1 for $1 Magnus Robot Fighter

The year is 4000 AD. Earth’s population has increased at a significant rate, leading humanity to construct continent sized cities to house their citizens. In those years a technology boom spawned the Robot Age – a time when humans embraced robotic labor in every level of industry and domestic affairs. Over time, man did less as robots were assigned to higher positions in society. Be it government, policing, and even military functions, the machines had become embedded in human culture. Then came Magnus.

Born to unknown parents, Magnus was abducted from an orphanage as an infant, then whisked away to an underwater home somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean. There a rebellious Robot designated A1 trained Magnus in the sciences, engineering, and martial arts. As the boy grew into a man, so did his strength. Magnus was able to break metal with his very fists. It was at this time A1 was certain his protégé was ready to help free mankind from the evil robots which had infiltrated their society.

Magnus’ story begins in Sector H, Level 5, of North Am. As his metal mentor is being pursued by several Air-Police units, Magnus receives last minute instruction. Then A1 puts their air-car into a nosedive, sending the vehicle rocketing through several lanes of sky traffic. It’s time for the savior of humanity to make his way into the urban jungle of towering superstructures and megalithic features. Welcome to Earth, 4000 AD.

This is it. This is the one that inspired a whole generation of comic creators to pursue science fiction storytelling. Magnus Robot Fighter was first released in 1962 and introduced readers to the dystopian world of tyrannical robots, new-wave socialism, and a population spiraling out of control.

Personally, I knew very little about this series in general. Then I watched some old interviews with former Marvel Editor In Chief, Jim Shooter, and he praised the series immensely. He loved the character so much that he licensed the character from Western Publishing for a second run at Valiant Entertainment in the early 1990s.

As for issue number one of Magnus Robot Fighter, Dark Horse has created a faithful reproduction of the comic published by Gold Key Comics over 60 years ago. The original  art has been cleaned up and remastered for the glossy page era without any loss in quality. What a fun read this was. In the world of smartphones, social media, and out of control governments, 2023 has many similarities that plague the world of 4000 AD.

Even though some of the science fiction art and ideas are outdated by today’s standards, the story is very solid. What’s not to like about robots and space cars? I’m giving “Magnus – Robot Fighter” four out of five stars.  If you can swing it, I would recommend getting the trade paperbacks if you can find them. It’s a fun look into the past. Go get em’ tigers!

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