| The Metal Men | |
|---|---|
 The Metal Men and their creator, Will Magnus (left to right): Gold, Lead, Platinum (front), Iron (back),Will Magnus (front), Mercury, Tin | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Showcase #37 (March–April 1962) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Magnus Labs |
| Member(s) |
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TheMetal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear inDC Comics. The characters first appeared inShowcase #37 (March–April 1962) 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.
Established as advanced artificially intelligent robots, the Metal Men were introduced in the comic bookShowcase #37 (March–April 1962) 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. The Metal Men battle Chemo to protect Magnus and are thought to have been destroyed before eventually reappearing in an issue ofSwamp Thing.[11][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 six new Metal Men—Aluminum, Copper, Lithium, Magnesium, Silicon and Zirconium—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 six 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. 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 asDr. Yes, Professor Bravo and his Plastic Perils, Vox The Bionic Bandit,Grid,Chemo, 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.
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Metal Men Archives Volume 1 | Metal Men #1–5,Showcase #37–40 | July 2006 | 978-1401207748 |
| The Metal Men Archives Volume 2 | Metal Men #6–20 | June 2013 | 978-1401238674 |
| Showcase Presents: Metal Men Volume 1 | Metal Men #1–15,Showcase #37–40,The Brave and the Bold #55 | October 2007 | 978-1401215590 |
| Showcase Presents: Metal Men Volume 2 | Metal Men #16–36,The Brave and the Bold #66 | September 2008 | 978-1401219765 |
| Metal Men | Metal Men (vol. 3) #1–8 | September 2008 | 978-1401218454 |
| Metal Men: Full Metal Jacket | Material fromLegends of Tomorrow #1–6 | December 2016 | 978-1401265175 |
| Metal Men: Elements of Change | Metal Men (vol. 4) #1–12 | April 2021 | 978-1779508089 |
Writer/editor Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru put a then-modern-day spin on robots with the exploits of comics' first "heavy metal" group, the Metal Men.
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