The Micronauts comic books feature a group of fictional characters based on the
MicronautsThe Micronauts comic books feature a group of fictional characters based on the Micronauts toy line. The title was published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in Micronauts #1 with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden...
toy line. The title was published by
Marvel ComicsMarvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
,
Image ComicsImage Comics is an American comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties...
, and
Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing is one of the many independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based out of Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic...
. Their first comic appearance was in
Micronauts #1 (Marvel, Jan.
1979-May:*Frank Miller takes over from Gene Colan as regular penciler on Daredevil with issue #158.-June:*June 13, 1979:**Alan Moore's first mainstream comic work appears in the Marvel UK title Hulk Comic #15, with the five-part "The Incredible Hulk" story featuring Dr Scarabeus...
) with characterizations created by
Bill MantloBill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, and an attorney, best-known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom...
and
Michael GoldenMichael Golden is an American comic-book artist and commercial artist best known for his late-1970s work on Marvel Comics' The Micronauts....
.
Byron Preiss Visual PublicationsByron Preiss was an American writer, editor and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks....
also published three paperback novels based on the Micronauts.
Marvel Comics
The Micronauts began life as comic book characters thanks to a Christmas Day 1977 fortuitous accident. Marvel Comics writer Bill Mantlo's son Adam opened a new present, a line of the
Mego CorporationThe Mego Corporation was a toy company that dominated the action figure toy market during most of the 1970s. The Mego Corporation was founded in the early 1950s by David Abrams and was mostly known prior to 1971 as a producer of dime store toys.-Golden age:...
's
MicronautsThe Micronauts comic books feature a group of fictional characters based on the Micronauts toy line. The title was published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in Micronauts #1 with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden...
action figures. Seeing the toys, Bill Mantlo was instantly struck by inspiration to write their adventures. Convincing then editor-in-chief
Jim ShooterJames Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books...
to get the comics license for these toys, Mantlo was hired to script their series.
The first series of the
Micronauts ran from January
1979-May:*Frank Miller takes over from Gene Colan as regular penciler on Daredevil with issue #158.-June:*June 13, 1979:**Alan Moore's first mainstream comic work appears in the Marvel UK title Hulk Comic #15, with the five-part "The Incredible Hulk" story featuring Dr Scarabeus...
to May
1984-January:* Alan Moore takes over Swamp Thing at issue #20, a run which would turn the title around and set the foundations for his career in American comics.*"The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" by Roger Stern is published in Amazing Spider-Man issue 248...
and included 59 issues and two Annuals. The series was written by
Bill MantloBill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, and an attorney, best-known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom...
and featured art by
Michael GoldenMichael Golden is an American comic-book artist and commercial artist best known for his late-1970s work on Marvel Comics' The Micronauts....
,
Howard ChaykinHoward Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
,
Pat BroderickPat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake...
,
Gil KaneEli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in a few instances Scott Edwards, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
, 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 KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
The Micronauts was first included as a supporting strip in
Marvel UKMarvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.It now forms part of Panini...
's
"Star Wars Weekly" comic in January 1979 for several months. 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
miniseriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
featuring the Micronauts and the
X-MenX-Men is a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1 . Under a cloud of increasing anti-mutant sentiment, Professor Xavier creates a haven at his Westchester mansion to train young mutants to use their powers for the...
was published, written by
Chris ClaremontChris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer...
and drawn by Butch Guice.
The second volume of
Micronauts, subtitled
The New Voyages, was published from 1984 to 1986 and was numbered from #1 - 20. The series was written by Peter Gillis and featured early-career artwork by
Kelley JonesKelley Jones is an American comic book artist best known for his runs on Batman with writer Doug Moench and on Sandman with writer Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
. After this series the Marvel-owned license lapsed.
From the late
1990sSee also:1980s in comics,other events of the 1990s,2000s in comics and thelist of years in comicsPublications: 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999-1994:See also: 1994 in comics...
the characters of Marionette, Arcturus Rann and
BugBug is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Bug was originally a member of the Micronauts and is a current member of the Guardians of the Galaxy....
(all Marvel properties) have appeared in various Marvel titles (without referencing the
Micronauts label). Bug has appeared in a solo one-shot and together with cosmic hero
Star-LordStar-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord to chronologically appear is Peter Quill, first appears in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
, and will be part of a new incarnation of the
Guardians of the GalaxyThe original Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appear in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 .-Publication history:...
.
Image Comics
In
2002-January:* January 4: Kurt Schaffenberger dies at age 81.* January 10: John Buscema dies at age 74.-May:* May 3: Tom Sutton dies at age 65.* May 7: Robert Kanigher dies at age 86.-First issues by title:Strange Killings...
, a new series by
Image ComicsImage Comics is an American comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties...
was published that ran for eleven issues before its cancellation in
2003-November:* November 12: John Tartaglione dies at age 81.* November 30: Kin Platt dies at age 92.-First issues by title:Opus...
. The same year saw a four-issue limited series featuring Baron Karza's origin and his relationship with the Time Traveler entity.
Byron Preiss Visual Publications
This was followed the same year by Micronauts: The Time Traveler Trilogy," a collection of three paperback novels published by
Byron Preiss Visual PublicationsByron Preiss was an American writer, editor and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks....
and written by Steve Lyons.
Devil's Due Publishing
In
2004-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
, a new series was launched by
Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing is one of the many independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based out of Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic...
, mixing new characters with those based on the toyline. The series ran for three issues and featured art by former Micronauts artist
Pat BroderickPat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake...
. More issues were solicited, but never appeared on shelves despite some cover art being released. (
2003-November:* November 12: John Tartaglione dies at age 81.* November 30: Kin Platt dies at age 92.-First issues by title:Opus...
)
Fictional team history
The Micronauts originate in the
MicroverseMicroverses are parallel dimensions occurring within the fictional Marvel Universe.The Microverses are often visited by the Fantastic Four in various adventures. They were formerly defined as any universe only accessible through vibrational attunement...
, 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: 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. The team then encounters the superhero team the
Fantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new naturalism in the medium...
, who have traveled to a different region of the Microverse to battle the villain
Psycho-ManPsycho-Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Fantastic Four Annual #5 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
. 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.
After encounters with the villains
PlantmanPlantman aka Blackheath is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Strange Tales vol. 1 #113.-Fictional character biography:...
and
Molecule ManMolecule Man is a fictional character, a supervillain or reluctant hero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #20.-Fictional character biography:...
, the team battle the Fixer and
MentalloMentallo is a fictional comic book supervillain, a mutant who appears in books published by Marvel Comics.After having been fired for cause after attempting a covert takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D., he has since operated as both a freelance criminal and subversive and a high-ranking agent of...
, who have allied themselves with the organization
HYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe. The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #135. In its original continuity, it was headed by nondescript businessman Arnold Brown, who was killed as S.H.I.E.L.D. apparently crushed the organization...
. 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.S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
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.
While trying to awaken Rann, the remnants of the team have an encounter with the villain
NightmareNightmare is a fictional character, a supernatural being who has appeared in many Marvel Comics stories, most commonly as one of Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider's major enemies.-Publication history:...
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 team mates, including the bestial Devil and his companion Fireflyte and the robot Nanotron.
A new problem arises when Prince Argon begins displaying paranoia regarding the Micronauts, and eventually sends a special Death Squad to kill them. The Micronauts defeat the unit, and then encounter the mutant
NightcrawlerNightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in graphic novels published by Marvel Comics...
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. A war against Argon and his forces follows, with several beings from various locations in the Microverse - Pharoid, Slug, Margrace - joining the team in a bid to stop Argon. After several more encounters with beings such as
Doctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 ....
; the heroine
WaspThe Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
and villain
ArcadeArcade is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe.He first appeared in Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain Issue #248 , a Marvel UK black-and-white comic...
, 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. After regrouping and a series of skirmishes, the remaining Micronauts confront and defeat Karza once and for all.
The New Voyages
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.
The Microns
Years later Arcturus, Marionette and Bug (all Marvel properties) reappear as a team called the Microns. They aid the mutant
CableCable is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The New Mutants #87 , and was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld.-Creation:...
when the scientist
Psycho-ManPsycho-Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Fantastic Four Annual #5 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
abducted the shape-changing Copycat; with visiting super-team
Alpha FlightAlpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
battle Microverse inhabitant Baron Zebek of Aegyptus and later assist
Rick JonesRichard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the . He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk vol. 1 #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk. Jones has also appeared as a sidekick to the Captain America, Captain Marvel , Rom the Spaceknight, and Captain Marvel .-Fictional...
and
Captain MarvelGenis-Vell, also known as Legacy, Captain Marvel and Photon, is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is depicted as the son of Mar-Vell of the extraterrestrial Kree Empire, who was the first character to be known as Captain Marvel in the Marvel Universe...
during their adventures in the Microverse. In another largely untold tale, they also re-team with the X-Men against the reborn Baron Karza and his ally
ThanosThanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by Jim Starlin...
who seek to merge several of the sub-atomic universes. . These appearances do not take into account the ending of the New Voyages. The non-returning Micronaut characters absence is also left unexplained.
Alternate versions
- In 1997, Marvel accepted a proposed reboot of Micronauts as a new series written by Shon C. Bury, penciled by Cary Nord
Cary Nord is an artist noted for his work in comic books. He started his career with a letter and some original artwork sent into the editors of Marvel Comics's Marvel Comics Presents. They were so impressed, he was awarded with a professional job penciling a Shang Chi serial.. He eventually became...
and inked by Dan GreenDaniel Green may refer to:* Dan Green , American voice actor* Dan Green , American comic book illustrator* Danny Green, Australian boxer* Danny Green , American baseball player...
, using new character designs based on the original characters. Scripts were written for five issues and three issues were penciled, though Marvel was not granted the Micronauts license by the copyright holder, Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, forcing the series to be canceled.
- 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
Syfy is an American cable television channel launched on September 24, 1992, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. It is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBC Universal...
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.
- 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. SOTA president Jerry Macaluso expressed interest in a new comic based on the figures.
Collected editions
Part of the Devil's Due series has been collected into a
trade paperbackIn comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Micronauts: Revolution (112 pages, Devil's Due Publishing, June 2003, ISBN 1582403112)