Polite Dissent

The Micronauts were a team of heroes from a microscopic universe known as (wait for it) the Microverse. It was really not another universe as much as it was a microscopic solar system. However, unlike a normal solar system consisting of several planets orbiting a sun, the Microverse consists of about two dozen planets strung together like a molecule. Through an intricate process, people from the Microverse could cross over into our universe, but were only six inches tall.

The Micronauts were led by Commander Rann¹, a hero from a previous era who was able to wield the powerful and mysterious “Enigma Force” – said to be the power of the Microverse itself. Their other leader was Marionette², a princess of Homeworld, the ruling planet of the Microverse. Other members of the team included Acroyear³, the king of the warrior planet Spartak, and a bipedal insect named, um, Bug⁴. Acroyear’s wife Celicia⁵ sometimes joined them on missions. There were also two robots, Microtron and Biotron (though Biotron had been destroyed by the time these stories took place).

The “Keys” storyline takes place immediately after the Micronauts’ defeat of Baron Karza and Hydra⁶. During that storyline, Rann had been captured by Karza and had the Enigma Force stolen from him. To defeat Karza, Acroyear had sacrificed his planet. At the end of the battle, Commander Rann was in a catatonic state and Acroyear was a traitor to his people.

In Micronauts #29, the remaining Micronauts journey into Rann’s brain under Doc Samson’s direction. For some unknown reason, the two sides of his brain have stopped communicating. Inside, the team encounters the cause for Rann’s condition: Nightmare. They break down the wall between the two sides of Rann’s brain, driving Nightmare away, but leaving behind an obelisk inscribed with a strange verse.

A time of darkness will there be; Of great distress on land and sea! Find thyselves and thou wilt find me — The secret lies in these keys three!

In Micronauts #30 the team takes care of some business on Homeworld. Acroyear leaves the team to track down his people and Pharoid, king of a desert planet, joins in his stead. The Micronauts then journey to the aquatic world of Oceania to investigate the strange happenings in their main city of Seazone. Lady Coral, the daughter of the leader of Seazone tells the ‘Nauts about the earthquakes that have been striking Seazone and the sea monsters that have been appearing in increasing numbers. She also mentions her brother Aquon, who disappeared mysteriously. While exploring the area, Commander Rann and Marionette are swallowed by a giant fish.

The team continues the search for the missing Rann and Marionette in Micronauts #31. Along the way, they battle sea monster after sea monster. They also encounter Aquon, now changed into a merman and seeming leader of the sea monsters. He explains that a mysterious stranger changed him into his current form and gave him a mystic key. This stranger charged him with protecting the inhabitants of Seazone. It turns out that the sea monsters were not attacking the city, but trying to help. Just then, a devastating quake hits Seazone and Aquon uses the key to change everyone into mermen and mermaids⁷. Once the quake is over, Aquon changes the Micronauts back to their original form and gives the key to them so they can continue their quest.

Micronauts #32 takes the team to the ice world Polaria. Like Oceania, Polaria is also being racked with natural disasters. A mysterious large white polar bear has been seen prowling around the city recently as well. The queen of Polaria is quiet, subdued, and recommending no action. This doesn’t sit well with one of her nobles, Prince Peacock, who is convinced that the strange bear is responsible for the disasters. He hunts it down and manages to slay it, only to discover that the bear was really his beloved Queen. Like Aquon, she had been given a magical key by a mysterious stranger, but unlike Aquon, she was unable to save her city. Leaving the doomed city behind, the Micronauts take the key and continue on their journey.

Acroyear takes center stage in Micronauts #33. He’s still wandering around the Microverse, looking for his refugee people. Along the way, he’s not only burned a “T” in his forehead (for traitor) but become blinded by a comet. He stumbles into a strange city in the jungle world of Tropica, a city populated by a race of pink-furred satyrs. These creatures are obsessed with the which-cup-is-the-pea-under game. It turns out that many years ago, a mysterious stranger arrived and taught this game to them, telling them that the future of the Microverse was revealed in the game. They’ve been playing nonstop ever since. Acroyear and his new found pink-furred friend Devil discover three giant cups hidden on top of the city. True to his warrior heritage, Acroyear doesn’t try to solve the game, but instead smashes the cups and discovers the third key.

The team returns to Homeworld in Micronauts #34 only to discover that the ruler of Homeworld and bother of Marionette, Prince Argon has become evil and wants the power of the keys for himself. This sets up double-sized Micronauts #35 where the Micronauts battle Prince Argon and his dog soldiers on an abandoned cemetery world. Doctor Strange appears and assists the Micronauts in defeating not only Argon but also the mysterious wraiths which have been behind all the natural disasters. Millennia ago on Earth, the heroes of a remote land were under attack by these evil wraiths. These people, who bore a strong resemblance to the gods and heroes of Hindu legend, realized that they could not defeat the wraiths outright. They used the power of the mystic Sunsword to magically create a new universe – the Microverse – to which they fled. These heroes became the founders of the different planets of the Microverse and the magic of Sunsword became the Enigma Force. With the help of Dr. Strange, the Micronauts reactivate the Sunsword and restore balance to the Microverse, averting the disasters. They then flee to Earth to escape Argon, setting up the next (extended) Micronauts storyline.

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NOTES
¹Commander Rann was based on the Space Glider figure. It was a metal figure that came with a removable plastic helmet and a backpack with wings that would spring out when the button was pushed. It makes sense he was the leader because he was one of the coolest toys, mostly because of the wings.
²Sorry, there were no females in the Micronaut toy line.
³The toy Acroyear was “The Enemy of the Micronauts” so as a loyal toy collector I was incensed that the comic had made him a good guy. I have to admit he was a good character though; a proto-Worf. There was also a toy known as “Acroyear II” – this character was represented in the comic as Shaitan, the evil brother of Acroyear. I had an Acroyear II once but it disappeared. Months later I found it (and several other missing toys) on a shelf in a friend’s room. On second though, make that “friend.”
⁴The writers of the Micronauts gave Bug the annoying speaking habit of making a “tik” sounds every few words. Sample dialogue: “Pharoid! Microtron! –tik– Help! Fish-ridin’s even worse than –tik– flyin’!” They explained it away as the clickingof his species’ vocal cords. That didn’t explain why he still said –tik– in though balloons!
A few years ago, there was a Bug one-shot. In it, Bug battled a miniature Annihlus and managed to inadvertently cause the origins of every Marvel super-hero (for instance, he caused the truck carrying radioactive material to swerve, leading to Matt Murdock becoming Daredevil).
⁵No toy for her. No female Micronaut toys, remember.
⁶Remember when Hydra used to be a threat?
⁷Are older mermaids (or married ones) known as mer-matrons?