Metal Men
Entry updated 3 June 2024. Tagged: Character, Comics, Publication.
A team of DC Comics Superheroes, introduced in Showcase #37 (March/April 1962) and subsequently featured in their own comic Metal Men from April 1963. They are Robots built by Scientist Will "Doc" Magnus, each consisting entirely of a single Element – Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum, and Tin – and referred to by those names (though the female Platinum, in love with Magnus, is also known as Tina). They have the implausible power to extravagantly alter their bodies into disparate shapes in the manner of Quality Comics's Plastic Man, which is later attributed to their being in a liquid state (yet only the metal Mercury is actually liquid at room temperature). Their specialities correspond to each metal's properties: thus, Platinum can spin herself into tiny filaments, Iron displays amazing strength, and Lead can make himself into a shield against radiation. While one can object to some aspects of their portrayals (most notably that of Mercury, who is coloured red to correspond to the thread of alcohol in many thermometers, although the element actually looks like silver), the comic is generally accurate in conveying the nature of each element, making it arguably educational. The Metal Men also have distinctive personalities related to their elements – Mercury is temperamental, Lead is stolid, Tin is weak and unreliable, and so on – as dictated by the "responsometers" that provide their Intelligence and govern their behaviour. In this way, the Metal Men defy conventional expectations that robots will be cold and unemotional; indeed, the most robotic member of the team seems to be their human leader, the bland "Doc" Magnus. (One later incarnation of the team even had Magnus transformed into a robot.)
In their first appearance, the Metal Men (quickly created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru at the last minute to fill a gap in DC's schedule) all perished while battling against a revived Monster from prehistoric times, suggesting that there were no plans to feature the characters again. But when they proved popular, a second adventure had Magnus construct replacements; but these lacked the talents and personalities of the original team, indicating that there was something special about the circumstances of their creation. So he retrieves their remains and rebuilds them; such resurrections became a recurring event in the series, making the Metal Men a unique group of superheroes whose stories regularly concluded with their temporary deaths. Their opponents were usually other robots, including a rival group of Metal Men featuring Plutonium as one member; the Gas Gang, robots filled with dangerous gases; and robotic "Missile Men" crafted by Aliens. Yet their most memorable adversary was Chemo: originally a large transparent container in human form used to dispose of dangerous chemicals, the mixed chemicals in his body somehow transformed him into an animate menace, dangerous (despite having little intelligence) because of his strength, his ability to discharge toxic chemicals, and his unexplained hostility to everyone around him. He subsequently battled other superheroes, most notably Superman.
In response to declining sales, the Metal Men comic introduced some innovations, including a seventh member, "Nameless", a gendered female to serve as Tin's girlfriend; a time when they were the "Hunted Metal Men"; and a brief period when they became human beings. Subsequent reimaginings of the team included new members made of different elements – such as the irreverent female Copper – and radically revised origin stories. They have also made a few appearances in other media and were reportedly going to be featured in a forthcoming animated film which now seems to be indefinitely delayed. [GW]
links
previous versions of this entry