They came from inner space! The MICRONAUTS Appreciation 2019

[Zero Hunter]

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).

Marvel had a Shogun Warriors series back in the late 70's that lasted 20 issues.

[RickWJ324]

Marvel had a Shogun Warriors series back in the late 70's that lasted 20 issues.

Yep.. I remember that one too. I used to have battles with my Shogun Warriors and Micronauts figures! Also, being in scale with Star Wars toys, the Micronauts frequently teamed up with Luke and the Rebels!!

I always wanted Baron Karza (Micronauts) and that large Godzilla from Shogun Warriors. Santa never brought them to me though....

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #4 Apr 1979
"A Hunting We Will Go!"
Baron Karza's Dog Soldiers uncover a rebel cell and open fire. They're looking for a resistance leader named Slug.
The unfortunate casualties of this raid will go into the Body Banks so that other, more fortunate, citizens can live longer, healthier lives.
The survivors are herded up to the surface of Homeworld and to the Body Banks, where Karza himself screens them.
A man breaks out of the crowd and confesses to being Slug;
Karza's fist shoots from his arm and chokes him. The real Slug, a woman, watches helplessly.

Meanwhile, the Microns have their own problems. Princess Mari (Marionette) can't believe that Rann is letting Homeworld suffer;
He points out that their ship is barely afloat and they're in another universe.

Ray Coffin, who has collected the debris from the Microns' battle with Shaitan in his backyard, heads for
the Human Engineering Life Laboratories (HELL) at Cape Canaveral to meet a former astronaut and partner, Phillip Prometheus.

Bug hitches a ride, hoping to get enough parts to assemble a fighter and go home.

The Endeavor barely makes it back to the Coffin house to hunt for Bug, but he's not there.
Shaitan does make it back to the Microverse, where an image of Karza greets him.

Because of Shaitan's failure to capture the Micronauts, Karza is revoking
the thoughtwash of his people and sending him home to face the consequences.

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

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #5 May 1979
"The Prometheus Pit!"
The Microns use their Astro Station to follow Bug to the Human Engineering Life Laboratory (HELL) at Cape Canaveral.
They can't fly over the electrified fence, so Acroyear uses the ejector tube and blithely rips a hole in the fence.
They notice Muffin in the Coffin pickup truck. Marionette makes friends with her and rides along as she follows Steve's scent,
straight into the building. The others find a vent, fly the Astro Station into it, and park in an air shaft.
Rann takes a glider pack to find another entrance while Acroyear and Microtron look for Bug.

Back at the Coffins' house, Biotron is repairing the Endeavor.
He needs a power source, so he extends his legs to reach the workbench.
He fails to notice the cat, who in all the excitement has not been fed ....

Inside the lab, Bug watches as Phillip Prometheus takes Ray and Steve Coffin on a tour.
To their amazement, he has other specimens from the Microverse.
Because he collected them before the Spacewall was breached, they did not survive the trip.
When Steve identifies them, Prometheus shakes him, desperate for more information.
He explains that, during his last trip to Starlab, cosmic rays bombarded the space station and killed the rest of the crew.
The medical systems he designed, though, replaced his damaged organs with bionic parts;
he pulls off part of his face to show that much of his body is now metal and circuitry.
He needs the technology of the Microverse to improve his systems, and he will do anything to get it.
Ray realizes that Steve is in grave danger, and when a guard restrains him,
Prometheus warns him that all the guards are robots of his own creation. Bug drops from the ceiling and attacks!

Back on Homeworld, the captured rebels, Slug among them, are herded by Dog Soldiers into the Body Banks for processing.
Duchess Belladonna complains to Baron Karza that she's still waiting for her new body.
Prince Argon, his upper body grafted onto a horse, suddenly blasts through a wall and attacks Karza.
His shots bounce off Karza's force field, and he falls to Karza's eye blasts.
Karza admits that he allowed Argon to escape so that he could demoralize the resistance. Slug protests, and Belladonna chooses her body.

Muffin and Marionette find Steve in the lab. Prometheus tilts the floor so that they
and Bug start sliding into his Prometheus Pit, his portal to the Microverse.
Acroyear arrives and tears up the robot holding Ray, while Microtron extends his arm to catch Steve.
Freed, Ray grapples with Prometheus, and they topple into the pit!

The robots turn on the others, following their last order: "prepare to seize the Micronauts!"

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

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #6 Jun 1979
"The Great Escapes"
Steve Coffin and the Microns flee Prometheus's lab with robots in hot pursuit. Microtron shorts out a fire door control and buys them some time.
Commander Rann contacts Biotron, to see if he has repaired the Endeavor and can pick them up,
but there's no answer—the Coffins' cat has cornered him. Steve barely bluffs his way past the guards at the entrance.
They notice the little aliens following him, but at that moment the robots burst out with guns blazing.
Colonel Macey, head of security, alerts the front gate to stop Steve, just as the Astro Station flies by him.
Bug, not the best choice for pilot, crashes into the bed of the pickup truck, just before it crashes through the gate.

Ray Coffin and Phillip Prometheus find themselves falling through space in the Microverse.
Ray begins to glow, tells Prometheus, "someone's calling me," and vanishes. A Time Traveller introduces himself to Ray,
who has teleported to a different place. A probe detects Prometheus and heads for Homeworld.
Instead of landing at Baron Karza's Body Banks, however, it goes to the Shadow Temple.
Several hours later, the Shadow Priests tell Karza, who dispatches a fleet to investigate.
Slug, the resistance leader, blasts a hole into Prince Argon's cell and frees him.

Steve and the Microns reach the Coffin home. When Steve opens the utility room door, the cat flies out.
They find Biotron dusting his hands and ready to power up the ship. Steve plugs it in.
The whole neighborhood goes dark, including Abner Jenkins next door, who was watching Donny and Marie.

The radar operators at Cape Canaveral pick up a blip as they did in issue #3 but decide to let Patrick AFB handle this one.
Instead, the highway patrol wind up handling it, because security at the Cape put out an APB on the Coffin pickup.
A few blasts from the Microns convince them to call off their pursuit.

They head for Ray's fishing cabin in the Everglades.
Karza's fleet reaches Prometheus. The baron senses a kindred evil and begins laying his plans.

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

[Kaled]

Since IDW worked out a deal with Marvel to publish some Marvel comics for kids I am surprised they did not work out a deal to publish trades of Marvel's Micronauts series.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #7 Jul 1979
"Adventure into Fear!"
Steve Coffin and the Microns have fled to his father's fishing cabin in the Everglades to regroup.
Microtron, watching a television for news of Steve's father, Ray, finds an episode of Star Trek.
Commander Rann, taking a nap in his hibernation capsule, groans.
Princess Mari (Marionette) asks Biotron why he prefers to sleep there. Biotron refers her to a video screen that shows his dreams.

She sees Rann bidding farewell to his parents, the rulers of Homeworld, and setting off to explore the Microverse.
Centuries later, his ship reached the Fringes, the outer limits of the universe.
It accelerated beyond its tolerances, but for some reason it stayed in one piece.
Three Time Travellers appeared and passed data to Rann through Biotron.
Their main message, as far as Biotron could tell, was, "Welcome to the Enigma Force!" Rann screamed.
From that time on, Rann and Biotron's telepathic link became permanent. Biotron, back in command of the ship, set a course for home.

Microtron gets a bulletin: a force field has sprung up around HELL at Cape Canaveral.
Colonel Macey denies reports of miniature extraterrestrials (i.e. the Microns). No one mentions Ray Coffin.
Steve grieves afresh, which draws a muck-encrusted monster from the swamp toward his pain.

Meanwhile, in the Microverse, mobile labs finish their analysis of Phillip Prometheus, an unwilling visitor from Earth.
Baron Karza commands, "Prepare the subject for the mind-merge!" Back on Homeworld, Slug and Argon find a rebel cell.
The rebels, already on the run, say, "No one escapes from the Body Banks!" and "It's a trap!"
A Shadow Priest appears, however, and offers to conduct everyone to a place of safety where they can prepare for the "final battle."
Elsewhere in space, a Time Traveller offers Ray Coffin the chance to become champion of Earth.

Overcome, Steve runs outside the cabin. Mari follows, spots the Man-Thing, and fires.

The rest join the attack, with no noticeable effect. Bug, pinned by Man-Thing's hand,
panics and starts to cook in his shell because "whosoever knows fear, burns at the Man-Thing's touch".
Muffin's bark calls Steve's attention to the swamp buggy moored at the dock.
His fear replaced by determination, Steve jumps into the buggy and starts the engine.
Man-Thing releases Bug to investigate this new emotion, courage. It plods forward—directly into the swamp buggy's giant fan.

Back at HELL, Karza climbs out of the Prometheus Pit.

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

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #8 Aug 1979
"Earth Wars!" Introduction/first appearance of Captain Universe!
The Microns and Steve Coffin reach the Human Engineering Life Laboratories (HELL)
at Cape Canveral, where they find a pitched battle in progress.
Steve tells the head of security, Colonel Macey, that their foe is Baron Karza from the Microverse.
A force field surrounds the building, and Karza controls Prometheus's robots (as well as Prometheus's body),
so the Earthlings have fought a holding action so far. Commander Rann flies to the attack.

Back in the Microverse, Prince Argon, rebel leader Slug, a band of rebels, and a Shadow Priest reach a temple far underground.

Argon addresses the rebels: Karza has oppressed the people of Homeworld for centuries
while holding out the possibility of immortality to those who follow him.
Years ago, though, a Time Traveler appeared to Argon's father and foretold that, although the royal family would fall, it would rise again.
The Shadow Priest admits that his order has worked with Karza, but their Life Machines have helped
put together the rebellion while waiting for the appearance of their champion: Arcturus Rann.
With Karza away, the time has come to strike and strike hard. Argon dons the sacred armor of Dallan Rann to lead the cheering rebels.

Somewhere in space, Ray Coffin asks a Time Traveler what he must do to become Earth's champion.
The glowing figure says, "Relax. Trust me. Close your eyes ... and dream!" There is a flash of light ....

Back at Cape Canaveral, Biotron, Bug, and Microtron aboard the Endeavor attack the robots, but a blast from Karza brings them down.
Acroyear tries a frontal assault and gets slammed to the pavement. Rann and Marionette, hit by Karza's eye beams, also fall.
Rann warns her to retreat. She says, "I'm not giving up the man I love without a fight!" He stutters, "the man you ... love?"

A glow rises from the Prometheus Pit. Captain Universe bursts forth and drives Karza into the ground.

They trade punches, energy blasts,

and verbal jabs without much visible effect.

Rann finds that Marionette is hurt. A brilliant strategy occurs to him:
fly back to the Microverse through the Pit and seal it, thus stranding Karza on Earth.
Karza realizes his danger, abandons Prometheus's body, and follows the Endeavor into the Pit.
Time Travelers seal the breach in the Spacewall. Ray relinquishes his power and is reunited with his son.

Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Michael Golden and Bob McLeod.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

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.

The pre-cursor of the 1610 Marvel Universe? Regardless, like 1610, I never found them to 'matter'. Just another What If? series to me.

[Lee Stone]

The pre-cursor of the 1610 Marvel Universe? Regardless, like 1610, I never found them to 'matter'. Just another What If? series to me.

When Marvel launched the New Universe in 1986, they cancelled a bunch of titles to make room for it.
Micronauts: The New Voyages was one of the titles cut.

Peter B. Gillis: "It was a bitter truth that Jim Shooter had cancelled a whole slew of books to 'free up the creative teams' to do the New Universe, but that none of those people were offered slots in that project. He had killed two of my series, Defenders and Micronauts, and I was feverishly looking for work to make up for it." (Source)

Other books supposedly cancelled for the New Universe: Power Man & Iron Fist and Moon Knight (with Ka-Zar never getting it's planned relaunch).

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Horrible decision imo to cancel series like Defenders and Micronauts in order to 'free up the creative teams' to do the New Universe.

[Factor]

I never knew much about them, as I am not from the US and had never seen the toys, but this thread got me interested in Mantlo's run.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #9 Sep 1979
"Home is Where the Heart is!"
The Endeavor returns to the Microverse, only to find itself surrounded by the Acroyear fleet.
As far as the Microns—and especially Acroyear—know, the people of Spartak are
still under the influence of Baron Karza's thoughtwash and loyal to the usurper, Shaitan.
An Acroyear ship hails the Endeavor and orders the crew to prepare for towing.
They land and step out of the ship to face a daunting array of arms and armor.

Baron Karza also returns to the Microverse, only to find himself surrounded by his own fleet.
Major D'Ark gives him a status report. Karza orders the fleet to set course for Spartak.

"HAIL, PRINCE ACROYEAR!" the Acroyears shout
Karza lifted the thoughtwash in issue #4; Shaitan now languishes in the Judgment Tower.

Acroyear meets his wife, Cilicia, and everyone goes to the palace.

On Homeworld, the rebels close in on the Body Banks.
Units of large Phobos open fire on them, but the Shadow Priests melt them, apparently by magic.

The Acroyears hold a war council. Before they can formulate a strategy, however, Karza's fleet arrives.
Within minutes it wipes out half the Acroyear fleet, and then it begins bombarding the planet.

D'Ark observes that they need not land to defeat the Acroyears, who are superior in hand-to-hand combat.
Cilicia reaches the same conclusion. Acroyear says, "then they must be made to land!"
and makes his way to the Crystal Chamber beneath the palace. The Microns, not to be left out of the fray,
climb into wing fighters and boost into orbit. Biotron stays with the Endeavor. Karza relishes the coming slaughter.

Cilicia tries to warn Acroyear against merging with the Worldmind.
It's only a legend, no one really knows what effects it may have on him.
Acroyear says that the Worldmind "can only be wielded by a king ... and by accident of birth, I am a king!"
With that he places himself between two crystal pillars.

Karza appears atop his flagship and taunts Arcturus Rann.
Rann goes after him, full speed, guns blazing, and pancakes on a force field. Marionette screams ....

Biotron offers the Endeavor to Cilicia to carry refugees. She says there will be none:
"the Worldmind has called together our entire race—the dead, the living, the yet-to-be-born!"

Below the palace, Acroyear cries out; he is becoming the Worldmind ....

Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Michael Golden and Al Milgrom.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #10 Oct 1979
"Defeat!"
Karza, atop his flagship, holds up Rann's limp body.
Marionette aims her fighter at Karza but is shot down by a missile from his midsection; his detachable gauntlet drags her in.
Microtron hears her yell and turns his fighter toward the flagship.
Bug jumps off Microtron's fighter to attack a Phobos; his rocket-lance ignites its fuel pods and he's caught in the explosion.
Microtron hears him yell and unaccountably ignoring Marionette flees to the surface of Spartak.

Karza, now inside the ship, throws Marionette against a wall and tells her she's not worth further abuse.
He has what he came for: Rann. Major D'Ark reports.
Karza says that he's returning "to Homeworld to pry the secret of the Enigma Force from Commander Rann."

The last of the Acroyear fleet goes down.
In the palace, Shaitan suggests that Cilicia surrender,

but she scoffs at the idea: death is better than slavery.
Below the palace, Acroyear has melded physically with the Crystal Chamber and mentally with the very planet.
His face appears on the viewscreen of D'Ark's ship, but D'Ark dismisses it as some kind of trick.

Back on Homeworld, Karza finds the rebels burning his Body Banks and freeing his prisoners.
The appearance of his ship gives heart to his Dog Soldiers, who regroup and prepare to put down the rebellion for good.

The Worldmind of Spartak joins the battle against Karza's fleet.
Giant boulders fire into space, forcing the ships to move in. Cliffs rise from flatlands.
Magma jets upward from rents in the surface. Chasms open up and swallow ships whole. As bad as it looks,

D'Ark knows he can expect worse if he returns to Karza without the victory. He orders his troops to massacre the Acroyears.

But the Acroyears have the Dog Soldiers right where they want them.
No one beats an Acroyear in hand-to-hand combat. The Surface War of Spartak is bloody but brief.

Cilicia, according to Acroyear tradition, passes judgment. When D'Ark is brought before her, he begs for mercy.
"We are soldiers—merely carrying out the orders of Baron Karza." She gives him the only mercy he deserves: a quick death.

Acroyear passes Shaitan on his way to the throne room and says, "From this day forward, I have no brother."

He thinks, when he was part of the Worldmind, "I found myself desperately desiring peace! How then can I lead? How can I be king?"

Biotron realizes that he has lost his telepathic link with Rann. It could mean that Rann is dead ....

Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Michael Golden and Al Milgrom.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Micronauts #11 Nov 1979
"We Are the Enigma Force!"
Baron Karza returns to Homeworld, with Arcturus Rann and Marionette his prisoners in "power-shackles," manacles of pure energy.

Prince Argon, Slug and the Shadow Priests have taken over the Body Banks,
but Karza tells them that he left Homeworld as a ploy to bring out the rebels which is probably a lie.
Karza transforms into his centaur configuration.
Argon attacks him, pointing out that when he surgically turned Argon into a centaur, he made Argon a match for him.
Their battle seemingly drags out for hours, even days.
Slug asks a Shadow Priest what will happen and he tells her, "The order of this day has long been written!"

Karza finally finishes Argon with a blast from his chestplate, and Argon realizes that Karza has only been toying with him.
A Shadow Priest notes that Argon has served his purpose.
Karza says, "I have defeated your herald, captured your champion. What else is left?"
The priest says, "Merely this, Karza, merely this!" He gestures and frees Rann and Marionette from their power-shackles.

The assembled Shadow Priests remove their robes and reveal themselves, one and all, to be Time Travelers.
Each is a piece of Rann's self, split off by the Enigma Force as he explored the Microverse over the course of a thousand years.
They combine and merge with Rann, who glows like they do.

Karza fires an energy blast at Rann, who counters it easily. While they battle, Marionette is reunited with Argon,
and the Dog Soldiers outside the Body Banks decide not to attack. The transformed Rann tells Karza,
"You are a demon possessing the Microverse, Karza. You must be exorcised.
Homeworld has a champion now. You'll suck the life-blood of this planet no longer."

Karza gradually realizes that he cannot win. In desperation he calls up a "mindshock" from the Great Pit,
a blast that will destroy Rann, himself, and most of the people of Homeworld.
Before he can unleash it, though, a barrage falls from space—the Acroyears have arrived!
The Worldmind disrupts the mindshock and sends Karza into the pit,
"where he will be consumed, sole victim of his own murderous mindshock," says Rann.

The Acroyears rout the Dog Soldiers, and the Time Travelers depart from Rann and fade away into the night sky.
Marionette weeps for the dead and says, "there will be peace at last."

Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Michael Golden and Al Milgrom.