Gold Key’s Magnus had a strong, specific moral viewpoint — he thought humanity in the 4th millennium AD was being dangerously weakened by dependence on robots.
And because superhero comics always feature mirror images, his archenemies therefore also had their own moral crusades. Whether pro-robot or anti-robot, they were fanatics.
Magnus Robot Fighter 3 (Aug. 1963) introduced Xyrkol, a super-villain who sported a Hindenburg mustache, a haircut like a Brillo brush and a name that sounded as if it had been coined to peddle some pharmaceutical product.
Deciding that his scientific genius entitled him to rule the universe, Xyrkol sent a giant robot to trash “NorthAm.” Ever-intrepid Magnus tried to stop the conquering colossus with a super-bomb which barely scarred it.
“Story-wise, Magnus was one of the better science fiction series in comics — but where it really excelled was in (Russ) Manning’s art,” observed comics historian Don Markstein. “The city of North Am (which covers most of the North American continent in Magnus’s time) is a direct descendant of the futuristic cityscapes of pulp magazine artist Frank R. Paul… But Manning's clean, clear touch made it seem even brighter, more open and airy, than usual.”
Manning, who would also illustrate the adventures of Tarzan and his son Korak for Gold Key, was a natural fit for this technological Tarzan.
Like the Lord of the Jungle, Magnus was also raised in isolation from human society, but his foster parent wasn’t an ape but a robot, 1A, who gave him his sense of mission and superhuman skills.
“Physically perfect and expertly trained in martial arts, Magnus was capable of taking on a steel-plated robot with his bare hands,” Markstein noted. “In addition, 1A had built a device into Magnus's head, enabling him to receive robot-to-robot radio signals.”
The title ran 46 issues.
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