Robots in the 1950s Golden Age changed very little from the horrible invaders of the 1940s. The robots of the 1950s tended to be in the Horror Comics and were perhaps even less friendly. Plenty of revolts, rebellions, revolutions and invasions, all mirroring the anxiety of the new Cold War with Russia. Aliens and mad scientists (thinly disguised foreigners) ruled over the metal drones.
1950
“The Isle of Mechanical Men” (Four Color #280, June 1950) hasAndy and Charlie stuck on an island used by a mad scientist to create a robot army. Fortunately, Andy stumbles on Hiram, a good robot and the crooks’ robot invasion is stymied.
“The Black Menace” (Jetman the Space Ranger and His Robot Tempo #3, 1950?) has Jetman and Tempo take on a giant spider. Tempo becomes glowing hot and repels the monster so Jetman can laser blast it.
1951
“I Deal in Murder” (Suspense #6, January 1951) may have been written by the artist, Bill Everett. The story has the Communists using robots to do their dirty work. (Did I say “thinly”?)
“Robots of Ra” (Captain Science #2, February 1951) Author unknown. A scientist travels to the future to find a beautiful redhead is a space princess and robotist. The art in this one feels very Planet Stories covers.
“And Then There Were Two” (Weird Fantasy #6, March-April 1951) was written by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein. On an island in the Pacific, robots are revered as gods.
“Adonis 2-PX-89” (Amazing Adventures #4, July-August 1951) was written by Superman creator, Jerry Siegel. Two love-robots from the planet Blyntzen fall for each other, causing trouble for the alien invaders. The whole thing is for laughs in a MAD Magazine style. Many of the robots found here will come from alien planets.
“Robot Rebellion” (Rocket Ship #1, September 1951) has an engineer, a scientist and his daughter go to the Moon and encounter hostile robots. A robot arm is projected back to 1950 to warn humanity that there will be war with the mechanical men.
“Chris Welkin, Planeteer” (December 1951) was written by SF author Russ Winterbotham. Robots didn’t come up often in the comic strip than ran from 1951 to 1954. In 1951, there was one robot, a mechanical barber.
1952
Robotmen of the Lost Planet (1952, Avon Comics) reprinted in Strange Worlds #19 (February 1955) An unknown author wrote this lengthy tale (22 pages) about robots who come to wipe humanity, and the humans’ success at taking back their planet.
“Revolt of the Robots!” (Space Detective #3, February 1952) was written by an unknown author. Targan appears mysteriously on the Earth to unleash a race of robots on mankind. Only after he is killed do the humans see he too was a robot from the future. This story basically cribs the ideas of Ray Cummings’ novel, The Exile of Time.
“Survival of the Fittest” (Weird Tales of the Future #1, March 1952) was written by an unknown author. Humanity and robots are in a war against each other. Only the fittest will survive the robots order of extinction to all humanity.
“Revolt of the Robots” (Space Adventures #2, September 1952) The author is unknown. Jak and Maida go to one of Jupiter’s moons for some alone time. One of their robots gives them grief. It turns out to be Jak’s assistant disguised as a robot. Ray Cummings used this idea back in Weird Tales in 1941. It will appear here again.
“Robot Woman” (Weird Mysteries #2, December 1952) The author is unknown but who cares? It’s Basil Wolverton! A mad scientist creates a robot woman for himself, then abuses her. She gets even. Lester Del Rey’s Helen O’Loy” never showed us this side of mechanical romance.
1953
“Burton’s Blood” (Menace #2, April 1953) was written by Stan Lee. A vampire hides out for centuries then returns to feast on humanity of the future. He’s made one big mistake!
“Operation Massacre” (The Thing #9, July 1953) was written by Carl Memling. A mad scientist creates robots to take over the world. This results in a very bad headache! Now there’s something you won’t see in the Silver Age!
“Too Human to Live” (Spellbound #16, August 1953) was written by an unknown author. Who are the robots? As it turns out it’s Sam, the human-looking machine. Philip K. Dick would spin this same theme over and over.
“The Robot’s Revenge” (Spaceman #1, September 1953) was written by Hank Chapman. This Speed Carter adventure begins with robots designed for murder attacking the spaceman and his friend. The individuals who sent the robots must be found out.
“What Happened On the Moon?” (Strange Tales #22, September 1953) was written by Burt Frohman. A scientist creates a race of robots to help with humankind’s space program but ends up with something much worse.
“King of the Iron Men” (Blackhawk #69, October 1953) The author is unknown. The mad scientist Yorga sends his giant robots to the uranium diggings in Costonya. He then starts work on human-looking robots!
“Almost Human” (Beware #6, November 1953) has the same title as a Robert Bloch story but the plot is entirely different. The strip’s author is unknown. Jonson, a creepy castle owner, has a plan to replace all humans with robot look-a-likes.
“Revolt of the Robots” (Mystic #25, December 1953) is the second strip to have that title. The author is unknown. A human-looking robot is created to hunt down other robots. The hunter is unaware of his own nature.
1954
“Lucha Titanica” (Red Dixon, Series 2 #55, 1954) is a Spanish comic featuring a very Flash Gordon style hero. he disguises himself as a robot to infiltrate their ranks.
“The Crime Machine” (Adventures Into the Unknown #58, August 1954) The black borders are because this was a 3D comic. Author unknown. A robot is created to kill criminals, then sentencing itself for the crime of murder.
“The Super-Perfect Servant” (Strange Adventures #47, August 1954) was written by Sid Gerson. In a world with robots, a scientist poses as a machine to capture aliens disguised as men.
1955
“Slaves of the Undead Brain” (The Beyond #30, January 1955) was written by an unknown author. Thorsten, the owner of Titronics is added by a strange looking ally in Nemo. Thorsten’s bid to rule the robot fails after he learns Nemo is a robot.
Some extra covers from the 1950s
So there are your robots in the 1950s Golden Age. 1956 would see the Comics’ Code arrive and things would calm down in the Silver Age. Robots won’t disappear. They will just be less violent. Eventually, in the 1970s, robots would become the explanation of just about anything incredible in SatAM cartoons. (It was okay for Thundarr to slice up a machine but not a person.) The coming of the Silver Age did something else for robots. With EC comics giving up the ghost, Harry Harrison would leave comics for fiction. One of his first big series was War with the Robots!
Some of these comics are available for free at Digital Comic Museum.
While we didn’t see any heads getting crushed, Russ Manning’s classic Silver Age comic MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 AD featured quite a few “robs” that sure had violence on their metal minds! The dread Battle-Rob with its tank treads and missiles, the evil Nadmot, programmed with the mental patterns of its vengeful creator, the planet-sized computer Malev-6, which somehow dragged Lovecraftian sorcery into the comic… Manning’s imagination was second to none when it came to dangerous machines to pit against his human hero.