The Holiday Season for 2024 is in full swing, and as you can see, we find ourselves already in December and ever so close to our Christmas Eve update that will be a very fun one and I will give you a little clue to what it will be about. The clue is this it’s a film series that spawned a TV series and is considered one of the best Sci-Fi series of all time. But for this update we will be taking a look at a toy series that spawned a comic series, both of which were released in the 1980’s. I am sure this is a toy series that many of you readers never heard of or have not thought about in years, and I am talking about ManTech, a very short lived figure line as well as comic line that was pretty cool and yet seemed to not have caught on with the youth at the time. So let’s put another log on the fire, make a cup of hot chocolate to drink and let’s talk about an 80’s toy!

The 1980’s was a great decade to grow up in as were the 1990’s, and I was lucky to have my youth in both. One big thing in the 80’s was robots made popular of course by Star Wars, Transformers, Go-Bots, Robocop and Voltron, and with these popular franchises and figure lines came the cheap cash ins like Robo-Force, Starriors, Robotix among a sea of others. But one toyline that has seemed to have been forgotten was one called ManTech that were released in 1983 and had six figures and two play sets released. The figures were released by Remco and were the heroes known as ManTech that was SolarTech, LaserTech and AquaTech. Their base was Battlestation Laser II and the baddies released were DoomTech, NegaTeh, TerrorTech and their ship called the Terrorizer. The figures were different for the time as while they came with weapons and helmets, they also had interchangeable parts as you could mix and match them to create your own character or repair you favorite if they were injured during one of your toy wars. The toy series was not very successful and found itself being cancelled with a series two never seeing the light of day. And it was clear that Remco was hoping that this series would have been a big one for them hence they teamed with Archie Comics to make comics to help promote them. Growing up, I never had one of these figures and only kind of remember a neighbor when I was in Kindergarten having one, but never remember playing with the figure. And when in Waynesville I knew zero kids that owned one and cannot even remember seeing them at any garage sales or discount stores. The figures for many years sold very cheaply on Ebay but over the years have found a fanbase and have risen in price but nothing to crazy as they can go around $25.00-$60.00 loose.

Remco Toys was a powerhouse in the world of toys back in the 1950’s-1970’s and brought youngsters such toys as Big Max, Movieland Drive-In Theatre, Baby Laugh-A-Lot, The Beatles Figures, Hamilton Invaders, Batman Wrist Radio and many more. They were responsible for many must have toys when they were at the top to the toy chain. But by the late 1970’s, they did start to slip as companies like Kenner, Mattel, Mego and Tyco started taking over the toy market and by the 1980’s Remco was around but was struggling to find their next big thing that would put them back as a contender in toys. They tried and stayed alive with many cool lines including Conan The Barbarian, AWA Wrestling, Universal Monsters, Dukes Of Hazzard, Sgt. Rock, Saga Of Crystar, Mighty Crusaders, Karate Kid, Lost World Of The Warlord, Warrior Beats, Pirates Of The Galaxseas and ManTech all flooding the shelves at toy stores and more important discount drug stores like Woolsworth. Growing in during the 80’s, almost every kid I knew had at least some of these Remco Toys mention with Crystar and Mighty Crusaders being the most popular two at my school but I should also say that Warlord and AWA were also pretty popular, and I had figures from almost all the toy lines mention above with Conan and ManTech being the only ones I never had…and I keep in mind I always wanted the Conan toys. By the 1990’s Remco was in trouble, and while they were releasing toys, none of them were sticking with the youth at the time with their only semi success being the figures based on the cartoon series Swat Kats. By 1994 Remco closed its doors, and it would be in 1997 when Jakks Pacific would buy the Remco name and such from Azrak Hamway International who were the original owners. Jakks did really nothing with the name or properties owned by Remco. And that’s a quick history lesson of Remco a company who slowly, over decades of being in business, fell from the top to rock bottom and is mostly known for their Universal Monster toys with collectors. And again I have to say that growing up I was a fan of many of Remco’s toy lines and it’s a shame that they are no longer around bringing smiles to kids and collectors faces.

So as you can see, while Remco lasted for decades ManTech would only last for one series and never made it to become a cartoon and only more recently has it even gained a kind of cult following of sorts. ManTech is also one of those toy series I thought about collecting in the last few years, but have decided not to as while I find them cool and interesting I just don’t have a connection to them like I do other figures I have been picking up more recent. But before we get into the Archie Comics series based on the Remco toys, I should remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to another planet and see what ManTech is up to and if they can truly save the world from the robot invasion.

ManTech # 1  **
Released in 1984      Cover Price .75     Archie Comics     # 1 of 4

The base station of the ManTech is under attack by robots, and AquaTech, LaserTech and SolarTech are doing their best to say alive as well as bring down the robots that are attacking by land and air. As they fight they are able to get a call out to Doctor Jaxon Goode, the area’s top scientist, to stay safe in his base that is located at the bottom of the ocean. And after the call Goode thinks back to when he and his now evil partner Tyranik found the secrets of robots and Goode found three nearly dead astronauts from Earth and has to give them robotic bodies in order for them to survive. You see, this planet is Meeka, and at first when they awaken, they are mad, but decide that they will help in the fight against the coming evil bots. Back in present time, the ManTechs are doing what they can to hold off the robots, and out of the blue AquaTech takes off running and jumps into a ship and heads to the seas, making his teammates think he has turned coward. But really he has figured out that Tyranik is in the water attacks the base of Goode, and after a brief scuffle, the villain leaves and calls off his attack to plan a new attack later. After the battle LaserTech and SolarTech are happy to see AquaTech and Doctor Goode and now know that their friend was the hero that stopped the battle. As Goode is talking to his team a busted up robot tries to take a kill shot on the Doctor and it’s LaserTech that is able to block the shot and finish off the robot…and from their Goode shares the history of his planet with his new team that was a massive war between mankind and robots.

This series is not starting off very good, and while it kicks off with lots of action the fact that the characters say each others names over and over is very annoying and each of the ManTech heroes just kind of come off like complainers who bicker with each other and do more arguing then fighting at the start of the issue…and this makes it almost impossible for me and I am sure most other readers to choose a hero that we even like. The ManTech team is SolarTech, who is Colonel Soloman Sun who is the leader of the team and is the master of things to do with the solar system. LaserTech is Lt. Ray Larson who is a expert on using and making lasers and lastly is the water loving AquaTech who is Cliff Stone and their friend is Doctor Jaxon Goode a scientist who understands how to make half human and half robot warriors. Meanwhile the villain Tyranik is kind of sinister as he does not value human life and would rather his planet be ruled by him and his robotic army, and he is even willing to have his one time friend killed in order to achieve his goal. The downside to him being super evil is that when only one member of ManTech goes after him he retreats and ends the battle that his robots had been on the winning end…it makes no sense and shows he kind of lacks a backbone. I do like the idea that our heroes the team known as ManTech can take injuries to their arms and legs and can just take an arm or leg off one of their robot foes to replace it. The cover is pretty good and is eye catching, and I did really like the interior art done by Dick Ayers as it has that 80’s kid comic look. Over all it’s kind of a letdown of a first issue, but does a good job of at least giving the readers the basic idea of the characters and the planet they live on.

ManTech # 2  **1/2
Released in 1984     Cover Price .75     Archie Comics    # 2 of 4

Tyranik is on his moonbase with his three robot warriors DoomTech, TerrorTech and NegaTech and they are doing repairs after the battle they just had with ManTech. And Tyranik has an idea to attack his foes while their guard is down as they have taken one of the robots ships to their second base that is located near a sea of lava. While our heroes are looking at the ship and its tech Tyranik remotely activates the ship and it attacks the heroes and LaserTech even gets hit hard by the ship injuring him, and finally the ship is taken down by LaserTech who jumps on board it and drives it into the lava. After they win against the programed ship, SolarTech sends a taunting message to Tyranik to anger the madman hoping that it will cause him to act out. But things get scary for the ManTech team as they get word that the ship of Doctor Goode has crashed, and once to the sight and they make the mistake of taking off their helmets the team end up all falling asleep due to knockout gas the plants around is releasing. All of the ManTech members are dreaming about being back on Earth and being fully human once more. Doctor Goode however is okay and fixes his ship and knows that ManTech are in danger and goes out to find them, and one by one he puts the helmets back on his team and they wake up to find that while the dreamed Vampire Plants were attacking them! They would have all died if not for Doctor Goode who once more saved them from death’s grasp. On their way back to one of their bases Doctor Goode shares more history of the planet as NegaTech is now fully repaired and wants to kill all the members of ManTech for revenge.

The second issue is a step above the first issue and while the members of ManTech still just are moody with each other they are a little less annoying than before and I think at this point they are all becoming all right, and I am starting to like them as heroes with SolarTech being my favorite this far as he is smart and brave but also understands that he is flawed and still does not understand his own powers nor the new planet he is on. I do feel that LaserTech is a little too cocky and kind of an asshat, even though he is a hero. Tyranik tries his best to once more kill the ManTech team, but fails in this issue but one thing we do learn about him is that he is ego driven and even his own robots hate him and know that he is more evil then them and that they kind of fear him for that. I like the idea of the sleepy part of the planet that thanks to gas from flowers can put people to sleep and let them dream some of their biggest wants. Plus the main baddies in this issue have to be the Vampire Plants who in fact almost kill the whole team and would have if only they had a little more time. Its also clear that NegaTech who is the meanest of the evil robots is repaired and wants to get his hands on our heroes as I think murder is in his robotic brain. Over all this is really a good issue that does a great job of promoting the Remco Toy Line has a pretty rad eye catching cover, and the interior at by artist Dick Ayers is once more very good stuff. I have to say this second issue is making me more of a fan of ManTech and would have really had me drawn in as a young reader if I would have read it and also would have made me want the toys, in other words this issue did its job of promoting.

ManTech # 3  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .75     Archie Comics     # 3 of 4

Tyranik’s evil robots have found a full Warbot army that have been shutdown for decades, and once they find the units old commander OctoBot, they are able to bring them all back online, and they are asked to be ready to destroy mankind and take orders from Tyranik that is until OctoBot learns that his old leadership is long gone and that they must face a new enemy called ManTech and their creator Doctor Goode and he wants nothing to do with Tyranik either as he is made of flesh and blood! Once back to base, Tyranik tells his robots good work as the plan all along was from OctoBot to not join them but to really continue his orders of killing mankind, with the army’s first sight being the city of Enclave City! While at the ManTech base, they get a read alert from Raveena who is asking for help due to the Warbot invasion, and once our heroes get to the city they find that Raveena is the sister of Tyranik and she is dating Doctor Goode! LaserTech rushes off to get a headcount of how many Warbot’s they are up against and quietly AquaTech follows him while SolarTech tries to figure out a way to build weapons for the city alongside Dr. Goode. After taking out some of the Warbots and about to be killed, Lasertech is saved by AquaTech and they rejoin their allies and prepare the city for the next morning. And with newly created solar powered laser weapons in place and even a sewer bomb ready ManTech is able to beat OctoBot and his warbots and save this city from destruction and show that they are truly heroes.

This is another good issue that does a great job of promoting the toys as well as delivering a very entertaining kids comic that’s only major flaw is that at times it’s a little to talky at the start, and I could see how some younger readers might have lost some interest, but when the action kicks in the comic becomes very entertaining. The plot has Tyranik waking up an army of robots that were leftovers from the robot and human war that rocked the planet decades ago in order for them to attack a city of humans to bring more death to mankind with the hope that ManTech would get involved and be killed in the attack as well, and worse of all Tyranik sent these killer robots to the city his own sister Raveena lives in! But of course the robots fail as ManTech takes them down before any human life is taken. This issue shows that while Doctor Goode is the over all mastermind behind ManTech it’s SolarTech who is in control, and we also see that LaserTech can kind of be a loose cannon and is pretty sloppy at times that could lead to his death if not for his teammates looking out for him. Raveena, who runs the city under attack, is a pretty interesting character that sadly is not flushed out and by the end comes off as just a background player, plus I do like that they worked in that just maybe AquaTech has a crush on her even if she is Dr. Goode’s lady. The OctoBot and his army of warbots at first come off as scary foes, but quickly fall apart and are defeated by homemade weapons. While the issue starts off a little bland, I do have to say stick with it as it turns out to be a pretty good read. The cover art for this issue is ok and the interior art by Dick Ayers is good stuff like before and helps bring these characters based on toys to life. Well up next is the final issue in the ManTech comic series, so let’s see if it goes out with a bang or if it fades away with a whimper.

ManTech # 4  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .75     Archie Comics     # 4 of 4

The Orion Company from Earth have arrived on Meeka via a portal and are quickly greeted by ManTech who are shocked when these Earthlings know who they are and also offer to take them home back to Earth! Aquatech is the only one who takes them up on this offer as SolarTech and LaserTech stay behind as they want to help Doctor Goode in the fight with the robots before they leave the planet. But as soon as his fellow ManTech members are away the people of Orion knock out AquaTech and talk among each other how much they could make off him due to his robotic body. Meanwhile Doctor Goode who is with LaserTech and SolarTech get a call from Tyranik who calls on them for a temporary truce and asks for them to meet him in the city that is ran by his sister Raveena, and once they rush to the city they find out from Tyranik the Orion Company is stealing the planet’s oxygen an sending it back to Earth and soon Meeka will be left a wasteland and that ManTech and the Robots need to come together and stop this hijack! And while they are going to keep an eye on Tyranik, they agree to come together in order to save the air as well as check on AquaTech who is missing from the quickly formed Orion base. As ManTech and the robots attack the base from the air Doctor Goode an Tyranik tunnel underground and into the base and save AquaTech who was being dismantle and the three of them is able to bring down the base from the inside and both ManTech and Tyranik’s Robots are able to save their planets air and send these criminals back to Earth with their tail between their legs.

This fourth and final issue is really cool and is the best issue in the series as the stakes feel high and we also get a very cool team up between the heroes and the villains for the greater good of their planet as its air supply is under attack thanks to a bunch of scumbag Earthlings who want to steal the planets oxygen to sell on Earth for high profits! The ManTech team in this issue also has way more tension with each other as both LaserTech and SolarTech want to stay on Meeka to help Doctor Goode with the fight against the robots while AquaTech wants to return to Earth with a promise of being turned back fully human, and of course this promise is a trick an the Earthlings just want to sell the secrets of the ManTech technology. And the heat is mostly between LaserTech and AquaTech as Laser looks at Aqua as a coward and a deserter during a war. Of course by the end, the three comeback together and find that while they have different ideas and wants they still are a team. Also we see that Doctor Goode and his lady Raveena are doing what they can as well to stop these oxygen thieves from making their planet a wasteland. Tyranik while a madman still understands that what the Earthlings are doing is wrong to his planet as he wants to rule it and not destroy it and knows that his forces and Goode’s forces need to come together in order to save it. The evil robot NegaTech is awesome and all he wants to do is kill and destroy his enemies and he is a true berserker robot who even hates his own master! And yes of course a rich corporation from Earth is the real bad guys as to make money they are willing to kill thousands of people, and when they get caught red handed of course they run from the planet likes cockroaches when the lights come on. I have to say that the creative team at Archie Comics who made this series did a fantastic job of making these characters get personalities and did a good job of promoting this toy series from Remco and I wish that the series would have lasted a little more issues as it was clear that a issue five was in the works. For those wondering I think SolarTech was my favorite ManTech member and NegaTech was my favorite evil robot as he really is just a killing machine. The cover for this issue is pretty good and eye catching as it shows action and the interior art by Dick Ayers is good and I like the way he draws his backgrounds as well as crazy eyes for the bad guys. Over all, a good series based on an 80’s toy series that you should checkout if you like the toys or just comics based on toys. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Ayers.

Who would have ever guessed that a low key 80’s action figure line from Remco would have made for a pretty entertaining comic series, and you really do have to give credit to Archie Comics and the creative team for making these comics entertaining. While it started off a little shaky they quickly got the comic on track and did a good job of making the characters have a personality. Well I hope some of you readers enjoyed this update lots and it gave you a flashback of having these toys back in the 80’s and just maybe you got some of them for Christmas. Our next update will stay in the world of toys and will take us to space once more as we take a look at Bucky O’Hare the rabbit hero who went from comics to cartoon and had action figures made. So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time as we croak us some toads!