Dorma

Origin

“I must hasten to the Castle Royal.. to stand beside my prince in this, his hour of decision! No matter what his fate, he must know… now and forever… That the trust… And the heart… Of Lady Dorma are eternally his!” — Lady Dorma

Lady Dorma is a member of the blue-skinned hereditary nobility of the lost city of Atlantis. She is the daughter of Wathan and the granddaughter of Wa-Korr, and related to many of the Atlantean nobles. She is of royal blood, and has led the Atlanteans in Namor’s absence, but her exact lineage has never been made clear. Namor is her distant cousin.

Creation

Lady Dorma was created by Bill Everett in 1939 for Marvel Comics #1. She was in the 4 new pages that Everett added to his previously published Namor the Sub-Mariner.

Character Evolution

Golden Age

Dorma was a childhood friend of Namor. She accompanied him on his first visit to America, and would help him on a number of his surface world adventures during War World II. She fell in love with him and loyally supported him in his troubles in Atlantis, but he seemed to consider their relationship platonic.

Silver Age

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought an extremely jealous Lady Dorma to the Silver Age in Fantastic Four Annual #1. After Destiny destroyed Atlantis in 1958, and Namor disappeared, she resisted her suitors for years, hoping Namor would return. Finally she gave in and accepted an engagement to Warlord Krang. Of course, Namor returned shortly afterwards, and Dorma jilted Krang.

She was trapped in a love triangle during Namor’s long term infatuation with Sue Storm / Invisible Woman. Dorma’s first Silver Age appearance was in Fantastic Four Annual #1, where she played a key role in the storyline. Namor had captured Sue Storm and was holding her hostage. When Lady Dorma realized that Namor was in love with the blonde girl, she vowed that Sue would not come between them and they she would destroy her first. Dorma brilliantly seized a gun and broke the glass window, knowing that such a move would be the death knell for the blonde girl. Dorma excitedly said, “Let us see if the surface girl can breathe water”. Even with her arms tied behind her back, the Invisible Girl decided to make a futile attempt to escape Dorma’s vengeance, but the blonde girl was swiftly seized by a clump of undersea vines, which wrapped themselves around her and held her captive at the bottom of the sea. It was only by total luck that Sue was saved, as Thing and Namor were fighting nearby and happened to see the trapped girl. Namor rushed Sue to the hospital just barely in time. No doubt about it, of all the close calls Sue Storm had back in the Silver Age, this one must be ranked at or near the top. Lady Dorma truly came extremely close to drowning the Invisible Girl……

Dorma brought the Fantastic Four to the aid of her lover Namor when he was opposed by Attuma and seemed doomed.

Bronze Age

Dorma was taken captive by Magneto, who held her hostage to control Namor’s actions.

Dorma then would be married to Namor, but for a short while. many months later Llyra would become jealous and kill her.

Major Story Arcs

Lady Dorma both helped and hindered Namor the Sub-Mariner in The Quest. She fell under the spell of the Serpent Crown when Prince Namor first recovered the relic from Paul Destine. Vyra, a banished Atlantean scientist, secretly made clones of Lady Dorma in an attempt to gain Namor’s favor and royal pardon — however, they were mindless and died. But Namorita discovered she was a clone of Namora during this event.

Recently

Lady Dorma often appeared in Namor’s flashbacks, such as in The Offenders Arc in Hulk or in the Bannervengers in Incredible Hulk.

Powers and Abilities

Dorma is an Atlantean Homo mermanus. As a Homo mermanus, Dorma has the sub-mariner physiology common to the Atlanteans and Lemurians. This includes a stronger and more durable physiology than the Homo sapiens, able to withstand the vast pressures of the ocean depths. The average Homo mermanus individual is ten time stronger than their Homo sapiens counterpart and can swim at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour. Their vision is superior to the Homo sapiens, allowing them to see in the dim light of the ocean depths. The Homo mermani tend to age slower than their surface counterparts, their average lifespan lasting 150 years.

Alternate Universes

Counter-Earth Lady Dorma

This Lady Dorma was a warrior who became queen of Atlantis, after the Heroes Return. When Doctor Doom returned to Counter Earth, she became one of his generals. Much to 616 Namor’s dismay, he encountered Queen Dorma when she attempted to assassinate 616 Susan Richards. FF #32, volume 3, provided a fantastic catfight between Lady Dorma and Sue Storm Richards. When Sue knocks away Dorma’s sword, the Atlantean counters by smashing the blonde girl’s chin with her fist. Dorma tells Sue that she does not need a weapon to deal with her, that her fists and nails will suffice. As Dorma gains the advantage on a stunned Sue Storm, one of her warrior friends seals Sue’s fate by hitting the girl in the back with a vibration wave attack. The blonde girl is then brought forth on the ground before Dorma to be executed. Dorma raises her deadly sword to finish her blonde rival off for once and for all … However, just as had happened back in FF Annual #1, a last second intervention by Prince Namor in the Lady Dorma-Sue Storm rivalry saves Sue Storm’s life.

Earth-8310

In this reality, Namor saves Atlantis from Paul Destine, but is abandoned by his people including Lady Dorma. What If? #41

Earth-20051

In Marvel Adventures Lady Dorma is still alive.

Earth-58163

In the House of M reality, Lady Dorma is still alive. Given the age of Namor’s son in this reality, she is probably his wife. Civil War House of M #3

Other Media

Television

Lady Dorma appeared in the Marvel Super Heroes Sub-Mariner.