MICRONAUTS: THE EARLY STORIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at some of the stories Marvel Comics created around the licensed I.P. of Micronauts toys.

Back in 2014 I did a joking post pointing out the unsubtle parallels between the 1970s Micronauts series and the original Star Wars movie as well as Marvel’s original Guardians of the Galaxy team from 1969. For that blog post click HERE.

Just as the Guardians of the Galaxy team fought to free 30th Century Earth from the tyranny of the alien Badoon race, the Micronauts fought to free their planets from tyranny. The Micronauts was set in the Microverse (now called the Quantum Realm), a sub-atomic universe which was being ruled by the tyrannical Baron Karza.

BARON KARZA – The evil, black-armored Baron Karza was a very impressive villain, despite being one of the most blatant Darth Vader ripoffs this side of Japan’s Swords of the Space Ark movies.

The genetic engineer had kept himself alive for over a thousand years as the series began thanks to his Body Banks, where the genetic engineer supplied himself with replacement parts and organs from various victims. He also made other improvements to his body and devised body armor with powerful built-in weaponry. 

Karza’s rule was enforced by his Dog-Soldiers, his loyal, uh, … troopers … enhanced and obedient soldiers that were also products of his Body Banks. Other nightmares would be spawned from those banks as the Micronauts series went on. 

And now, the rag-tag rebels trying to bring down Karza’s empire of evil – 

SPACE GLIDER ARCTURUS RANN – The leader of the Micronauts. Rann was the very first Micronaut (the Microverse’s version of Astronauts), who was placed in suspended animation and sent out in a spaceship called The Endeavor on a 1,000-year mission of exploration throughout the Microverse.

Eventually Rann and his craft were on their return trip and while he snoozed away in suspended animation Baron Karza conquered Homeworld and, when warp-drive was discovered he sent out armies of conquest to enslave every planet they came across.

The long years that Rann spent in suspended animation unleashed potent Enigma Force powers within him, powers that granted him the ability to do whatever the unfolding storyline required but only when it would have dramatic impact and not before. (Yes, I’m in a sarcastic mood.)

PRINCESS MARIONETTE – Also called Princess Mari or just plain Mari, she was the series’ Princess Leia imitation. She was part of Homeworld’s rightful ruling family and became the love interest of Arcturus Rann, the Luke Skywalker/ Obi Wan Kenobi composite of the comic book series.

She didn’t get to do any royal business, unfortunately, since her older brother Prince Argon was the heir apparent once Karza could be overthrown. Still, she did get to regularly fire a ray-gun and serve in the Rebellion, often using her incredible acrobatic skills during combat.

Marionette, like her fellow Micronaut Bug, was not added to the toy figure line until after the comic book series became a big hit. Micronauts Annual #2 featured a tongue-in-cheek story explaining Bug and Marionette’s late inclusion. 

ACROYEAR (Ah-KROY-er) – He was the ruling prince of the Acroyear race. I know that would be like a human prince being named Prince Human Being, but what can ya do? Acroyear came from a massive planet – Spartak – which gave all of his kind super-strength compared to most other inhabitants of the Microverse.  Acroyear was also highly skilled in combat with energy-swords (no, not light sabers – energy swords), a common weapon in the Micronauts’ stories.  

The people of the Acroyear race were basically black people but with their facial features slightly altered in that way that always denotes alien races on the various Star Trek programs. Culturally they were semi-Arabic, with Acroyear’s evil brother even being named Shaitan. This brother was a collaborator whom Baron Karza rewarded with rule of the Acroyear homeworld, the harsh conditions of which prevented most Microverse races from functioning effectively there.   

BUG – This character was added to the Micronauts toy line as Galactic Warrior. Bug was a swashbuckling thief who was a member of the Insectivorid race. His rocket-lance could be used as a traditional combat lance, as a martial arts kendo staff in close quarters battles, could fly and could shoot energy beams from the tip. 

Bug’s combination of personality, cool weapon and visual appeal due to his armor and Insectivorid body made him arguably THE breakout sensation of The Micronauts. Originally Bug and Acroyear had a kind of Han Solo and Chewie vibe going (even though Acroyear was a very bright guy who could speak) but Bug came to transcend even that.   

BIOTRON and MICROTRON- Throw in a pair of robot sidekicks – one tall and gangly, the other a squat but feisty little thing. Biotron accompanied Arcturus Rann on his 1,000-year space journey and Microtron was the personal roboid of Princess Marionette. 

Both roboids were fearless in combat, so they served a useful purpose in addition to providing comic relief. Each would be destroyed but rebooted as the comic book series rolled on.

SLUG – This beautiful woman warrior was the deadliest and most effective rebel guerilla leader of the war to overthrow Baron Karza.

At one point, Slug managed to free Marionette’s brother Prince Argon from Karza’s Body Banks, but not before the villain had experimented on him. While on the run and once back with rebel troops the pair fell in love.

She and Argon (Force Commander) got engaged to be married after Baron Karza’s first fall from power. 

ENIGMA GUARDIANS – These entities were agents/ heralds of the Enigma Force. The Enigma Guardians had supplied the Rebellion with the prophecy about the “returning voyager” who would lay Karza low. That voyager was, of course, Arcturus Rann, arriving back on Homeworld after his 1,000-year journey only to have his old colleague Baron Karza order him slain. 

Karza had also been informed about the prophecy and deduced that it referred to Arcturus Rann. The Baron’s Enigma Force servitors, the Shadow Priests, later turned out to be Enigma Guardians in disguise as they guided events to their prophesied conclusion. 

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #1 (January 1979)

Title: Earth!

Villains: Baron Karza and Shaitan

Synopsis: Space Glider Arcturus Rann and his roboid Biotron arrive back on Homeworld after a 1,000-year exploration of the Microverse. Baron Karza’s Dog-Soldiers try to kill Arcturus when he arrives, but members of the Rebellion – Princess Marionette, Bug the swashbuckling thief, Prince Acroyear and Marionette’s squat little roboid Microtron save Rann’s life.

These are the titular Micronauts and they fly off with Arcturus Rann, who does not yet comprehend how important he is to the Rebellion. Baron Karza sends some of his forces in pursuit.

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #4 (April 1979)

Title: A Hunting We Will Go

Villains: Baron Karza and Duchess Belladonna

Synopsis: I skipped issues 2 and 3 because they were set on Earth, where the Micronauts were only inches tall. Here in issue #4 we get major moves from Baron Karza, who leads his Dog-Soldiers against a rebel stronghold. The Baron’s troops get a huge win and capture the beautiful rebel leader Slug.

Back on Earth the diminutive Micronauts go up against Professor Prometheus, a cyborg Cape Canaveral scientist whose Prometheus Pit is really a portal to the Microverse. 

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #9 (September 1979)

Title: Home is Where the Heart Is

Villain: Baron Karza

Synopsis: After wasting issues 5-8 on Earth, this series finally gets back to what all of the first eleven or twelve issues should have been about – the rebellion against Baron Karza. The Micronauts return to the Microverse/ Quantum Realm and go to the planet Spartak, whose Acroyear race has overthrown and imprisoned the collaborator Shaitan.

Baron Karza has also returned from Earth. He takes his massive space fleet with him to attack the planet Spartak to kill every Acroyear man, woman and child along with the Micronauts. By the time Karza and his forces have eliminated half of the Acroyear fleet, Prince Acroyear, now back on the throne of Spartak, summons the planet’s Worldmind, a localized variation of the Enigma Force.

Meanwhile, the other Micronauts are in space over Spartak, in battle with Karza’s fleet, and on Homeworld, Slug and Prince Argon lead a massive rebel attack on the Body Banks.

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #10 (October 1979)

Title: Defeat!

Villain: Baron Karza

Synopsis: As the battle for Spartak continues, the Micronauts attack Baron Karza’s flagship. He defeats and captures Arcturus and Marionette and seems to cause Bug’s death in combat when the Insectivorid’s rocket-lance ignites the fuel of a Phobos War Machine, which explodes. 

After ordering his fleet to finish off everyone on Spartak, Karza and his flag ship depart for Homeworld, where he plans to torture the secrets of the Enigma Force out of Arcturus and marry Princess Marionette to give his rule a tinge of legitimacy. He hopes this will mollify Homeworld traditionalists. 

Acroyear wields the Worldmind to turn the tide of battle and his people, including his wife Cilicia, triumph over the rest of Baron Karza’s fleet. Arriving back at Homeworld, the Baron joins his Dog-Soldiers in fighting the rebels as they burn his Body Banks and free the human guinea pigs inside.

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #11 (November 1979)

Title: We are the Enigma Force

Villain: Baron Karza

Synopsis: Karza and his Dog-Soldiers besiege Slug (below right), Prince Argon and the other rebels inside the commandeered Body Banks after routing them on the field.

Prince Argon and Baron Karza face each other in a battle of honor, but after an hours-long clash, Karza and his armor defeat Argon in his white Force Commander armor (see cover).

Suddenly, Karza’s Shadow Priests reveal that they are all really Enigma Guardians who bonded with Arcturus’ subconscious during his 1,000-year journey. The entities free the chained Marionette and Arcturus, then all merge with Rann’s body.

Now fully commanding the Enigma Force, Arcturus battles Baron Karza. Soon, the remainder of the Spartak space fleet arrives, along with Acroyear, Biotron, Microtron and Cilicia.

The Acroyear troops help Homeworld’s rebels, led by Slug, to beat Karza’s Dog-Soldiers, while Rann destroys the Baron before he can trigger a weapon to wipe out all of Homeworld. The rebels have won.   

MICRONAUTS VOl 1 #12 (December 1979)

Title: To the Victor Belongs a World

Villain: Shaitan

Synopsis: We pick up an unknown amount of time after the previous story. The dead have been buried and/or mourned, including the Missing in Action Bug. Prince Argon will take his place as the rightful ruler of Homeworld, and Slug agrees to be his wife. Rebels are mopping up the rest of Karza’s forces on other planets in the Microverse.

The Acroyears return to Spartak, where Acroyear himself is coronated. He prepares to pass judgment on his evil brother Shaitan (at right) but the villain demands a trial by combat. The two siblings clash, armed only with their energy swords, and in the end Acroyear kills Shaitan.

Elsewhere, it turns out that when Bug’s rocket lance ignited the fuel for the Phobos War Machine, it actually triggered a jump to hyperspace. An Enigma Guardian has been guiding the unconscious Bug’s flight back to his home planet of Kaliklak, where the last of Baron Karza’s troops still hold sway.

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #13 (January 1980)

Title: Be It Ever So Deadly …

Villain: Wartstaff

Synopsis: The Enigma Guardian has left the unconscious Bug lying in a forest on Kaliklak. The former thief comes to and is delighted to be back on his home planet. He soon learns that in his absence his longtime rival Wartstaff (see cover) has taken over Bug’s old gang and combined their members with his own.

It turns out that Bug’s former love interest, a lady thief named Jasmine (see cover), also led a gang of criminals and they too were forcibly combined with Wartstaff’s. Bug eventually manages to retake the leadership, and when the defeated Wartstaff tries to stab Bug in the back, Jasmine slices off the villain’s antennae, leaving him without an Insectivorid’s usual enhanced senses.   

Back on Homeworld, Arcturus is uncomfortable with the superstitious awe with which the citizens regard him, considering him a living avatar of the Enigma Force. He talks Marionette, Biotron and Microtron into flying with him in the Endeavor to see if Acroyear and Cilicia want to join them in exploring the post-Karza Microverse.

Weeks later on Kaliklak, Bug is leading Jasmine and their respective gangs of thieves in an attack on Karza’s forces at the nearest space terminal. Kaliklak is so remote the planet has still not gotten word about the Baron’s downfall.

MICRONAUTS Vol 1 #14 (February 1980)

Title: A Hot Time on the Old World

Villains: Dog Soldiers

Synopsis: Bug, Jasmine and their gangs beat the Dog-Soldiers and succeed in taking the terminal. They commandeer as many vessels as they can and fly off for an attack on the Central Nest, where Karza’s colonial governor of the planet is headquartered. 

Elsewhere, Arcturus, Marionette and the two roboids rendezvous with Acroyear and Cilicia, who have left Spartak under the rule of the Council of Elders during their absence. They all head for Kaliklak to make sure the inhabitants know that the Baron is dead.

Meanwhile, Bug and company seize the Central Nest, kill the colonial governor and restore Queen Esmera, the winged Insectivorid, to the throne. When the Endeavor finally reaches Kaliklak, the Micronauts are thrilled to discover that Bug is still alive, that they’ve received the surrender of the remaining Dog-Soldiers on the planet, and that he and Jasmine want to join the exploratory mission.

MICRONAUTS ANNUAL Vol 1 #1 (September 1979)

NOTE: Illustrated by industry veteran Steve Ditko, this issue presented three prequel stories about various Micronauts set before the events of Micronauts #1.

I’m placing it here at the end of this examination of the series to avoid disrupting the serialized narrative of the above stories.

Title: Timestream

Villains: Inhabitants of Paradise III

Synopsis: On one of their stops during their 1,000-year journey, Biotron again brings Arcturus Rann out of suspended animation to explore and offer peaceful greetings to the people of the planet Paradise III. The isolationist planet had pursued genetic perfection and killed any citizens deemed imperfect.

        Our heroes are attacked by Marglar, the last surviving inhabitant of the planet. He views them as an infection that must be eradicated, but Arcturus and Biotron defeat the tech-armored being and inadvertently kill him. Rann goes back into suspended animation while Biotron pilots the Endeavor onward. 

Title: Arena of Death

Villains: Baron Karza and the Arena Combatants

Synopsis: The deposed Prince Acroyear of Spartak and the devil may care Insectivorid Bug are among Baron Karza’s prisoners who are forced to fight alien monstrosities from around the Microverse as well as vile creatures from Karza’s Body Banks.

        Bug and Acroyear bond and distinguish themselves while performing in gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of Homeworld’s nobility. Those nobles fear the rising power of Baron Karza and include the disgusted Prince Argon, Princess Marionette and their parents as well as the influential Baron himself.

Title: Coup

Villains: Baron Karza, Shaitan and the Arena Combatants

Synopsis: Tired of tolerating the existence of Argon and Marionette’s parents and the pretense that they, not he, rule Homeworld, Baron Karza kills them at the latest gladiatorial games. He openly takes over the Microversal Empire he has built over the centuries. 

        Bug and Acroyear, the star attractions of the Arena Games, have signaled Mari and Argon that they are with the rebellion. The four of them unleash chaos at the arena and manage to fight their way to freedom before Karza can kill them. The four link up with rebel forces and eventually get ready to free the prophesied Returning Voyager when he at last arrives on Homeworld.   

*** Naturally, Baron Karza wasn’t really dead and he kept trying to return to power, ultimately succeeding in the Sometimes the Good Guys Lose storyline. This first Micronauts series ended with issue #59 in 1984. 

FOR MY REVIEW OF MARVEL’S OTHER LICENSED TOY CHARACTER ROM CLICK HERE.

FOR MY LOOK AT BRAZIL’S SUPERHEROES CLICK HERE.

FOR MY LOOK AT SPAIN’S HOMEMADE SUPERHEROES IBERIA INC. CLICK HERE.