In the comics, Namor was written as an antagonist, never truly being a hero or a villain. He fought on both sides, with the heroes: Doctor Strange, Hulk, Captain America, Bucky Barnes, the Human Torch, Toro, and Silver Surfer— as well as the villains: Doctor Doom and Magneto.
Namor the Sub-Mariner (born Namor McKenzie) is an anti-hero in the Marvel Universe, and is the son of an Atlantean princess and a human, making him a mutant-Atlantean hybrid. Despite often being a villain himself, he has redeemable qualities, and is willing to not only protect the sea, but the world.
Once America entered the war effort, Namor began to battle the Axis powers with other heroes, thus making him officially a “good guy.” Aside from appearing in anthology books like Marvel Mystery Comics, he also headlined his own Sub-Mariner series.
In the film, Namor is positioned as a threat to Wakanda and more broadly the rest of the world, but while many are labeling Namor the "villain" of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, that's an incorrect assessment. While Namor is very much an antagonist, the true villain isn't the leader of the Talokan at all.
Type of Villain
Namor McKenzie, also known simply as Namor, is a major character and recurring antagonist of the Marvel Comics. Considered to be the first mutant and the ruler of Atlantis, he developed a rather pernicious nature.
A true anti-hero, Namor doesn't just help and betray the Wakandans. He also is in constant ally-ship or conflict with the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and, yes, the X-Men.
Having inherited the characteristic flaws of both the mother and the father, when he was sixteen years old, Ove killed Namor. The Enchantress witnessed the assassination and fled with Ove to the irradiated surface out of fear of retaliation against her son if Namor's subjects found out of his misdeed.
Namor's ulterior motives behind his attack on Wakanda
He aims to manipulate Shuri and is sure that once the surface world brings war to Wakanda, he will be ready to retaliate and take up the war directly with the surface world.
If Namor has an arch-villain, it is probably Attuma, a fellow Atlantean and ruthless warlord. He believes himself destined to conquer Atlantis, and he has attempted it on several occasions, succeeding more than once.
Namor is Not the Villain in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Tenoch Huerta Says. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finds the nation of Wakanda at war with Namor and his underwater kingdom. Namor the Submariner is not the villain of the upcoming Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, says actor Tenoch Huerta.
"He's incredibly strong, he's as strong as Thor, and if he's around enough water he can be as strong as the Hulk.” Coogler, who's been interested in putting Namor in the MCU since the making of Black Panther, sees the Talokan ruler as more than just a physical threat, though.
With everything analyzed, it's clear that Thanos would destroy Namor. Thanos proved superior in almost all analyzed categories, and no matter what Namor has in his arsenal, Thanos can easily counter it. Thanos has more versatile powers and abilities. He is stronger, more durable, and more intelligent than Namor.
Weakness: Water Deficiency
When he is short on water, Namor's strength, stamina, and durability are significantly affected, which makes him considerably weaker and more vulnerable to attacks.
Namor doesn't think the surface is friendly, having experienced nothing but war and bloodshed from his brief incursion there. That is why he's angry Wakanda exposed the world to vibranium, as it means foreign parties, like Countess Val and the CIA in America, will come to mine their resources.
"I have many names. My people call me K'uk'ulkan, but my enemies call me Namor." Simply amazing, one of the best characters in the MCU!! Why do I think "K'uh'ulkan" sounds like Ku Klux Klan?
Out of the two, Namor is by far the more powerful one. With that said, Aquaman can control aquatic life through marine telepathy, something Namor cannot do. A similarity between the two is that both of them are half-human and half-Atlantean.
In a matchup of pure strength, is the Hulk stronger than Namor? The answer is yes, unequivocally. However, the Sub-Mariner's powers, fighting skills, and advantage in the ocean have made him the surprise winner of numerous fights against the Hulk.
This incredibly powerful mutant is certainly not invincible but is strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with any Avenger in the franchise, including some who would quickly crumble under his immense power.
Thanks to her Infinity Stone-generated powers, Captain Marvel could beat almost any Avenger in a solo battle. Namor wouldn't stand a chance against the woman who went toe-to-toe with Thanos without breaking a sweat.
One of the biggest reasons that Namor and the Talokans didn't join the fight against Thanos during the events of Avengers: Endgame is that they hadn't been cast yet.
In the end, as Iron Man proved, Namor's biggest weakness can be exposed with pollution. Not only does polluting the ocean send the Sub-Mariner into an immediate fight-or-flight mode, but it also impacts his physiology as he draws his strength from the sea.
While not having a direct translation, Namor's catchphrase "Imperius Rex" is meant to sound intimidating while fitting with his name, originally conceived by Marvel Comics writer Bill Everett who simply reversed the spelling of "Roman." That being said, there was one instance in Marvel Comics where Thor finally asked ...
In the end, Namor is first and foremost the protector of Atlantis and his family, which presides over any other life on Earth, which makes him an anti-hero in Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man is smart enough to know not to mess with Namor on his own. The mutant's strength and durability far outstrips Spider-Man's own, and his flight makes him far more mobile than the Wall-Crawler. Namor can beat whole teams of the Avengers; Spider-Man doesn't have a chance on his own.
A shaman in the village found a plant that was infused with vibranium, which he used to make a serum that he promised would cure their ailments. Everyone took the serum; Namor's mother was skeptical about it at first but was later convinced after the shaman told her that her baby was sick.