Atlantis Attacks
Atlantis Attacks is a 1989 Marvel Comics crossover event in which the Lemurian priest Ghaur and the Atlantean sorceress Llyra conspire to resurrect the elder god Set by kidnapping seven superhuman women— including She-Hulk, Storm, and the Scarlet Witch—as sacrificial brides for his seven heads, unleashing Atlantean armies on the surface world in a bid for domination.[1][2] Written primarily by Steve Englehart with art by various artists including Ron Lim, the storyline unfolded across 14 summer annuals and select regular issues from Marvel titles such as Avengers Annual #18, Uncanny X-Men Annual #13, Fantastic Four Annual #23, and New Mutants #76, among others.[1] The plot centers on the alliance between Ghaur's Deviant cult from Lemuria, Llyra's Hydra faction, and the Atlantean warlord Attuma, who betray Namor the Sub-Mariner and launch coordinated assaults to facilitate Set's return.[1][2] Earth's heroes, including the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, unite to counter the invasions and rescue the captives, with Namor playing a pivotal role in the underwater conflicts and the climactic battle against Set's manifestation.[1] The event highlighted tensions between Atlantis and the surface world, exploring themes of ancient mythology and superhero team-ups, and was later collected in trade paperbacks such as Atlantis Attacks: The Original Epic in 2021.[1] The title was revived for a 2020 five-issue miniseries featuring Namor and the Agents of Atlas.[3]Background and Development
Concept Origins
The concept for Atlantis Attacks originated in Marvel Comics' late 1980s efforts to revive interest in underwater-themed stories centered on Namor the Sub-Mariner, building on his longstanding conflicts with Atlantean warlord Attuma, who first emerged as Namor's primary rival in Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964), where Attuma led an invasion of the surface world. This rivalry, rooted in Attuma's ambition to conquer Atlantis and the surface, provided a foundational dynamic, amplified by recent appearances in Namor's solo adventures and team books like The Avengers, where Atlantean tensions had been escalating.[4] To broaden the scope beyond Namor's isolated tales, Marvel editors decided to structure the storyline as a sprawling multi-title crossover across 1989's summer annuals, involving heroes from the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and others, capitalizing on the success of prior event-style team-ups such as Secret Wars II (1985–1986), which had popularized interconnected narratives spanning multiple series.[5] The event was envisioned as an "old-fashioned serial," with a 14-part backup feature titled Saga of the Serpent Crown—written by Peter Sanderson and illustrated by Mark Bagley—providing historical context on the ancient serpent god Set, tying into broader Marvel mythology inspired by Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age Conan tales.[5] At its core, the plot seed revolved around Attuma's orchestrated invasion of the surface world, manipulated by the Deviant priest Ghaur and Lemurian sorceress Llyra, who leveraged forbidden Deviant technology and ancient artifacts from the Eternals lore to summon Set and unleash chaos.[5][6] This integration of Atlantean aggression with extraterrestrial Deviant elements, first introduced by Jack Kirby in The Eternals #1 (1976), allowed the crossover to explore themes of submerged ancient evils threatening the modern hero landscape.Integration into Marvel Continuity
Atlantis Attacks is integrated into the Earth-616 continuity as a 1989 summer event, unfolding across Marvel's annual issues and aligning with the late 1980s timeline of escalating superhero team dynamics. The storyline bridges Namor's recent rejoining of the Avengers in Avengers #305 (May 1989), where he solidifies his role amid surface world alliances, while preceding larger cosmic threats like the Infinity Gauntlet saga in 1991. This placement allows the event to leverage ongoing tensions between Atlantis and the surface world without disrupting broader narrative arcs.[5][7] The event builds on prerequisite Atlantean lore, including Atlantis' centuries-long isolationism following its submersion approximately 20,000 years ago, which fostered deep-seated distrust toward human societies. This history is compounded by recurrent surface tensions, such as the destructive clashes between the Hulk and Atlantean forces in Tales to Astonish #100-101 (1968), where battles caused widespread flooding and highlighted the fragility of underwater-surface relations. Additionally, Attuma's repeated coup attempts underscore Atlantis' internal volatility, debuting in Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964) and launching invasions in the 1960s Sub-Mariner series, exploiting prophecies of his destined rule to challenge Namor's throne during periods of royal instability.[5][8][9] Further integration draws from ancient mythological ties, positioning the Deviants and Eternals as primordial adversaries whose conflicts provide the event's advanced weaponry. Ghaur, high priest of the serpent god Set and leader of the Lemurian Deviants, harnesses forbidden super-technology rooted in this eternal enmity—first established in The Eternals #1 (1976)—to arm Atlantean forces, framing the invasion as a culmination of prehistoric grudges against surface dwellers. This lore connects directly to the "Saga of the Serpent Crown" backups in 1980s titles, amplifying threats from artifacts like the crown itself.[5] Atlantis Attacks also serves to resolve lingering threads from Namor's 1980s adventures, particularly the chronic instability of his Atlantean rule depicted in solo stories and crossovers. Throughout the decade, Namor's throne faced usurpations and exiles, as seen in arcs involving betrayals and external pressures that weakened Atlantis' sovereignty; the event's climax, with Namor's apparent death and triumphant return in Iron Man Annual #10 and Fantastic Four Annual #22 (1989), stabilizes his kingship and ties off these unresolved power struggles, reinforcing his dual role as monarch and Avenger.[5][7]Publication Details
1989 Crossover Event
The Atlantis Attacks crossover event represented a key component of Marvel Comics' strategy to unify its annual publications into a single, interconnected narrative, released during the summer of 1989 to heighten reader engagement and sales through event-driven storytelling. The storyline unfolded across fourteen annual issues from various ongoing titles, with on-sale dates spanning April to July 1989, creating an overlapping release schedule that encouraged collectors to purchase multiple books simultaneously.[5][10] This format deviated from standalone annuals by integrating a continuous plot involving Atlantean threats and the elder god Set, distributed among Marvel's flagship superhero lines to leverage established fanbases. Each issue typically featured 64 pages at a cover price of $2.00, positioning the event as a premium offering amid Marvel's broader "big event" push following the earlier Evolutionary War crossover. The structure emphasized cross-title synergy, with no central limited series but rather a decentralized narrative pieced together via the annuals, supplemented by minor tie-ins in select ongoing series issues.[11][12] Marketing efforts highlighted the event's epic scope in Marvel's promotional materials, framing it as a must-read saga uniting heroes like the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four against a global peril, which aligned with the publisher's goal of elevating annuals from filler to essential reading. Print runs for participating titles exceeded standard monthly issues, reflecting Marvel's investment in the crossover's visibility, though exact figures varied by book.[2]Core Issues and Essential Tie-Ins
The following table lists the core fourteen annual issues comprising the primary storyline, along with key creative credits derived from publication records. Essential tie-ins include brief crossovers in ongoing series, such as Avengers #324-325, Uncanny X-Men #254-255, Fantastic Four #334-335, and New Mutants #76, which provided supplementary context without advancing the main plot.| Issue | Title/Series | Cover Date | On-Sale Date | Writer(s) | Penciler(s) | Inker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Silver Surfer Annual #2 | August 1989 | April 1989 | Steve Englehart | Ron Lim | Joe Rubinstein |
| #2 | Iron Man Annual #10 | August 1989 | April 1989 | David Michelinie | Paul Smith | Bob Layton |
| #3 | Uncanny X-Men Annual #13 | August 1989 | April 1989 | Terry Austin | Mike Vosburg | Roy Richardson |
| #4 | The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23 | September 1989 | May 1989 | David Michelinie | Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Jim Mooney | John Byrne |
| #5 | The Punisher Annual #2 | September 1989 | May 1989 | Mike Baron | Bill Reinhold | Bill Reinhold |
| #6 | The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9 | September 1989 | May 1989 | Gerry Conway | Dave Ross | Alex Saviuk |
| #7 | Daredevil Annual #5 | September 1989 | May 1989 | J.M. DeMatteis | Mike Zeck, John Romita Jr. | Joe Sinnott |
| #8 | Avengers Annual #18 | October 1989 | June 1989 | Mark Gruenwald, Fabian Nicieza | Ron Wilson, David Ross | John Byrne |
| #9 | The New Mutants Annual #5 | October 1989 | June 1989 | Louise Simonson | Bret Blevins | Bret Blevins |
| #10 | X-Factor Annual #4 | October 1989 | June 1989 | Bob Layton | Jackson Guice | Joe Brozowski |
| #11 | Web of Spider-Man Annual #5 | November 1989 | June 1989 | Tony Isabella | Steve Leialoha | Alex Saviuk |
| #12 | West Coast Avengers Annual #4 | November 1989 | June 1989 | John Byrne | John Byrne | John Byrne |
| #13 | Thor Annual #14 | November 1989 | July 1989 | Roy Thomas | Ron Frenz | Joe Sinnott |
| #14 | Fantastic Four Annual #22 | November 1989 | July 1989 | Len Kaminski | Rich Buckler | Joe Sinnott |
2020 Miniseries Revival
The 2020 revival of Atlantis Attacks was published as a five-issue limited series by Marvel Comics, running from January to December 2020. Written by Greg Pak and primarily illustrated by penciller Ario Anindito with colors by Rachelle Rosenberg and letters by Joe Sabino, the series focused on a conflict between the Agents of Atlas and Atlantean forces led by Namor.[18][19] The creative choices emphasized interpersonal drama and geopolitical tensions in a modern Marvel context, diverging from the original 1989 event's scope while serving as a spiritual successor through its title and thematic echoes of Atlantean invasion.[5] The series launched amid Marvel's 2020 initiative to expand event-style storytelling around team books like Agents of Atlas, but faced significant production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted printing and distribution. Issues #1 through #3 were released on schedule in early 2020 at a cover price of $3.99 each, with digital editions available simultaneously via platforms like Marvel Unlimited and Amazon Kindle. Subsequent issues #4 and #5 were postponed by several months, shifting from an anticipated summer conclusion to November and December releases, reflecting broader industry challenges that affected over 70 Marvel titles.[18][20][21] This digital-first approach allowed continued accessibility during store closures, prioritizing online sales and subscriptions.[22] Unlike the expansive 1989 crossover that spanned multiple annuals and ongoing series, the 2020 miniseries adopted a more contained, self-sufficient format centered on contemporary Atlantean politics and alliances, avoiding widespread tie-ins beyond brief setups in the Agents of Atlas ongoing and a teaser for the King in Black event in its finale. Variant covers, including a Ron Lim design for #1 that homaged his work on the original event's annuals, nodded to the 1989 legacy without integrating its broader narrative elements.[5][23][24]Bibliography
- Atlantis Attacks #1 (January 22, 2020)[18]
- Atlantis Attacks #2 (February 19, 2020)[25]
- Atlantis Attacks #3 (March 18, 2020)[19]
- Atlantis Attacks #4 (November 4, 2020)[22]
- Atlantis Attacks #5 (December 2, 2020)[26]