Random Happenstance

I've only read Magnus, Robot Fighter as issues randomly fall into my hands from the quarter bins; but darn, I know I've read this one before! Also, you can make a talking dog, but thanks to Gary Larson's Far Side we all know what they say:

From 1975, Gold Key's Magnus, Robot Fighter #39, reprinting "Cloud-Cloddie, Go Home!" from Magnus #16, which I might have read in Acclaim/Valiant's reprint book Vintage Magnus Robot Fighter #4. Story and art by Russ Manning.

A junky robot and a talking dog rob a department store for a young girl; and Magnus and Leeja figure the dog to be a lost puppy of genetic engineer Danae. She explains the puppy had been given to a little girl, and both had gone missing years ago, but even her telepathic "neo-animals" couldn't talk, so that was a new one on her. Using a neo-raccoon to track the dog, they make their way to the lower levels of North Am, where the Gophs and other anti-socials live in the junk. (And do what? What do they eat? I don't know.) In short order, Magnus faces off against the robot Junko, then the talking dog Sam tags in to help his robot partner: Magnus is handicapped by not wanting to hurt the dog, who has no compunction against biting him! But, their girl Pert calls them off: she doesn't want them hurt, but she wasn't going back; and the Gophs are there to back her up. The head Goph L'sier actually briefly holds his own against Magnus; who was usually far stronger than any human opponent. When the Gophs pile on Magnus, Pert doesn't see that as fair, and uses Junko and Sam to break it up.

Pert had been badly injured in an accident that had left her an orphan, and had been gifted the puppy Sam to encourage her to get better. While she had recovered physically, she was still a bit bitter about it and left upper level, "cloud-cloddie" society. She lived with a young Goph, Spikey, who was pretty handy for apparently having less quality school, and had built a voicebox apparatus for Sam, who had been smart enough to talk but didn't have the vocal chords for it. To try and sell Pert on rejoining "proper" society, Leeja takes her on a tour, really selling her on the girl-friendly aspects: pretty clothes, better food, stuff to do. Pert's willing to come up, if she can bring Spikey and Sam and her pets; but the Gophs take them and leave a note to make it seem like Danae was going to take them away. L'sier planned on stealing robots and pinning the blame on Pert, but the neo-raccoon saves the day again, leading Magnus to the captured Danae, Sam, and all. It all ends in a donnybrook fight with Magnus and Sam and the junk-robots versus the Gophs and their stolen new robots. L'sier eventually gives, because while Magnus might beat his ass, Sam seems like he would eat him!

In the end, Pert decides to go live "up there," with Sam and Spikey and Junko and all. Good, I guess? I mean, there's daylight and all, it's got that going for it; but the socio-political-economic structure of North Am seemed dicey at best. Also, while I still miss my old dog Sam; I won't lie and say he would've been a great conversationalist if he could've talked. Plus he probably would've picked up bad words from me...