I remember reading the Machine Man mini-series in 1984 and thinking that Arno Stark, the Iron Man of 2020, was pretty cool. 2020 seemed pretty far off to me then, so he truly felt like a futuristic version. Well the year has arrived, and Marvel is appropriately featuring the character in their current comics. Oddly enough, I am also living in 2020, and I hardly feel futuristic - more like an antique! Nothing like going over past comics to make you feel your age!
You know, Ross, you raise an interesting question.
ReplyDeleteI mean, if Reed Richards of Earth-A became his world's version of The Thing, why couldn't Tony Stark from the same world become a new version of The Freak?*
*Happy Hogan was the original version, if I recall correctly.
Me, I'm still holding out hope for a Machine Man movie! Hey, they made movies about Venom, Ant-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, didn't they?!
ReplyDeleteGreat cover-Great title.
ReplyDeleteLaughing at your comment of "future years." I too have seen the future through comics; the years 1970, 2020, 2001 and my favorite future, 1987 where Colonel Tommy Tomorrow went to the theater to see anti-gravity acrobats!
ReplyDeleteYou got me curious, Ross, about what else has been set in 2020. Just for starters, with things I'm already familiar with, I found that the animated C.O.P.S. and Sealab 2020 (the latter I only know of; the former had me as a fan) were in this year. It's also, interestingly, the setting of both Pacific Rim and A Quiet Place -- and I can hardly think of two more contrasting films with such a connection. Some of the films that Wikipedia lists are upcoming 2020 films, which I don't think should be on the list, though at least one caught my attention as somewhat interesting: 1965's Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet.
ReplyDelete@Daviticus: A Machine Man miniseries on Disney+ would probably not go far astray.
@MHS: Don't forget that 1987 was also, according to at least one telling of the tale, the year that William Rogers was lost in deep space. (Hint: his nickname was "Buck.")
I also recall TV's Space: 1999; and some part of my mind tells me that 1999 was also the year of the disaster that sparked the ruined world of Thundarr the Barbarian.
@Ross: It just occurred to me, as I typed the preceding paragraph, that a meeting between Thundarr and Kamandi might be fitting -- not just for their far-future post-apocalyptic settings, but because the former's show had among its production designers a guy named Jack Kirby. Then I took a look, and found that they'd already met in #1548, Thudarr's only appearance on this blog! I'd love to see this revisited (possibly with a follow-up tale involving someone like the Fantastic Four), but I don't know that it should be a high priority. (I can just envision Thundarr standing behind the Thing, ready to join in as Ben gives his famous battle-cry.)
ALF #17 predicted the year 2020; Platypus Comix noted that 2020 was mis-predicted unless "radicool" became a word.
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: I remember watching SEALAB 2020! One of the best non-superheroic cartoons Hanna-Barbera ever did for Saturday mornings on NBC.
ReplyDeleteAs for Thundarr the Barbarian (created by H-B alumni Ruby and Spears)? I believe his battlecry went something like...
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-HEEEEE!"
Great to see the Doom Patrol - I had a real affection for them, at least the founding bunch. This version looks close to that original, as I recall. Although didn't they start out with green, rather than red, uniforms?
ReplyDeleteThat's true. The first appearance of the Doom Patrol, with art by Bruno Premiani debuted in 'My Greatest Adventure' #80 (June 1963), which was soon re-titled Doom Patrol from issue #86 (March 1964). An aging wheelchair bound scientist known only as the Chief gathers together three super-powered outcasts: Automaton (changed to Robotman by the team's third appearance, issue #82), Elasti-Girl, Negative Man. The team was initially announced as "The Legion of the Strange". The original Doom Patrol costumes for Elast-Girl and Negative Man were plain green utility suits. They don't begin to wear the more familiar-looking red and white uniforms until Doom Patrol (Volume 1) #89.
ReplyDeletecompleting the curious information about: Doom Patrol (Volume 1) #89 with a cover date of August, 1964... and with 'Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man' first appearence.
ReplyDelete@B. Paganini: ironically, he's the one super-villain that has yet to be depicted here (despite popular demand).
ReplyDeleteAnimal Vegetable Mineral Man has appeared twice.
ReplyDeleteIf I may, 'Animal-Vegetal-Mineral Man' already has its shine guaranteed in the pantheon of the most desirable hypothetical encounters that this blog allows us to view. Whether facing the X-Men or against a creative composition of heroes inspired by their own name. Follow the label 'ANIMAL VEGETABLE MINERAL MAN' or just jump to https://braveandboldlost.blogspot.com/search/label/Animal%20Vegetable%20Mineral%20Man?m=0
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: Thundarr and Kamandi were both in #1548.
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: I almost forgot proposing Elastigirl (TEEN TITANS GO!) and Donna Brown (formerly Tubbs) (The Cleveland Show/ Family Guy).
ReplyDelete@Ross: only twice? Don't you think he merits a third appearance, then? And with much bigger print?
ReplyDelete@Anon@8:23: Oh, you noticed that. So did I; that's why I put the link to that issue in my above comment, when I proposed a follow-up tale.
ReplyDeleteThe giant still has a lab coat and a pocket protector. Cavemen Geeks rule!
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: the link wasn't working on my terminal at the time. I kept this frigging little T-rex!
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: There's a Machine Man series planned for/on Disney+? Thanks for telling me...though it'll probably be a while before I can check it out since the service doesn't seem to be available in my area as of yet.
ReplyDeleteI have to correct you, though...IIRC the disaster that created Thundarr's world happened in 1994.
@Daviticus: you recall correctly. :-)
ReplyDelete@Daviticus: There's no Machine Man series announced for Disney+ (that I'm aware of). I was only suggesting that if one were done, it wouldn't at all be a bad thing. And thank you for that correction; I knew I had the right decade, but not so much the right year.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the Twilight Zone episode where a gang of bank robbers goes into cryogenic hibernation for a hundred years to try and escape justice? As well as accrue monetary interest on their stolen loot? And it turns out that money has gone the way of the dinosaur?!
ReplyDeleteWell, here we are, almost seventy years closer to that cautionary epilogue. And, yet, we still have no flying cars (as depicted at the end of the episode). Let alone, living in a cash-free Utopia.
That was "The Rip Van Winkle Caper." And it was first telecast in April of 1961. So, we're closer to the sixtieth anniversary of it!
ReplyDeleteBut, otherwise, yeah; I see your point and agree with it.
@Carycomic: actually it was gold itself that was worthless, because a way was found to manufacture it; also, with air travel having its own traffic problems as is (there also is a brevity comic strip from 12/10/2006, that poked fun at flying car traffic), would a world full of flying cars really be better?
ReplyDelete@Anon1013: Four Jetsons, a sassy she-robot, and a talking Great Dane can't be all wrong!
ReplyDeleteMuch better than Starkers.
ReplyDelete