Sunday, September 3, 2023

Thor and The Metal Men

 

Every so often a creative team tries to update and modernize the Metal Men, sometimes giving them edgy, extreme redesigns.  They always seem to return to their original attitudes and appearances, and for me that is a good thing.  Those nutty robots were perfectly realized right from their first appearance.

19 comments:

Carycomic said...

What do you want to bet that Loki was trying to radically redesign them as Uru-metal men? I mean, that's how Thor bragged about Mjolnir half the time, all through the Seventies

"'Tis made of uru metal!"

Anonymous said...

Hey Ross do you think a cover featring Hellboy and the Tamers from Monster Allergy would work.

Daviticus said...

Okay, everyone who's surprised that Ross thinks original is best raise your hand. ;)

Ross said...

Not really familiar with monster allergy. But anything is possible.

Anonymous said...

@Daviticus: Reminds of the conclusion to "Casanova's Big Night" starring Bob Hope. Bob is about to get decapitated in 18th century Venice, Italy, when he suddenly breaks the 4th Wall and demonstrates the swashbuckling alternative ending he had in mind (including the single-handed vanquishing of the stunt men/guards). He then says to the 1954 movie-going audience: "All those who prefer the original ending raise your popcorn bags." He pauses to count. Then, he asks for the same procedure with regard to _his_ ending. Another pause. Then, he says: "What's the matter? Doesn't this theater sell popcorn?"

Detective Tobor said...

i have to agree with Ross ...the original Metal Men worked as well as the X-Men as long as there was a good writer doing the story. Look at Batman as an alien fighter in the early sixties to becoming a real detective and movie star in 1989 as a series character.

simon said...

read the Metal men ( & Tina ) from their first appearance, love them at there wacky best the only team to match them was the Inferior Five,
have we ever had Forbushman and the Original Red Tornado ( Ma Huntley ) team up ?

simon said...

Hunkle bloomin spell checker swopped letters on me !

Bob Greenwade said...

@Anon@9:34: Maybe Hellboy visiting Monster High?

@Daviticus: Well, the original versions are the best, hands-down.

@simon: Forbrush Man and the Golden Age Red Tornado were both members of The Union Suit Squad.

Anonymous said...

@Ross Could you make that cover pls?

Davejonz said...

Ross, totally agree about the original Metal Men. I did see a later version of the team that included an additional 'female' member - Copper - but she doesn't seem to have appeared again.
As a suggestion (and maybe you've already done it) how about a Platinum/Jocasta team-up?

Steve Balentine said...

I would like to see Copper return the next time the Metal Men return. She was fun, commenting on the other characters and the ridiculousness of the situations they would find themselves in. They definitely need another "female" and someone who isn't all lovesick over Doc Magnus

Bob Greenwade said...

@Dave: Jocasta, along with Machine Man, did share a cover with the Metal Men as a team way, way back in #194, but there hasn't been a cover with just Jo and Tina.

And you're not the first to ask for one. (I don't think I was, either.)

Anonymous said...

As I recall, there was a third metal woman for a while. Mrs. Tin!

Unfortunately, the readers never did come up with an individual name for her. Me? I would have opted for "Nicole" (as a pun on the metal called nickel).

Carycomic said...

I vaguely remember Mrs. Tin. Didn't the writers just refer to her as "Nameless" in their head-shot roll calls?

Anonymous said...

P.S. @ Daviticus: I have to agree with Ross. For instance; the original forward-facing explosion of Death Star One was undeniably better than the needless alteration made to Ep4:ANH for the 1997 re-release.

Jason Toddman said...

Have you ever crossed Doc Magnus and his Metal men with Magnus Robot Fighter? Since you like to team up pairs with similar names, I thought this might be an interesting one especially with the shared robotic theme.

Ross said...

Jason: Yes - https://braveandboldlost.blogspot.com/2012/01/metal-men-and-magnus-robot-fighter.html

Carycomic said...

Is Doc Magnus truly Loki in disguise? Or is it really one of the Mad Thinker's android imposters pulling a double bluff? Perhaps a would-be Metal Man called "Thorium."

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