''Metalzoic'' is a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

() written by

Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfather o ...

and drawn by Kevin O'Neill which was first published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

in 1986 as the sixth of the ''

DC Graphic Novel ''DC Graphic Novel'' is a line (comics), line of graphic novel Trade paperback (comics), trade paperbacks published from 1983 to 1986 by DC Comics. The series generally featured stand-alone stories featuring new characters and concepts with one ...

'' line. Later in the same year it was reprinted in serial form in '' 2000 AD'', issues #483–492.

Plot

In the far future, the

Earth's magnetic field Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...

has cut out, and humanity has abandoned the planet, leaving it to multiple species of sentient robots, which after centuries of evolving look (and in some cases behave) similar to the now extinct terrestrial animals. This signals the end of the Humanic period, and the beginning of the Metalzoic age. Legend surrounds ''The God Beast'' - Amok - the leader of a herd of robotic elephants (wheeldebeasts), and his return to the geographical location that another tribe now occupies - the Mekaka, led by the psychotic - yet also cunning - gorilla robot Armageddon. Armageddon's brutality and drive is explained that he operated on his own brain to remove lesser emotions which would impede his intentions to make "The Mekaka the greatest tribe on Earth". At the same time Armageddon leads his tribe to search for Amok, The God Beast is returning to the Mekaka's territory, and needing metal to facilitate repairs to himself, he attacks the Mekaka tribe, killing Armageddon's mate - Koola - and almost Armageddon's son - Ham. Only the intervention of a Novad human - Jool - (who Armageddon had unintentionally rescued earlier) prevents his destruction as well. Armageddon is in fact consumed by Amok, but he draws on the planets magnetic field and reconstitutes himself - ''Pumping Iron'' - subsequently vowing to track down and kill Amok, which he now believes to have gone rogue. After following Amok's trail they arrive at the Pits of Zinja - a long since exhausted mine, and coincidentally Jool's last home. During a three-way fight between the Mekaka, the Wheeldebeasts and the Zinja, Jool believes that The God Beast has not brought the herd to Zinja for more metal, but to kill them, as he buries them in the empty pits. To prevent this, Armageddon attacks The God Beast directly, and inadvertently hacks into his brain - releasing ''The Master Program'' into Armageddon. Breaking the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

, The Master Program explains to the reader how Earth came to be (mentioning the only date in the series - that the Earth's magnetic field cut out in the 24th Century) and also reveals to Armageddon that The God Beast is not destroying his herd, but protecting them from an imminent asteroid shower - the Moonsoon. As the asteroids start to fall, fighting is broken off and all the combatants take joint cover in the pits. As Armageddon now has ownership of The Master Program he becomes the new God Beast, Amok dies, and passes control of the herd onto Armageddon. Armageddon states that the ore in the asteroids will help him rebuild his tribe - referring to the Wheeldebeasts. The graphic novel ends with the tribe shamek Jugarjuk commenting that now Armageddon has the Wheeldebeasts as well as his own Mekaka he will indeed control the world. Jool agrees, and quotes from

Pythagoras Pythagoras of Samos ( grc, Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος, Pythagóras ho Sámios, Pythagoras the Samos, Samian, or simply ; in Ionian Greek; ) was an ancient Ionians, Ionian Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher and the eponymou ...

, but this does not go down with the other surviving robots as well, and they leave in disdain - all apart from Ham who is strapped to her back.

Earth's magnetic field

A core aspect of the graphic novel is that the Earth's magnetic field has cut out, allowing cosmic rays to bombard the planet, and rendering it uninhabitable to humanity. An equally important aspect of the graphic novel is Armageddon's ability to come into phase with the Earth's magnetic field and boost his own power output considerably - this is referred to as ''Pumping Iron'' and used several times throughout the novel, saving his life at least three times. The discrepancy is never clarified, despite being a potentially large plot hole. {{Unreferenced, date=December 2022 1986 books 1986 comics debuts Science fiction comics Post-apocalyptic comics Comics by Pat Mills DC Comics graphic novels 2000 AD comic strips