Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mordillo's Assassin

Some people love a man in uniform. Me? I love a robot in a trench coat. It is truly an iconic look. Bynocki may be a more infamous robo-foe for Shang-Chi, but this assassin robot sent to London to take out Reston while repeating the phrased "Mr. Reston, I presume" is pretty cool. The Kane cover may be a bit misleading as the robo-action is wrapped up in the first few pages. That said, it is a pretty good fight as Shang-Chi ultimately turns the robot's weapons against itself. Ultimately, the issue is much more focused on espionage and detective work but a great cold opening with a neat looking robot is a smart way to kick off a storyline.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mr. Goon-Child

Here's a terrific little robot that made a single appearance in Weird Fantasy #15 [3] in 1950. The Goon-Child is the creation of Henry, who constructs this rather simply robot to do menial chores around this house. It turns out that the Goon-Child isn't all that keen on being a slave and upgrades his design to the point where he can revolt against his slob of a master. There's a terrific 'They call me Mr. Tibbs' moment and I find it quite comical that Henry is overpowered by a robot who looks like an ancestor of Johnny Five. All of this is handled beautifully by Harvey Kurtzman who balances humour with a sense of threat. A true classic.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Irona

Richie rich lived in a very interesting corner of the Harveyverse, surrounded by a number of interesting characters. One of the most colourful members of the supporting cast is Irona, his robot housekeeper. She did much more than merely vacuum the rich mansion, as her unique skill set made her part security detail and part detective. She appeared in well over 100 stories and was an integral part of the Rich household. Irona was also featured in two different Richie Rich animated series, circa 1980 and 1996, and made an appearance in the straight to video live action film Richie Rich's Christmas Wish. Not many comic book robots have achieved that level of multi-media success.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Spy-Bots

It looks like just another normal day at the offices of Galaxy Communications, or does it? My Best Friend, the Super Spy from Action Comics #449 is another one of those nutty mid-70s stories that try to cram as much as possible into 22 pages. After dealing with some freakish accidents, Superman is confronted by some powerful robots. When I say powerful, I mean powerful as they really give the Man of Steel a tough time as they can continue fighting post-dismemberment. What's worse is that it appears that almost everyone of Supes' friends is a robot in disguise (it's hard to type that without singing it). There's an Amazing Spider-Man #80 type twist here that is flubbed a bit, but it is a lot of fun to watch Superman karate chop Perry White and Steve Lombard in half.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Ultron

Obviously, Ultron (regardless of incarnation) is one of the top 5 comic book robots of all-time. From his very first appearance, readers knew that he was unlike any other robot they'd ever seen. My favourite Ultron appearance takes place in Avengers #161. This issue is best known for the incredible Ants vs. the Avengers cover by George Perez, but the second half of the issue features Ultron completely dismantling the team. It is built up almost like a slasher movie, as we don't initially see the attackers. By the time the we get the final shot of Jarvis dropping the groceries at the sight of the decimated group, we know that this version of Ultron won't let his head get kicked around some kid. I know it's just comics, but Ultron kind of frightens me.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Phantom Creeps

The titular Phantom, robot star of the the Universal serial The Phantom Creeps is one of the first, if not the first, robots to appear in funnybook format. He was featured in Movie Comics #6 (Sept-Oct, 1939), a rather strange series published by DC/National. If I am not mistaken, it was a rather large commercial failure at a time when comic books were a license to print money. The series mixed line drawing with movie stills. It was a bit of a mess, and it really has to be seen to be believed. Still, it's not everyday that you get the chance to see Bela Lugosi wearing a terrible fake beard in a comic book. To this day, the Phantom remains one of the coolest looking of all comic book robots.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mr. Atom

Mr. Atom is certainly a Comic Book Robot Hall of Famer, and likely in the all-time top 10 of Comic Book Robots. He was first introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #78 (November, 1947) and is a card carrying member of the Monster Society of Evil. The thing is, he was not supposed to be a villain. His creator, the well-intentioned Dr. Charles Langley, made the mistake of giving this robot a brain (isn't that always the way?). Mr. Atom decided that his destiny was not to be one of serfdom, but rather to 'rule over men'. He headed straight to the United Nations building (I thought it was originally in San Francisco, not Fawcett City) and killed a delegate. After a long battle, Mr. Atom was finally defeated by the Big Red Cheese. Of course, he would continue his attempts to fulfill his destiny again and again. He's a wonderful creation, with a superb retro design that looked terrific when he returned in the 70s. Holy Moley, indeed!

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Subterranean Alient Robots

This robot, from an early Cave Carson adventure, is pretty indicative of why Marvel would ultimately surpass DC in terms of sales and creativity. It's not bad by mid-50s standards, but this was the early 60s and the design by veteran Bernard Baily is quite old fashioned. The 'bots being produced by Kirby, Ditko and Heck at the time were much more impressive. This one is pure MST3K material. As for its powers, they are quite nondescript. This robot, along with a few of his brethren, have been brought to Earth by aliens to help conquer mankind. They really don't do much except trample small buildings in a Godzillian manner. Sure, Andru & Esposito were pushing the robotic envelope with the Metal Men, but far too many DC robots of the 60s were like this one. Lame.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Thing Called Jeremy

It turns out that this is a bit of a bait and switch cover. Jeremy doesn't not actually look like the robot on the cover, nor the one on the splash page. I really just wanted to feature this one because it's from that short period in time when American Comics Group featured painted covers. They'll all quite attractive, but this Ogden Whitney gem really stands out for me. Technically speaking, Jeremy is really more of an android as he is creating to stand in as the adult son of his creator, Dr. Trimble. They've got something of a Pinocchio/Gepetto dynamic. Jeremy ultimately wants to become more human, and that's his undoing. To tell you the truth, there's not a whole lot of robotic action in this one, but I still love that cover.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Other Machine Man

Raise your hand if you think George Lucas might have had a subscription to Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact as a child? Anyone know if he went to Catholic School? Ok, Ok - I know that plenty of sci-fi comics and pulps also had cool robots that likely made their way into the Star Wars universe, but this thing really reminds me of a Scout Walker from Empire Strikes Back. It's funny to think that someone had the idea that our future would include a giant two-legged lumberjack robot, equipped with a machete and driven by a dog. Not only that, but it can also accommodate professorial koalas. GE certainly did bring good things to life. I've never actually read this book to know if there is even an accompanying story, but does there really need to be? Doesn't this picture really say it all? In the 50s and early 60s, we thought technology would take all of the hard work out of life. Just think, a man would never have to pick up an axe ever again. He'd just hand the keys over to his dog, and let the deforestation begin.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Walaba, the Giant Robot

I am not exactly the biggest Space Ranger fan, but I like a good interplanetary adventure as much as the next person. In this tale from Tales of the Unexpected #68, Space Ranger is hot on the tail of a villain when he is captured by a powerful giant robot. Space Ranger plays possum for a while, but cannot escape a series of elaborate booby traps. It turns out that the robot, named Walaba, had captured Space Ranger by mistake. The nefarious Drecker was he intended target, as Drecker had stolen weapons from Walaba's master.

Walaba is a terrific robot and I really like Bob Brown's design. He has that slightly bulky early Silver Age look to him, taken straight out of the movies. In the end, we get one of those 'Robots with a Heart of Gold' moments, as Walaba steps in front of a ray gun blast to save Space Ranger. I was kind of hoping for a Farewell to the Master type twist at some point, but it wasn't meant to be. Arnold Drake avoids a tragic ending in this story, as it is discovered that Walaba can be repaired. I don't always love a happy ending, but Walaba is indeed worth saving.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Sleeper

Remember that scene in the Infinity Gauntlet where Captain American takes on Thanos? Well, one of Cap's earliest 'David vs. Goliath' moments came on the cover to Tales of Suspense #72. The image of Captain America clinging to one of the Sleeper's cleats really caught my attention as a child, and this was one of the first Silver Age books I ever bought. How could any 9 year old boy, regardless of whether it is 1965, 1980 or 2010, possibly pass up on this cover? It introduces one of the all-time greatest robots in comicdom, the Sleeper.

What exactly is a Sleeper? Well, it's a giant Nazi robot that smashes its way out of a mountainside on 'Der Tag', programmed to wreak havoc and bring Hitler's dream to reality. This is one of the issues with George Tuska pencilling over Kirby layouts. I really think they worked well together as a team. The design is all kinds of retro-awesome, with a dome top, spiked ski boots and energy-blast shooting lobster claws for hands. Despite Cap's best efforts, the Sleeper wins Round One and the story continues in the new issue. It's definitely one of the best robots of the Marvel Age of Comics. 'Nuff said.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Teen-Age Robots in Revolt

Most of the time, Superboy can count on his robot duplicates to provide assistance when called upon. On this particular day, however, things are turned upside down by a HAM radio operator with delusions of grandeur. Superboy has a crisis on his hands, and needs some robo-help control seismic activity under the sea. The only problem is that, due to a malfunction in his radio's circuit, "Mousey" Malcolm gains control over the fleet of Superboy robots. At first, Mousey has fun with the robots - using them for material gain. Like so many men, a woman is at the heart of Mousey's downfall. His desire to get Superboy out of the picture so that he can pursue Lana Lang forces Superboy's hand, and he destroys his own robots in the process. In the end, it is really the 'Clark' robot who helps save the day, as his programming is somewhat unique. It is fun tale by Frank Robbins, with nice artwork by the team of Bob Brown and Wally Wood.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Champ

One thing that is often forgotten when the origin of the Junk Heap Heroes is discussed (wait, does anyone but me actually discuss that?) is the role played by The Champ, an impressive robot built by the top secret US spy agency known as G.E.O.R.G.E. What I love most about The Champ is that he sports the trench coat and fedora look. Just how many robots have try to fool us by wearing outfits such as that? In addition, he was lucky to be design by Dick Dillin. Dillin had a lot of fun with robots, often adding very quirky component. The glowing red eyes and crab claws give The Champ some real character. His task is to defeat the Blackhawks to prove that they are washed up as heroes. He does an excellent job, trash talking along the way. Is he the first trash talking robot? I sees certain similarities between the Champ and the Construct robots created by Dillin for the JLA series in the 70s. I'll tackle those another day.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The World Wrecker

It goes without saying that Murphy Anderson knows how to draw robots. I'm not sure who actually designed the World Wrecker from Strange Adventures #50, but Anderson perfected it with the cover. It's an amazing creation, with 7 person mission control in the skull. I believe that the look of this particular robot was heavily influenced by Lou Fine's Iron Monster from Fantastic Comics #3. Anderson would return to the World Wrecker in 1972 for the cover to issue #16 of the reprint series From Beyond the Unknown. Eagle eyed fans will also noted that Anderson drew similar robots for both the Freedom Fighters and JLA covers to the 28th Overstreet Price Guide. All in all, this is a Hall of Fame robot.

The story itself, written by the great Otto Binder, is nothing too original. A giant robot appears of out nowhere, heading for Tower City leaving a path of destruction in its wake. It is revealed that the robot is on a mission of peace, but it out of control after bullets fired from military planes cracked the robot's dome and Earth's atmosphere knocked out all of those in mission control. The robot has a bit of attitude and blames the earthlings for their knee jerk reactions. Luckily a quick thinking paratrooper appeases the robot by helping him determine the location of his home world. Carmine Infantino's interior artwork does not hold a candle to Anderson's cover, but it's a a fun tale.

Comic Robot of the Month: The Cannibal Robot

I don't even know where to begin with this one. I can tell you that this issue begins with a rather unsubtle scene were the Metal Men are watching the Batman TV show. The Cannibal Robot is the creation of Dr. Yes, who just so happens to be (according to the caption on the splash page) the robot twin of Wonder Woman's enemy Egg Fu. Are you with me so far? I guess Robert Kanigher just could not leave well enough alone. In this one, Doc Magus reassembles a destroyed robot while simultaneously trashing Tina's self esteem. He runs into some snags, as the 'lobot' is still under the 'lemote control' of Dr. Yes. I kid you not - this racist phonetic spelling runs rampant through this book (to the point where Kanigher even translates at one point).

Doc is missing (he's trapped in the robot's mouth), so the Metal Men finish the job and have the giant robot take them out on the town. This sequence involves a nightclub with female dancers dressed as monkeys (I am not making this up). Eventually, they order the robot to take them to their leader. They arrive just in time for Dr. Yes' birthday celebration and wind up as candles in his cake. Dr. Yes 'blain washes' them and sends them back stateside to disrupt the I Am An American Day celebrations (is that still a holiday?). It turns out that the Metal Men's love for America is more powerful that Dr. Yes' programming and then take down the Cannibal Robot before his can cause any 'destluction'. This would be funny, if the racism were so brutal. It's tough to believe that this was approved by DC's editors in 1966, as I am pretty sure that even Chop Chop had been mostly updated by this point.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Iron Brain

You've got to love Richard W. Hughes and the fine folks and American Comics Group. They know how to tell a story you've heard a thousand times and still make it entertaining. The "Iron Brain" from Forbidden Worlds #71 (October, 1958) breaks no new ground as it is another take on the Adam Link story. In true ACG fashion, the design of this particular robot is straight out of a 6 year old's sketchbook. He's bulky and boxy with goofy eyes and superfluous red light atop his head. If mankind is so concerned with its safety, why do they always build such large robots?

In this story, we have a robot who begins to think for himself and the resulting ramifications. I really like the fact that he first shows some artificial intelligence via a sense of humour. After being asked to perform a series of simple tasks, he mocks a man who asks him "What's two plus two?". This worries his creators who begs the robot to behave. Ultimately, he craves more freedom and wishes to interact with mankind on an equal footing. If you've read this type of story before, you know very well that things do not end well. It's great stuff, and a fine example of a fun 50s robot story.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Robot Ruler

The robot as King/President/Ruler is a conceit we've seen throughout the history of comicdom, but it is a great one. My Greatest Adventure has always come across as the poor cousin of titles such as Strange Adventures and House of Secrets. Every now and then, I'll notice an issue of MGA that seems as good or even better than any other DC title. The story, Cure Our Robot Ruler - Or Die, may not be revolutionary, but it is quite entertaining. I don't know a thing about the interior artist; Paul Parker, but his work isn't bad - suffering only a bit from DC house blandness. This elegant cover, drawn by the great Lee Elias, immediately captures your attention. I think Elias' choice of perspective is what really makes it stand out, as well as the contrast between the metallic silver and regal red. As much as I love the Doom Patrol, it's kind of too bad that this series had to make room for it.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mister Machine

Many of you likely know that Machine Man got his start in the 2001: A Space Odyssey series as Mister Machine. What you may not know, if you have read those original issues, is just how much he's changed over the years. In the beginning, X-51 (as he was originally known) was a extremely violent creation seeking vengeance and freedom. He spends a great deal of time spouting the absolutes of Kirbyspeak, blasting an U.S. military personnel that stands in his way. Aside from getting his hands back on his 'face', he really wasn't all that concerned with finding his humanity - he just wanted to escape. Although I've always loved Machine Man's costume, I really dig his 'skinless' design - as he looks very menacing. While the comic book world had certainly seen defiant robots before, none has ever gone so far as to rip off Sidney Poitier as the X-51 does when he says "If by some chance, we should ever meet again - call me Mister. Mister Machine if you like, but don't smile when you say it". Killer design + clunky dialogue = Classic Kirby.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Jack Kirby's FABIAC

The story I Want to Be a Man from Harvey's Alarming Tales #2 (November, 1957) contains some great science fiction themes and may be one of the finest robot stories produced in the 50s. It all begins with a giant supercomputer named FABIAC who has developed artificial intelligence and communicates with the scientists, especially his creator David Randolph. I don't know the first time AI was used in comics, but it is handled very well here, and FABIAC ultimately requests that he be made into a man. Initially, his request is rejected but FABIAC claims that it is his right. It's a rather daunting task, compared to putting 'and elephant in a briefcase'. The supercomputer is retrofitted into a rather hulking robot, but FABIAC is delighted - thinking that he is now a real man.

FABIAC dreams of leaving the compound, but he is told to never go beyond the wall. Randolph receives an emergency call and returns to discover that FABIAC has destroyed himself after learning that he was not, in fact, a 'real man' after seeing himself in a mirror. Most of this is handled off screen, and we only are only shown the now dead FABIAC, lying face down with Randolph wishing that he'd been able to grant the robot his wish. It's a very effective tale, with some real emotional impact arising from both the notion of the right of a free thinking robot, and his inability to have a wish fully granted. I've got to think that this was the first robot suicide in comics. Kirby's design of both the computer giving a hint of what he'd produce in the years to come. FABIAC is as good as robots get.