Linus Vermeer

History: The wealthy, wheelchair-bound Linus Vermeer chartered Captain Jordan's boat and crew for one month to search for the lost continent of Atlantis. After weeks at sea, the crew was getting annoyed with the apparently futile search. One day, Vermeer cried out to stop the boat because they were above Atlantis. Vermeer jumped out of his wheelchair, pulling aside the blanket covering his “legs”, showing he had no legs, but a “fish tail”. The mer-man jumped into the sea and disappeared.

Height: 5 ft. 8 in.
Demonstrated Powers: Linus Vermeer was an amphibian with a “fish tail” instead of legs.

Comment: The bald-headed Vermeer, sitting in his wheelchair, has a vague resemblence to Charles Xavier.

Comment: A similar story was told in Strange Tales # 97, “Goodbye to Linda Brown” by Steve Ditko. The story introduced Linda Brown, a young girl confined to a wheelchair, who lived with her Aunt May and Uncle Ben (not to be confused with Spider-man/Peter Parker's relatives). At the story's end, Linda leaves her wheelchair and jumps into the sea, revealing herself to be a mermaid, and swims towards an underwater castle.

In “I Love a Mermaid!” from Tales to Astonish # 4, a mermaid (Alathea) and mer-man were shown swimming towards an undersea city.

In an earlier story, “What Lurks Beneath?”, from Astonishing # 46 (reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell # 36), a race of mer-people was seen.

Speculation - It is possible that Linus Vermeer and Linda Brown were members of some undiscovered race, possibly another race of amphibious sub-mariners created by the sea-god Neptune, or an offshoot of The Inhumans; however, the true nature of both remains unknown.

Speculation - Since they had “human” names, Linus Vermeer, Linda Brown, and the mer-people could have been humans who were mutated in early experiments of Doctor Hydro in his attempts to create a race of water-dwelling humans (see Hydro-men) as seen in Sub-Mariner # 61.

Maybe, you're right on both counts! It's my own personal belief that blue-skinned Atlanteans—the Submariner's people—are descended from post-Cataclysmic refugees who became naturalized citizens of Attilan (cultural birthplace of the Inhumans) via intermarriage. Worried that he might lose his worshipers to the technocratic ways of the Inhumans, Poseidon used his powers to magically alter the Terrigen Mists that the mixed-blood offspring were eventually subjected to. The result? Gill-breathers instead of lung-breathers (with the blue skin a side-effect, reflecting their partially-Kree DNA).

Interesting. But I would say that the blue-skin water breathers are much older than the Altantis Cataclysim. In Fantastic Four Annual 1, Namor explains that the water-breathers were pre-homo-sapians anthropods who migrated back to the sea.

These water-breathers were worshipers of Poseidon and enjoyed his protection in ancient times. However, there could very well be connections either the Inhumans or the Kree with regard to Atlantean evolution (mating between these races) and technological advances.

It's already been established that the Terrigen Mists created the race of “Bird Men” (Red Raven's people), so it is possible that it also created various races of aquatic people as well (including blue-skinned sub-mariners, mer-people and Aquaticans); it's hard to believe that Triton of the Inhumans royal family was the only one affected thusly.

Marvel ret-conning has established that the ancestors of Namor's Atlanteans have always been of Homo sapien descent. So, Namor was either telling a half-truth (genetic engineering using arthropod DNA and pre-Cataclysmic technology?); or just out-and-out lying!

If you don't believe me, just check out OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE/DELUXE EDITION (vol. 1).

There is a mermaid in Strange Tales#40(11/55)”the man who caught a mermaid”—seen on cover)and in Sub-Mariner Comics#29(12/48)”the professor and the mermaid” is the title of that story;I don't know if Namora is the mermaid or if the professor created or caught the mermaid.

One of the Changelings is a merman named Neptunius(Incredible Hulk#252-253(10-11/80)) and one of the Mer-Mutants(Sub-Mariner#54(10/72) is a mermaid(Atlantean mutant).In Prince Namor,The Sub-Mariner#4(12/84) Jacqeline Trufaut was temporarily transformed into a mermaid by a second mystically powered Trident of Neptune.

ADVENTURES INTO TERROR#4 has a story about atlanteans,that says the atlanteans evolved into fish people when their continent sank into the ocean,they did not resemble NAMORS race,but this story gels with the marvel universe,see NAMOR ANNUAL#1,also a shark man appeared in ''the man who walked on water''in JOURNEY INTO UNKNOWN WORLDS#32,i would have posted this on the aquaticans entry but its closed,also,in issue #6 of JIUW,a race of mer-men was seen,and is almost DEFINITELY the same spot vermeer's race came from,also,a traditional mermaid appeared with namor in ALL WINNERS SQUAD#21 in the SUB-MARINER segment…………DAMN,no wonder atlantis has as many civil wars as it does!.

............. TURRRRRRRRRRD THE THING THAT COULD NOT DIE!!!!!!!! :: 30 November 2006

I checked my Incredible Hulk#251(9/80)-253(11/80) and discovered that the Master List spelt Neptunus's name wrong(Neptunius—-Master List).Neptunus shouldn't be confused with Neptunus father of Neptunia[Venus#18(2/52)who was killed by underwater nuclear tests.I say that he was a Titanian-Eternal and Marvel says that he was Neptune(but Neptune would have turn that nuke into something harmless and destroyed ships that deployed the nuke ).

Neptunia,the Venus foe who looked like Namor in drag,with power over tidal waves?;yeah I read that story in GOLDEN AGE OF MARVEL COMICS VOL.1,My guess is that she was actually a Lemurian,like llyra,but who was using Krangs pills that allowed atlanteans to breathe air and have white skin,first seen in TALES TO ASTONISH#81,either that,or She was HARVEY comics female Sub-mariner rip-off Neptina,perhaps ''Neptina''was just the name she was saddled with(as in ''Droom'')because someone misheard her,after all;MARVEL has reintroduced HARVEY concepts and characters(Spirit of '76,Human meteor).

............. TURRRRRRRRRRD THE THING THAT COULD NOT DIE!!!!! :: 06 January 2007

If you read Captain Marvel vol.1#59(11/78)-62(5/79),you will know why I say Neptunia and Neptunus are Titanian-Eternals like Elysius[#59],Dionysus[#60],Sprites[#60],Stellarax[#60-62],Lord Gaea[#59],Chaos and Tartarus[#61].The were all created in the Life-Baths by Isaac.

Come to think of it,that makes perfect sense,that'd make a great connection for a new ''Lost Generation''-type series(IF Marvel ever does another one),I also recall a story where Namor battled a red-haired undersea queen(I think it was from SUB-MARINER#34 or #35,it was reprinted in MARVEL SUPER HEROES#14,one of my very first comic books,back in '73.)who had to stay submerged underwater to stay alive,I think one of her henchatlanteans(new word)was called ''Neptunius'',I remember Namor talked His way out of that story because Her torturer had once idolized Namor,but I dont recall if that was Neptunius.

............. TURRRRRRRRRD THE THING THAT COULD NOT DIE!!!!!! :: 11 January 2007

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