| Micronauts | |
|---|---|
Cover art of Micronauts #1. From left to right: Acroyear, Arcturus Rann, Marionette and Bug. Baron Karza in background. |
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| Group publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics Image Comics Devil's Due Publishing |
| First appearance | Micronauts #1 (January 1979) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo Michael Golden |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Team |
| Base(s) | Microverse |
| Micronauts | |
| Series publication information | |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Micronauts (vol. 1) Ongoing series X-Men and the Micronauts Limited series Micronauts: The New Voyages Ongoing series Micronauts (vol. 2) Limited series Micronauts: Karza Limited series Micronauts (vol. 3) Limited series |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publication date | (Micronauts (vol. 1)) January 1979 – August 1984 (X-Men and the Micronauts) January – April 1984 (Micronauts: The New Voyages) October 1984 – May 1986 (Micronauts (vol. 2)) January 2002 – September 2003 (Micronauts: Karza) February – May 2003 (Micronauts (vol. 3)) January – May 2004 |
| Number of issues | Micronauts (vol. 1) 59 X-Men and the Micronauts 4 Micronauts: The New Voyages 20 Micronauts (vol. 2) 11 Micronauts: Karza 4 Micronauts (vol. 3) 3 |
| Main character(s) | Arcturus Rann Marionette Bug |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Micronauts (vol. 1) Bill Mantlo X-Men and the Micronauts Chris Claremont Bill Mantlo Micronauts: The New Voyages Peter Gillis Micronauts (vol. 2) Scott Wherle Micronauts: Karza Jim Krueger Micronauts (vol. 3) Dan Jolley |
| Penciller(s) | Micronauts (vol. 1) Michael Golden X-Men and the Micronauts Butch Guice Micronauts: The New Voyages Kelley Jones Micronauts (vol. 2) Eric Hanson Micronauts: Karza Steve Kurth Micronauts (vol. 3) Pat Broderick |
| Creator(s) | Bill Mantlo Michael Golden |
| Collected editions | |
| Revolution | ISBN 1582403112 |
The Micronauts comic books feature a group of characters based on the Micronauts toyline. The title was published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in Micronauts #1 (Marvel, Jan. 1979) with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden. Byron Preiss Visual Publications also published three paperback novels based on the Micronauts.
Contents |
The Micronauts began life as comic book characters thanks to a Christmas 1977 fortuitous accident. Marvel Comics writer Bill Mantlo's son Adam opened a new present, a line of the Mego Corporation's Micronauts action figures. Seeing the toys, Bill Mantlo was instantly struck by inspiration to write their adventures. Convincing then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to get the comics license for these toys, Mantlo was hired to script their series.[1]
The first series of the Micronauts ran from January 1979 to August 1984 and included 59 issues and two Annuals. The series was written by Bill Mantlo and featured art by Michael Golden, Howard Chaykin, Pat Broderick, Gil Kane, Butch Guice and others. As of #38, the series was no longer available from newsstands and was sold via direct distribution only.
In the United Kingdom, The Micronauts was first included as a supporting strip in Marvel UK's Star Wars Weekly comic in January 1979 for several months and then in the first nine issues of Star Heroes Pocketbook (alongside Battlestar Galactica) before joining new Future Tense reprint anthology.[2] Unlike the U.S. version, these strips were printed in black and white.
From 1983 to 1984, a Special Edition series was published (#1-#5) that reprinted issues #1-#12 and a back-up feature from #25.
In 1984, a four part miniseries featuring the Micronauts and the X-Men was published, co-written by Mantlo and Chris Claremont and drawn by Butch Guice.
The second volume of Micronauts, subtitled The New Voyages, was published from October 1984 to May 1986 and was numbered from #1 - 20. The series was written by Peter Gillis and featured early-career artwork by Kelley Jones. After this series the Marvel-owned license lapsed.
From the late 1990s the characters Marionette, Arcturus Rann and Bug (all Marvel properties) have appeared in various Marvel titles (without referencing the Micronauts label). Bug has appeared in a solo one-shot[3] and together with cosmic hero Star-Lord,[4] is part of a new incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 2002, a new series by Image Comics was published that ran for eleven issues before its cancellation in 2003. The same year saw a four-issue limited series featuring Baron Karza's origin and his relationship with the Time Traveler entity.[5]
In 2004, a new series was launched by Devil's Due Publishing, mixing new characters with those based on the toy line. The series ran for three issues and featured art by former Micronauts artist Pat Broderick. More issues were solicited, but never appeared on shelves despite some cover art being released.[6]
Kinetic Underground, Inc along with its affiliated company Kinetic Komicz started development on a new Micronauts comic series which was stalled by Takara Tomy Co., Ltd . The new Micronauts comic series was going to establish the new worlds, stories and characters that would eventually lead up to Emmett/Furla Films and Gale Anne Hurd’s version of the Micronauts. In 2006 Micronauts and Capcoms Killer 7 were going to be the launch titles for Kinetic Komicz digital comic platform ComicCasting.com and ComicCasts.com.
Acroyear
Marionette
Bug
Huntarr
Solitaire
Scion
Arcturus Rann
Biotron
Microtron
Cilicia
Devil
Fireflyte
Nanotron
The Micronauts originate in the Microverse, a microscopic series of diverse habitats that are linked together in the fashion of molecule chains. The original team comes together in response to the threat posed by former academic and now murderous dictator, Baron Karza. Commander Arcturus Rann (returning from a thousand-year deep space voyage in suspended animation) and Biotron, his robot co-pilot, return on the HMS (Homeworld Micro Ship) Endeavor, to discover Karza has slain the royal family, who are in fact Rann's parents. What follows is an epic war across the Microverse with Rann and his allies against Karza.
In addition to Biotron, Rann's team of "Micronauts" includes Princess Mari of Homeworld, who, with her brother, Prince Argon, are the only survivors of the slaughtered royal family. Known to the team as Marionette, she falls in love with Rann, and leads the team on occasion. The warriors Acroyear and Bug also join Rann's cause, and although completely different - one a noble warrior prince and the other a joking insectoid - the two become best friends and staunch allies of all Micronauts. The last member of the original team is Microtron, Mari's robot tutor. Although small, Microtron is very resourceful and very supportive of all team members.
After being trapped for a time on Earth (where they are the size of toys), the team returns to the Microverse. After a series of battles against Karza and his genetically engineered armies of soldiers, the Micronauts triumph and Karza is apparently killed. Rann is able to claim victory with the possession of the Enigma Force - a semi-sentient power source that bonded with him during his period of suspended animation - which enables him to perform incredible feats.[7] The team then encounters the superhero team the Fantastic Four, who have traveled to a different region of the Microverse to battle the villain Psycho-Man. Unfortunately, Bug's love, Jasmine, is killed during the climax of the battle. It is shortly after this encounter that the Micronauts again become trapped on Earth, at a greatly reduced size.[8]
After encounters with the villains Plantman and Molecule Man,[9] the team battle the Fixer and Mentallo, who have allied themselves with the organization HYDRA. Joined by one of Acroyear's people - Dagon - the team discovers that the villains and HYDRA are secretly under the control of Baron Karza, who, courtesy of Prince Argon's body, is able to resurrect himself. Although the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. and several representatives of the races of the Microverse help the Micronauts finally defeat Karza, the battle is costly. Biotron is destroyed by Dagon - an agent of Karza; Bug's Queen dies in battle; Rann is rendered comatose and Acroyear's traitorous brother Shaitan dies summoning the Worldmind - the parallel power to the Enigma Force that sustains their own homeworld. In desperation, Acroyear bonds with the Worldmind to defeat Karza but in doing so destroys his world.[10]
While trying to awaken Rann, the remnants of the team have an encounter with the villain Nightmare and accidentally discover that the Microverse is unraveling. A warning left in Rann's mind reveals that three keys will restore balance to the Microverse. The team embarks on a new quest across three new regions of the Microverse: Oceania, Polaria, and the Dead Zone. The Micronauts are eventually successful, and also acquire several teammates, including the bestial Devil and his companion Fireflyte and the robot Nanotron.[11]
A new problem arises when Prince Argon begins displaying paranoia regarding the Micronauts, and eventually sends a special Death Squad to kill them.[12] The Micronauts defeat the unit, and then encounter the mutant Nightcrawler and battle a new foe called Huntarr. Huntarr is genetically engineered by Argon to destroy the Micronauts, but Marionette makes him see that Argon is simply using him.[13] A war against Argon and his forces follows, with several beings from various locations in the Microverse - Pharoid, Slug and Margrace - joining the team in a bid to stop Argon. After several more encounters with beings such as Doctor Doom; the heroine Wasp and villain Arcade,[14] Microtron and Nanotron sacrifice themselves to reanimate Biotron's consciousness in the Micronauts' new vessel. Argon is finally revealed to be controlled by the spirit of Baron Karza, who returns once more. Karza kills Argon, and deals the Micronauts a crushing defeat by killing Devil, Pharoid, Slug and Margrave.[15] After regrouping and a series of skirmishes, the remaining Micronauts confront and defeat Karza once and for all.[16]
Weary of war, the surviving Micronauts leave the known Microverse behind and embark on a journey of exploration. They eventually discover the true nature of the Microverse, and in a final act that restores their ruined world, sacrifice themselves.[17]
Years later Arcturus, Marionette and Bug (all Marvel properties) reappear as a team called the Microns. The name change is most likely because Marvel had the rights to certain names they came up with but not the name Micronauts or anything owned by others. They aid the mutant Cable when the scientist Psycho-Man abducted the shape-changing Copycat;[18] with visiting super-team Alpha Flight battle Microverse inhabitant Baron Zebek of Aegyptus[19] and later assist Rick Jones and Captain Marvel during their adventures in the Microverse.[20] In another largely untold tale, they also re-team with the X-Men against the reborn Baron Karza and his ally Thanos who seek to merge several of the sub-atomic universes.[21] These appearances do not take into account the ending of the New Voyages. The non-returning Micronaut characters' absence is also left unexplained. Bug is currently a member of the modern day incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Arcturus Rann and Mari become involved in the Psyklop invasion of K'ai, Jarella's homeworld.[22]
Part of the Devil's Due series has been collected into a trade paperback:
From 2005, AGE gave permission for State of the Art Toys to produce redesigned Micronauts action figures as Micronauts Evolution, with concept art by Randy Queen.[25][26] SOTA president Jerry Macaluso expressed interest in a new comic based on the figures.[27]
In 1998, AGE, Annex Entertainment, Gribouille and Kaleidoscope Media Group planned to produce a Micronauts animated series starting with a five part miniseries to air on the Sci Fi Channel in Fall of 1998, followed by a syndicated 26 episode Micronauts animated series for 1999, with action figures and a Marvel tie-in comic announced. The project appears to be shelved/canceled.[28][29][30]
Hasbro has recently acquired the right to the Micronauts toy line and J.J. Abrams is currently in negotiations to develop a movie version of the franchise.[31]
The 2002 Image Comics relaunch was followed the same year by Micronauts: The Time Traveller Trilogy, a collection of three paperback novels published by Byron Press Visual Publications and written by Steve Lyons.