Machine Man

I just got done reading the 4 issue mini-series from 1984 by Tom Defalco, Herb Trimpe and Barry Windsor-Smith. For the most part, this was a joy to read but I did have areas I didn't care too much for. I wasn't wild about Machine Man being tagged up with a teenage ratpack team called the Wreckers. I also didn't like how the Iron Man of 2020 had a name of Anthro Stark and looked just like Tony Stark but says he bought out Stark Industries after Iron Man tragically died, which is not explained. You would think that having the last name Stark, this guy is related, but that is not confirmed either. The Iron Man suit was terrible. I could tell Herb Trimpe designed it.

On a plus, the Herb Trimpe/Barry Windsor Smith collaboration was a joy to look at most of the time. Machine Man had a more modern feel about him. Also at one point he gets mind scrambled by one of the wreckers to suit their purposes and while Machine Man is under, the quotes he gives are pretty hilarious! I didn't care for the ending much either, but overall Tom Defalco did a really good job for the pieces of the puzzle he was working with. He really made me feel like Machine Man could have been a stronger character in the right hands.

Im surprised I never read it before and Im glad I did. If you want a good simple story arc, Id say give it a read. It moves well.

Over the past few weeks on a whim I decided to read all 19 issues of Machine Man. Other than a book here and there, I don't think I ever had. The book certainly had its share of highs and lows, but for the most part it was never too tedious that I didn't want to stick with it.

I still feel Jack Kirby's runs was the stronger of the 2 runs on the comic. Jack had a much more broader feel for the character and seemed to have an ideal on what he wanted in the character. He also had a very powerful Machine Man with far more abilities and no end to his endless gadgets and tricks. His body was nothing more than a tool box capable of any contraption. Feet that became skateboards, arms that had tank tracks. There was an imagination with Kirby's vision. The best part of the run had to be the 1st 4-5 issues featuring the debut of Machine Man in his comic and then a foe who seemed like a worthy match....Ten-For. This was a fun battle to watch. And when Ten-For shot the mind scrambler on Machine Man's head, Kirby was rocking at his best.

However, it became clear that Kirby was out of gas by issue 7 and kind of floundering around during his last few issues. I don't know if it was known the character was going to be canceled by then or not. It just seemed there was no longer any need to further develop the character. In issue 9 it was revealed that Jack was moving on to do storyboards for the Fantastic Four cartoon. (I remember that, that is what brought us Herbie as the 4th member instead of the Human Torch. I always heard the reasoning was the flaming character was too hard to do justice in cartoons). Anyway a brief cancellation ensues but within a year issue 10 hits the racks.

When Machine Man came back out, it took a totally different direction. In Jack's place steps Marv Wolfman and Steve Ditko. Right away Wolfman to me makes a big huge mistake. He takes away 80% of Machine Man's power and gadgetry. Replaces his eyes with more human looking eyes, puts human clothes on him and tries to have him mingle with regular folk after he takes up a job at an Insurance company.

This introduces the lamest 4th rate villains you'll ever see including one called The Binary Bug. Another time Machine Man let out some energy over the city and it shone on about 4 or 5 citizens. This turns them into light emitting people who look like they are from a cult church. The stories were becoming so corny that people were complaining in the letters pages.

Obviously Wolfman wasn't feeling it and the last 4 or 5 issues were completed by Tom DeFalco. At this point the character was stuck in a rut of human emotions and lame villains and single issue stories. Tom appeared to be trying to slowly change that by bringing in some bigger names guest stars including the Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight and in the end the 1st appearance of Jack-o-Lantern on the last issue. Obviously it was a little too late to drum up interest in the title.

At one point Machine Man has half his face melted in a battle and goes berserk. Machine Man feels guilt over his actions and contemplates self destruction to keep from becoming the real menace he is being portrayed to be.

He also has a love interest in a co-worker named Pam who looks and acts cute but Machine Man keeps giving her the cold shoulder and ponders why his circuitry has strange feelings when he is around her.

After a side kick fix it all character by the name of Gears Garvin temporarily fixes MM's face. The face gets once again busted up in a fight with Jack-O-Lantern. After the battle is secured with victory, Gears discovers the initial damage to MM's face did some brain damage which was causing him to be a potential berserker. Machine Man decides Gears can take plenty of time fixing his face again and he will take a leave of absence from the insurance company and think further about his future amongst mankind. The love interest is never resolved. The series ends just like that.

Although the villains and storylines were simple and weak, there was just enough continuation in the story to keep it going and still enjoyable enough to keep reading. I think Tom had the right idea of trying to make Machine Man a badder dude again with more potential in villains and guest stars, but it was just too late.

For all the initial weakness you see when you look at Ditkos art. I have to say when you read the stories, his art reads very well. His pencils are actually pretty good in reality. The shots and composition always work the story well and give you a great feeling for what is going on. The real damage is Ditko's very loose inks. Had this been an early 1960s comic or a horror type comic, it would have worked well. Instead, this was a comic begging for tightness. If some great inker inked Ditkos work and made it tight, this would have been some great stuff. I found myself noticing over and over that very often Ditko did some nice pictures. But no one would ever know it without further study. It needed to be more apparent from the get go.

Wolfman's Machine Man was nothing more that a telescoping limbed robot. And honestly, he ruined a lot of the potential in the character with his drastic changes. But be that what it was, the book still lives on as a nice period timepiece of a couple of great artists who touched a unique character.

I have to say....I'm not upset I read it. I just wish it was longer lived and better served.