TheMetal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear inDC Comics. The characters first appeared inShowcase #37 (March–April1962) and were created by writerRobert Kanigher and artistRoss Andru.^[1] Debuting in theSilver Age of Comic Books, the characters have appeared in comic books and other DC Comics-related products such asanimatedtelevision series, clothing,figurines andtrading cards.

The Metal Men
The Metal Men and their creator, Will Magnus (left to right): Gold, Lead, Platinum (front), Iron (back),Dr. William "Will" Magnus (front), Mercury, Tin
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Showcase #37 (March–April1962)
Created by	Robert Kanigher Ross Andru
In-story information
Base(s)	Magnus Labs
Member(s)	Copper Gold Iron Lead Dr. Will Magnus Mercury Nameless Platinum Tin

Established as advanced artificially intelligent robots, the Metal Men were introduced in the comic bookShowcase #37 (March–April1962) as "last minute" filler.^[2] Created by scientistDr. William "Will" Magnus, the six robots were field leaderGold; strongmanIron; slow-witted and loyalLead; hot-headedMercury; self-doubting and insecureTin; andPlatinum (also called "Tina"), who believed that she was a real woman and was in love with her creator. The group's personalities mirrored their namesakemetals, being dictated by devices called responsometers.^[3] Each Metal Man also possessed abilities that reflected the traits of their namesake metal: Gold could stretch his form almost infinitely, Iron was super-strong, Lead could block harmful radiation by morphing into thick shields, Mercury could melt and pass through small spaces before reforming, while Platinum and Tin could stretch, flatten or spin into fine filaments.^[4]

The characters reappeared in the following three issues ofShowcase (#38–40, June–October 1962) and proved popular enough to warrant a reappearance in their owneponymous title.^[5] First published in May 1963, the title ran on a bi-monthly schedule with original stories untilMetal Men #41 (December 1969). The comic was unusual for the time, for having continued serialized storylines across issues.^[2] A second female robot (created by Tin) was introduced in issue #13 (April–May 1965), and was later (issue #15, August–September 1965) christened as "Nameless", last appearing in issue #32.^[6]

With sales dropping, the series' tone darkened with issue #33 (September 1968), as the cover tagline changed to "The New Hunted Metal Men".^[7] Shortly after, the team adopted human identities in issue #37 (May 1969).^[7] The title was cancelled in mid-story with issue #41 (December 1969).

Issues #42, 43 and 44 (March, May, and July 1973) reprinted earlierShowcase appearances and the first issue, with the title then onhiatus until returning with original numbering in issue #45 (May 1976). The bi-monthly publishing schedule continued until issue #56 (March 1978), when the title and many others were cancelled during theDC Implosion.

Until issue #21, the Metal Men appeared to be the sole super-heroes in a separate fictional universe, with no otherDC Comics characters appearing (though the Metal Men watch aBatman television series, and Dr. Yes is recognized by them as resembling an enemy ofWonder Woman — Magnus and the Metal Men even seem to know at times that they are comic book characters, referring to earlier issues and reader response). Then the Metal Men became part of the shared universe of the DC heroes, even though they continued to fight their own foes (such asChemo).

The Metal Men co-starred with other DC heroes such as theAtom,Metamorpho and Batman inThe Brave and the Bold #55 (September 1964), 66 (July 1966), 74 (November 1967), 103 (November 1972), 113 (July 1974), 121 (September 1975), 135–136 (July–September 1977) and 187 (June 1982). This trend was repeated withSuperman inDC Comics Presents #4 (December 1978) and 70 (June 1984), and an appearance inShowcase #100 (May 1978).

The group returned in an eponymous four-issue miniseries (Metal Men (vol. 2) #1–4 (October 1993 – January 1994)) that featured aretcon of the characters' origin story. A laboratory accident transfers the intellects and personalities of Doctor Magnus' brother Mike, his fiancé Sharon, laboratory workers Redmond Wilde and Randy Pressman, Thomas Tinkham and a pizza delivery man named Jack to blank robots (Gold, Platinum, Mercury, Iron, Tin and Lead, respectively). During a battle, Gold is killed^[8] and Doctor Magnus mortally wounded, being forced to transfer his personality into another robot namedVeridium. Magnus then becomes the leader of the Metal Men. Lead later makes a brief appearance as a worker at a superhero bar, and is temporarily damaged while protecting civilians.^[9] A robot Tungsten with no personality that served as a personal aide to Magnus was introduced in a guest appearance inThe Doom Patrol; he was killed by a villain named the Candlemaker.^[10]

The Metal Men then reappeared during theInfinite Crisis storyline (Infinite Crisis #1–7, December 2005 – June 2006,Villains United #1–6, July–December 2005), battling theO.M.A.C.cyborgs and acting as part of a superhero strike force assembled to protect the city ofMetropolis from theSecret Society of Super Villains. Several of the Metal Men appeared inJustice League of America (vol. 2) #1 (August 2006), with the events of the limited series eventually revised and presented as a delusion suffered by Doctor Magnus in52, #22 (October 2006).

The entire group reappeared inSuperman/Batman #34–36 (May, July–August 2007), having been rebuilt and upgraded and including a new female member, the sarcasticCopper. Employed byLucius Fox as security for WayneTech, the Metal Men temporarily fall under the influence ofBrainiac. The group starred in another eponymous limited series, running for eight issues (Metal Men (vol. 3) #1–8 October 2007 – June 2008). David Magnus, another brother of Will and Mike Magnus, attempts to avert a catastrophic future and prevent the creation of the group, and uses a device stolen from the villainT. O. Morrow to change the Metal Men into evil, radioactive versions based on other metals, called theDeath Metal Men:Uranium (Iron),Strontium (Mercury),Thorium (Platinum),Radium (Gold),Lithium (Copper),Polonium (Lead), andFermium (Tin). Doctor Magnus, however, is able to reverse the process and with the Metal Men and the assistance of the alien robotL-Ron, defeating his brother.

The Metal Men also featured in a stand-alone story in the weekly publicationWednesday Comics (#1–12, September–November 2009), and co-starred in the first seven issues ofDoom Patrol (vol. 5, October 2009 – April 2010). This series was later reprinted inDC Comics Presents: Metal Men 100 Page Spectacular (2011).

The Metal Men appeared inJustice League: Generation Lost #10–11 (November–December 2010). Captured by villainMaxwell Lord, the Metal Men are reprogrammed and believe themselves to be humans living in a magical fantasy world. At Lord's behest, the brainwashed Metal Men attack the members of the newJustice League International (thinking them monsters), and merge into their alternate universe personaAlloy (from the limited seriesKingdom Come (#1–4, May–August 1996)), but are eventually defeated.

InThe New 52, a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe, the Metal Men were created by Doctor Magnus but subsequently disappeared.Cyborg locates Magnus and learns the scientist was tasked by the military with the creation of a rescue team that could enter toxic environments. Although successful, Magnus learns the military intends to use the Metal Men as assassins and the group flees and takes refuge in his apartment. When the entityChemo is created (on account of a prototype responsometer created by Magnus being thrown into a vat of chemicals by a thief), the Metal Men fought Chemo to protect Will Magnus and the local population, and while successful are thought destroyed^[11] before eventually reappearing in an issue ofSwamp Thing.^[12]

In 2016, the Metal Men were featured inLegends of Tomorrow, a six-issue anthology series. They were in Nevada fighting off a robot enemy, and the government wanted to destroy the Metal Men and get rid of them as a threat to the people. During a run in with several other heroes, The Metal Men encountered three new Metal Men—Magnesium, Lithium and Silicon—who were created by the government in a plan to get the original Metal Men back in the military as assassins again. Despite their attempts' the three new robots are eventually destroyed in the conflict.^[13]

In theWatchmen sequelDoomsday Clock, the Metal Men are among the superheroes that head to Mars to confrontDoctor Manhattan.^[14] Gold, Tin and Platinum are later seen as recruits of the League, to research a multi-verse ending threat.^[15]

The Metal Men were seen again in a 12-issue miniseries in 2019, with a new metal member to the team that was found at a construction site and called for Magnus. The Metal Men were destroyed by Magnus for trying to rebuild them from scratch again, and again the new one saw a version of himself destroyed. Dr. Will Magnus just had had enough of making the Metal Men and he fell in love with a girl, leaving the Metal Men to fend for themselves after having flashbacks of how he had made them up to now. After getting the new metal that they found in Magnus' lab, he helped it out as it called his name. He introduced them to his Metal Man that he had made, and it became part of the team. The new member enjoyed talking to Platinum and it fell in love with her.

While there have been a number of different Metal Men members over the course of their history, the original and most common team line-up is Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum, and Tin led by their creator/mentor, scientist Dr. Will Magnus. Occasionally, the roster includes Copper as well.

Over the years the Metal Men have fought with a variety of villains such as Dr. Yes, Professor Bravo and his Plastic Perils, Vox The Bionic Bandit,Grid, The Chemical MonsterChemo, Uranium, Missile Men,Gas Gang, Darzz The Intergalactic Dictator, Radioactive Manta Ray Monster From Space, Alien Fly Monster Fferka, Volcano Man, Sizzler, Von Vroon etc. Many of the team's foes are fellow robots, aliens, evil scientists and other villains.

• The Metal Men appear inKingdom Come. This version of the group possesses the ability to combine intoAlloy.
• A possible future incarnation of Platinum appears inSuperman: The Man of Steel #1,000,000 (November 1998).
• The Metal Men appear inJLA: The Nail. This version of the group were reprogrammed to behave like conventional robots.
  • The Metal Men appear inJLA: Another Nail, in which their mainstream personalities were restored.
• The Metal Men appear in a self-titledTangent Comics one-shot (December 1997). This version of the group are six human operatives led byMarcus Moore and consisting of Samuel Schwartz, Carl Walters,Rey Quinones,Francis Powell, andJohn Holliday.
• The Metal Men of Earth-44 appear inFinal Crisis (#1–7, July 2008 – March 2009). This version of the group serve as their universe's Justice League and are led by a human called "Doc Tornado".
• A group based on the Metal Men called theMagnetic Men appear in two comic book series released byAmalgam Comics.

• Due to the success ofThe Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure from the 1960s,Filmation planned to produce pilots for multiple DC heroes, with one of the concept drawings featuring the Metal Men. Those plans were cancelled whenCBS secured the animation rights to Batman following the success ofBatman (1966).
• The Metal Men and their combined Alloy form appear inBatman: The Brave and the Bold, with Gold voiced byLex Lang, Lead byBill Fagerbakke, Platinum byHynden Walch, Mercury byCorey Burton, Iron byBrian Bloom, and Tin byDee Bradley Baker.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]}
• The Metal Men appear in a self-titled segment ofDC Nation Shorts, with Gold and Lead voiced byTom Kenny, Platinum and Tin byHynden Walch, and Mercury and Iron byCorey Burton.
• The Metal Men schematics withWill Magnus appeared in Flashbacks inCreature Commandos "Cheers to the Tin Man"

• The Metal Men make a cameo appearance inJustice League: The New Frontier.
• Alternate universe versions of the Metal Men appear inJustice League: Gods and Monsters, with Platinum voiced byGrey DeLisle and Tin again by Dee Bradley Baker while the rest are silent.^[21] Platinum was created to disguise herself as Will Magnus' wife Tina, Tin serves as Will's butler, and three unnamed Metal Men were designed to mimic the powers ofSuperman,Batman, andWonder Woman to frame them for murder so that Magnus could gain access to their technology.
• The Metal Men appear inDC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, with Lead voiced byKhary Payton, Iron byGreg Cipes, and Platinum again by Grey DeLisle.^[17][20][18]
• In 2012,Barry Sonnenfeld was in talks withWarner Bros. to make a live-action film about the Metal Men.^[22][23] The film was listed as part of theDC Extended Universe in October 2021.^[24]
• As of December 2021, a separate animated Metal Men film is currently in development, withJohn Musker andRon Clements directing, producing, and writing the film and Celeste Ballard co-writing.^[25]

• Platinum appears inLego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
• The Metal Men appear inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[26]

• Frank Zappa andCaptain Beefheart's song "Metal Man Has Won His Wings" is inspired by the Metal Men.^[27]
• The Metal Men appear inBatman Beyond (vol. 2). This version of the group was created by Will Magnus after he was forcibly recruited intoProject Cadmus years prior. Refusing to help them, Magnus deactivated the Metal Men, destroyed their bodies, and gave their responsometers to people that he trusted. In the 2040s, the organization Undercloud, led by the anarchist Rebel-1, located and reactivated the Metal Men untilBatman and his friend Max Gibson freed them.Bruce Wayne later told them of Magnus' fate, convinced them to continue his dream of protecting Earth, and gave them theInjustice Gang's former satellite to use as their own headquarters.

• Metal Men atDon Markstein's Toonopedia.Archived from the original on February 17, 2016.
• Metal Men sales figures for 1964–1968 at The Comics Chronicles
• Cosmic Teams: Metal Men