Polite Dissent

With all the characters with shrinking powers in comic books, it was only a matter of time before they started shrinking small enough to enter someone’s brain. Most of the time, the miniaturized character enters the brain to cause damage, but sometimes it is done to heal. While most common in the comics, this concept can also be seen in movies (Fantastic Voyage) and television (The Simpsons in their spoof of Fantastic Voyage, Futurama, Astroboy).

Once the shrunken character enters the brain, there are four basic “Styles of Attack”:

1. Crude and Deadly
This style occurs when a miniaturized character blunders haphazardly through the brain itself, doing as much damage as possible along the way. This is best exemplified by Jean Loring’s murder of Sue Dibney during Identity Crisis.
A more recent example had Micromax take out a leader of the Jihad in a similar manner in Marvel Comics Presents #1 (see the image below — that’s Micromax climbing out the ear; I’m not sure what that line is in the background – heart monitor? brain waves? biothythms?). Symptoms he caused included headache and seizure as well as the ubiquitous nose and ear bleeding (and death).

2. Surgical Precision
This style is most often utilized in a curative manner rather than as a weapon. The best example is actually a movie, not a comic book. In Fantastic Voyage, five adventurers and their submarine are shrunken so that they can remove a clot in a Soviet defector’s brain. A good comic book example would be Micronauts #30, where Acroyear, Bug, and Marionette are miniaturized and enter Commander Rann’s brain to cure his coma. They battle and defeat Nightmare and are able to physically unlock hidden areas of the commander’s brain.
Conceivably, precise strikes by a tiny character could also be used to damage specific parts of an enemy’s brain…but I can’t recall any good examples of this.

3. Vague but Effective
This is the most common style. A menacing villain looms up behind the heroes, ready to strike. Suddenly, they collapse in a heap and the Atom/Shrinking Violet/other-tiny-character jumps out of their ear. It’s never explained exactly what they did inside the villain’s brain (Squeezed the blood supply? Caused a seizure? Kicked something important?) — but it sure knocks them out quickly.

4. Haney-style
In the destined-to-be-classic Brave and the Bold #115 (written by Bob Haney, art by Jim Aparo), Batman is electrocuted and rendered brain dead but the Atom is able to enter his brain through the ear and control Batman like a puppet. Sure, it makes no sense anatomically, but then, Haney written titles always followed their own unique science. The Atom also manages somehow to kick-start Batman’s brain again after capturing his murderer and saving the day.

Other Comic Book Diagnoses:
Frozen Solid
Brains! Brains!
Hypertrichosis
Xenografting
De-Aging

Tags: comics medicine brain identity crisis micromax fantastic voyage micronauts atom batman baob haney

Princess Mari (a.k.a. Marionette) is never at a loss for words, particularly when those words are some permutation of Dallan and Sepsis. Whether it is running from the enemy, stepping out of the shower, leading a polital committee, or being attacked by dogs and monsters, Mari always knows what to say:

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“Dallan and Sepsis Preserve Us!”

Those of you who read the Marvel Comics series Micronauts during the ’80s no doubt recognize that sentence, while those of you with less comics knowledge but more medical background are understandably puzzled. It was a common oath muttered (or screamed) by the denizens of Homeworld whenever danger threatened.

A little background: A thousand years ago, King Dallan Rann and Queen Sepsis Rann were the rulers of Homeworld, the lead “planet” in the Microverse. They sent their only son Arcturus Rann out to the far reached of the universe on a thousand-year quest for knowledge¹. Shortly after he left, Dallan and Sepsis were killed by their son’s tutor, Baron Karza², who went on the conquer Homeworld and the rest of the Microverse and set himself up as dictator. Upon returning from his voyage and discovering what had happened in the Micorverse while he had been gone, Arcturus Rann took the name Space Glider and joined the Resistance trying to drive Karza from power. With the other core members of the Resistance (Marionette, Bug, Acroyear, Microtron and Biotron), Rann formed the Micronauts³.

Personally, I think it’s a clever bit of storytelling to have the modern denizens of the Microverse revere Dallan and Sepsis Rann as saints or demi-gods. It ties together the past and present of the Microverse (but for Space Glider, it’s got to be a bit creepy having your girlfriend pray to your dead parents).

Dallan is a good name. According to Wikipedia, in the Christian context it means “blind,” named after the blind Irish poet Saint Dallan Forgaill. It’s also an Arabic word meaning “lost” which can be used in several contexts including a loss of the true religion. It’s not an uncommon name for boys.

Sepsis, on the other hand, is an unfortunate choice for a name. Sepsis is the medical term for an overwhelming infection of the entire body, though the term is also used to refer to the body’s response to this overwhelming infection. Regardless, sepsis is frequently fatal and always represents a tough battle to survive. Not the best name for a beautiful Queen, though I doubt writer Bill Mantlo was aware of the actual meaning of Sepsis when he chose the name⁴. Still, it’s hard not to chuckle whenever I see a character praying to “Sepsis.”

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NOTES:
¹Not the really best plan to insure the continuance of your dynasty.
²If I were undisputed ruler of the Microverse, I would have chosen something better than Baron. King, or Emporer maybe.
³Though I notice the team was now called the Microns when they appeared in Peter David’s Captain Marvel. I suspect it has to due with the rights to name Micronauts.
⁴Though Mantlo also named another beautiful female character Slug, so maybe he used the term on purpose.

Previous fond memories of the Micronauts:Micronauts #26-28 (The Micronauts and S.H.I.E.L.D. fight Karza) Micronauts #29-35 (The quest for the origin of the Microverse).

Tags: comics medicine micronauts sepsis

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?

When I started collecting comics, there were two titles that I collected religiously: The X-Men, and The Micronauts. The Micronauts started out as a line of science fiction toys with interchangeable parts, but soon became a comic published by Marvel. I was a big fan of the toys, but the star-faring tales in the comic really fired my imagination. The comic related stories of the Micronauts, heroes from another dimension (the Microverse), who traveled to Earth where they were only six inches tall. It may sound silly in retrospect, but it was handled very well (and I was only eleven at the time).

The Micronauts consisted of: Commander Rann, their leader and possessor of the psychic “Enigma Force”; Marionette, princess of Homeworld and lover of Rann; Acroyear, King of the warrior planet of Sparta; Cecilia, Acroyear’s queen; Bug, insect-like warrior from the planet Kalikak; and the robots Microtron and Biotron.

Since defeating the evil Baron Karza in issue #11, they had been exploring Earth in their ship, the Endeavor.

The series reached its creative peak in issues #26, 27, 28, which featured the Micronauts and S.H.I.E.L.D. battling the combined forces of Hydra and Baron Karza.

 

In Micronauts #26, the Micronauts travel to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and find themselves in the middle of a Hydra assault. Acroyear and Cecilia aid S.H.I.E.L.D. in combat against Hydra. Bug gets lost in the Helicarrier, and discovers a laboratory devoted to the Microverse. Inside, he discovers Dagon, another Acroyear warrior, and revives him from suspended animation.

Commander Rann and Marionette look for the S.H.I.E.L.D. psychics, who seem to be the root of the disturbance. They find more than they bargain for when they discover that Baron Karza has returned from the dead. Marionette is apparently killed by Karza, but actually returns to the Microverse where she takes command of the rebel forces there.

 

In Micronauts #27, Baron Karza explains his plans, but Shaitan — Acroyear’s evil brother — is not happy that he is being excluded. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Micronauts determine that Karza’s and Hydra’s plans hinge upon a certain world famous amusement park in Orlando, Florida. They travel there to confront them.

As Acroyear, Cecilia, and Bug aid S.H.I.E.L.D. in fighting Hydra, Commander Rann flies off in search of Baron Karza. Dagon, Microtron and Biotron stay behind guard the ship, but Biotron is slain — apparently by some of Karza’s dog soldiers. Rann confronts Karza, only to be defeated and have the Enigma force ripped from his mind.

 

In Micronauts #28, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the remaining Micronauts make their last stand against Hydra. At the last moment, Shaitan betrays Karza, allowing the rebel fleet from the Microverse to arrive on Earth and save S.H.I.E.L.D. Acroyear confronts Karza, but is not powerful enough to defeat him. He summons the Worldmind, the soul of his planet of Spartak. This act, while granting him great power, also causes the destruction of Spartak. Esmera, queen of the planet Kalikak, attacks Karza with her “suicide sting”, allowing Acroyear an opening to defeat him. The Micronauts and S.H.I.E.L.D. win, but at a high cost: Commander Rann is in a coma, Queen Esmera is dead, and Spartak has been destroyed.

 

The writing by Bill Mantlo is exciting and action packed. Smaller stories that have been building for over a year are successfully merged to form a powerful narrative. The characters are larger than life, but then, so is the conflict. The dialogue is overly dramatic at times, but since when has Nick Fury every talked in a normal manner? The art by Pat Broderick is sometimes busy and the inking can be muddy, but it conveys the excitement and action well.

The covers are thrilling and eye-catching, especially compared to today’s flat poster-like covers. The cover to #26 shows Nick Fury grappling with a Hydra agent in front of a large Hydra Symbol. The Micronauts rush to assist in the foreground, while Baron Karza, eyes glowing red, stands powerfully in the back.

The cover of issue #27 shows Commander Rann and baron Karza locked in combat, with a psychedelic red background that seems to have been drawn on a Spirograph.

Finally, issue #28’s cover shows Karza and Acroyear in combat while the rest of the Micronauts look on. The type on the cover is dramatic as well: This issue: Rann – Doomed! Karza – Defeated! The Planet Spartak Destroyed! Be There!

In addition to the stunning stories and covers, there are some classic ads in these comics. There ads for joke products and magic tricks are well represented, as are the Hostess mini-comic ads; the ones in these issues feature Daredevil and the Human Torch. Charles Atlas has an ad, of course, as does PEZ. On the back covers are ads for Monogram models, LEGO expert sets, “132 Roman Soldiers just $2.98”, and who can forget that you could make money by selling America’s favorite paper: Grit.The in-house ads are for Roger Stern and Frank Miller’s Doctor Strange, and two new comics: Captain Universe, and Dazzler!

Rereading these comics twenty-plus years later, they still hold up well, and are as exciting now as they were then. The.Micronauts had some good stories after this (and more mediocre one), but never again reached the level of epic greatness these issues represented.