Created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru, the group of superheroes known as the Metal Men made their debut in Showcase #37. This team of advanced, artificially intelligent robots, were designed by scientist Dr. William “Will” Magnus. The six members included field leader Gold, strongman Iron, slow-witted Lead, hot-headed Mercury, self-doubting Tin and Platinum – also called Tina, this robot believed she was a real woman and was in love with Dr. Magnus. Through devices called responsometers, each Metal Man’s personality and abilities reflected the traits of their namesake metal.
After a few appearances in Showcase, the Metal Men proved popular enough to star in their own eponymous title beginning in 1963. For a time, the team appeared to be the lone heroes in a separate fictional universe void of any other DC characters. Eventually, the Metal Men became part of the shared DC universe, although they continued to fight their own foes. The superheroes co-starred with Atom, Metamorpho and Batman in numerous issues of The Brave and the Bold, as well as DC Comics Presents.
During the 1990s, the characters’ origins were retconned with a laboratory accident transferring the intellects and personalities of Dr. Magnus’ brother Mike, his fiancée Sharon, laboratory workers Redmond Wilde and Randy Pressman, Thomas Tinkham, and a pizza-delivery man named Jack to blank robots. Later versions of the characters made appearances in Infinite Crisis, Villains United, Justice League of America, Superman/Batman, Wednesday Comics, Doom Patrol, Justice League: Generation Lost, and Kingdom Come, among others.
In the New 52 reboot, the Metal Men were created by Will Magnus for the army to serve in hazardous environments where normal humans couldn’t go. Not long after activation, the team as attacked by Chemo and had to sacrifice themselves in order to save the day. The Metal Men were later reactivated to assist Cyborg in stopping the Grid and the Crime Syndicate who had taken over. Over the years, the Metal Men have made sporadic appearances in numerous DC titles, along with animated television series, clothing, figurines, and trading cards.
But did you know the Metal Men are suiting up to star in their own 12-issue limited series? Beginning in October 2019, DC Publisher Dan DiDio will team with artists Shane Davis and Michelle Delecki on a series that takes a deep look into Dr. Magnus’ robotics lab.
“With nods to early DC Showcase stories, where the Metal Men first appeared, and DC’s long history of science fiction storytelling, the Metal Men discover a warehouse of old robots, older versions of themselves, that are junked and apparently left in disrepair by their creator rather than being rebuilt after their heroic battles. Meanwhile, a mysterious liquid Nth metal has appeared in the science site at Challenger Mountain…the same Challenger Mountain that came through from the Dark Multiverse and landed in Gotham at the end of Dark Knights: Metal and was the focal point of the DC New Age of Heroes miniseries New Challengers,” reads the official synopsis.
Metal Men #1 is scheduled for release on October 16 and will feature a variant cover by Philip Tan.