If you missed the last one…
This post is brought to you by Ships of Steel, an upcoming anthology of Space Opera novellas in the tradition of the best-selling Swords of Fire. This book features the space captain Sudana and her android companion Zaar. These two appeared in four stories in Whispers of Ice and Sand by G. W. Thomas. The duo are back for a novella-length adventure featuring Space Pirates (much nastier ones than those in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew).
The Bronze Age was busy with giant robots. So busy we have divided the years 1970 to 1986 into two decades. I featured most of the Science Fiction comics in a previous post, leaving us with a ton of superhero giant robot battles. You’d think it was like Star Wars came out and the editors at Marvel and DC said, “I want giant robots on the covers!” But there were plenty before the Droids and Han Solo showed up! The tradition goes all the way back to 1939 so it can hardly be blamed entirely on George Lucas. That film did spark a resurgence of Space Opera elements that exploded across the movie screens, television and comics but robots were here long before 1977.
As I said in the last post, there isn’t much difference between a Marvel comic in 1969 and one in 1970. But as the decade moves on, things do change. Stan Lee as a writer can be seen in 1970 but by 1977 he has moved “upstairs”. He is replaced by new writers like Chris Claremont and Steve Engelhart. But the pensters don’t really matter, because no matter who is plotting and scripting, the giant bots will show up. Marvel even tried to create a super giant robot character named Red Ronin to fight Godzilla. The influence of Japanese anime is beginning to surface in the US.
The 1970s
“The Dawn of the Doomsday Man!” (The Silver Surfer #13, February 1970) was written by Stan Lee.
“The Carnage of the Crypto-Man!” (Thor #174, March 1970) was written by Stan Lee.
“Madness In the Slums” (Captain America #133, January 1971) was written by Stan Lee.
“The Massacre of Mankind” (Nightmare #2, February 1971) was written by Walter B. Gibson. (New version of Robotmen of the Lost Planet (Avon, 1952 series) #1 (1952) 
“A Clockwork Horror” (Swamp Thing #6, September-October 1973) was written by Len Wein.
“Crazed Junkies Fight Killer Robots to the Death” (Zap Comix #7, 1974) was written and drawn by S. Clay Wilson.
“Robots on Strike” Cover (Mad House Annual #12, 1974)
“H…as in Hulk, Hell and Holocaust!” (Giant-Size Defenders #2, October 1974) was written by Len Wein.
“Summerkill” (Marvel Premiere #24, September 1975) was written by Chris Claremont.
“Junkman–The Recycled Superstar!” (Action Comics #455, January 1976) was written by Elliot Maggin.
“Fangs of the Kobra!” (Kobra #1, February-March 1976) was written by Jack Kirby, Steve Sherman and Marty Pasko.
“Death Throws!”/”The B-Centennial!” (Captain Marvel #44-45, May-Juy 1976) was written by Steve Engelhart and Al Milgrom.
“Deadly Medicine”/Mind Over Murder”/”Death Walk” (Adventure Comics #445-447, May/June-September-October 1976) was written by Marty Pasko.
“Starquest!” (Fantastic Four #174, September 1976) was written by Roy Thomas.
“Trapped By the Super Foes” (Super Friends #2, December 1976) was written by E. Nelson Bridwell.
“The Rival Robots” (Dr. Who Annual 1978, 1977) was written by an unknown author.
“Evil Is … the Earthshaker!” (Nova #5, January 1977) was written by Marv Wolfman.
“The Lady’s Not For Killing!”/”Death is the Doomsay Man!” (Ms. Marvel #3-4, March-April 1977) was written by Chris Claremont and Gerry Conway.
“No World Escape the Manhunters!” (Justice League of America #141, April 1977) was written by Steve Engelhart.
“Underdog, Where Are You?” (Underdog #13, June 1977) was written by an unknown author.
“Professor Klean the Mad Crusader” (Plastic Man #18, June-July 1977) was written by John Albano.
“Hollow World Part 10” (2000 A. D. #21, July 16, 1977) was written by Steve Moore.
“You Just Don’t Quarrel With the Quintronic Man!” (The Incredible Hulk #213, July 1977) was written by Len Wein.
“The Evil Dr. Catenstein” (New Terrytoons #46, September 1977) was written by Paul S. Newman.
“Inner Mission!” (Justice League of America #146, September 1977) was written by Steve Engelhart.
“Homecoming!” (Ms. Marvel #13, January 1978) was written by Chris Claremont and Gerry Conway.
“Birth of a Warrior”/”Titan Times Two” (Godzilla #7-8, February-March 1978) was written by Doug Moench.
“There Shall Come a Gathering” (Showcase #100, May 1978) was written by Paul Kupperberg and Paul Levitz.
“The Menace of …Arsenal!” (The Invincible Iron Man #114, September 1978) was written by Bill Mantlo.
“My Master, Machinesmith!” (Marvel Two-In-One #48, February 1979) was written by Bill Mantlo.
“Menace of the Murder Machines” (The Brave and the Bold #153, August 1979) was written by Cary Burkett.
Conclusion
That’s a lot of Marvel superheroes here. I may have given the impression that DC wasn’t doing this kind of thing anymore. They certainly did in the Silver Age and they did in the 1970s with Shazam and the various team comics. The 1970s was a time when Marvel gained some traction. (DC was having an implosion by 1976.) Spider-man faced off against bots too but they will show up when I do the smaller ones. As will several DC comics. You have to remember these aren’t the only 1970s robots I have looked at. And I have more to come.
My obsession with tin robots, both large and small, makes me ever vigilant for some tin-plated baddy showing up in the most unusual places. (I have a similar eye for plant monsters.) No doubt I will discover new ones even after I think I’ve exhausted the field. There are just so many of them. People seem to love robots as much as I do.
But first…the 1980s…
Discover the classic Military SF series
Leave a Reply