Sub-Mariner #7, the climax of Namor’s battle with Paul Destine, is not particularly satisfying. Though I do like that cover.
“For President —The Man Called Destiny!” (Roy Thomas, John Buscema) has Namor arrive in New York to tell new supporting character Dianne Arliss that her brother Todd has is now the completely evil villain Tiger Shark. Then Namor discovers Destine is now, as the title states, running for president. Using the psi-enhancing helmet to woo the crowds, Destine has gone from a long-shot to a shoo-in.
The night of Destiny’s big television broadcast — the chance to enslave the wills of the entire nation — Namor shows up at the studio. When the villain’s attack fails to take Namor down, Destine’s mind snaps and he throws himself off the roof, the end. No, I’m not kidding. And contrary to “everyone comes back but Uncle Ben” he has remained an ex-parrot.
What made me want to blog about this issue, though, is Buscema’s shot of Destine on the page below.
Is it just me or is this guy dressed about 20 years behind the times? Which makes sense: he found the Helmet of Power in the 1920s, then went into suspended animation until his first encounter with Namor. Did Buscema make a really clever stylistic decision in dressing Paul Destine? Or is my own lack of expertise in men’s 1960s fashions showing? Thoughts?
#SFWApro. Art by Buschema
I think the decision is based on going for easily-digested stereotypes and tropes. The guy is dressed like Uncle Pennybags from Monopoly, the cliché image of upper-crust. Thurston Howell III dressed in similar style.
That’s certainly plausible. For his climactic address to the nation, Destine dresses in a general’s outfit which fits as another visual cue
You might get some of that, in the 60s, but not spats. Well, unless you grandpa shows up to your wedding wearing his old tuxedo.
Yeah, it seems to be a conscious choice on the part of Buscema and/or Thomas., since the background characters in the rest of the story are drawn with less archaic suits and ties.