Metal Men
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Metal Men are a team of robot superheroes created by writer Robert Kanigher, pencilled by Ross Andru and inked by Mike Esposito for DC Comics in 1962. They made their first appearance in Showcase #37--#40 as part of a four-issue series created as a last-minute filler feature. They proved unexpectedly popular and the characters were revived for more stories under their own title, and had subsequent appearances in various series in the DC Universe.
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[edit] Biography
The Metal Men were presented as advanced artificially intelligent robots, created by scientist Dr. William "Will" Magnus. "Doc" Magnus (as his creations affectionately call him) states that their intelligence and personalities are generated by devices called "responsometers". They mirror characteristics commonly associated with their namesake metals, both in personality and in substance. According to some accounts the Metal Men are actually composed of various metals, while in others, they are made of a chemical substance that can duplicate the properties of a specific metal as determined by the programming of their individual "responsometers".
The team consisted of their field leader Gold, strong man Iron, slow-witted and loyal Lead, self-doubting and insecure Tin, hot-headed Mercury, and Platinum, or Tina, who thought she was a real woman rather than a robot and was, in a Pygmalion twist, in love with creator Doc Magnus. Tin later kit-built himself a girlfriend whom he called "Nameless" who shared some adventures.
While all of the Metal Men were basically shapeshifters, each of them had abilities that reflected the traits of their namesake metal. Gold could stretch his body almost infinitely, Iron was super strong, Lead could block harmful radiation and the like and usually morphed into shields, Mercury could melt and reform himself, and Platinum could stretch and flatten herself.
The Metal Men's main foes included Chemo (a mobile plastic giant filled with various lethal chemicals), the robotic alien Missile Men, the Gas Gang, and other mechanical menaces such as a robotic T-Rex, robo-centaur, robot-Egg Fu, the Sizzler, and nefarious amusement park rides. On several occasions Doc constructed new robots of different metals such as Uranium, Silver, Cobalt, Chromium, and others, including counterpart "boyfriend and girlfriend" robots. The new robots always went to the scrap heap. The Metal Men also had many adventures on other planets, usually meeting robot menaces.
The Metal Men had a broken run of sixty issues in their own comic book title. Their Silver Age series of issues #1 to #41 began in 1963 and ended in 1970. Their adventures were fast-paced, light-hearted, ripe with melodrama and sentimentality, and loaded with "make it up as you go along" leaps in logic that made a charming whole. Many issues included the feature "Metal Facts & Fancies" with real metal facts and whimsical drawings.
As part of a company-wide effort to re-tool their books to include more "hip" and "relevant" plots, the issue #33 set a new direction; Doc Magnus fell into a coma after being injured and the Metal Men found themselves being hunted by the authorities after faulty responsometers were installed. When these changes resulted in a massive sales drop, a second re-tooling was implemented which saw each Metal Man assume a human identity. The "New Metal Men" were then assigned the task of apprehending Doc Magnus who had become a fugitive after being kidnapped, re-awakened, and brainwashed by a mad dictator, turning him into a scientist dedicated to global conquest. Sales took an even more severe nosedive, and the series was cancelled after issue #41.
The Metal Men reappeared in 1973 in three reprint issues (#42, 43 and 44). They returned with new stories in #45 (April-May 1976) by artist Walt Simonson (who would go on to work on Thor) and various writers. Doc Magnus's sanity was restored and he once again joined his robot creations. Simsonson was succeeded as artist by Joe Staton. The team's run as regular headliners ended at #56 in 1978 when, despite acceptable sales, the book fell victim to the DC Implosion.
The Metal Men have appeared as guests in several other comic book titles including The Brave and the Bold (#55, #66, #74, #103, #113, #121, #135-136, and #187) where they teamed-up with Metamorpho, the Atom, and several times with Batman. Most memorable of all was #187, which explored the mysterious disappearance of Nameless, Tin's homemade girlfriend.
The Metal Men also guest-starred alongside Superman in DC Comics Presents (#4 and #70) and Action Comics after it became a team-up title under the direction of artist/writer John Byrne.
Doc Magnus helped rebuild Cliff Steele, also known as Robotman of the Doom Patrol, and made several other appearances in that title.
A four book mini-series (numbered #1-4) was printed in 1993. In a retcon of their origin story, it was revealed that the Metal Men carried the intellects and personalities of Doc's brother (Gold), his fiancee (Platinum), two lab workers (Mercury and Iron), a janitor (Tin), and a pizza-delivery man (Lead), which were accidentally transferred to blank robots in a lab mishap rather than being artificially generated by "responsometers" as the story was first told. In a fast and furious climax, Gold was permanently killed and Doc Magnus mortally wounded. Doc transferred his personality into a blank robot known as Veridium, made of a green alien metal, and became the new robotic leader of the Metal Men. This episode was itself retconned away as a delusion suffered by Doc Magnus (52 Week 22).
[edit] Infinite Crisis and One Year Later
As revealed in the storyline of the seven-issue series Infinite Crisis, when Superboy-Prime pounded on the walls of reality, he caused the very fabric of reality to shift, changing and merging histories. The "blank robots with responsometers" origin of the Metal Men was returned to continuity and the "human personalities and Doc as Veridium" origin was dismissed as a delusion suffered by Doc Magnus after his first mental breakdown.
The responsometers now contain an "artificial soul", invented by Doc Magnus based on inspiration from T. O. Morrow, who was a college teacher of the young Magnus. After the unexplained dismantling of the Metal Men, Doc Magnus was unable to restore their personalities after re-building them and he began taking Prozac for clinical depression. Magnus is also seen to be friends with Morrow, who even imprisoned has noted a conspiracy to capture all "mad" scientists in the DCU. Morrow supplied his former student with a string in machine code before being abducted by the conspiracy, allowing Magnus to revive Mercury.
Meanwhile, government agents hover around hoping to use the Metal Men as soulless smart weapons. As they attack using soulless versions of Lead, Iron, and Platinum, a giant robot attacks, destroys Magnus' home (seemingly along with the Metal Men replicas and Mercury), and abducts the scientist. Doc Magnus is involuntarily recruited to Oolong Island along with many other "mad" scientists to build ultimate weapons for a mysterious master, who seems to be the cyborg Egg Fu.
After another scientist reveals that Magnus takes medication to suppress manic tendencies, Magnus' antidepressants are confiscated so he will try to recreate his Plutonium Man robot. Later, Magnus is seen gathering materials made of the Metal Men's elements (a gold watch, lead shielding, tin cans, mercury-filled thermometers), and, while claiming that it's a subconscious thing, is seen to have rebuilt Mercury (who is only a few inches high, but sports an updated look).
In Justice League of America #1, Platinum is re-assembled, but by the end of the issue an unknown assailant decapitates both Gold and Platinum to steal the body of the Red Tornado.
The entire team of Metal Men (all with new, modified appearances) are also expected to make a further appearance in a three part Superman/Batman story that will include new member, Copper, a motherly female figure for the others. A revived Platinum now calling herself Platina, along with the others will all be employed by Waynetech. (Wizard 183)[citation needed]
[edit] Earth-Two Metal Men from Jupiter
In All Star Comics #26, scientist Hebert Crawford enlists the aid of the "Metal Men from Jupiter" to steal various objects for him. These beings consume various metals in order to survive and the Justice Society of America exploits the properties of their diet in order to neutralize them. These beings were never seen again after this adventure.
[edit] Appearances in other media
The Metal Men are brainwashed destruct-robs in the Elseworlds mini-series, The Nail. They battle Wonder Woman after destroying the White House.
A possible future version of the Metal Men in a combined form called Alloy appears in artist Alex Ross and Mark Waid's Kingdom Come. Alloy appeared in modern continuity in Superman: Man of Steel 1000000 (part of the "DC One Million" event). The Metal Men, driven insane by the Hourman Virus, attack Superman, at one point combining into Alloy.
In the 31st Century, the Metal Men were misremembered as JSA-like superheroes: Mercury like the mythical god, Gold as a knight, Iron in a hard hat, Lead as a masked wrestler, and Tin as a dog). (Legionnaires 38.)
The Metal Men showed up in some DC One Million titles. Platinum played a special role, giving the citizens of the 853rd century an oral history of the Superman lineage.
Another appearance of note is the Metal Men entry in the Bizarro Comics story "The Tinocchio Syndrome" by Bob Fingerman and Pat McEown in which the team disguise themselves as humans and spends an evening in a dance bar, with mixed results.
Available Metal Men merchandise has included t-shirts, a collector's plate by Alex Ross and a PVC figure set.
A version called the Magnetic Men appeared in the DC/Marvel crossover "Amalgam Comics"; see Magneto & The Magnetic Men and Magnetic Men Featuring Magneto. These versions are robots created by 'Magneto' (an amalgam of Magneto and Will Magnus) based on members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and named after magnetic or diamagnetic metals: a version of the Toad called Bismuth, etc.
[edit] Film
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This article or section contains information about one or more scheduled or expected films. The content may change as the film's release approaches and more information becomes available. |  |
During an interview with superherohype.com on April 9, 2006, Lauren Shuler Donner, producer of the X-Men trilogy, expressed interest in developing Metal Men into a movie like "Men in Black", a light film with "a lot of CGI." On November 19 Donner confirmed in an interview with IESB.net that she was indeed in the early stages of developing the movie with Warner Bros.
[edit] Bibliography
- Showcase (1962): 37-40, 100
- Metal Men (1963): 1-56
- Brave & Bold (1964): 55, 66, 74, 103, 113, 121, 135-136, 187
- World's Finest (1976): 239
- DC Presents (1978): 4, 70
- Amazing Heroes (1981): 10. (An article about the history of the Metal Men)
- Action Comics (1987): 590, 599 (First hints that the Metal Men are not just robots.)
- Metal Men (1993): 1-4 (Metal Men are retcon as humans in robot bodies, Magnus becomes Veridium, Gold dies.)
- Showcase '95 (1995): 2
- Kingdom Come (1995): 1-4 (as Alloy)
- Magneto and the Magnetic Men (1996): 1. (Amalgam version)
- The Magnetic Men featuring Magneto (1997): 1 (Amalgam version)
- Legion of Superheroes (1997): 95-100
- JLA: The Nail (1998): 3
- Superman: Man of Tomorrow (1998): 1,000,000
- Superman: Man of Steel (1998): 1,000,000 (First non-Kingdom Come appearance of Alloy)
- JLA: Year One (1998) 11-12
- Legionnaires (1998): 68
- Secret Files and Origins "Guide to the DC Universe 2000" (1999): 1
- Superman The Man of Steel (1999): 98
