Who is Mr Nimbus Based on in Rick and Morty Explained

In Season 5 Episode 1 of the new Rick and Morty "Mort Dinner Rick Andrew", the world was introduced to the extraordinary character of Mr. Nimbus, Rick's arch-nemesis.

In an inside the episode special on Adultswim, Rick and Morty writers and creators gave the inside scoop on the creation of the character. Creator Dan Harmon explained that Nimbus isn't a new character.

"Nimbus has been talked about here for a while"

Before writer Jeff Loveness went on to explain further;

"He was in another episode that died, but we all loved nimbus so much that we were waiting for a chance to use him. Nimbus is the antithesis of rick, maybe he's the purest form of rick. Nimbus is actually happy with himself because he is the king of the ocean and he controls the police."

Is Nimbus Really Rick's Arch Enemy?

In an interview with The Wrap, creator Justin Roiland delved further into the topic of Nimbus's part to play within the Rick and Morty Universe and if/why he is actually Rick's Nemesis. He explains:

"To me, this is just another one. Like, it's his "nemesis," he calls him his nemesis, but this guy is just another in a long list of people that Rick has created a bunch of beef with. And that was what was kind of funny about it and that's why we leaned into highlighting this character as his, quote-unquote, nemesis, like calling him like that and making it an official big thing because of how ridiculous this character is. Anyone watching would know that this guy's not really much of a challenge for Rick. But with a character like Rick, who is just so invincible, it's hard to write for a character like that."

It's true, that as a Rick and Morty fan, you truly believe that as the smartest man in the multiverse, that the great Rick Sanchez is capable of doing anything. Even in the Vindicators 3 episode, we see him effortlessly take down world ender while blind drunk. So in order for him to feel threatened or like he can't outsmart such a ridiculous character is hilarious, a bit like his erratic fear of pirates!

Inspirations for Mr. Nimbus

Although not confirmed by the creators, it would be difficult not to see that there is certainly a resemblance between Mr. Nimbus and Prince Namor of Atlantis from The Marvel Comics. Although he has not yet entered the MCU, Prince Namor is definitely a more sexualized version of DC's Aquaman. He is known for regularly walking around in his pants, showing off his abs, and slicking his hair back. He regularly appears in issues of The Fantastic Four as their foe while simultaneously trying to win the affection of Sue Storm, the invisible woman. We see similar character traits in the episode as he visits Rick for a peace treaty while simultaneously offering a threesome to Beth and Jerry. It also seems from the similar attire and the overtop hilarious sexualization of Mr. Nimbus that he is perhaps a parody of Namor that the Rick and Morty writers clearly had fun with.

The introduction of Mr. Nimbus has gone down well with fans and could easily be as loved as Mr. Meeseeks.

Related: Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Ending Explained