We had previously blogged some of his appearances in
2001: A Space Odysssey as well as his 1999-2000
solo series, but I don't think we've hit any of his first series. From 1978,
Machine Man #9, "In Final Battle!" Written, drawn, and edited by Jack Kirby; inks and letters by Mike Royer.
The army seemed to no longer consider rogue robot Machine Man an enemy, but they weren't sure what to make of him entirely, as he returns from allegedly being blown up by an atomic bomb. He cheerfully gives a little demonstration how he survived, and it's more convincing than
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, anyway. Dr. Spaulding and Colonel Kragg are also reunited with Machine Man; after Kragg has to admit he'd come to admire that robot.
Meanwhile, agent Konik of the Corporation is given a new task: capture Machine Man. Konik is a high-tech gun nut, and drools at the thought at getting his hands on him. Back at the base, Machine Man plays a bit of baseball: he's trying to be cheerful and personable, maybe even trying too hard. Later, he and Spaulding have a meeting with a lawyer, who suggests the case against him might go better if he was disarmed, to make him the underdog. Removing his face, Machine Man presses down on his model number, X-51, to disarm his weapons...then suggests his lawyer do the same, since it's really Konik! Since his telescopic limbs still work, Machine Man is able to capture Konik momentarily, until Spaulding accidentally starts a fire with Konik's trick monocle. Konik escapes, intent on trying again for the Corporation...
This was the last issue of
Machine Man...almost! The letters page notes Kirby was leaving to do storyboard work for the 1978
Fantastic Four cartoon. Machine Man (and the Corporation) would appear again in
Incredible Hulk #235, then his series would continue
with #10 in August 1979.
I wonder what Kirby would think about Ellis turning his creation into a human-hating alcoholic.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's still better than the alternative. Knowing Ellis (well apparently we really didn't know Ellis after all) he might've turned Aaron into an enslaved or well-paid automated, overgrown sex toy for the rich.
What a friendly robot- Kirby must have been in a silly mood when he did this one. Or maybe he thought it was a ridiculous concept for a series, even for him. Whatever the case, I can see why Ellis was so taken with him to have put him on the team.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty straight line from "cheerful, eager-to-please nerd" to "cranky alcoholic burnout." No, not "speaking from experience"!
ReplyDeleteI'm still sort of mad about...crap, I think this was Uatu's fault, taking away his face in Earth X. Yes, strictly speaking he didn't need it, but that face was what he wanted to be. Gah, I wish I had time for the full re-read of that now...
It actually does make a lot of sense to me (one of the disadvantages of internet commenting- I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not). Trying too hard to please and be what you think everybody else would like you to be would be draining. Then you go to the bottle for comfort, and before you know it you start calling people 'fleshy ones' …
ReplyDelete^Very True.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually of the opposite opinion in regards to what Earth X did to Aaron. While it was very cruel in the manner of how Uatu did it, it served a valuable purpose. had Utau not done that to him, he wouldn't had the motivation to rebel against the Watcher & play the important role he played in the series. But yeah I can definitely understand ignorance being bliss, & hating to have that ignorant bliss forcefully taken from you & expose to the harsh reality.