Reading Room INVINCIBLE IRON MAN "Frenzy in a Far-Flung Future!" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

...teleported to a future Earth where his invention, an artificial intelligence system called Cerebrus, has taken control of humanity, Tony Stark is sentenced to death by rebels who believe if they kill him before he creates Cerebrus, the future will be changed!

Before the sentence can be carried out, drones sent by the AI invade the rebels' refuge and Stark, along with Krylla (a scientist who disagreed with killing Tony), escape in the confusion.
In the ruins of a nearby museum, the duo discover an intact set of Iron Man armor which Tony's chestplate battery charges just in time...as...

The idea of Tony Stark creating an AI like Cerebrus was utilized in the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Ultron (created in Avengers comics around the same time as this story, but by Henry [Goliath] Pym) was also devised to help mankind, but went rogue.

This never-referenced-since story from Marvel's Invincible Iron Man #5 (1968), written by Archie Godwin, penciled by George Tuska, and inked by Johnny Craig is one of several "pocket universe" stories that occurred around this time at Marvel. which didn't usually do alternate universe tales like DC's Earth-One/Earth-Two/etc. multiverse to explain contradictory continuity elements.

Of course, all that's currently gone out the window with both DC and Marvel rebooting everything on an annual basis...

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Invincible Iron Man

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Man Who Killed Tony Stark

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Reading Room INVINCIBLE IRON MAN "Frenzy in a Far-Flung Future!" Part 1

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) Threatens to Dominate Everyday Life...

...let's have a look at how popular fiction dealt with this concept in the pre-digital era of the Swinging '60s!

To Be Concluded on Thursday!

The idea of Tony Stark creating an AI like Cerebrus was utilized in the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Ultron (created in Avengers comics around the same time as this story, but by Henry [Goliath] Pym) was also devised to help mankind, but went rogue.
This never-referenced story from Marvel's Invincible Iron Man #5 (1968), written by Archie Godwin, penciled by George Tuska, and inked by Johnny Craig is one of several "pocket universe" stories that occurred around this time at Marvel. which didn't usually do alternate universe tales like DC's Earth-One/Earth-Two/etc. multiverse to explain contradictory continuity elements.
Of course, all that's currently gone out the window with both DC and Marvel rebooting everything on an annual basis...

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Epic Collection

Invincible Iron Man

Volume 3

Man Who Killed Tony Stark

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Reading Room WEIRD TALES OF THE FUTURE "Survival of the Fittest"

Fiction or prophecy?

This is only 8 years away!

Consider recent developments in Artificial Intelligence and prepare for the possible (if not probable) mechanical Armageddon!

The penciler of this never-reprinted story from Key's Weird Tales of the Future #1 (1952) was a young Ross Andru, but the mediocre inking is clearly not his soon-to-be-partner Mike Esposito!
The identity of the embellisher, as well as the scripter remain a mystery to this day...

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Ten-Cent Plague

Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America

Monday Madness Redux: When Life May End Up Imitating Art...

...as shown in the 2013 movie The Congress!

You'll note the production title was Robin Wright at The Congress.

There's a good reason for that!

In the film, actress Robin Wright (played by...surprise...actress Robin Wright) sells the right to digitize her face and body to a movie studio, which then can exclusively use it in any movie or TV show as they see fit, even ones she wouldn't, herself, have agreed to perform in!

They do pay her a considerable sum of cash for the digital rights, with the understanding that she will retire from performing and not make any public appearances in her capacity as "actress Robin Wright" for 20 years, at which point the contract may be re-negotiated.
Sounds like one of the sticking points in the SAG-AFTRA strike against movie and TV studios...except the studios want to pay performers a one time "day rate" now for doing the same thing!
No additional payment for any future use!
Based on the Stanislaw Lem novel Futurological Congress, the movie came and went quickly, creating more of a stir overseas than in America!
Rather than rehash the points, I'd direct you to an excellent post HERE going into more detail about both the film and the book that inspired it!
And, though the movie is available on several streaming services, I'd recommend getting the DVD or Blu-Ray for the director's audio commentary and special features.
BTW, some may remember we posted this several months ago when the post on another blog first appeared.
But, as the WGA strike against the movie/TV studios appears to be about to end (and hopefuly, the SAG-AFTRA strike will follow), the fact this little-seen flick actually predicted this exact situation involving creatives (writers and performers) vs Artificial Intelligence is something we believe bears repeating.

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The Congress

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Monday Madness: When Life May End Up Imitating Art...

...as shown in the 2013 movie The Congress!

You'll note the production title was Robin Wright at The Congress.

There's a good reason for that!

In the film, actress Robin Wright (played by...surprise...actress Robin Wright) sells the right to digitize her face and body to a movie studio, which then can exclusively use it in any movie or TV show as they see fit, even ones she wouldn't, herself, have agreed to perform in!

They do pay her a considerable sum of cash for the digital rights, with the understanding that she will retire from performing and not make any public appearances in her capacity as "actress Robin Wright" for 20 years, at which point the contract may be re-negotiated.
Sounds like one of the sticking points in the SAG-AFTRA strike against movie and TV studios...except the studios want to pay performers a one time "day rate" for doing the same thing!
Based on the Stanislaw Lem novel Futurological Congress, the movie came and went quickly, creating more of a stir overseas than in America!
Rather than rehash the points, I'd direct you to an excellent post HERE going into more detail about both the film and the book that inspired it!
And, though the movie is available on several streaming services, I'd recommend getting the DVD or Blu-Ray for the director's audio commentary and special features.

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The Congress
Blu-Ray
(The extras make it well worth it!)

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Mechanical Man!"

As artificial intelligence advances into almost every aspect of daily life...

...let see how the creatives of the 1950s envisioned how it might occur!

Yes, it's the "It was all a dream!" cliche!

The writer of this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #1 (1956) is unknown, so we can't directly heap scorn upon him for using such a timeworn trope to get out of his own plotting without really solving it!
OTOH, artist Chuck Miller, who broke into comics illustrating a single story before being drafted, then returned after the war to work steadily until the industry almost collapsed in the mid-1950s due to the "Seduction of the Innocent" debacle, does a commendable job with what he's given to work with!

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room VENUS COMICS "Plot!"

With concern mounting about artificial intelligence (AI) taking over more and more control of our daily lives...

...we thought we'd take a look at one of the early tales about robots rebelling against Mankind!

As you might have guessed, we're re-presenting the never-reprinted back-up stories!

This back-up story from Atlas' Venus Comics #11 (1950), is illustrated by Russ Heath.

The writer is unknown.

Long before the Terminator and Matrix films, sci-fi literature presented examples of our creations such as the Robotmen of the Lost Planet one-shot comic we recently re-presented!

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Monday Madness ALARMING TALES "I Want to Be a Man!"

Following up on yesterday's guest-post about artificial intelligence...

...is this little tale about an AI who aspires to be more than mere machine!

Written and penciled by Jack (King) Kirby and inked by Kirby with Simon & Kirby Studios partner Joe Simon, this story from Harvey's Alarming Tales #2 (1957), this short feature would be quite different if done today, since miniaturization would enable David to put FABIAC in a human-sized form with close-to-human features...as Kirby himself did with X-51 aka Aaron Stack aka Mr Machine aka Machine Man 20 years later!

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Simon & Kirby Library

Science Fiction
(which reprints this story, along with a lot of other kool sci-fi by the duo!)