Machine Man #2 (May 1978)

Back in January of last year, I took a look at the first issue of the debut of Aaron Stack, the Machine Man. I remember quite enjoying it. I struggled to figure out what comic to look at this week, so I looked through one of my shelves of trade paperbacks. I saw my copy of Machine Man by Kirby and Ditko and I found myself thinking "Hey, I looked at the first issue of that comic, why not take a look at the next one?" So here we are. This is Machine Man #2!

The cover is a Jack Kirby piece, and it's pretty awesome. It depicts our machine man Aaron Stack flying over a bunch of policemen while riding/being a wheeled vehicle. Aaron hasn't quite grasped how Transformers work.

"House of Nightmares"
Writer: Jack Kirby
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Mike Royer
Colorist: Petra Goldberg
Letterer: Mike Royer
Editors: Jack Kirby, Archie Goodwin
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with our man Aaron having a nightmare.

"Not my incredibly gorgeous face!"

Darkseid here rips off Aaron Stack's human face, as a bunch of machines mock him, screaming that he's nothing more than a mere robot, a tool, an automaton. Aaron roars that he's more than that. He is a man, regardless of being steel and wires instead of flesh and blood. Aaron wakes up, finding himself in the forest. He evidently decided to take a nap on his way to see Peter Spaulding. Because robots can nap, I guess. 

The fight with the army damaged his anti-gravity unit, so he can't fly. I'm presuming he can't use his motorized skateboard because of the forest terrain. He spots a patrol looking for it and decides it's a good time to leave.

After a brief look in on General Kragg, we go back to Aaron. The Machine Man makes his way to a gas station. Being in the Marvel Universe, the attendants aren't too bothered by a strange man in a purple outfit. He asks for some tires, but he needs to pay for them. Aaron picks up some rocks and crushes them into diamonds. He figures that their value should cover any tire expenses. 

"Shut up Bill, we're rich!"

He also asks if he can use their repair shop. Considering what they saw, they figure to just let the weird purple-wearing man do what he wants. 

In Central City, a nurse alerts Peter Spaulding that there's something wrong with a patient in "Room Zero". Spaulding heads in and finds the orderlies struggling with the patient. As the tranquilizers take effect, the patient rants about a spaceflight going wrong and falling into the sun. 

"Oh dear, he read Star Trek novels while on an LSD trip again..."

They note that the patient was a homeless man who didn't have a lot of schooling. Yet his words sound like he came from NASA. Maybe he hung out in the library and read a lot.

The Army make their way to the gas station and prepare to surround it. But Aaron Stack has finished his little project, and he's ready to get going.

"Machine Man, Roll Out!"

The soldiers try to get a bead on him, but his speed is too great. Having escaped for now, Aaron makes his way to Central City, meeting some bikers on the way. He asks them how far Central City is, but they answer by crashing. You know, nowadays he'd likely have a built-in GPS so he'd have no problem finding that answer.

Aaron arrives and meets up with Spaulding. Aaron needs somewhere to crash for a while, so he's hoping Peter can take him in. The psychologist agrees, as he considers Aaron a friend. Aaron's systems pick up strange transmissions from the building. He projects footage of a solar system on the ceiling of Spaulding's office, his internal computers able to translate the transmissions. 

Spaulding notices that a ship appears to be trapped in the gravitational pull of the solar system's star. Spaulding then realizes that the rambling of the man inside "Room Zero" isn't insanity, it's a call for help!

The story ends with our two heroes racing to Room Zero and the man ranting that he needs to get taken off his vessel, or he'll be fried like an egg on a pan. Mmmm...fried egg...

This issue was, like its predecessor, very enjoyable. I got a good chuckle out of Aaron's interactions with the two mechanics he encounters. The whole thing with the mentally ill man receiving transmissions was very Kirby. The man has a love of the cosmic, as his work has shown over the years. The nightmare Aaron suffers is part of the theme of this series, what makes a man? Aaron wants to be seen as a human being, just like any other, despite his being made of metal and wires instead of flesh and blood. Aaron's characterization here is interesting when you consider how he has been portrayed post-Nextwave. He seems like a completely different character here.

I got a good chuckle out of Aaron's interactions with the mechanics, and his escape was quite awesome. I do wonder how the homeless man was able to receive the alien transmissions, though. Is he an alien himself? Ah, well. Maybe the next issue will explain. Kirby's art is very dynamic, but that's no surprise. It's "The King".

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2016 trade paperback Machine Man by Kirby and Ditko. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!