They came from inner space! The MICRONAUTS Appreciation 2019

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Micronauts

The Micronauts are a team of freedom fighters, explorers and adventurers.

Originally dedicated to fighting the tyrant Baron Karza who enslaved most of their planets in the Microverse,
the team has stayed together after his defeat, exploring the Microverse.

Creation
Marvel Comics writer and editor Bill Mantlo recalls that The Micronauts as a comic book series originated
on Christmas Day of 1977 when his son Adam received one of the new Micronauts toys as a present.
Recognizing the story potential inherent in the toy line, Mantlo quickly convinced then editor in chief Jim Shooter to acquire the license.
Mantlo would remain as writer on The Micronauts series for nearly all of its initial series run,
finally turning over the writing reigns to Peter B. Gillis for its resurrection as Micronauts The New Voyages.
The series team of Mantlo, and artist Michael Golden meshed uncannily well,

creating a rich back story for the characters, and using nearly every toy in the line in one form or another.

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In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Microverse is called "Quantum Realm".

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Micronauts #1 Jan 1979
"Homeworld!"
Chapter 1: Homeworld
Prince Argon and Princess Mari, with several retainers, are fleeing on horseback from a squad of flying Acroyears.
The aristocracy has just been overthrown by Baron Karza, who has promised the citizens immortality via his Body Banks.
When the two reach a place called Shelter, Mari laments the recent death of their parents.

Argon summons a Time Traveler, emissary of the Enigma Force and harbinger of the darkest times imaginable.
Karza's Dog Soldiers shell the building and take Argon prisoner.

Chapter 2: Homecoming
The HMS Endeavor lands on Homeworld after a thousand years exploring the Microverse.
Commander Arcturus Rann steps out, expecting an honor guard. The Dog Soldiers there, however, take aim at him and fire.
Karza calls Rann an "x-factor" and orders him thrown into the dungeons.
There he awakes in a cell full of aliens, including Bug and Acroyear, who rescue him from the others.
They tell Rann that the warp drive was invented during his trip and that Karza used it to conquer the other worlds of the Microverse.
Rann seems most surprised, though, that "Doctor" Karza, his old professor, is behind all the recent events.

Outside the cell, a bot entertains the crowd by making a young woman dance
(they are Microtron and Mari, now going by the name Marionette). Rann is smitten.

Chapter 3: Escape
The next morning, Rann, Bug, and Acroyear are herded into a colosseum, where Microtron and Marionette are performing.
Bug tells Rann that Marionette is a princess who has joined the underground and that an escape is in the works.
The doors close, but Marionette is kept inside. A deathtank enters and begins firing its pulse-cannons into the captives.
Acroyear tells Rann that he is an x-factor and must be protected.
Bug vaults onto the tank and throws a packet bomb through its eye slits, while Acroyear assaults its wheels.
A Time Traveller appears to Rann and says, "I have many names, commander, and I have lived them all. Some call me the Enigma Force."
Rann is mystified. Then the underground's charges blow, and the colosseum is thrown into chaos.
Rann, Bug, and Acroyear find Marionette already in a getaway car.

She swears by Dallan and Sepsis, the first to rebel against Karza and now deities; Rann is shocked because they were his parents.
Pursuit falls away as the group makes its way to the Endeavor.
Shaitan asks Karza why they are allowed to escape, and Karza tells him, "that which we cannot fathom must sometimes be made to reveal itself."
Biotron, notified by telepathy, has the ship ready to go. Three fighters follow the ship into space, but where the Micronauts go they cannot follow.
Biotron takes their ship through the Fringes of the Microverse, and then through the Spacewall, into whatever lies beyond.

Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Michael Golden and Joe Rubinstein.

[Lee Stone]

Comic shops didn't exist in my world until years later, so I never saw the Micronauts until Marvel decided to pull out of doing Comic Shop exclusive superhero titles.

They cancelled Micronauts, Moon Knight and Ka-Zar and proceeded to relaunch them for newsstands.
Micronauts and Moon Knight made it out the gate, but Ka-Zar didn't.
And then New Universe came along and they had to make room for those.



I remember being enthralled with the first issue's cover.
And the Kelley Jones art inside was so dynamic.
I fell in love with the series, but I think it stopped being sold in my area after the sixth issue.

I did end up getting the full 20 issue run off ebay back when the internet first came available.

And it wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered that the last issue of the first series was done by the same creative team as New Voyages.

I tried getting into the non-Marvel versions, but there's always something missing.
And the hard sci-fi feel and focus on exploration of the early issues of New Voyages isn't exactly popular with comic readers. Think the only thing I've found comparable would be Six from Sirius.

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Micronauts #2 Feb 1979
"Earth!"
Escaping from Prince Shaitan and Baron Karza, the Micronauts arrive on Earth where they are the size of small toys;

Prince Shaitan succeeds in following them

and attacks them in the garden of the Coffin Family.

Script by Bill Mantlo, with pencils by Michael Golden, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

[LastManStanding]

I came across the Micronauts last year when I did some research on pulp/dime fiction. I plan to collect the stories.

[EmeraldGladiator]

I picked up the whole series last year. I loved Force Commander's character design, one of my favorite childhood toys. Acroyer was my favorite character, had a very Lt. Commander Worf Star Trek:TNG, storyline, greatest warrior of a warrior race that has been exiled.

[Mike]

One of my all time favorite series.
I do wish that there was someway to reprint the Marvel series.
ROM too.
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[Zero Hunter]

Micronauts like Rom was so integrated in the main Marvel U which is what made it so good. It was not just some totally detached solo entity. Unlike Rom though the Micronauts are still part of the Marvel U in everything but name only. With Marvel still having the rights to so much of what they created in the original series it still works in the greater Marvel U. I have wondered before just what Marvel can and can't use. Characters created directly off the toys (Baron Karza, Acroyear, Microtron, Biotron, and a few others) are off limits of coarse, but the things that sprung up off those characters have always mad me curious. Since Marvel came up with the backstory for Acroyear and his whole race do they still have the right to use characters like his mate Cilicia or his evil brother Shaitan? Could they use Acroyear himself is they didn't have him in armour and had him renouce his old name take a new one therby leaving all his past history intact? Why have they never used Devil, Fireflyte, and especailly Huntarr in any of their post original series apperances?

They just used them back in 2010 to tie into the Hulk books, and used characters like Jarella and a Deathshead robot to fill out the ranks.

[Zero Hunter]

One of my favorite mini series as a kid.

[Zero Hunter]

[Lee Stone]

Micronauts like Rom was so integrated in the main Marvel U which is what made it so good. It was not just some totally detached solo entity. Unlike Rom though the Micronauts are still part of the Marvel U in everything but name only. With Marvel still having the rights to so much of what they created in the original series it still works in the greater Marvel U. I have wondered before just what Marvel can and can't use. Characters created directly off the toys (Baron Karza, Acroyear, Microtron, Biotron, and a few others) are off limits of coarse, but the things that sprung up off those characters have always mad me curious. Since Marvel came up with the backstory for Acroyear and his whole race do they still have the right to use characters like his mate Cilicia or his evil brother Shaitan? Could they use Acroyear himself is they didn't have him in armour and had home renouce his old name take a new one therby leaving all his past history intact? Why have they never used Devil, Fireflyte, and especailly Huntarr in any of their post original series apperances?

They just used them back in 2010 to tie into the Hulk books, and used characters like Jarella and a Deathshead robot to fill out the ranks.

Too bad they didn't do anything with them after that.

[Zero Hunter]

Too bad they didn't do anything with them after that.

It really is. There is just so much they could do with those characters and the microverse as a whole. So much untapped potential.

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Micronauts #3 Mar 1979
"Death-Duel at Daytona Beach!"
The battle continues between the Micronauts and the soldiers of Karza after the opponents travel throughout space and arrive on Earth;

After a massive battle and a lot of destruction,

the Micronauts win,

but it isn't a happy victory; Bug is missing, the Endeavor is crippled and
the tracking device permits Baron Karza to discover another world to conquer.

Script by Bill Mantlo, with pencils by Michael Golden (breakdowns) and Joe Rubinstein, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

[RickWJ324]

I never read the comics as a kid, but had some of the figures and toys back in the 70's (along with another great toyline called Shogun Warriors). One of my favorite pieces I had as a child was the Micronauts Battle Cruiser:

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