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.
1 comment:
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.
I 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.
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