History Comicbook / MagnusRobotFighter

Currently, DynamiteComics has started four new series for Gold Key alumni Magnus, DoctorSolar, [[{{Comicbook/Turok}} Turok,]] and Doctor Spektor.

Currently, DynamiteComics has started four new series for Magnus as well as fellow Gold Key alumni DoctorSolar, [[{{Comicbook/Turok}} Turok,]] and Doctor Spektor.

Currently, DynamiteComics has started four new series for Magnus and for as fellow Gold Key alumni DoctorSolar, [[{{Comicbook/Turok}} Turok,]] and Doctor Spektor.

Currently, DynamiteComics has started four new series for Magnus and for as fellow Gold Key alumni DoctorSolar, [[TurokDinosaurHunter Turok,]] and Doctor Spektor.

Currently, Dynamite Entertainment has started four new series as well as fellow Gold Key alumni Doctor Solar, Turok, and Doctor Spektor.

A rebooted series from Creator/DarkHorseComics recently began, written by Jim Shooter.

* RoboticSpouse: Grandmother is 1A's girlfriend.

* MoralDissonance: [[spoiler: Magnus's eventual decision to destroy all robots, after the horrors of the Malev War have eroded all his sympathy on the matter. The resultant society is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans actually pretty good, for humans at least,]] but it's cringe-inducing for fans who remember the sympathetic robot characters. It's not necessarily out of character for Magnus by that point (the war took its toll on him), but the creepy thing is that [[WhatTheHellHero none of the other human characters call him out on it.]] Scratch that, no -- the ''truly'' creepy thing is that the ''authors'' don't call him out on it. Needless to say, the book was under different management by that point. Perhaps they were aiming for irony, but if so, it's so understated that you really can't tell.]]

* MoralDissonance: [[spoiler: Magnus's eventual decision to destroy all robots, after the horrors of the Malev War have eroded all his sympathy on the matter. The resultant society is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans actually pretty good, for humans at least,]] but it's cringe-inducing for fans who remember the sympathetic robot characters. It's not necessarily out of character for Magnus by that point (the war took its toll on him), but the creepy thing is that [[WhatTheHellHero none of the other human characters call him out on it.]] Scratch that, no -- the ''truly'' creepy thing is that the ''authors'' don't call him out on it. Needless to say, the book was under different management by that point.]]

* MoralDissonance: [[spoiler: Magnus's eventual decision to destroy all robots, after the horrors of the Malev War have eroded all his sympathy on the matter. The resultant society is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans actually pretty good, for humans at least,]] but it's cringe-inducing for fans who remember the sympathetic robot characters. It's not necessarily out of character for Magnus by that point (the war took its toll on him), but the truly creepy thing is that [[WhatTheHellHero none of the other human characters call him out on it.]]]]

* MoralDissonance: [[spoiler: Magnus's eventual decision to destroy all robots, after the horrors of the Malev War have eroded all his sympathy on the matter. The resultant society is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans actually pretty good, for humans at least,]] but WhatTheHellHero indeed.]]

* CrossOver: Regularly, with the other Valiant characters. More notably, it crossed over once with ''Comicbook/{{Nexus}}'' by Mike Baron and Steve Rude.

* MoralDissonance: [[spoiler: Magnus's eventual decision to destroy all robots, after the horrors of the Malev War have eroded all his sympathy on the matter. The resultant society is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans actually pretty good,]] but WhatTheHellHero indeed.]]

We also get to see some of the world beyond North Am, most notably Japan, home to the hero Rai who then gets his own spin-off comic. Magnus's world is also fully incorporated in the the Valiant [[TheVerse universe,]] crossing over with its other titles either by time travel or by the presence of long-lived characters like Gilad the Eternal Warrior.

The original full title was ''Magnus Robot Fighter: [[TheFuture 4000 A.D.]]'' In the far future, man has grown lazy and decadent, and is dependent on a huge labor force of robots for his wants and needs. The robots are programmed never to harm humans, but an increasing number of rogues are showing signs of rebellion. One robot, named [[RobotNames 1A,]] still loyal to humanity but sufficiently "rogue" to be able to think outside the box, sees that a RobotWar is coming and wants to prevent it. He adopts an orphaned child named Magnus and raises him in a secret undersea base, where he educates him and trains him to be the greatest martial artist the world has ever seen—good enough to defeat a standard metal robot with his bare hands, without resorting to any technology at all. 1A then sends Magnus out into the world--specifically, to the continent-spanning city of North Am--to both prevent a robot overthrow of humanity, and to encourage humans to stand on their own two feet again without depending on machines for everything.

A new series from Creator/DarkHorseComics recently began, written by Jim Shooter.

So it goes for a while, and then [[BizarroEpisode aliens invade.]] Specifically, alien ''robots'' called the Malevs who had appeared in the SilverAge series, but had been a minor plot element there. Here, they arrive, co-opt most of the existing robot population, and conquer the Earth. All of the original plot arcs are overwhelmed by the fight against the alien invaders. While the Malev War certainly has strong fans among the Valiant Comics fanbase, it can also be argued that it drastically derailed the basic premise of the comic. Here we get a RobotWar, but ironically, it's one that has little to do with the original human/robot conflict. The war does end, eventually; [[spoiler: but not well for the robots.]]

* NiceHat: The mayor of Synchron wears a silly-looking top hat, thinking it makes him look sophisticated.

So it goes for a while, and then [[BizarroEpisode aliens invade.]] Specifically, alien ''robots'' called the Malevs who had appeared in the SilverAge series, but had been a minor plot element there. Here, they arrive, co-opt most of the existing robot population, and conquer the Earth. All of the original plot arcs are overwhelmed by the fight against the alien invaders. While the Malev War certainly has strong fans among the Valiant Comics fanbase, it can also be argued that it drastically derailed the basic premise of the comic. Here we get a RobotWar, but ironically, it's one that has little to do with the original human/robot conflict. The war does end, eventually, [[spoiler: but not well for the robots.]]

The 90's Valiant series picks up where the original series left off, initially making a great effort to be faithful to the old setting, characters, and art style. The two main differences are a much greater focus on the class conflict between the gophs and the "cloud cloddies" who live on the milespires; and Magnus's grudging realization that the robots who are chafing under slavery have a perfectly legitimate point. So Magnus now has to try and balance the situation to prevent both a race war between man and robot, and also a class war between the upper classes and the gophs.

So it goes for a while, and then [[BizarroEpisode aliens invade.]] Specifically, alien ''robots'' called the Malevs who had appeared in the SilverAge series, but had been a minor plot element there. Here, they arrive, co-opt most of the existing robot population, and conquer the Earth. All of the original plot arcs are overwhelmed by the fight against the alien invaders. While the Malev War certainly has strong fans among the Valiant Comics fanbase, it can also be argued that it drastically derailed the basic premise of the comic. Here we get a RobotWar, but ironically, it's one that has little to do with the original human/robot conflict. The war does end, eventually.

So it goes for a while, and then [[BlamEpisode aliens invade.]] Specifically, alien ''robots'' called the Malevs who had appeared in the SilverAge series, but had been a minor plot element there. Here, they arrive, co-opt most of the existing robot population, and conquer the Earth. All of the original plot arcs are overwhelmed by the fight against the alien invaders. While the Malev War certainly has strong fans among the Valiant Comics fanbase, it can also be argued that it drastically derailed the basic premise of the comic. Here we get a RobotWar, but ironically, it's one that has little to do with the original human/robot conflict. The war does end, eventually.

* Oh Crap: Magnus and 1-A get one of these in Magnus #0: after (in the original run) a year or two of fighting the occasional accidental rogue robot, fairly easily mopped up, they hear the following message over the robot communications frequency:

A SilverAge [[{{Comics}} comic book]] hero, originally published by GoldKeyComics in the 1960's. He was revived by ValiantComics in the 1990's, and has appeared sporadically under other publishers' banners since then. Most recently, the title has been revived by DarkHorseComics and is being written by JimShooter, who had been the head of Valiant back in the day.

The 90's Valiant series picks up where the original series left off, initially making a great effort to be faithful to the old setting, characters, and art style. The two main differences are a much greater focus on the class conflict between the gophs and the "cloud cloddies" who live on the milespires; and Magnus's grudging realization that the robots who are chafing under slavery have a perfectly legitimate point. So Magnus now has to try and balance the situation to prevent both a race war between man and robot, and also a class war between the upper classes and the gophs.

A new series from DarkHorseComics recently began, written by Jim Shooter.

* CrossOver: Regularly, with the other Valiant characters. More notably, it crossed over once with ''[[{{Comicbook/Nexus}} Nexus]]'' by Mike Baron and Steve Rude.

* ContinuityReboot: The current DarkHorseComics version, as well as a few short-lived revivials since Valiant folded.

* DarkHorseComics

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: ''Magnus Robot Fighter: 4000 A.D.'' is about a guy named Magnus who fights robots in the year 4000 A.D.

* JimShooter: Was in charge of ValiantComics, and is currently writing the DarkHorseComics version.
* JustAMachine: The DarkHorseComics version makes a clear distinction between sentient and nonsentient robots. Magnus says he'll destroy a nonsentient robot that gets in his way without a second thought, but that he's just as reluctant to kill a sentient robot as he would be to kill a human being. Not that he's above killing if there's a good enough reason, mind you.

* LoveTriangle: The Dark Horse version has given Leeja a strong rival for Magnus's affections.

* RoboticSpouse: Grandmother is 1A's girlfriend.

* TranshumanAliens: The Starwatchers.

* {{Zeerust}}: In a good way. Everything at the start of the Valiant series has the same art design as the 60's version, from the robots to the buildings to the costumes. It meshes very nicely with the RaygunGothic visual look of ''[[{{Comicbook/Nexus}} Nexus's]]'' world in the crossover comic. The new [[DarkHorseComics Dark Horse]] reboot averts this.

* EvilLuddite: Derkaiser. [[spoiler Magnus himself might count as well when he takes the decision to destroy every single robot.]]

* BadAssNormal: Magnus, originally—but during Valiant's company-wide [[CrisisCrossover crossover]] "Unity," this was [[RetCon retconned]] so Magnus's dad had superhuman strength which Magnus inherited.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: ''MagnusRobotFighter: 4000 A.D.'' is about a guy named Magnus who fights robots in the year 4000 A.D.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Magnus realizes that the robots ''are'' being treated monstrously unfairly by society.