Following the inconclusive finale of the great Sub-Mariner vs Human Torch battle, Namor is shamed by his people for failing to complete his sworn goal of destroying NYC, and while this might seem to be a bit harsh, we must remember that this was an entirely self-directed international incident. Namor was convinced that he could take on the entire United States population and he failed, and perhaps a little time for self reflection is the thing he needs at this moment.

The attack on New York also has the effect of inspiring a wealthy Mainer named Luther Robinson to outfit his own naval force and set sail on a high-powered, heavily-armed yacht called the Colleen to destroy the Sub-Mariner once and for all. His fiance Lynne Harris, who is evidently a good match for him, accompanies him on this expedition

Luther arrives in the Antarctic and baits out the Sub-Mariner with surprising ease, but fails to kill him with the yacht’s artillery. This leads to a remarkably even battle between the Atlantean aerial submarine fleet and the Colleen. Astute readers might note here that Luther is afflicted with the exact same style of overconfidence as the Sub-Mariner, and is entirely too confident in his ability to take on a sovereign nation solo, with the slight difference that Namor at the very least had the courtesy to inform his leader that he was going to do so ahead of time.

Namor attempts to dissuade the Americans from their mission by capturing Lynne, at which point both we and he learn that Luther Robinson is not a man to compromise on even the stupidest point, as he does not hesitate to blow up the Sub-Mariner’s aerial submarine and just kind of hopes that this kills Namor while somehow leaving Lynne alive. I would say that I hope that Lynne knew that Luther was Like This when she agreed to marry him but having read through this and her subsequent appearances she absolutely did and agrees with it. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 010, 1940)

Lynne does indeed survive, and as of Marvel Mystery Comics v1 011 she, along with Luther and a sailor named Mickey, are the sum total of the remaining members of the expedition, as Namor sneaks aboard the Colleen and blows her up with her own depth charges.

Luther and Lynne (and Mickey), all prisoners at this point, are allowed to escape by Namor. Surely they havelearned their lesson and will never be seen again.

Not so fast! Marvel Mystery Comics v1 012 sees Namor’s mother Princess Fen opine that Lynn Harris would make for a good daughter in-law. Namor, ever the obedient son, recaptures Lynne from a Nazi u-boat (which had picked the three up when they crashed their plane) and brings her back to Atlantis to be surgically turned into an amphibian. He also sinks a British destroyer in the process.

Luther of course follows and rescues Lynne (but not before she gains the ability to breathe underwater and survive sub-zero temperatures) and they escape once again. Luther and Lynne are then re-re-captured in Marvel Mystery Comics v1 015, at which point Luther is also turned into an amphibian and they both just kind of… accept that they have been conscripted into Atlantean society? Lynne isn’t even really a candidate for marriage to Namor anymore, she just works for him, and Luther is absorbed into the military. This continues through issue 018 and includes a trip to France to blow up a few divisions of Nazis.

Luther and Lynne do eventually make another bid for escape and send out an SOS that is intercepted by none other than Betty Dean. She in turn mobilizes her private militia group, the Legion of Loyalists, and mounts yet another invasion of the Antarctic to rescue them.

(this campaign sees Namor unveiling the ultimate Atlantean weapon: the Trojatross! Big big fan of this thing)

Finally, in Marvel Mystery Comics v1 019, Namor undergoes one of his trademark changes of heart after teaming up with his erstwhile enemies to destroy a Nazi Antarctic expedition. Luther and Lynne are finally free to go and even crop up once or twice more as part of Namor’s supporting cast, though sadly they have not made an appearance in more recent years. A shame, I say! Let’s see some elderly aquatic people appear on TV as experts on Atlantean matters, at the very least!