Written by Barry Reese
Old Friends, Long Forgotten
April 18, 4022
North Am Metroplex. Eastern Seaboard. Grid Designate : Atl-320. Milespire.
President Shooter gripped the railing of his hoverplatform, staring down at the carnage below him. Even after all these months, North Am was still mostly in ruins. "You have to give the Destroyer credit -- when he does something, he goes all the way."
9-Z's photoreceptors flashed in good humor. The robot was the ambassador assigned to the cleanup project, working under the direct supervision of the Freewill Consortium. "He-is-not-known-for-his-mercy-after-all."
Shooter shook his head, turning away from the ruins of Atl-320. The wind made his short brown hair fly into his eyes and he ran a hand through it in annoyance. "Still, we're making progress. The Starwatchers have begun their work already -- and your own robs have been instrumental, as well."
9-Z nodded. "May-our-current-good-will-towards-one-another-last-forever."
"Agreed. Neither of our kind, human or rob, can afford another war of any type. It's ironic that it may have taken the Malevs to bring us together."
9-Z made a suprising motion, one that reminded Shooter of a human shuffling his feet. "I-have-an-uncomfortable-topic-to-discuss-with-you-Mr.-President."
Shooter braced himself. He didn't need any extra headaches -- not with North Am in tatters and young hotshots like Nikolas Clane waiting in the wings to seize power for themselves. "Go ahead, 9-Z. If there's a problem, I'd like to know about it."
"It-concerns-the-search-for-Magnus. We-understand-that-North-Am-has-pledged-to-aid-Torque-in-any-way-it-can?"
"That's right..."
"Magnus-betrayed-my-kind. He-attempted-genocide-upon-us. We-have-no-desire-to-see-Magnus-found...."
"Magnus, for all his faults, was a hero. If not for him, the Malevs would have won the war and we would all be slaves right now!" Shooter kept his voice low in case there were any reporters or spies about, but he couldn't keep the anger from creeping into his words. "If he's alive somewhere like Torque believes...we'll keep searching! Mind you, I don't expect to find him. He's been gone almost a year, after all. But I won't turn my back on Torque -- I promised we'd assist him in any way necessary."
9-Z shrugged his shoulders in a passable imitation of a human being admitting defeat. "Then-there-is-nothing-more-to-be-said. But-it-is-not-something-that-the-Consortium-approves-of."
Shooter bit back his reply as a communicator chimed on his belt. He moved over to the controls of the hovercraft, activating the small monitor placed there. He was grateful for the interruption -- though he trusted the Consortium as much as he did any human right now, the fact remained that they would have to forgive Magnus of his past crimes. The man had risked his life for human and freewills alike on many occasions. "Shooter here. What's the problem?"
The president's pretty young secretary appeared on the screen. She wore her dark hair in a short "page-boy" style and her eyes were full of life. If Shooter wasn't happily married to his fourth wife... "Sorry to bother you, sir, but I just got word from one of the construction robs in the eastern complex of the grid. They say they've found a survivor buried in the debris."
"A survivor?! That's impossible -- not only did the Destroyer's blast disintegrate everything it touched, but it's been months! Even if someone did survive the blast, they would have to be dead by now...."
The secretary nodded. "I know, sir, but that's what they've said. It gets even more mysterious, though -- the survivor is inside some sort of hibernation tube. We've already gotten reports from the Gehenna Level that six more tubes have been found in that grid."
Shooter felt the hair on the nape of his neck standing up. Something about this unnerved him. How could anyone have lived through this? Were they sleeper agents of the Malev? Had the Destroyer somehow missed them? "Contact Torque and ask him to investigate the Gehenna find. 9-Z and myself will check out the survivor that was found here."
9-Z stared at the president with as much curiosity as a robot could muster. "What-could-this-mean?"
"I have no idea...but I have a feeling that I'm not going to like the answers we find."
The Lost Land, Day 29
Magnus woke up to the discordant sounds of twentieth-century music blaring in his ears. The bass was heavy, making the floor rattle with each note. He remembered Mekman's betrayal and felt more than a bit silly for having fallen for it. He opened one black, puffy eye and peered at his surroundings.
Magnus was in a tavern of some sort, seated in a rather comfortable booth. His body ached from the beating he'd taken, but he felt clear of mind. He glanced down at his wrists and saw deep bruises from his bonds, but he was quite free at the moment.
The tavern was sparsely populated, with several vikings in one corner playing darts and a group of futuristic teenagers sitting in a booth, discussing someone or something called a 'time trapper.' A long bar in the center of the tavern was manned by a small droid, with the designation XPH-1 stamped on his frontside.
What kind of madhouse have I found myself in?
The door to the tavern opened suddenly, letting sunlight splash in. The man who entered was a large, burly fellow and he had two half-naked females in his arms. Magnus felt a chill go through him as recognition dawned on him. The figure was wearing dirty, soiled clothing and reeked of alchohol. "Armstrong?"
Armstrong stopped in his tracks. "Magnus...you're awake? Great. You can help me here -- I've got my hands full, as you can see. Meet Inge and Angel, two lost girls from Jersey." The girls smiled at Magnus, though both seemed concerned by his tattered appearance.
Magnus rose from his seat and moved towards Armstrong. "How did I get here?"
Armstrong scratched the stubble on his chin and glanced towards XPH-1. "Listen, Barry, how abot getting my friend here a drink. And get me two drinks for myself and one each for the girls."
The droid sighed expressively. "My designation, sir, is XPH-1. Please refrain from calling me Barry..."
"Sure thing, Barry." Armstrong sat down on a stool and pulled Inge into his lap. The blonde giggled, tossing her long hair. "You look like hell, Magnus."
The robot fighter accepted the drink from XPH-1 and downed it in one gulp. "I feel like it, too. What are you doing here? Weren't you returned home after the Unity War?"
"Sure we were. You were too, right? Me and Archer got tossed back here during the whole Chaos thingie that trapped you in the 20th Century.We've adapted pretty well though, even opened up our own bar." Armstrong squinted at him. "How long have you been here, anyway?"
Magnus resisted a smile. Armstrong hadn't even noticed that Magnus was older than the last time they'd met -- the Lost Land, or something else, was having a rejuvenating effect on the robot fighter. "About a month, I think. It's hard to tell time here."
"You got that right."
Magnus ignored the brunette named Angel, who was sliding a hand up and down his muscled arm. "You still haven't told me how I got to this bar. Last thing I remember is Mekman blasting me into unconsciousness."
"Ah. Well, you have to thank Geoff for that."
"The Geomancer?"
"That's him. Nice kid, by the way." Armstrong turned and smooched Inge on the cheek, eliciting yet another in a seeminly endless supply of giggles. "He and Archer were out looking for a way home when they stumbled on you and Mekman... What kinda name is that anyway? Mekman? Sounds like a cartoon...."
Magnus held up a hand to halt Armstrong's words. The big man could go off on a tangent for hours if allowed to. "So they rescued me, then...but where's Mekman now?"
Armstrong pried himself free from Inge's embrace and led Magnus out the door. The two of them walked along the outside of the bar and stopped in the back, where Magnus saw Mekman writhing in his bonds. Geoff, still looking youthful even though he was burdened with the responsibility of being a Geomancer, and Archer, at once peaceful and alert, stood nearby.
Geoff smiled immediately and Magnus felt his heart swell. "Mr. Magnus! You're okay...the Earth said you would be, but I was still worried."
Magnus hugged the young man and patted him on the back. "It's good to see you, Geoff. It's been a long time."
Archer nodded in that graceful, smooth way of his. "Mr. Magnus. It is an honor to once again be in your presence."
"Such touching sentiments! How human of all of you..." Mekman's voice was shrill as he sneered at the group. Magnus could see scratches and dents all along his metallic body. Apparently, Geoff and Archer had been forced to subdue him somewhat roughly.
Magnus turned towards his old foe and seemed to be sizing him up. "I should slag you again for what you did. What was the point of it? Were you going to kill me?"
Mekman laughed, a stringent sound that was quite inhuman. "Kill you? Oh no... I was en route to deliver you to someone when the two flesh-bags came upon me. They slagged three innocent robots!"
Magnus grunted. Sometimes he wondered if there was such a thing as an innocent robot...even 1-A and Teekla had possessed many sides to their personalities, some of them dark.
Geoff touched Archer's arm, looking about him with wide eyes. "Something's coming -- the trees are frightened."
Magnus tensed, moving to try and protect the Geomancer at all costs. Archer was also standing at attention, his slender body poised for action. For his part, Armstrong belched and waved his hand in the air. "Whoo! That home-brewed stuff is gonna kill me!"
The ground shook suddenly, making everyone stagger. Magnus held his footing the best, however, and even managed to stride forward. There, coming through the trees, were their foes. Their bodies were covered by thick, scaly hides and their mouths were open to show numerous teeth. In the forefront, five raptors moved forward, mechanical devices attached to their skulls. Behind them, a huge T-Rex lumbered. It was the T-Rex who spoke, his voice sounding strangely high-pitched for such a huge beast. "Magnus, Robot Fighter... Welcome back to the Lost Land. In the name of the new Bionosaur Empire, I bid you welcome!"
North Am Metroplex. Eastern Seaboard. Grid Designate : Bos-411. Gehenna Level
"It's impossible." Torque stared at the tubes that were lain out before him, their occupants sleeping peacefully in a hibernation trance. Torque felt moistness in his eyes and was surprised -- since his transformation into a Starwatcher he'd assumed he couldn't cry....
"Impossible? No. See with own eyes! Is real!" Elzy was kneeling beside one of the tubes, running her hands over its surface. "Is Magnus...."
Torque bent to study the man's face within the tube. It certainly looked like his father, though far younger than Torque had ever seen. This 'Magnus' couldn't be more than twenty and was dressed in his father's old mini-skirt and go-go boots. The tube next to 'Magnus' was equally shocking for it contained a startling facsimile of Leeja Clane, Torque's mother. Again, she looked as she had back when she'd first met Magnus. Her long hair curled about her shoulders and her dark dress was short, almost shockingly so. The rest of the tubes contained more surprises -- 1A, back in his original robot form; a man dressed in a variation of Solar's costume who had green skin; Torque's grandfather looking as he did during his days as a senator; and a man dressed in ancient Native American gear. Atop each of the tubes was a small symbol resembling a golden key.
"I suppose it's possible that the Destroyer's tachyon blast* is responsible for this. Maybe it pulled them from the past or just de-aged them. But I don't understand who the guy with the bow is or who this faux-Solar is. Not to mention that 1-A shouldn't be among them. He's doing fine in the present!"
(*Which the Destroyer fired in an attempt to eradicate the Malevs throughout the timestream. See Magnus # 64. Barry.)
Elzy glanced at Torque with concern. "Are you waking them?"
Torque let out a long, rattling sigh. "I have to. We have to find out if it's really mom and dad." The Starwatcher reached out a hand and depressed the gold key symbol. Immediately the hibernation tube popped open, releasing some sort of gas in the process. The brownish-green smoke billowed past Torque, who waved it away. He hoped he hadn't just released some sort of poison into the air, but no one seemed to be affected by it.
Magnus stirred, his eyelids fluttering open.
Torque swallowed hard. "Dad? Magnus...?"
Magnus glanced at Torque, confusion registering in his eyes. "...Yes, I'm Magnus. Do I know you?"
The Lost Land, Day 29
Chaos reigned. The bionosurs split off, engaging their enemies, while the T-Rex stomped about.
Magnus grunted as bionosaur leapt on him, teeth and claws slashing. Magnus had met the cybernetically-altered dinosaurs before* and he remembered them to be fierce warriors, more than an equal to any battle-rob. The robot fighter rolled with the attacker, kicking upwards and tossing the bionosaur away. He glanced up at their leader "What would you want with me?"
(*In the classic Unity War, of course. The binosaurs became regular sparring partners of Turok and X-O Manowar in later days. Barry)
The T-Rex flashed his teeth. "I am Ran-Kor, human. In the days since Mon-Ark fled this land, I have ruled...waiting for the chance to gain more power. I shall eventually become as powerful as the Mothergod, but I need more knowledge. The human called Mekman has promised that you can give that to me...knowledge of 41st Century science and those who could be my enemies!"
Magnus jumped out of way before Ran-Kor's powerful foot could strike him. He saw Archer taking part in a deadly dance of death with one of the bionosaurs and marveled at how fluidly the younger man could move. Geoff was on the run from another of the attackers, aided by the surrounding earth and flora. Armstrong was literally wrestling with one of the bionosaurs, holding a headlock on his opponent.
"Surrender to them, Magnus! They may let you live if you do...."
Magnus ignored Mekman, instant concentrating on his foe. He could understand why Mekman would ally himself with the bionosaurs -- like himself, they were augmented by cybernetics and machinery. "Why not just tear the information from Mekman? He's from the same era...."
Magnus struck, his Harbinger-induced strength pounding into Ran-Kor's leg. The bionosaur howled in pain, staggering back and accidently crushing one of his own troops. "Mekman has already shared some of his knowledge with us, meat. But we desire more -- and from what he has told us, you come from even further in the future than he does*. Now do as he says and surrender or I'll make you watch as I devour your allies, one by one!"
(*Only by a few years, as we learned last issue.)
Magnus watched as Ran-Kor lunged forward, his mouth opened to snap down on Magnus. It was obvious that the bionosaur was rapidly losing his temper -- and that meant that he would soon no longer care if he killed Magnus or not. Magnus stood his ground and raised his hands to grasp the monster's mouth as it came for him. The strength of Ran-Kor drove Magnus back, his feet sinking into the earth, but he held strong. Ran-Kor roar of anger nearly deafened him and the fetid stink of his breath made Magnus gag. "I don't like killing living beings, Ran-Kor, but when you threaten my friends you cross the line."
Magnus twisted with all his strength, turning Ran-Kor's mammoth head at sharp angle. Veins stood out on both the robot fighter's arms and forehead as a tremendous crack echoed throughout the Lost Land. The mighty bionosaur fell to the side, his body colliding with the ground.
"Geez. Remind me never to armwrestle with you, buddy."
Magnus turned to the side and saw Armstrong sitting atop a bionosaur's still body. He had lit a cigar and was blowing smoke into the air. "Actually, I'm surprised I was able to do that." Magnus glanced down at his own hands. He really was feeling better these days. Younger. Stronger.
Geoff moved forward, his hands on his forehead. Like Armstrong, he had somehow dispatched his foe. "We're not in the clear just yet...."
Magnus moved towards the young man while Archer checked to make sure that Mekman was still secured. "What's wrong? Are they going to attack again?"
"No...It's something else. A disturbance in the very fabric of reality. It's familiar, though."
Magnus glanced up as a shimmering image appeared before them. Shards of light rearranged themselves into the form of the Destroyer. Magnus immediately steeled himself for another fight. "You?! I'm surprised you'd dare show yourself to me... You killed them! All of them! They could have been saved...."
The Destroyer grunted. "Ah. Magnus. Good to see you, too. And for the record, they could not have been saved. They were Malev. They had to die."
Magnus started to make a retort but bit it off. He wasn't as angry as he should have been, thanks mainly to the fact that all his emotional attachments had been damaged by his own death some months back, and he knew that the Destroyer spoke the truth. Damn him.
Armstrong puffed on his cigar again. "You're Solar, aren'tcha? Nice jammies you're wearing."
The Destroyer ignored him and continued to focus on Magnus. "I've been searching the timestream for some sign of the tachyon impulses I desposited. Luckily for you, they've been clinging to you. I'm here to send you home. I made a mistake and I mean to rectify it."
"How kind of you," Magnus murmured.
Archer raised a hand, as if he were a student standing before a teacher. "Sir? Might you be able to return us home, as well?"
"I could. You have an appointment to keep*, if my memory serves me. What about you, Geomancer, are you going back with Archer and Armstrong?"
(*See Rai # 0 for all sorts of details about details about what Archer will be doing in the future.)
Geoff, his face drawn tight with worry, could only mutter an affirmative. "I think I have something really important waiting for me, Solar. You'd best send me back, too."
The Destroyer nodded. "So be it." Energy flared out from the Destroyer, enveloping the four beings before them. Magnus had started to question Geoff about his decision but he never had a chance, nor did he get to see what became of Mekman. Once again, the Destroyer -- in all his arrogance -- was playing God.
NEXT ISSUE : The "Gold Key 7" mystery moves to the forefront as Magnus meets Magnus! Things are going to get very strange...!
LETTERS PAGE
Great job with Magnus #65.
My only complaint is that it wasn't written sooner. I can't wait
to see how you develop the rich cast of characters at your
disposal. I do hope to see Rai (both of them) soon. Also remember
there is an XO armor floating around somewhere. It would be cool
to see it pop up when we least expect it. You also got the
Eternal Warrior out there somewhere as well. I agree with you
that the Malevs should stay out of the picture for a
while (maybe even permanently).There is so many more
directions that can be explored. Keep it up!
DAN
Barry : Thanks, Dan! The Malevs will certainly leave a lasting impression on the book but they're unlikely to reappear anytime soon. I want to give Earth a chance to rebuild before I tear it down again. ;-)
Finally, my all time favorite series is back! It's been way too long since we last saw Torque, Balaam, Elzy, and especially Mekman & Superion Gryffen. For a brand new character, I already like this President Shooter guy a lot. The numerous parallels between him and that JimWhatsisname who started up Valiant are uncanny.^_- It's always a treat to see the Lost Land used as the backdrop for a story too and I'm quitecurious to see who Mekman's allies turn out to be along with the six individuals in the tubes. The only thing which I found a little bit disappointing about this issue was that the Destroyer seems to no longer have feelings for Hexstrike Alpha's Aesha which was hinted at inPsi-Lords #8.
Keith Ehrich
Barry : I'm assuming that the Solar/Aesha thing hasn't progressed. I do plan for Aesha to appear eventually but for now the Destroyer's a bit too busy going mad to have a real relationship...
I just finished Magnus 65, and have to say I loved it. I started readingValiant with Magnus and the Malev War, so the character has a unique place in my love for the Valiant Universe of characters. Barry did an excellent job leading into the story, having left you enough info in the story that you didn't need to read the last published issues of Magnus,but hey, it couldn't hurt. The strange allies of the villain in this issue have me guessing, but I won't say more lest I ruin it for others.I will say: Read Magnus Robot Fighter #65! You won't regret it!
Mike Hintze
Barry : Magnus was the second Valiant series I read (I started with Solar # 1) and it's always been special to me, too. I just hope I'm able to do the characters justice.
barry,i just got a chance to read magnus 65 and thought i'd drop you a line.i like the ideas that you have begun to put forth. i always likedmagnusand hope that you can bring some of the "magic" of your other valiant fanfic to this series.you left off at a good point, so that the reader wants to see the nextissue.i'm also glad to see that you are going with the "younger" magnus with the story ('specially since, according to my "sources" its the older magnus that dominates U2K)so, mekman back, lets see where you take this.one note, i hope that the starwatchers do not play that big of a role in the series, as i just don't care that much for them. BUT the rai tease was a good sign....
Rick
Barry : So far, people seem really divided on the Starwatchers issue. Some people (like me) really like them and think they add a lot to the world of 4022. Others disagree, obviously. The Starwatchers will remain in this book but I don't plan to let them overshadow Magnus.
I've been gone for a while (and I'm still baby-free) :( so it's been a cool "catching up" period for me. GREAT take on all of the old characters, Barry! You've got old Magnus in the Lost Land--any chanceof HIM encountering his younger self? Or Archer & Armstrong, who were sentthere at the end of THE CHAOS EFFECT?And two DEATHMATE references in one week. We have Barry's cameo of Void and Michael Sacal's reference to SHOCC troops. It was a quarter box full of DEATHMATE issues that introduced me to VALIANT [just before the VH-2 "reboot"], so I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for it.Keep up the great work
ant'ny--er, "Phil"
Thanks for the kind words, Phil. As you've seen this issue, Archer & Armstrong have, indeed, made an appearance. Hope you're enjoying it! As for DEATHMATE, I was disappointed with parts of the crossover but it does have a way of lingering in one's memories. Maybe we'll do a DEATHMATE II someday. :-)
A note about the current storyline before I go -- it's actually an homage of sort to the 'SW-6 Batch' that Keith Giffen had a hand in during the so-called fourth era of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Since I'm using so many of Giffen's concepts in this series, I thought it would be fun to pay homage to one of his other great science fiction successes. It should be interesting to see what the Magnus of the early 4000s thinks of the year 4022 and the hardships that his life has suffered through. Don't worry about me pulling a 'Spider-Clone' scenario out of the hat, though. The Magnus who appeared in all 64 issues of the Valiant series is the real Magnus. Of course, the other Magnus might be real, too ! Also, keep in mind that we know the identities of six of the "Gold Key 7" -- Magnus, Leeja, Senator Clane, 1-A, Dr. Solar and Turok. But who was found in Atl-320...? Let the guessing begin!
Keep those letters and comments coming!
Barry Reese