ManTech is a short-lived Science Fiction Comic Book based on a line of action figures, published by Archie Comics in The '80s.
The technologically advanced alien planet Mekka is finally pulling itself together from a dark age following a Robot War, long ago. Two scientists, Jaxon Goode and Tyranik, discover a hidden cache of advanced equipment dating from before the war. They are promptly both struck by a "knowledge ray" which floods their minds with lost technological knowledge. This has the psychological effect of turning Jaxon into a transhumanist who believes "machines are the next step in human evolution,'' and Tyranik into a pro-robot fanatic who believes humans should be surpassed entirely and robots should rule the world. The two argue, and Tyranik leaves, intent on building an army of Mecha-Mooks, while Jaxon ponders how he can stop him.
Continuing to explore the chamber, Jaxon discovers three cryogenically preserved men—alien astronauts from a planet called "Earth." Apparently the ancients had found their Sleeper Starship adrift in space, but hadn't seen fit to wake them. Realizing that they've been injured in the years since discovery, he can only revive them by turning them into cyborgs. So he does, and the men awaken to find that they now look like boxy, semihumanoid robots from the neck down.
The ship's laser expert, dubbed LaserTech, loves the idea of being a super-powered cyborg. The oceanographer, christened AquaTech, sees it as pure Body Horror and wants his humanity restored. The Captain, a solar engineer dubbed SolarTech, isn't thrilled, but accepts that it was the only way to save their lives. Jaxon then proceeds to tell them about Tyranik and his plans to restart the Robot War which almost destroyed Mekka generations ago. The three ManTechs agree to help Jaxon stop him.
Tropes:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: The robot revolution that destroyed the previous civilization.
- After the End: The previous civilization was destroyed in a Robot War.
- Bald Head of Toughness: LaserTech is a big bald Boisterous Bruiser.
- Body Horror: Certainly nothing graphic (this was Archie Comics, after all), but this is how AquaTech sees his current fate as a cyborg.
- Chromatic Arrangement: LaserTech is blue, SolarTech is red and AquaTech is yellow.
- Deadpan Snarker: AquaTech has a sarcastic streak.
- Easily Detachable Robot Parts: A feature of the original toys on which the comic was based, it was carried over to the comic.
- Emergency Transformation: Jaxon turned the astronauts into cyborgs to save their lives.
- Energy Weapon: LaserTech's specialty.
- The Future: The astronauts' spaceship had apparently been adrift for a very long time even before the ancients discovered it.
- Hollywood Cyborg: Visually, they're human heads mounted on robotic bodies.
- Human Aliens: As is typical of Space Operas centered on the concept of cyborgs, the aliens look completely human.
- Human Popsicle: The astronauts were revived from suspended animation.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: AquaTech hates being a cyborg.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: In the second issue, the heroes encounter plants whose spores have this effect. SolarTech dreams he's back home with his wife and child. LaserTech dreams he's romancing some ladies in a nightclub, back before the space launch. AquaTech simply dreams he's back at the space center and that he's human again. Of the three, Aqua's is certainly the simplest wish, but he has the hardest time pulling out of it because he wants it so badly.
- Mad Scientist: Tyranik is a madman who wants to wipe out or enslave the Mekkans with a new race of robots.
- Mecha-Mooks: NegaTech, TerrorTech, and DoomTech.
- Merchandise-Driven: Based on a toyline.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Tyranik" himself, of course, and his three goons are named NegaTech, TerrorTech, and DoomTech. The knowledge ray taught him about robotics, not subtlety.
- Neglectful Precursors: Any equipment dating from before the original Robot War.
- Planetary Romance: Human astronauts stranded on an alien world.
- Power Trio: LaserTech is too cheerful to be a classic Spock, but he's certainly the technophile of the group. Endearingly grumpy, humanistic AquaTech is The McCoy. And SolarTech is The Kirk.
- Primary-Color Champion:
- LaserTech: Blue.
- SolarTech: Red.
- AquaTech: Yellow.
- Robot Master: Tyranik wants to build a new race of robots.
- Robot War: Destroyed the previous civilization.
- Secondary Color Nemesis:
- NegaTech: Purple.
- TerrorrTech: Black.
- DoomTech: Green.
- Science Hero: Jaxon certainly, and LaserTech to a slightly lesser extent.
- Short-Runners: Four issues!
- Sleeper Starship: How the astronauts traveled from Earth.
- Trapped in Another World: Human astronauts stranded on an alien world.
- Transhumanism: Commendable for showing all sides of the issue, with Jaxon and LaserTech being all for it, AquaTech being dead set against it, and Tyranik taking it way too far.
- We Can Rebuild Him: None of the six robotic characters are in real danger of being gone for good. They can always be rebuilt.
