The MIST-MEN Of SARGASSO
Membership: Nekhbet;
others unidentified
Purpose: To continue their existence in the Sea of Sargasso
Affiliations: Tiger Shark
Enemies: Dorma, Walter Newell (Stingray), Sub-Mariner, Thakos
Base of Operations: The Sea of Sargasso
First Appearance: Sub-Mariner I#16 (August, 1969)
History: (Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - The "enormous sea which men now term the Sargasso takes its name from a small, mist-hidden place which drifts endlessly in its own inexplicable orbit." The naturally-reoccurring mists of unknown origins became known to the people of Atlantis and perhaps others. The sea was a breeding ground for eels, who journeyed there to mate and were sometimes killed in the waters, leaving hundreds of floating eel corpses. The sea also spawned a thick growth of seaweed around its borders, making any entrance below the waves very difficult.
(Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - When an Egyptian ship that had been stranded in the waters near the Sea of Sargasso sailed into its borders, only one man had survived. This man, Nekhbet, soon found that the Mists of Sargasso had life-prolonging properties, effectively making him immortal as long as he stayed in the mists. He also gained the ability to survive underwater. Nekhbet lived alone there for some time, but over the following centuries he was joined by many others who came to Sargasso under unknown circumstances, including a Spaniard, a Viking, and several English pirates. The Mist-Men adopted the English language as there were so many pirates. The Mist-Men discovered that they couldn't leave the Sea of Sargasso, even when they tried.
(Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - During World War II, two Nazi U-boats carrying weaponized viruses passed near the Sea of Sargasso. One ship sank near the sea while the other drifted into the sea. A Nazi man aboard the ship joined the ranks of the Mist-Men.
(Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - At some point, the Mist-Men entered into a treaty with Atlantis, the two civilizations agreeing to leave each other in peace.
(Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - Decades later, when Tiger Shark swam into the Sea of Sargasso, he was beset by engulfing seaweed. Soon after, an Atlantean warship with several occupants, including Thakos, came into the Sea and were confused by sights of hundreds of glowing eels, a ghostly pirate, Tiger Shark surrounded by seaweed, and, on the surface, a ghostly ship graveyard. As the ship tried to flee, it was shot down, possibly by the Nazi man from his U-Boat, and all its occupants were killed, save Thakos who fled back to Atlantis.
(Sub-Mariner I#16) - Tiger Shark burst through the seaweed and was confronted by the Mist-Men. After Nekhbet explained their origins, Tiger Shark moved to escape, and the Nazi told the villain of the Nazi U-Boat carrying the weaponized virus. Tiger Shark reawakened the greed in all the Mist-Men except Nekhbet and they agreed to follow Tiger Shark outside the mists. Soon, Namor and Dorma (investigating the Atlantean craft that had been shot down) and Walter Newell (who'd found the wreckage of the second German U-Boat) penetrated through the seaweed into the sea. Namor stopped Tiger Shark from killing Nekhbet while the Nazi and another took Newell and Dorma hostage. Tiger Shark made Dorma his own hostage, and Namor agreed to let the U-Boat and the Mist-Men leave the Sea of Sargasso with no interference in exchange for Dorma's life As the U-Boat and other salvaged ships left with Tiger Shark and the Mist-Men aboard, Nekhbet faded into the mist, prepared to be alone once again. Filled with boasts and plans for the future, the Mist-Men were shocked to see the years catch up with them in the open air as they all became old and weak. Their ships broke up beneath them. While Tiger Shark battled Namor, the Mist-Men quickly fired the weaponized virus, though it was stopped by Walter Newell. The fate of the Mist-Men after this is unknown.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Marie Severin and Joe Gaudioso
Ah, now we understand where Namor's expletive "By the swirling Sargasso!" comes from.
It's a real place, not just Marvel created: http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/chia/caribbean/sargasso_sea.htm
Clarifications:
No known connection to
(Sub-Mariner I#16 (fb)) - Nekhbet was a passenger on an Egyptian vessel which, with another vessel, took passage around Africa. A storm blew their ship out to sea, where they drifted without a wind for a time. After their supplies ran out, many of Nekhbet's crew-men perished and others killed themselves. The survivors were too weak to do anything. Eventually the ship drifted into the Sea of Sargasso, where Nekhbet discovered the Mists of Sargasso would keep him alive and immortal, and give him the power to live underwater. Being the only survivor of his people, Nekhbet lived alone until more men joined him over the centuries. The men became known as the Mist-Men and adopted English as their language. They discovered they could not leave the Mists. Nekhbet, having been their the longest, was their unofficial leader.
(Sub-Mariner I#16) - The Mist-Men fired on an Atlantean cruiser, and then were approached by Tiger Shark, who quickly awakened the greed in the men and worked to lead them out of the mists, all but Nekhbet who was shocked. Tiger Shark moved to kill Nekhbet, but was stopped by Namor. After the Mist-Men left, Nekhbet faded into the mists, prepared to be alone again.
--Sub-Mariner I#16 ( 16(fb), 16
images:
Sub-Mariner I#16, p5, pan1
Sub-Mariner I#16, p6, pan5
Sub-Mariner I#16 (August, 1969) - Roy Thomas (writer), Marie Severin (penciler), Joe Gaudioso (inker), and Stan Lee (editor)
Last updated:12/14/06.
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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Nekhbet