I pulled this one out of the quarter bin pretty sure I had read it before, but perhaps not. Nor do I recall seeing the movie, although that plot has been done a few times. I do know I've seen the cover about four million times online, though. From 1974, Worlds Unknown #6, "Killdozer!" Based on a story by Theodore Sturgeon, adapted by Gerry Conway, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Ernie Chua (Chan), with additional art and corrections by John Romita.
Because a comic book doesn't have to work within the limited budget of a made-for-TV movie, Killdozer's origin is a little more in-depth here: a race that existed on earth before man, fought "sentient electrons" that took over their machines. A new weapon destroyed them all, "save one hardy mutant!" which would wait a billion years. In the movie, I think it goes bulldozer hits mysterious meteor, goes evil. Same difference.
I have a certain morbid curiosity how well seventies special effects conveyed the scene of how the just-possessed Killdozer "bucks" off its operator. I'm going to guess, not well. I had to look up Sturgeon, since I knew at least some of his work: he wrote two Star Trek episodes, but I also thought we had seen some other adaptations of his work from Marvel. Yeah, I thought we looked at Masters of Terror #1, which adapted his muck-monster story "It," but I guess not.
Still, the value stamp this issue hints at the next book we'll look at...actually, I guess it just tells you. Hmm.
Never heard of this Killdozer stiff before today, but it sounds a lot like the 70's version of Maximum Overdrive, minus the giant Green Goblin face.
ReplyDeleteI still grin thinking back to the scene where the all the lawnmovers and yard machines run over their owners, ha ha.
I know it was definitely before my time, but I've developed a special affection for those old Marvel stamps. They really should bring them back or at least some kind of modern equivalent just for the hell of it.