Menace #11: "I, The Robot"

Menace #11

 "I, The Robot"
 May, 1954

 Story: Unknown
 Art: John Romita
 Editor: Stan Lee

 It is a new gleaming steel robot, still warm from recent soldering, its intricate wired mechanism hums faintly from within! Its creator is a man with a beard! The hum of its creator's voice makes its sensitive audiophones vibrate! No gears shift inside of it, for the robot only responds to audioimpulses addressed on a secret frequency! The professor tells the business manager the robot is not finished yet. Creating a robot which obeys orders is no simple task! The robot must be taught how to obey commands! When the business manager informs the professor they will receive five million dollars if the robot is released before the month ends! The professor is not releasing his data until his creation is completed! Now, he must conduct further testing! Now its creator is standing over it... The robot remains motionless on its slab! It is a robot, fashioned in the shape of a human being, but lacking will, unable to move independently until commanded on its secret frequency!

 The professor is about to test his creation! Now the microphone that is attuned to its frequency, rests in his hand! In a moment, the professor's voice will flow through its wires, as human blood flows through arteries! The creator's voice will endow his creation with both movement and purpose! "Robot... pick... up... the... chair!" Gears shift as massive limbs move ponderously, and the robot rises from its slab... It walks stiffly across the laboratory, its steel feet clanking dully on the concrete tile... It is a robot! Its creator has commanded and his creation has obeyed! The professor smiles in triumph... But when the robot picks up another chair, its creator frowns!

 And when the robot picks up a third chair, the professor buries his face in his hands! It is still an imperfect creation! It still does not know how to obey commands! Its electrical system requires a special regulator to make it stop once it has begun! Its creator speaks into the microphone once more... and the robot...returns...to... its...slab! Then the professor turns off the lights and walks towards the door! Its creator shakes his head and slams the door... the robot is alone, motionless on its slab! Suddenly, its audiophones pick up the sound of a window creaking upward... The business manager climbs silently into the laboratory... Now he bends over the robot, his fingers pries at the control box on its chest! The business manager has been working on this arrangement too long to let the professor foul things up for him! There isn't anything he wouldn't do for five million dollars! As he finds the frequency setting, the business manager can feel the five million dollars in his hands right now... and the professor will not be around much longer for his share!

 The business manager chuckles to himself, then closes the control box! After picking up a spare microphone, he exits through the window as silently as he had entered! The following morning finds the creator returning to the laboratory, where his creation has remained motionless upon its slab all night... Its creator is standing over it! Its audiophones vibrate as the professor addresses it fondly... and says as soon as he installs the special regulator, his creation will be perfect! Within the robot, wires are humming loudly, and a thousand springs are tensing for imminent action! The business manager's voice is booming inside its electronic brain... And this booming voice is on its frequency! The robot must...kill...the...man...in...the...room! It is a robot...and it must obey! Its creator cringes in horror! The professor throws up his hands in an attempt to ward off his creation! But it keeps moving towards him... It... must...kill...man... in...room!

 "AAARRGGH!" It stands swaying over its creator's corpse! The wires inside of it are still humming shrilly! Its steel hands are still taut and its electronic eyes continue to dart around the laboratory! The door opens and the business manage steps into the laboratory! With the professor dead... all he has to do is march the robot down to the people who want to pay five million dollars for it! But unfortunately for the business manager, this is a brand-new imperfect robot, and badly in need of a regulator! It...must...kill...man...in...room! It follows the command of the voice on its frequency... and obeys! And it will continue to follow this command from the late business manager! Its steel feet make clanking sounds in the narrow hallway! It is on its way! It will kill men in rooms wherever it finds them! It is a robot and must obey!

 This story was reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales #5 (August, 1974.)

 The Robot later appeared in "What If The Avengers Had Been Formed During the 1950s?" by Don Glut, Alan Kupperberg, Bill Black, and Tom Orzechowski.

 Marvel Boy installed a regulator in the Human Robot with spare parts from his spaceship, the Silver Bullet.

 Menace also featured the Zombie who would later become Simon Garth.

 Writer Jeff Parker featured M-11 as a member of the Agents of Atlas.

 Five million dollars would have bought a lot of Atlas Comics in 1954.

 Artist John Romita also drew Captain America for Atlas Comics and would later illustrate Daredevil and The Amazing Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.

 Steve Chung
 "I, The Review!"

Menace #2: On With The Dance!"

Menace #2
"On With The Dance!"
April, 1953

Script: Stan Lee
Art: Russ Heath

Her name is Stella Scheele.  She is a dancer with an icy heart and a
dollar sign where her soul should be.  This is her story.  After getting
ready in a cramped dressing room, Stella is on stage with the other
chorus girls, but her thoughts are of having one good break  The people
in the audience are her personal judges, and she must use all of her
talents to amuse them.  Stella longs for a solo number and the spotlight.

When the number has ended, it's back to the dressing room, where the
girls are happy... all but Stella.  She overhears the news about Fay
Grey's broken leg, and the need for a replacement.  Before the others in
the chorus can make their move, Stella is already knocking at the
producer's door.  Lou Harmon eyes her when she enters, and listens to
Stella when she makes her request.  The producer sighs, then tells the
dancer that auditions will be held tomorrow.  When she asks for Lou to
take a chance on her, he admits that it's because he knows her too well
to waste the role on the likes of her.

The dancer rages out of the producer's office, unable to speak, and sees
-- Jack Waters waiting for her.  When she asks what he could possibly
want from her, Jack wonders if she remembers him at all.  He had gone to
prison for her over a stolen necklace, and had taken the blame instead of
his beloved Stella.  Unimpressed by his devotion, the dancer tells Jack
that she doesn't date ex-convicts.  Jack Waters had given up three years
of his life in prison, but all this means is that he was a fool.  He
holds his head to keep it from bursting, and watches her head for the
stage door.  Jack threatens to kill himself, for without her, he has
nothing left to live for.  BAM  Now all of her problems are over.

As she sleeps in her bed, all Stella can think of is getting the part.
The following morning finds Stella Scheele on her way for the audition.
Lou is surprised to find her at the casting office, especially since the
role has already been filled.  The producer introduces the dancer to Mona
Durell, but Stella is unable hide her contempt towards the witch.  The
plain Jane has stolen the part which should have been hers, and Harmon
must have been out of his mind when he chose her.  Stella waits for her
rival to come outside, where she'll scare her into leaving the role.

An hour passes, with Miss Durell being accosted by an armed Stella.  At
her apartment, the dancer has her rival covered with a revolver, and
wants her to resign.  When asked why she should want the part so much,
Stella Scheele admits that she loves to dance, and she would be much
better at it than a witch like her.  Mona smiles, and promises Stella
that she'll get her wish.  She will dance as no one has ever danced
before.  The plain looking girl had been telling the truth, because the
gun drops from Stella's hand, and she begins to dance as never before.
The dancing continues, even through exhaustion, and the desire to stop.
Stella doesn't stop, and she continues to dance.  Days pass, with plenty
of weight loss, and the knowledge that she had made a grave mistake.
When she called Mona Durell a witch, Stella should have made certain that
she wasn't.  The witch floats on her broomstick, and laughs at the
skeletal remains in the tattered dress... continuing its eternal dance.

This story was reprinted in Giant-Size Dracula #2 (September, 1974).

Russ Heath is no stranger when it comes to the art of the female form.

When they told her to break a leg, Fay Grey was a real trouper, and took
the advice to heart.

I wonder if Fay was related to Jean Grey?

Lou Harmon resembles a chain-smoking Stephen Strange.

As drawn by Heath, the producer casts his cold, calculating gaze on the
ambitious dancer.

Jack Waters resembles a slightly older Jimmy Olsen, complete with green
wardrobe, and bow-tie.

Instead of having a signal watch, the jilted beau carries a gun, and
knows how to use it.

The poor guy had his shot at Stella, but missed the opportunity, and said
his piece.

Miss Durell flashes the dancer that "Mona Lisa" smile, then makes Stella
Scheele the Lady of the Dance.

Steve Chung
"On With The Review!"