Chapter 7
Four friends took a fateful trip into space. Cosmic rays permanently transformed them. They chose to use their powers for good as the Fantastic Four.
A strange humanoid creature came from the sea and challenged the F4 for supremacy. He summoned the aid of a giant squid and a carnivorous whale to terrorize them.
The Human Torch could not use his powers in the open ocean. Mister Fantastic stretched his body as thin as paper to try to wrap up the squid and whale. Just then a pod of dolphins nipped at his head. It was too much to handle at once. The Thing used a motorboat to get into the action but as he tested his body, he realized he was far too dense to float. If he went in the water, he would sink to the seafloor.
The humanoid creature of the sea had this to say, “I am Namor the Submariner. I am the leader of the sea world. You cannot defeat me but you can appease me. If your Invisible Girl marries me, then we can have a truce. If she leaves me or you try to spring her free, then consider the truce broken.”
Sue was disgusted. She was not a baseball card to be traded away. While her heart broke at the thought of her teammates being beaten up by the Submariner’s forces, she felt there had to be another way.
By now, Reed and The Thing were in a beachside cage. It was made of glass with tubes to exchange gases. The Torch was confined to a scuba suit dug into an underwater trench. Submariner did not want to kill them until his bargain was accepted.
“I am not offering you slavery. I am offering you the chance to be a princess of a vast ocean kingdom. I can get you abundant food, precious jewels, and fine clothing. You will see wonders no woman has seen.”
She had heard men talk like this before. Any girl who’d been to 42nd street had. But she saw with her own eyes that he was powerful. She couldn’t tell the guys but Submariner had a flawless body. He was lean and athletic. His skin was hairless except for a thick block of straight jet-black hair on his scalp.
But what would it like to be married to him? It seemed he was used to getting his way. He spoke in an old-fashioned clunky way. Did he know what life on the surface was like?
Did any of this even matter? She had to do whatever it took to save her team. The others would do anything for her.
“I volunteer as tribute,” she said.