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* YellowPeril: In the 60s they had a few encounters with "Doctor Yes," a bespectacled, bucktoothed robotic duplicate of already deeply offensive Wonder Woman villain Egg Fu (a giant yellow egg with a Fu Manchu mustache and horrendously stereotypical accent).
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** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha. Alloy eventually made the transition to the regular universe, showing up in ''Justice League: Generation Lost''.
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** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha. Alloy eventually made the transition to the regular universe, showing up in ''Justice League: Generation Lost''.''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueGenerationLost''.
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* MadnessMantra: On at least one occasion, Mercury was traumatized to the point he could ''only'' say his CatchPhrase in a CreepyMonotone.
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Has nothing to do with familiarity with in-universe fiction.
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* TheLoad: Tin is a very fragile guy (what with the metal he was made out of and all), yet he [[{{Determinator}} does his damnedest]] [[GenreSavvy to prove he does not fall under this trope]], with [[http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2007/04/greatest-hero-of-silver-age.html little success]]. Tin isn't so much a Load as a kind of ablative armor for the team and comic in general. Need to show someone's a serious threat but not damage anyone that actually has useful abilities? Let Tin take one for the team -- he's not strong, tough, or fast, but he's very brave.
to:
* TheLoad: Tin is a very fragile guy (what with the metal he was made out of and all), yet he [[{{Determinator}} does his damnedest]] [[GenreSavvy to prove he does not fall under this trope]], trope, with [[http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2007/04/greatest-hero-of-silver-age.html little success]]. Tin isn't so much a Load as a kind of ablative armor for the team and comic in general. Need to show someone's a serious threat but not damage anyone that actually has useful abilities? Let Tin take one for the team -- he's not strong, tough, or fast, but he's very brave.
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* MakeMeWannaShout: One enemy from the end of the original series, [[https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/4/49/Vox_the_Bionic_Bandit.png/revision/latest?cb=20130716121421 Vox, the Bionic Bandit]], could do this after his throat was ripped out and replaced by a prosthetic.
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* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Since the team never appeared in the Franchise/{{DCAU}}, Simon Stagg (arch-nemesis of ComicBook/{{Metamorpho}}) assumed a [[CompositeCharacter giant monster form very similar to Chemo]], while another voe, Vox the Bionic Bandit, was reworked into an underling of ComicBook/VandalSavage (and fought Wonder Woman and Batman).
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** As they become more self-aware, the Metal Men ask Doc to customise their bodies accordingly. [[CloudCuckoolander Mercury asks to have "the piercing blue eyes of Bob Hope"]].
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** As they become more self-aware, the Metal Men ask Doc to customise their bodies accordingly. [[CloudCuckoolander Mercury asks to have "the piercing blue eyes of Bob Hope"]].Hope"]][[note]]He already has the ski-jump-like nose of (caricatures of) Bob Hope[[/note]].
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* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")[[note]]Francium, Gallium, and Rubidium are three other metals that are liquid at or near room temperature.[[/note]]
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* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")[[note]]Francium, Gallium, and Rubidium are three other metals that are you?")[[note]]Caesium actually melts at 83 or 28 degrees (F or C), while room temperature is usually defined as slightly cooler than that. It would, however, be liquid on a warm summer day in most places. Gallium is also a case of close-but-not-quite; its melting point is slightly higher than caesium's but still low enough to melt in a person's hand. However, the metal francium would probably be liquid at or near room temperature.temperature if it weren't so radioactive that any piece large enough to see even with a microscope would instantly vaporize itself from the heat of its own decay.[[/note]]
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* ButtMonkey: Copper, who is constantly forgotten by her fellow Metal Men. Might even apply to a meta level, given she was consistently ignored or forgotten by other materials written while she existed.
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** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
to:
** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha. Alloy eventually made the transition to the regular universe, showing up in ''Justice League: Generation Lost''.
* PopCulturedBadass: In the 2009 back-up feature, Iron repeatedly compares people or events to whatever he's seen on TV.
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* RobotHair: Platinum is the only {{Fembot}} of the six ChromeChampion robots and, naturally, is the only one with "hair". This was changed in the New 52 incarnation, were Gold also has "hair", befitting his new characterization as something of a narcissist.
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* RobotHair: Platinum is (usually) the only {{Fembot}} of the six ChromeChampion robots and, naturally, is the only one with "hair". This was changed in the New 52 incarnation, were Gold also has "hair", befitting his new characterization as something of a narcissist.
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** In the 2009 back-up feature, almost no one remembers Copper is even there.
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** In the 2009 back-up feature, almost no one remembers Copper is even there. And when they do, they forget her name.
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* StandardizedLeader: Gold was consistently portrayed as the level-headed leader type until the New 52, where he's a bit of a narcissist who appointed himself leader because gold is ''obviously'' the best metal.
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* StandardizedLeader: Gold was consistently portrayed as the level-headed leader type until the New 52, 2009 onward, where he's a bit of a narcissist who appointed himself leader because gold is ''obviously'' the best metal.
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don't self-link
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Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless - made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
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Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen Metal Men are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless - made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
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Fixed grammer.
Changed line(s) 6,7 (click to see context) from:
Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless -made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
to:
Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless -made - made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
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In their first story, it was established that [[MadScientist eccentric genius Will Magnus]] had invented the responsometer, and used it to create a shape-shifting robot in the form of a woman- Platinum. However due to the unforseen effect of sunspot activity, Platinum somehow developed a human personality- that of a vain girl with a crush on Magnus ([[DontExplainTheJoke a platinum blonde, get it?]]) Then the US Army asked Magnus to create more robots so they could help stop a giant flying monster that was terrorizing the world. He agreed, and like Platinum, the rest of the Metal Men developed human emotions he didn't intend them to have.
to:
In their first story, it was established that [[MadScientist eccentric genius Will Magnus]] had invented the responsometer, and used it to create a shape-shifting robot in the form of a woman- woman - Platinum. However due to the unforseen effect of sunspot activity, Platinum somehow developed a human personality- personality - that of a vain girl with a crush on Magnus ([[DontExplainTheJoke a platinum blonde, get it?]]) Then the US Army asked Magnus to create more robots so they could help stop a giant flying monster that was terrorizing the world. He agreed, and like Platinum, the rest of the Metal Men developed human emotions he didn't intend them to have.
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** In addition, a retcon by Creator/JohnByrne in the late 80's established that the Metal Men are actually made of a secret polymer (read: plastic) that can be rearranged in form and characteristics by their responsometers. This was likely done to explain the [[FridgeLogic logical discrepancies]] that their being actually made of the indicated metals would entail (eg. Mercury would be highly toxic, Platinum would be more costly than all the gold in America, etc.)
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** In addition, a retcon by Creator/JohnByrne in the late 80's established that the Metal Men are actually made of a secret polymer (read: plastic) that can be rearranged in form and characteristics by their responsometers. This was likely done to explain the [[FridgeLogic logical discrepancies]] that their they're being actually made of the indicated metals would entail (eg. Mercury would be highly toxic, Platinum would be more costly than all the gold in America, etc.)
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* TheLoad: Tin is a very fragile guy (what with the metal he was made out of and all), yet he [[{{Determinator}} does his damndest]] [[GenreSavvy to prove he does not fall under this trope]], with [[http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2007/04/greatest-hero-of-silver-age.html little success]]. Tin isn't so much a Load as a kind of ablative armor for the team and comic in general. Need to show someone's a serious threat but not damage anyone that actually has useful abilities? Let Tin take one for the team -- he's not strong, tough, or fast, but he's very brave.
to:
* TheLoad: Tin is a very fragile guy (what with the metal he was made out of and all), yet he [[{{Determinator}} does his damndest]] damnedest]] [[GenreSavvy to prove he does not fall under this trope]], with [[http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2007/04/greatest-hero-of-silver-age.html little success]]. Tin isn't so much a Load as a kind of ablative armor for the team and comic in general. Need to show someone's a serious threat but not damage anyone that actually has useful abilities? Let Tin take one for the team -- he's not strong, tough, or fast, but he's very brave.
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The MetalMen were also recurring guest stars in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', and later recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' animated series; in the cartoon, they were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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The MetalMen ComicBook/MetalMen were also recurring guest stars in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', and later recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' animated series; in the cartoon, they were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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* LosingYourHead: Happens to them plenty of times.
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* ClingyJealousGirl: Platinum whenever Magnus shows interest in another woman.
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*** That was due to it being revealed that Doc was wiping their memories of their deaths each time he rebuilt them, so to them they'd never been killed until he was finally talked out of it by someone after one of their many rebuilds.
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* StandardizedHero: Gold was consistently portrayed as the level-headed leader type until the New 52, where he's a bit of a narcissist who appointed himself leader because gold is ''obviously'' the best metal.
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* StandardizedHero: StandardizedLeader: Gold was consistently portrayed as the level-headed leader type until the New 52, where he's a bit of a narcissist who appointed himself leader because gold is ''obviously'' the best metal.
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* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")
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* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")you?")[[note]]Francium, Gallium, and Rubidium are three other metals that are liquid at or near room temperature.[[/note]]
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Just for the people who don\'t know them.
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[[caption-width-right:190:Clockwise from top: Gold, Iron, Mercury, Platinum, Lead and Tin, and Doc Magnus at the center.]]
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* GoldColoredSuperiority: Gold is the leader, not counting Dr. Magus (DaChief).
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* GagNose: Tin and Mercury. Exactly how long it is [[DependingOnTheArtist depends on the artist]].
* GoldColoredSuperiority: Gold is the leader, not countingDr. Magus Doc Magnus (DaChief).
* GoldColoredSuperiority: Gold is the leader, not counting
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Changed line(s) 17,18 (click to see context) from:
The MetalMen were also recurring guest stars in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', and later recurr characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' cartoon, where they were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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The MetalMen were also recurring guest stars in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', and later recurr recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' animated series; in the cartoon, where they were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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Changed line(s) 17,18 (click to see context) from:
The MetalMen were also recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' cartoon, and were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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The MetalMen were also recurring guest stars in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', and later recurr characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' cartoon, and where they were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
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Using a comic itself is not an example of an entry that we can put here.
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* ComicBook/DialHForHero: One story in the 2000s ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold series meet Robby Reed when they all had to deal with a robot dinosaur that went "Megistus." [[spoiler: When Robby's dazed and possibly hurt, he guides Tin through using the H-Dial to become "Manbot the Mighty" to save the day--though Platinum gets Tin's head back straight to get him back to normal.]]
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* InstantAIJustAddWater: In the original series, while Doc ''was'' deliberately trying to make sentient robots, the fact that he succeeded so well with these six was a bit of a fluke that he was not readily able to pull off again. This was originally attributed to sunspots, but that has since been forgotten.
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* GoldColoredSuperiority: Gold is the leader, not counting Dr. Magus (DaChief).
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* InstantAIJustAddWater: In the original series, while Doc ''was'' deliberately trying to make sentient robots, the fact that he succeeded so well with these six was a bit of a fluke that he was not readily able to pull off again. This was originally attributed to sunspots, but that has since been forgotten.
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* DeathIsCheap: As a consequence of the fact that they're all robots. Most issues of the original series ended with at least one of the Metal Men, and sometimes ''all'' of them, out of commission, though they're usually okay by the start of the next issue.
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** Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild them.
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** Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the The original team, they are always destroyed by series notably subverted this; many of its stories ended with an unresolved problem that is addressed in the end and he rarely attempts next issue. This made it one of ''very'' few Silver Age comics with a storyline that flows from issue to rebuild them.issue.
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* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The Death-Metal Men.
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* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The Death-Metal Men.
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* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: In the original series Doc tended to think of the Metal Men as tools at worst; he'd always talk about scrapping them or rewiring their responsometers when he was upset with them. At least, this is how he acted most of the time -- when the Metal Men are hurt or in danger he starts to show a lot more attachment to them.
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* AIIsACrapshoot: In both the original and the New 52 incarnations, the Metal Men having anything resembling personalities is something Doc never intended and can't explain. In the New 52 they weren't even supposed to be sentient or have distinct physical appearances.
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* CombiningMecha: In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
* CutLexLuthorACheck:
** Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* CutLexLuthorACheck:
** Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
to:
* CombiningMecha: CombiningMecha:
** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
* CutLexLuthorACheck:
** Possibly inspired, however loosely, by a couple of times in the original series when the Metal Men alloyed together to form a giant robot. This involved a giant smelting pool and they couldn't separate without some other complicated crap happening. If you consider this proper combining, they're among the earliest examples of the trope.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
** In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
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* DeadpanSnarker: Mercury.
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* DeadpanSnarker: Mercury.Mercury, when he's not in one of his warmer moods.
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* DumbMuscle: Lead is as thick as a pyramid and twice as tough.
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* DumbMuscle: Lead is as thick as a pyramid and twice as tough. He isn't as strong as Iron, though.
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* TrueCompanions: The Metal Men and Doc. Especially in the New 52 version; oftentimes their relationship in the original series was pretty strained.
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Changed line(s) 33,34 (click to see context) from:
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
to:
* CutLexLuthorACheck: CutLexLuthorACheck:
** Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues (and later appearances in ''The Brave and the Bold'') have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
** Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues (and later appearances in ''The Brave and the Bold'') have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
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* HeroicSacrifice: Gold and Lead in the '07 series. [[spoiler: Fortunately, they're saved. By the villains.]]
to:
* HeroicSacrifice: HeroicSacrifice:
** Gold and Lead in the '07 series. [[spoiler: Fortunately, they're saved. By the villains.]]]]
** This was an extremely common device in the earliest Metal Men stories. Apparently the logic was that they could simply be repaired every time, but a.) the Metal Men themselves rarely seem to realize this and act like they'll be gone for good upon sacrificing themselves and b.) they sacrificed themselves so often that they started to come across as suicidal
** The above was {{Deconstructed}} in the New 52 version. After the Metal Men sacrificed themselves to save people from Chemo, Doc was unwilling to rebuild them because he couldn't stand the thought of losing them again.
** Gold and Lead in the '07 series. [[spoiler: Fortunately, they're saved. By the villains.
** This was an extremely common device in the earliest Metal Men stories. Apparently the logic was that they could simply be repaired every time, but a.) the Metal Men themselves rarely seem to realize this and act like they'll be gone for good upon sacrificing themselves and b.) they sacrificed themselves so often that they started to come across as suicidal
** The above was {{Deconstructed}} in the New 52 version. After the Metal Men sacrificed themselves to save people from Chemo, Doc was unwilling to rebuild them because he couldn't stand the thought of losing them again.
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* ThePsychoRangers: Missile Men and Gas Gang. There have also been two teams of evil Metal Men, one made by an insane robotic clone of Doc, the other by a jealous rival.
to:
* ThePsychoRangers: Missile Men The Gas Gang and the Plastic Perils. Their debut on ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' even added a member to the Gas Gang. Gang to make it an even six, and gave its members the same voice actors as the Metal Men. There have also been two teams of evil Metal Men, Men (not counting at least one group of evil copies of the originals): one made by an insane robotic clone of Doc, the other by a jealous rival.
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* RobotHair: Platinum is the only {{Fembot}} of the six ChromeChampion robots and, naturally, is the only one with "hair".
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so.
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so.
to:
* RobotHair: Platinum is the only {{Fembot}} of the six ChromeChampion robots and, naturally, is the only one with "hair".
"hair". This was changed in the New 52 incarnation, were Gold also has "hair", befitting his new characterization as something of a narcissist.
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so. Many of the 60s comics played up the shapeshifting aspect more prominently.
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so. Many of the 60s comics played up the shapeshifting aspect more prominently.
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** Platinum was the only female member of the team. Tin later created Nameless, who didn't really do much other than act as his girlfriend. Right before the CerebusSyndrome {{Retool}}, [[TeamDad Doc Magnus]] created {{Distaff Counterpart}}s of the team, but they were one-off characters. In recent years, the team finally gained a bona-fide second female member, [[DeadpanSnarker Copper]].
to:
** Platinum was the only female member of the team. Tin later created Nameless, who didn't really do much other than act as his girlfriend. Right before the CerebusSyndrome {{Retool}}, [[TeamDad Doc Magnus]] created {{Distaff Counterpart}}s of the team, but they were one-off characters. In recent years, the team finally gained a bona-fide second female member, [[DeadpanSnarker Copper]].Copper]], though she didn't survive into the New 52.
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* TheSoCalledCoward: Tin is nonconfident and weak-willed, but has "the bravest soul" of all the Metal Men.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild them.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild them.
to:
* TheSoCalledCoward: Tin is nonconfident unconfident and weak-willed, but has "the bravest soul" of all the Metal Men.
*StatusQuoIsGod: StandardizedHero: Gold was consistently portrayed as the level-headed leader type until the New 52, where he's a bit of a narcissist who appointed himself leader because gold is ''obviously'' the best metal.
* StatusQuoIsGod:
** Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuildthem.them.
** It's not exaggerating to say that most issues of the original series end with at least one of the Metal Men "dead", only to be repaired in full by the beginning of the next issue.
*
* StatusQuoIsGod:
** Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild
** It's not exaggerating to say that most issues of the original series end with at least one of the Metal Men "dead", only to be repaired in full by the beginning of the next issue.
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* TechnologicalPacifist: In the New 52 incarnation, Doc created the Metal Men on commission for the US government and military for use as rescue workers. When it came out that they actually intended to use them as assassins, he was virulently opposed to the idea -- as were the Metal Men themselves.
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* CharacterDevelopment: Doc Magnus in the '07 mini-series. You really feel for the guy.
to:
* CharacterDevelopment: Doc Magnus between the original revival, all the way through to Comicbook/FiftyTwo and the Duncan Rouleau series. He goes through two psychotic breaks and two kidnappings by supervillains, before getting finally getting it together in the '07 mini-series.series and rebuilding the Metal Men better than ever. You really feel for the guy.
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* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Platinum, the only girl.
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced in the '07 series.
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced in the '07 series.
to:
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Platinum, TheSmurfettePrinciple:
** Platinum was the onlygirl.
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced infemale member of the '07 series.team. Tin later created Nameless, who didn't really do much other than act as his girlfriend. Right before the CerebusSyndrome {{Retool}}, [[TeamDad Doc Magnus]] created {{Distaff Counterpart}}s of the team, but they were one-off characters. In recent years, the team finally gained a bona-fide second female member, [[DeadpanSnarker Copper]].
** The Metal Men's ''schtick'' is that each has properties/abilities associated with their respective "metal". Nameless (who, like Tin, is made of ... well, ''tin'') had exactly the same powers as Tin (who was himself probably the weakest of the metal men), but Tin had more experience, so there usually wasn't much for Nameless to do.
** Platinum was the only
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced in
** The Metal Men's ''schtick'' is that each has properties/abilities associated with their respective "metal". Nameless (who, like Tin, is made of ... well, ''tin'') had exactly the same powers as Tin (who was himself probably the weakest of the metal men), but Tin had more experience, so there usually wasn't much for Nameless to do.
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** Geoff Johns' New 52 incarnation brought back responsometers, and made it clear that they really are made purely of their namesake metals.
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* RobotBuddy
Changed line(s) 76 (click to see context) from:
* RobotBuddy
to:
* RobotBuddyRobotHair: Platinum is the only {{Fembot}} of the six ChromeChampion robots and, naturally, is the only one with "hair".
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* TheLoad: Tin is a very fragile guy (what with the metal he was made out of and all), yet he [[{{Determinator}} does his damndest]] [[GenreSavvy to prove he does not fall under this trope]], with [[http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2007/04/greatest-hero-of-silver-age.html little success]]. Tin isn't so much a Load as a kind of ablative armor for the team and comic in general. Need to show someone's a serious threat but not damage anyone that actually has useful abilities? Let Tin take one for the team -- he's not strong, tough, or fast, but he's very brave.
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[[quoteright:190:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/52_metalmenicon.jpg]]
Creator/DCComics' "metal marvels".
Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless -made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
The team was originally created in 1962 by writer Creator/RobertKanigher, artist Ross Andru, and inker Mike Esposito to fill a last minute vacancy at DC's anthology series ''Showcase'', and because they weren't intended to last past the issue, the robot team was destroyed at the end. However the team proved popular enough to return in the following issues, with their distinguishing feature firmly established: they would willingly throw themselves at any threat and even risk being destroyed because they knew Doc would always gather up their responsometers (microscopic computer brains) and rebuild them.
In their first story, it was established that [[MadScientist eccentric genius Will Magnus]] had invented the responsometer, and used it to create a shape-shifting robot in the form of a woman- Platinum. However due to the unforseen effect of sunspot activity, Platinum somehow developed a human personality- that of a vain girl with a crush on Magnus ([[DontExplainTheJoke a platinum blonde, get it?]]) Then the US Army asked Magnus to create more robots so they could help stop a giant flying monster that was terrorizing the world. He agreed, and like Platinum, the rest of the Metal Men developed human emotions he didn't intend them to have.
The ComicBook/MetalMen became something of a fan favorite, although they had sporadic success in their own title. Over the course of their series, they faced a number and variety of enemies, including recurring foes such as the Missile Men and the walking chemical vat called Chemo. Keeping with the chemistry theme, some issues even included 'fun factoids'. The original series eventually came to its end in 1978 after 56 issues.
Both during and after the series, there were frequent team ups with other DC heroes, including Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/TheAtom, and occasional appearances in other series. They wouldn't get their own series again until the 1993 miniseries that rewrote their origin so that [[BrainUploading their personalities originally came from humans]]. This and other changes were greatly disliked. Thankfully, the miniseries ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' easily [[RetCon fixed this]] while focusing on Doc Magnus, who would eventually rebuild his Metal Men.
Their next series was the 2007 eight-issue miniseries that told a new origin of the metal marvels with the addition of a new member, the female Copper. In 2009, they were featured in the new Comicbook/DoomPatrol series as a second feature.
The MetalMen were also recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' cartoon, and were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
----
!!Tropes related to these characters:
* InstantAIJustAddWater: In the original series, while Doc ''was'' deliberately trying to make sentient robots, the fact that he succeeded so well with these six was a bit of a fluke that he was not readily able to pull off again. This was originally attributed to sunspots, but that has since been forgotten.
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The responsometers, the device that is the source of the powers and personalities. Can be seen as early NanoTechnology.
** In addition, a retcon by Creator/JohnByrne in the late 80's established that the Metal Men are actually made of a secret polymer (read: plastic) that can be rearranged in form and characteristics by their responsometers. This was likely done to explain the [[FridgeLogic logical discrepancies]] that their being actually made of the indicated metals would entail (eg. Mercury would be highly toxic, Platinum would be more costly than all the gold in America, etc.)
* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: It's a comic book about alchemical robots, so this happens naturally.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Various giant humanoid shaped robots, animal robots, insects, and even moon microbes.
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: Nameless. After disappearing from the series without a mention in issue 33, it wasn't until ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' #187 that the mystery was solved. During an upgrade of her body to be more humanoid like the [[DistaffCounterpart Metal Women]], Nameless was damaged and ran off, leaving Doc to believe he'd destroyed her. The upgrade he gave the Metal Men was partly to erase their memory of her. Once reunited, Nameless and Tin became married and the issue ended with her sacrificing herself to save the others from an explosion.]]
* BashBrothers: When executed well, this is how the Metal Men fight as a unit. When done ''badly'' you tend to get bombarded by a long-winded explanation.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Happens occasionally with the Metal Men, and a couple of times to Doc. A more sustained version occurred when Doc was kidnapped by a foreign dictator, brainwashed, and then began threatening nations as an evil MadScientist; he eventually got better.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: Lead has an "L" on his chest and Platinum has a "P" on her hat. The others have the alchemical symbols for the metals.
* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")
* CharacterDevelopment: Doc Magnus in the '07 mini-series. You really feel for the guy.
* CombiningMecha: In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
** The '93 miniseries had [[IncrediblyLamePun elements]] of this as well, what with all the BodyHorror and the [[CanonDisContinuity "permanent"]] death of Gold.
* DeadpanSnarker: Mercury.
* {{Determinator}}: Being blasted into their component parts amounts to little more than a setback to the Metal Men, most of the time.
** One instance in their '07 mini-series saw stone golems smash them to pieces. We assume they're dead, until Mercury, Lead, Iron and Platina arrive on the scene as [[OhCrap one great, big composite Metal Man]].
* ComicBook/DialHForHero: One story in the 2000s ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold series meet Robby Reed when they all had to deal with a robot dinosaur that went "Megistus." [[spoiler: When Robby's dazed and possibly hurt, he guides Tin through using the H-Dial to become "Manbot the Mighty" to save the day--though Platinum gets Tin's head back straight to get him back to normal.]]
* DistaffCounterpart / SpearCounterpart: The Metal Women (Gold Girl, Iron Girl, Mercury Girl, and Lead Girl) and Platinum Man were created by request by Doc as potential mates for the team. They did not get along and [[StatusQuoIsGod they were destroyed at the end of the issue]]. [[spoiler: Platinum Man turned out to survive and appeared as a foe in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' #187.]] Nameless counts as Tin's counterpart, but he created her well before the others were created.
* DumbMuscle: Lead is as thick as a pyramid and twice as tough.
* FastBallSpecial: The team occasionally employs this tactic.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Gold
** TheLancer: Mercury
** TheBigGuy: Iron and Lead
** TheSmartGuy: Tin
** TheChick: Platinum
** [[SixthRanger The Sixth Ranger]]: Copper
** TeamDad: Doc
* FusionDance: The Metal Men have merged into larger pieces of machinery on occasion, most notably into the giant robot Alloy featured in the ComicBook/KingdomCome miniseries.
* HeroicSacrifice: Gold and Lead in the '07 series. [[spoiler: Fortunately, they're saved. By the villains.]]
* HiddenDepths: Chemo, of all people.
* ImplacableMan: Chemo. And he always comes back.
* IWorkAlone: Doc Magnus is the literal embodiment of this trope; he's a social misfit, but genuinely strives to help his fellow man. His isolation is both a source of sadness and the drive he needs for his research.
* JerkAss: Mercury has a very inflated ego and is extremely selfish.
** Doc's elder brother, Colonel David Magnus, is quite an ass.
* LuckilyMyPowersWillProtectMe: Mercury never shuts up about being the only metal that's liquid at room temperature, but in the earliest stories the whole team would run up against a threat and rattle off their boiling points or atomic weights, whichever being appropriate.
* MadScientist: Doc Magnus. A rare heroic variation.
** The intention was always that Doc would be less human than his robot creations (for irony.)
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: If you come across a group called "The Death-Metal Men", you'd be smart to ''run for your goddamn life''.
** Then there was ''Plutonium'' Man. Considering he's made of plutonium and the DespairEventHorizon of Dr. Magnus, you better get your running shoes on.
* NoGuyWantsToBeChased: Though it's uncertain whether he'd be warmer to Platinum if she wasn't so flagrantly insane in her adulation of him, Doc seems to ''actively hate her'' because she ''is''.
** Recently, however, it's been suggested he deliberately programmed her to act this way, for reasons of his own.
* NoNameGiven: Nameless, obviously. She's always called that because no one gave her a name, though Tin called her "Beautiful." There was even a long running contest to name her, but they never picked one to use.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Chemo, in the '07 mini-series at least. He leads a hostile corporate takeover of Magna-Tech, becoming the Head Chairman, and gets an eloquent, sinister memo right before he and his cohorts attack mankind.
** This is of course a huge retcon, originally he WAS just a walking menace.
** His dialogue still consists solely of noises such as "Glah!!", however.
* TheProfessor: Doc Magnus, of course. Right down to wearing plaid and smoking a pipe.
* ThePsychoRangers: Missile Men and Gas Gang. There have also been two teams of evil Metal Men, one made by an insane robotic clone of Doc, the other by a jealous rival.
* PygmalionPlot: Unintentionally occurs with Platinum and Doc Magnus.
** Played straight with Tin and his made from a do-it-yourself kit girlfriend Nameless. He always called her "Beautiful."
* RememberTheNewGuy: Played for laughs in the back-up feature where no one can remember who Copper is.
* {{Ridiculously Human Robot}}s: Except for their looks.
* RoboFamily
* RobotBuddy
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so.
* RunningGag: Early strips always resulted in the Metal Men getting destroyed, but their sacrifice always assured victory. Besides, the Metal Men can [[Webcomic/MSPaintMasterpieces overcome death like a bad hangover if they've got a roboticist handy]].
** Mercury will brag that mercury is a liquid at room temperature in all situations. ''All'' situations.
** In the 2009 back-up feature, almost no one remembers Copper is even there.
* ShapedLikeItself: The personalities of the various Metal Men, while somewhat basic by most standards, are literally derived from their atomic make-up. The robots don't merely "act" according to their respective metals; the properties of their metal dictates their world view. For example, Mercury is [[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercurial mercurial]].
** This is also why some of them (particularly Iron) appear to have one-track minds.
** This is elaborated upon in the '07 series when Lead and Gold have their metals switched. Their personalities, thought processes and overall attitudes switch, too. They can't do anything about it.
** As they become more self-aware, the Metal Men ask Doc to customise their bodies accordingly. [[CloudCuckoolander Mercury asks to have "the piercing blue eyes of Bob Hope"]].
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Platinum, the only girl.
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced in the '07 series.
* TheSoCalledCoward: Tin is nonconfident and weak-willed, but has "the bravest soul" of all the Metal Men.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild them.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The Death-Metal Men.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Mercury is...well, mercurial and often belittles both Tin and Gold. Iron's also pretty belligerent and his temper can often just make things worse.
* ThreeLawsCompliant: In one episode of their DC Nation segment, Doc tries to drill this into them. Mercury being Mercury, he asks if robots are allowed to hurt other robots, and things quickly go to hell from there.
* {{Tsundere}}: Mercury, towards Platinum. He often insults her, but on many occasions it's clear that she's very important to him.
* {{Unobtanium}}: Veridium. The alien alloy introduced in the 1993 miniseries is indestructible and had more power than all the Metal Men put together. Considering the main idea behind the team was playing with the properties of known metals, adding this wonder metal kinda [[CompletelyMissingThePoint tossed the theme out the window]].
* WasOnceAMan: In the 1993 miniseries, the Metal Men were retconned to have been people. Gold was Doc's brother Mike, Platinum was Mike's fiancee Sharon, Mercury and Iron were fellow scientists (Redmond Wilde and Randy Pressman), Tin was a janitor named Thomas Tinkham, and Lead was a pizza-delivery man named Jack. Gold was soon [[KilledOffForReal killed]], and Doc became Veridium. This was [[CanonDiscontinuity retconned away]].
* {{Yandere}}: Platinum.
----
Creator/DCComics' "metal marvels".
Specifically, the ComicBook/MetalMen are a team of six (later seven) robots created by Dr. Will Magnus, whose powers and personalities are based off their namesake metals: Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin, and Platinum (aka Tina.) In the original series, Tin's girlfriend Nameless -made from a do-it-yourself-kit- was later added.
The team was originally created in 1962 by writer Creator/RobertKanigher, artist Ross Andru, and inker Mike Esposito to fill a last minute vacancy at DC's anthology series ''Showcase'', and because they weren't intended to last past the issue, the robot team was destroyed at the end. However the team proved popular enough to return in the following issues, with their distinguishing feature firmly established: they would willingly throw themselves at any threat and even risk being destroyed because they knew Doc would always gather up their responsometers (microscopic computer brains) and rebuild them.
In their first story, it was established that [[MadScientist eccentric genius Will Magnus]] had invented the responsometer, and used it to create a shape-shifting robot in the form of a woman- Platinum. However due to the unforseen effect of sunspot activity, Platinum somehow developed a human personality- that of a vain girl with a crush on Magnus ([[DontExplainTheJoke a platinum blonde, get it?]]) Then the US Army asked Magnus to create more robots so they could help stop a giant flying monster that was terrorizing the world. He agreed, and like Platinum, the rest of the Metal Men developed human emotions he didn't intend them to have.
The ComicBook/MetalMen became something of a fan favorite, although they had sporadic success in their own title. Over the course of their series, they faced a number and variety of enemies, including recurring foes such as the Missile Men and the walking chemical vat called Chemo. Keeping with the chemistry theme, some issues even included 'fun factoids'. The original series eventually came to its end in 1978 after 56 issues.
Both during and after the series, there were frequent team ups with other DC heroes, including Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/TheAtom, and occasional appearances in other series. They wouldn't get their own series again until the 1993 miniseries that rewrote their origin so that [[BrainUploading their personalities originally came from humans]]. This and other changes were greatly disliked. Thankfully, the miniseries ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' easily [[RetCon fixed this]] while focusing on Doc Magnus, who would eventually rebuild his Metal Men.
Their next series was the 2007 eight-issue miniseries that told a new origin of the metal marvels with the addition of a new member, the female Copper. In 2009, they were featured in the new Comicbook/DoomPatrol series as a second feature.
The MetalMen were also recurring characters in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' cartoon, and were considered one of the most powerful and useful teams in that series' universe.
----
!!Tropes related to these characters:
* InstantAIJustAddWater: In the original series, while Doc ''was'' deliberately trying to make sentient robots, the fact that he succeeded so well with these six was a bit of a fluke that he was not readily able to pull off again. This was originally attributed to sunspots, but that has since been forgotten.
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The responsometers, the device that is the source of the powers and personalities. Can be seen as early NanoTechnology.
** In addition, a retcon by Creator/JohnByrne in the late 80's established that the Metal Men are actually made of a secret polymer (read: plastic) that can be rearranged in form and characteristics by their responsometers. This was likely done to explain the [[FridgeLogic logical discrepancies]] that their being actually made of the indicated metals would entail (eg. Mercury would be highly toxic, Platinum would be more costly than all the gold in America, etc.)
* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: It's a comic book about alchemical robots, so this happens naturally.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Various giant humanoid shaped robots, animal robots, insects, and even moon microbes.
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: Nameless. After disappearing from the series without a mention in issue 33, it wasn't until ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' #187 that the mystery was solved. During an upgrade of her body to be more humanoid like the [[DistaffCounterpart Metal Women]], Nameless was damaged and ran off, leaving Doc to believe he'd destroyed her. The upgrade he gave the Metal Men was partly to erase their memory of her. Once reunited, Nameless and Tin became married and the issue ended with her sacrificing herself to save the others from an explosion.]]
* BashBrothers: When executed well, this is how the Metal Men fight as a unit. When done ''badly'' you tend to get bombarded by a long-winded explanation.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Happens occasionally with the Metal Men, and a couple of times to Doc. A more sustained version occurred when Doc was kidnapped by a foreign dictator, brainwashed, and then began threatening nations as an evil MadScientist; he eventually got better.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: Lead has an "L" on his chest and Platinum has a "P" on her hat. The others have the alchemical symbols for the metals.
* CatchPhrase: Mercury's "I'm the only metal that's liquid at room temperature!" (In one story Platinum mutters in response "You always forget about caesium, don't you?")
* CharacterDevelopment: Doc Magnus in the '07 mini-series. You really feel for the guy.
* CombiningMecha: In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', the Metal Men can combine to form the giant Alloy. Granted, they're anything but standard robots, and Alloy is anything but your typical HumongousMecha.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Believe it or not, Magnus' experiments were originally designed to "merely" aid mankind in ease of construction ("Imagine a bridge rising out of the ground, simply because ''we asked it to''.") and other fields. While money was never the primary reason for his research, Magnus ''did'' intend to profit from his breakthroughs. But after the creation of the Responsometer things get a tad more hectic...
* DarkerAndEdgier: Arguably what they tried to do beginning in issue 33. During an upgrade of the ComicBook/MetalMen's responsometers, Doc is injured and in a coma. The upgrade makes the teams powers harder to control, the public turns against them, and the team becomes wanted fugitives. A good bit of the humor is gone, as is Nameless. The series is even called "The New Hunted Metal Men." Later issues have the robots disguised as humans, and Doc kidnapped and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]], threatening nations.
** The '93 miniseries had [[IncrediblyLamePun elements]] of this as well, what with all the BodyHorror and the [[CanonDisContinuity "permanent"]] death of Gold.
* DeadpanSnarker: Mercury.
* {{Determinator}}: Being blasted into their component parts amounts to little more than a setback to the Metal Men, most of the time.
** One instance in their '07 mini-series saw stone golems smash them to pieces. We assume they're dead, until Mercury, Lead, Iron and Platina arrive on the scene as [[OhCrap one great, big composite Metal Man]].
* ComicBook/DialHForHero: One story in the 2000s ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold series meet Robby Reed when they all had to deal with a robot dinosaur that went "Megistus." [[spoiler: When Robby's dazed and possibly hurt, he guides Tin through using the H-Dial to become "Manbot the Mighty" to save the day--though Platinum gets Tin's head back straight to get him back to normal.]]
* DistaffCounterpart / SpearCounterpart: The Metal Women (Gold Girl, Iron Girl, Mercury Girl, and Lead Girl) and Platinum Man were created by request by Doc as potential mates for the team. They did not get along and [[StatusQuoIsGod they were destroyed at the end of the issue]]. [[spoiler: Platinum Man turned out to survive and appeared as a foe in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' #187.]] Nameless counts as Tin's counterpart, but he created her well before the others were created.
* DumbMuscle: Lead is as thick as a pyramid and twice as tough.
* FastBallSpecial: The team occasionally employs this tactic.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Gold
** TheLancer: Mercury
** TheBigGuy: Iron and Lead
** TheSmartGuy: Tin
** TheChick: Platinum
** [[SixthRanger The Sixth Ranger]]: Copper
** TeamDad: Doc
* FusionDance: The Metal Men have merged into larger pieces of machinery on occasion, most notably into the giant robot Alloy featured in the ComicBook/KingdomCome miniseries.
* HeroicSacrifice: Gold and Lead in the '07 series. [[spoiler: Fortunately, they're saved. By the villains.]]
* HiddenDepths: Chemo, of all people.
* ImplacableMan: Chemo. And he always comes back.
* IWorkAlone: Doc Magnus is the literal embodiment of this trope; he's a social misfit, but genuinely strives to help his fellow man. His isolation is both a source of sadness and the drive he needs for his research.
* JerkAss: Mercury has a very inflated ego and is extremely selfish.
** Doc's elder brother, Colonel David Magnus, is quite an ass.
* LuckilyMyPowersWillProtectMe: Mercury never shuts up about being the only metal that's liquid at room temperature, but in the earliest stories the whole team would run up against a threat and rattle off their boiling points or atomic weights, whichever being appropriate.
* MadScientist: Doc Magnus. A rare heroic variation.
** The intention was always that Doc would be less human than his robot creations (for irony.)
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: If you come across a group called "The Death-Metal Men", you'd be smart to ''run for your goddamn life''.
** Then there was ''Plutonium'' Man. Considering he's made of plutonium and the DespairEventHorizon of Dr. Magnus, you better get your running shoes on.
* NoGuyWantsToBeChased: Though it's uncertain whether he'd be warmer to Platinum if she wasn't so flagrantly insane in her adulation of him, Doc seems to ''actively hate her'' because she ''is''.
** Recently, however, it's been suggested he deliberately programmed her to act this way, for reasons of his own.
* NoNameGiven: Nameless, obviously. She's always called that because no one gave her a name, though Tin called her "Beautiful." There was even a long running contest to name her, but they never picked one to use.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Chemo, in the '07 mini-series at least. He leads a hostile corporate takeover of Magna-Tech, becoming the Head Chairman, and gets an eloquent, sinister memo right before he and his cohorts attack mankind.
** This is of course a huge retcon, originally he WAS just a walking menace.
** His dialogue still consists solely of noises such as "Glah!!", however.
* TheProfessor: Doc Magnus, of course. Right down to wearing plaid and smoking a pipe.
* ThePsychoRangers: Missile Men and Gas Gang. There have also been two teams of evil Metal Men, one made by an insane robotic clone of Doc, the other by a jealous rival.
* PygmalionPlot: Unintentionally occurs with Platinum and Doc Magnus.
** Played straight with Tin and his made from a do-it-yourself kit girlfriend Nameless. He always called her "Beautiful."
* RememberTheNewGuy: Played for laughs in the back-up feature where no one can remember who Copper is.
* {{Ridiculously Human Robot}}s: Except for their looks.
* RoboFamily
* RobotBuddy
* RubberMan: All of them, though Gold particularly so.
* RunningGag: Early strips always resulted in the Metal Men getting destroyed, but their sacrifice always assured victory. Besides, the Metal Men can [[Webcomic/MSPaintMasterpieces overcome death like a bad hangover if they've got a roboticist handy]].
** Mercury will brag that mercury is a liquid at room temperature in all situations. ''All'' situations.
** In the 2009 back-up feature, almost no one remembers Copper is even there.
* ShapedLikeItself: The personalities of the various Metal Men, while somewhat basic by most standards, are literally derived from their atomic make-up. The robots don't merely "act" according to their respective metals; the properties of their metal dictates their world view. For example, Mercury is [[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercurial mercurial]].
** This is also why some of them (particularly Iron) appear to have one-track minds.
** This is elaborated upon in the '07 series when Lead and Gold have their metals switched. Their personalities, thought processes and overall attitudes switch, too. They can't do anything about it.
** As they become more self-aware, the Metal Men ask Doc to customise their bodies accordingly. [[CloudCuckoolander Mercury asks to have "the piercing blue eyes of Bob Hope"]].
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Platinum, the only girl.
** AffirmativeActionGirl: Copper, introduced in the '07 series.
* TheSoCalledCoward: Tin is nonconfident and weak-willed, but has "the bravest soul" of all the Metal Men.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Most of the early issues pretty much run on this. Whenever Doc creates a new team to help the original team, they are always destroyed by the end and he rarely attempts to rebuild them.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The Death-Metal Men.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Mercury is...well, mercurial and often belittles both Tin and Gold. Iron's also pretty belligerent and his temper can often just make things worse.
* ThreeLawsCompliant: In one episode of their DC Nation segment, Doc tries to drill this into them. Mercury being Mercury, he asks if robots are allowed to hurt other robots, and things quickly go to hell from there.
* {{Tsundere}}: Mercury, towards Platinum. He often insults her, but on many occasions it's clear that she's very important to him.
* {{Unobtanium}}: Veridium. The alien alloy introduced in the 1993 miniseries is indestructible and had more power than all the Metal Men put together. Considering the main idea behind the team was playing with the properties of known metals, adding this wonder metal kinda [[CompletelyMissingThePoint tossed the theme out the window]].
* WasOnceAMan: In the 1993 miniseries, the Metal Men were retconned to have been people. Gold was Doc's brother Mike, Platinum was Mike's fiancee Sharon, Mercury and Iron were fellow scientists (Redmond Wilde and Randy Pressman), Tin was a janitor named Thomas Tinkham, and Lead was a pizza-delivery man named Jack. Gold was soon [[KilledOffForReal killed]], and Doc became Veridium. This was [[CanonDiscontinuity retconned away]].
* {{Yandere}}: Platinum.
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