: Namor #5 will reveal the fate of Atlantis and its former heroes. The latest preview from Marvel reveals some of the carnage that the kingdom will face as it fights its own defenders - potentially to the death. An ally of Namor and his royal companions has been able to retrieve the Unforgotten Stone, which may be beneficial to stopping their foes from completely destroying Atlantis. Nonetheless, the price for saving it will be high, and a future price may yet have to be paid by Namor. Check out the preview here:
This preview predominantly focuses on the observations of Namor, Dorma, and Attuma as they witness the destruction of Atlantis unfold. The siege on the city by the Swift Tide - turned Black Tide - has begun. Kharsa, Sycorax, Sweet Mercy, Garanna, and the Mountain have turned against the lands they came from. Instead of saving people, they are mercilessly murdering them and worse - they are enjoying it. They have continually increased their power and, thanks to a connection with the evil Atlantean Avengers, Namor and his companions can feel the carnage. Thus far, they are only able to watch in helplessness as the horrors unfold. However, this series has largely been told through flashbacks, so there is bound to be more to the story. What happened before to young Namor is bound to have effects on his future, particularly considering this is all considered part of Atlantis' dark history.
Thus far, there has seemed to be no way to stop the Black Tide, and Namor at this point is only a teenager. The Black Tide has swept through the oceans without being hindered and their power only grows. At this point, Atlantis' fight seems largely unwinnable. Readers will find out if Atlantis rises or falls, as well as what the Unforgotten Stone can actually do. The Unforgotten Stone - when experimented on by Russian scientists - unleashed evil, causing the Swift Tide to become the monsters they are now. However, it is yet to be seen if the stone can reverse its effects and free or imprison the Black Tide. The fate of Atlantis and the full threat from its own Avengers will be revealed when the next issue of King in Black: Namor releases.
