Hello brothers (and sisters, if you're out there)!!
I wonder what those in 1962 would have thought we'd have done by now. Who knows? What we do know is in 1962, some amazing robots, loaded up with some crazy-advanced AI, pranced onto the DC Comics stage and gave us an optimistic glimpse at what the future might hold for robotics and its relationship to man.
Don't you just dig that?
The Metal Men were created in 1962 by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru. The Metal Men are named after the base material of which they are composed: Gold, Lead, Tin, Iron, Mercury and the lovely Platinum, who just happens to be a metal woman...And, wouldn't ya know it? She's in love with the creator of the Metal Men, Dr. William Magnus, who never reciprocates her affections (he chalks her infatuation up to a faulty "Responsometer" which makes her act like a human woman). That's right, a malfunctioning human robot acts like a normal human woman. Don't ya love the 60s?
So without further ado, I wanna show my Metal Men comics to you!!
It's Showcase #37, published in 1962, featuring the 1st appearance of Dr. William Magnus and The Metal Men!!
FUN FACT: The Metal Men were introduced into Showcase #37 as a last minute filler.
Showcase #38!! The 2nd appearance of the Metal Men!
Showcase #39! This comic features the 1st appearance of the Metal Men's arch-enemy, Chemo!!
And finally....Showcase #40!! This is the final Showcase appearance by The Metal Men. In May of 1963, they would get their own series, starting with issue #1, which I don't have...YET.
While these issues are getting pretty pricey, you can still get your Metal Men fix by copping Showcase Presents: Metal Men Vol 1.
Will Magnus and his Metal Men have been featured on Batman: The Brave and the Bold:
They've had their own DC Shorts:
And they all made and appearance in the Elseworlds film, Justice League: Gods and Monsters
Back in 2012, Barry Sonnenfeld took an interest in developing the Metal Men for film, and it seems that pre-production is chugging right along.
Sounds awesome, right? RIGHT!
The Metal Men - just another example of the cool and kooky, DC Silver-Age 60s!
Thanks for reading!
ENJOY!!
I don't know much about the Metal-Men (seen them on that Batman: brave & bold).
ReplyDeleteI know one thing, Don't mess with a woman made from Plutonium Lol. See could ruin your day & everyone else's for that matter.
Nice write up & sweet books to boot.
The DC Silver Age fascinates me much more than the Marvel Silver Age.
ReplyDeleteIt's the reason that the Metal Men are in my collection.
It's also the reason why I have so many 1st apps and 1st issues from DC in that time, while I still lack so many of Marvel's keys from that age. Besides that, the DC Silver Age values stayed much lower until about 3 years ago when they starting matching Marvel stuff. They were just easier to buy. A few years ago, you would still pay over $1000 for The Avengers #1 in G condition on eBay, while you could snag a Brave and the Bold #28 in VG for $400 or less. Now, an Avengers #1, CGC graded 4.0 will get you close to $1800, while a Brave and the Bold #28 pulls down almost $3,400.
The times, they are a-changin.'
DC was my first love (who didn't know Superman or Batman first?), so I have always been more of a student of DC's history from the 30s until now. While I have considerable knowledge of Atlas/Marvel before the 60s (mostly centering on Captain America), I know DC much, much better. If it's an important DC first or key from the Silver Age, I probably have it. Marvel will be more hit or miss...I still don't have an Avengers #1, JIM #83, nor a F4 #1 (besides my Golden Record Reprint copy in pristine condition).
No women made from plutonium. Got it. But it would make for an explosive relationship. (You see what I did there?)
Impressive, those are some great books to own!
ReplyDeleteThanks, BC!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Tex,
ReplyDeleteYes, the Metal Men are pretty neat. It's a good way to break up a day of reading too many standard superhero stories :)
Hey Robbie!!
DeleteI hope that your Holidays are going well!
Those Metal Men are an offbeat alternative - the sci-fi/fantasy of it all really keeps me there.
They are guest starring in the new Cyborg series. Cyborg's tech has evolved and sends out a signal to the half-organic, half-machine original holders of the tech called the Technosapiens. Cyborg's evolution is messiah-like, and the Tecnosapiens want him...And they have destroyed entire alternate realities to get to him. The Metal Men show up to help him hold the line - Ivan Reis' artwork is LOVELY.
Here's a sneak peek. The Metal Men show up about 2 min into the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HH5zGYjCCw
Wow. That looks wild. He has a movie in the works. Wonder if movie Cyborg is closer to old or new comic Cyborg...
DeleteI hope we'll see a bit of both,
DeleteBut odds are that it'll be new Cyborg. Old Cyborg's is outdated now (to this generation). His current tech is way more advanced now since it's of alien origin. That'll make a sci-fi/tech storyline easier to do. I have a feeling his movie will be less of a superhero film and more of sci-fi film. I am very cool with that. Maybe they'll extend it out into a trilogy, so we see Vic advance to Cyborg, get gutted and get saved by his dad with that untested alien tech which summons the aliens. Then the whole JLA has to get involved to stop the invasion! Wait. Crap. Avengers 1 had an alien invasion. Now I'm stuck. LOL.