THE STEEL SMASHING RETURN OF MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER PART 4 OF 4 !!!

The Steel Smashing Return of Magnus, Robot Fighter!

Gold Key Comics' Magnus, Robot Fighter created, written and drawn by the impeccable Russ Manning! George Wilson & Vic Prezio provided wonderful painted covers.

In the year 4000, an old robot named 1A has raised a human child whom he calls Magnus to be champion of Man against the robots who are making him soft and seeking to tyrannize him. 

Magnus was mentored from infancy by 1A, a Freewill robot, in an under-sea domed house, using advanced techniques to become a skilled martial artist who could break steel with his bare hands. Magnus was equipped with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications.  

Magnus, Robot Fighter #22 reprinted the first issue of the Gold Key series.  

Magnus #23-#28 provided new stories written by Richard Kyle & Mike Royer with art by Dan Spiegle, Paul Norris, Mike Royer & Russ Manning. Paul Norris & Mike Royer also drew new The Aliens features. Painted artwork graced the covers of these issues as well. Unfortunately, Magnus #26-#28 have never been reprinted.
  

Magnus, Robot Fighter #23
"Mission Disaster"
Magnus and Leeja fight a plot by two renegade scientists to paralyze North Am's robots with mist-rays.
"Danger from Beyond"
New The Aliens feature?

Magnus, Robot Fighter #24
'Pied Piper of North Am"
Leeja is kidnapped by the forces of Malev-6, and Magnus teams up with Dr. Noel to destroy the robot planet.
"The Seeds of Destruction"
New The Aliens feature.

Magnus, Robot Fighter #25
"The Micro-Giants"
Magnus encounters "micro-giant" robots who increase from microscopic to giant size, just as a friend of his gets miniaturized.
"The Frigid Intruders"
New The Aliens feature.

Magnus, Robot Fighter #26
"The Venomous Vapor"A metahuman who has brought a vapor-being back to Earth to devastate his homeworld has a change of heart and helps Magnus battle it. 

"Journey to the End of the World"
A mishap during a time-trip voyage strands Magnus, Leeja, the Outsiders, and others on Earth's distant future, where its only inhabitant is a giant guardian robot.
"Cosmic Blight"
New The Aliens feature. 

Magnus, Robot Fighter #27
"Panic in Pacifica"
The floating city of Pacifica is threatened by a failure of wave-control, and Magnus sets out to find the parties responsible.
"Web of Fire"
To destroy a giant ball of lightning headed towards Earth, Magnus must first overcome the insane director of a space station.
"The Space Wizard"
New The Aliens feature.

Magnus, Robot Fighter #28
"Threat from the Depths"
Emanations from a strange meteorite corrupt 1A and other robots and turn them against Magnus.
Mike Royer wrote and inked the lead story, Russ Manning did 4 pages of penciling, done in various panels spread throughout the story.
"A Secret Kept"
A vengeful manufacturer of robots traces Magnus and 1A to their secret undersea headquarters and learns the truth of Magnus' origin.
"The Ghost Planet"
New The Aliens feature.
Last issue of new material.


Magnus #29-#46 were reprints from the classic Russ Manning issues. 


Magnus, Robot Fighter was also a back-up feature to later issues of Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom.  They were written by Roger McKenzie with art by Frank Bolle. Unfortunately, these have never been reprinted. 

Doctor Solar #29
"The Steel Smashing Return of Magnus, Robot Fighter"
1A tells Magnus he has one final test to pass to become a true robot fighter, he must destroy 1A himself.

Doctor Solar #30
"Where Angels Fear"
Leeja is kidnapped and Magnus must rescue her.

Doctor Solar #31
"Deathtrap"

The Gold Key Comics' Magnus Robot Fighter series was to have been picked up in the eighties, but cancelled. 

Magnus, Robot Fighter #47  
"Requiem For a Robot Fighter"
"If Death Be My Destiny"
"Something Lurks In Morgue Seven"
"The Strange Deaths of a Hero" 
Written by Roger McKenzie with art by Frank Bolle 
Continued from Solar #31, Magnus appears to have been killed, but Leeja Clane finds a clue that he may have survived. 

Magnus, Robot Fighter #48  
"Power Play"
"Slaughter In North-Am" 
"Relic" 
Written by Roger McKenzie with art by Frank Bolle 
These two finished issues, Magnus #47 & #48, remain unpublished!

Hard to find last issue of Valiant Comics Magnus #64!

I grew up with very fond memories of Magnus, Robot Fighter. I really enjoyed his return in the Doctor Solar comic book. He and Doctor Solar were some of my favorite superhero comics alongside the popular Spider-Man and Batman. Russ Manning rushed to the forefront of my favorite artists at that time as well. 

Magnus Robot Fighter #2

 

The Original Magnus Robot Fighter #1 from Valiant Comics reprinted Magnus #2, with reprints of the covers to #4 & #5, from the Russ Manning Gold Key comic. Rick Leonardi & Dick Giordano illustrated a new cover to the single issue. 
 

Other Magnus comics I've enjoyed were the crossover, Magnus Robot Fighter/Nexus, from Dark Horse & Valiant Comics. The two issue mini-series was written by the great Mike Baron with art by Steve "The Dude" Rude & inker Gary Martin.

The Magnus Robot Fighter Yearbook #1 from Valiant Comics was also written by Mike Baron. Paul Smith drew the awesome 40 page story with a great Dave Dorman painted cover. 

Dark Horse & Valiant Comics also came out with the infamous Predator vs. Magnus Robot Fighter two issue mini-series. It was written by Jim Shooter & John Ostrander with Lee Weeks artwork. Barry Windsor-Smith drew the covers to the two issues. Dave Dorman painted the awesome cover to the hard-to-find trade paperback collection. Highly recommended reading there!

Live Large My Friends!
  Thank You!

TRADING CARD CHECKLIST:
#1 Magnus by Barry Windsor Smith (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #0 mail away version)
#2 Rattle-Rob by Marc Silvestri (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #4)
#3 Bunda the Great by Bob Hall (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #8)
#4 Danae and her Neo-Animals by Steve Leialoha (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #2)
#5 Dr. Lazlo Noel by Bret Blevins (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #8)
#6 Elzy by Josef Rubinstein (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #5)
#7 Giant-Rob from Planet X by Rick Leonardi (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #3)
#8 H-8 Joe Kubert (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #1)
#9 Leeja Clane and Senator Zeramiah Clane (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #7)
#10 Magnus by Moebius (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #6)
#11 Malev-6 by Adam Hughes (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #8)
#12 Mekman by Jose Delbo (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #7)
#13 Mogul Badur by Mike Harris (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #7)
#14 Nadmot by Adam Kubert (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #5)
#15 1-A by Paris Cullins and Bob Layton (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #6)
#16 The Outsiders by Kevin Nowlan (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #5)
#17 Pert Doner and Friends by Terry Austin (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #1)
#18 Rai by Art Nichols (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #4)
#19 Slagger by Michael Golden (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #3)
#20 T-1 by Dave Hoover (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #3)
#21 Talpa by Steve Ditko (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #6)
#22 Tekla by Bob Layton (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #4)
#23 V'ril Trent by Stan Drake (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #2)
#24 Xyrkol by Andy Kubert (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #2)
#25 Zypex and the Mini Robs by Paul Gulacy (included in Magnus Robot Fighter #1)