When I as a young boy went to the elementary School in the town of Haaksbergen, there was a boy with the name Laurens Mentink in my class (no, not related to :P). He was kinda a school-friend of mine. Once he lent me some comic-books of “Magnus, Robot-Fighter” (or as they were called in Dutch “Magnus, de Anti-Robot Magier”). Somehow these comics made enough impression not to forget about them.
Anyway, these comics are situated in the year 4000, humanity has become dependent on robots. H8, the Pol-Rob chief of the civic sector of North Am, a continent-spanning mega-city, was damaged in a radiation accident. It sought to promote the human dependency on robots and gradually impose totalitarian rule in the area under its control.
Magnus was raised by a robot known as 1A, a name which implies that he was the very first robot of his type ever manufactured. 1A seemed to be self-aware and possess emotions. A firm believer in the Three Laws of Robotics, 1A recognized the threat represented by the dependency of humans on robots in general, and the developments in North Am due to H8 in particular. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against both rogue robots, and humans who used normal robots for evil purposes. Magnus was trained from infancy by 1A in an under-sea domed house, using advanced techniques, to become a skilled martial artist who could break steel with his bare hands. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to “hear” robot-to-robot radio communications.
As I already said, I really loved these comics. I could read them over and over. But as with so many things, over time things like this disappear to the darker part of your memory… but they are not forgotten. No, not forgotten at all, because for some unknown reason recently I had to think about the Magnus-comics again. For fun I looked for these comic on “De Marktplaats” (the Dutch Ebay) and to my surprise there was a hit…. and there was a very reasonable price asked. So I placed a bid just a little higher then the asked price. Within a few hours I had a mail telling me that I could have the comic…
And indeed, a few days later a package with a book was delived at my home. I expected one of the reprints that were made around 1980, but…..
but this comic is from 1970 and was the first edition of Magnus that was printed in color! A very, very nice surprise!!!!!
It was a pleasure to read this comic. It brought back memories. The worse thing about it is that I want now to have the other comics that where released in the Magnus-series as well 🙂
i had the same experience when i was 10 years old in 67 .
I was camping with the old folk or better i had too haha.
so every weekend we go there and once a month there was a new magnus in the local store that i would buy with my pocket money.
i hope you found the other magnus comics
for information mail me wessel bohm from groningen holland