Anyway, the aftermath of the Micronauts' second battle with Baron Karza is a bittersweet one, with Cilicia leaving the team and Biotron dead. And on with the show!
In the prologue, an obelisk is unearthed in the Indus valley with glyphs that look like early Sanskrit, but are actually the language fo the Microverse...
The Great Distress has begun and the only thing that can stop it is the Engima Force. Now, the Micronauts must find the three keys that will enable them to contact it, keys Acroyear, Marionette, and Bug learned of while exploring Rann's mind last issue. Simple, right? Too bad Acroyear decides it's time to leave the team and go back to Spartak. Fortunately, Pharoid joins the team.
There are some emotional moments in this issue. Bug cries when Acroyear leaves the team. Rann keenly misses Biotron. Acroyear weeps when he returns to Spartak.
There are also cool battles, like the Micronauts against the Leviathan, the Anglerfish thing from the cover, receiving help from Lady Coral and her Dolphin Riders. Rann and Marionette are swallowed by the Leviathan, only to be handed over to Aqon, lord of the sea, who has plans for them. The last panel has a cameo by Doctor Strange, who recognizes the glyphs on the obelisk found in the beginning.
This issue was fully loaded, setting up the next big storyline and splitting the team up. For once, Bug wasn't the one going off on his own. I'd say this was my favorite issue since the original Mantlo-Golden run. Great stuff.
On a side note, did anyone ever play this game?:
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Doctor Strange learns the origin of the Microverse and heads there to stop the Great Distress. Meanwhile, Bug, Microtron, and Pharoid follow the Dolphin Riders into battle against the Oceanians, who have Rann and Marionette prisoner.
The end sees the Micronauts with the first key but the Seazone destroyed and Pharoid revealed as a spy, only not to the Micronauts.
I'm not sure about this key business just yet but it's cool that the Time Travelers left them behind. Not sure what's going on with Acroyear either. My favorite part of the issue, besides Bug fretting about the water, was Microtron lusting over Nanotron. The roboids are part human, after all...
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In the depths of Polaria, Prince Peacock stalks the Snowbear and misses it but meets Marionette, who leads him to the rest of the Micronauts. Once the Micronauts learn of the second key, they help Peacock hunt the beast a second time. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange continues trying to find a way into the Microverse.
The legend of the Snowbear and its slayer losing the thing he held most dear made the ending a little predictable. Yet another bittersweet ending in a Micronauts tale. Pharoid has second thoughts, probably leading to a valiant self-sacrifice in the near future, and Acroyear follows a comet, only to have his eyes burned out.
The Micronauts already have two of the three keys. Something tells me this is going way too easy.
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Acroyear stumbles around Tropica, knowing a beast is one his trail. I don't think he'll be killed but he's not listed as a member of the Micronauts on the title page. Never a good sign.
Meanwhile, Polaria is melting after the death of the Snowbear last issue and King Argon is being kind of a douche about it to Rann and the Micronauts. Not only that, Pharoid is dreading having to betray the Micronauts when they get to Aegypta.
After some standard super-hero misunderstandings, Acroyear meets Devil, a pinkish Beast-like humanoid, and Fireflyte, a fairy-like creature with sonic powers. As fate should have it, Devil's people guard the third key and their civilization has fallen into disrepair because of it.
Acroyear clashes with Devil but gains the key. Acroyear, Devil, and Fireflyte take the third key and head for the Dead Zone, where they'll undoubtedly encounter Doctor Strange, who arrives in the Microverse in the Dead Zone on the last page.
This was another issue where a lot of things happen. I knew Devil and Fireflyte joined the Micronauts eventually but I didn't know it happened this soon. I'm glad Acroyear got his eyesight back. Why is Argon being such a douche? Will Pharoid betray the Micronauts after all they've been through?
Heavy stuff. It's great to see that Bill Mantlo doesn't coast. Every issue advances the plot, sometimes by quite a bit.
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Pharoid betrays the Micronauts to Argon, who has a hard-on for them for some reason, and they get thrown in the hoosegow. After a change of heart, Pharoid, Nanotron, and Slug bust the Micronauts out of the clink.
Doctor Strange finally arrives in the Dead Zone and begins piecing together what happened to the travelers from earth who came to the Microverse. As he discovers the three keyholes, he is attacked by a demon!
Argon's forces duke it out with the Micronauts for the three keys. After a brutal fist fight, Rann defeats Argon and grabs the three keys. The Micronauts head for the Dead Zone with Argon hot on their heels.
Shit is getting hectic! I wonder if Argon was tainted by Baron Karza's personality or if he was always secretly a douche. The new additions to the team are going to take some getting used to. I'm sure they stick around since I read Minimum Carnage a while back. I'm pretty stoked to have Doctor Strange meet the Micronauts next issue.
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This is a double sized issue and a lot of shit happens. Here we go.
Argon, looking more and more like Baron Karza, declares war on the Micronauts. Pharoid and Slug put together a force to delay Argon's troops from catching up with the Micronauts but are crushed.
The Micronauts battle Dog Soldiers on the way to the Dead Zone and send Microtron and Nanotron back to the First Zone to get the Endeavor. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange learns the full origin of the Microverse from a demon. The Micronauts FINALLY meet up with Doctor Strange.
After some battles with demons, Rann uses the keys while the Micronauts battle Argon's grotesque Death Squad. The Micronauts prevail and Rann uses the keys. Once contact is made with the Enigma Force, Commander Rann and Doctor Strange become Captain Universe and repair the Spacewall separating the Microverse from the regular universe.
Just as Argon is preparing to kill the Micronauts, Nanotron and Microtron show up in the nick of time with the Endeavor and save the day.
Phew, that was something. It felt like a two-hour season finale. While the book always has a fair amount of action, it's the relationships between the Micronauts that keep me interested. It's good to have the team back together, plus Devil and Fireflyte. Microtron and Nanotron were surprisingly cute together.
All the dangling threads were wrapped up as far as I can tell. It looks like Force Commander will probably be the villain from here on out.
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The Micronauts arrive at a school with the new and improved Death Squad on their tail. After running Miss Glockenspeil out of her classroom, they eventually destroy the ship pursuing them.
This issue was mostly a long fight. To be honest, it was a nice break after the last storyline, providing some breathing room before the next catastrophe.
A young, apple-cheeked Keith Giffen takes the reins on art in this issue, some nice foreshadowing of the super stardom he would later achieve on The Legion of Super Heroes for DC.
I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Bug and Acroyear acting as a team. Marionette still gets exasperated at Rann, as most significant others do, as he rushes into trouble. I'm hoping for a Marionette-oriented issue at some point. She's a stronger character than most female characters of the time period but still doesn't get a hell of a lot to do. The rest of the team is still adjusting to Devil, as am I.
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The Micronauts are repairing the Endeavor when Huntarr, Argon's latest creation, comes for them. In the running firefight, they wind up at a certain school for gifted youngsters, where Nightcrawler is on sentry duty. Huntarr activates the damaged danger room and The Micronauts team with Nightcrawler to stop him.
There was lots of humor in this one, like Bug thinking Acroyear likes Devil better than him. Nightcrawler interacting with the Micronauts was the best crossover in the book since the Fantastic Four showed up during the Psycho-Man debacle.
Huntarr lived to fight another day. We'll see if he shows up again next issue, which is the first Direct Market only issue. The next big storyline isn't apparent yet but it's clear that the Micronauts will have to settle Force Commander's hash sooner or later.
The team is getting numerous once again. I can't help but think Nanotron is going to get the axe sooner or later.
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The first direct market only issue serves as a jumping on point for new readers. That doesn't make a ton of sense to me but whatever.
The first story is the tale of how Arcturus Rann earned the title Space Glider. It's also his first conflict with Baron Karza. No surprises here: Karza was a dick before he was a baron. After a brush with death at the hands of his teacher, Karza, Rann battles a gang of assassins.
The second story is the tale of Bug's first meeting with Acroyear. Gil Kane handles the art chores in this tale and is pretty spectacular. Compared to some of the past issues post-Golden, this one had some dynamic panels and great art.
This issue did nothing to advance the plot but was a good jumping on point for new readers. It's also a good time for me to take a breather. In the next installment, I'll tackle issues 39-47. Hard to believe I'm over the hump now and rocketing toward the end. Until then, farewell, Micronuts!
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