Lady Dorma
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Lady Dorma is a fictional character in Timely Comics (later known as Marvel Comics)' universe.
A native of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, Dorma was Namor the Sub-Mariner's cousin and his close confidant in many of his appearances in 1940s. Reintroduced in late 1960s and early 1970s as lover and then wife.
[edit] History
Dorma first appeared with a cameo appearance in 1939 in the prototype for a planned giveaway comic titled Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, produced by the comic book packager Funnies, Inc. The only eight known samples among those created to send to theater owners were discovered in the estate of the deceased publisher in 1974. When the giveaway idea fell through, creator Bill Everett used the character for Marvel Comics #1, the first comic book by Funnies, Inc. client Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel. The final panel of the earlier, unpublished eight-page Sub-Mariner story had included a "Continued Next Week" box that reappeared, sans lettering, in an expanded 12-page story. Dorma's first full appearance followed in Marvel Comics #1.
Her first Modern Age appearance is in Fantastic Four Annual #1.
Dorma, an Atlantean aristocrat, was a close friend of Namor during their childhood. She fell in love with him when they grew up, but Namor fell for the surfaceworlder Betty Dean, a policewoman. When Namor's enemy Paul Destine, empowered by Serpent Crown, destroyed Atlantis and left Namor an amnesiac vagrant, Dorma and the other Atlanteans became nomads. Dorma believed that Destine had killed Namor and was heartbroken.
Many years later, the Fantastic Four's Human Torch restored Namor's memory and Namor returned to Atlantis. Seeing Atlantis in ruins, he attacked the surface world, but fell in love with Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman. With the help of the Fantastic Four, Namor found the surviving Atlanteans and they returned to Atlantis. Dorma was engaged to the Warlord Krang, but left him for Namor. When she found out that Namor was in love with Susan Storm, she tried to kill her, but Namor saved her and took her to a hospital. His actions alienated Dorma and the other Atlanteans who saw the surfaceworlders as enemies and they abandoned Namor.
Namor would later return to the throne of Atlantis. Krang became an enemy of Namor and tried to kill Namor and take the throne himself, but Dorma aided Namor in defeating Krang. Namor and Dorma became lovers and she became one of his most trusted advisors and allies.
Dorma was engaged to be married to the Sub-Mariner when she was kidnapped by Llyra, who assumed her identity and tricked Namor into marrying her instead, but according to Atlantean law, Dorma was now Namor's wife, not Llyra, despite her absence from the wedding ceremony. Furious, Llyra fled to the surface world, followed by an equally enraged Namor. Llyra returned to the imprisoned Dorma and smashed Dorma's water-filled prison. Unable to breathe out of water, Dorma suffocated, but not before she struck down Llyra and saved her husband's life. (Sub-Mariner v.2 #37, May, 1971)
