Space Man 9

With all the information in and several issues of Space Man in hand, I am now fairly certain that Space Man 9, which I now have, is the comic I have been looking for - despite the fact that the specific panel in question is not there (a failure of memory?).

I would like to thank everyone who helped, especially Jim K. Apart from any unforeseen developments in this case, it appears that the mystery has been solved.

Space Man 9?

Thanks to commentator Jim K, I have focused on the Dell comics Space Man series. I have Space Man 2 (the original version of the 1972 reprint Space Man 10) as well as Space Man 9 (the 1972 reprint of Four Color Comics 1253, which was the first appearance of Space Man).

There are greenish-colored faceless cyborgs in these comics. I am virtually 100% sure that the cyborgs here are the ones I remember. The story line is roughly familiar.

The only problem is that neither comic has the panel I remember.

Two possibilities:

1. Space Man 9 is the comic I have been looking for, and my memory of the panel is confused. I may be mixing up the robot assembly line panel from Beyond the Unknown 25 with the cyborgs.

2. Space Man is the right series, but I have the wrong issues. This does not make much sense, since the remaining issues are from the early 1960s and were never reprinted. It's possible that in 1972 I had purchased one of these older issues from a used comics shop.

I think # 1 is more likely and that I have the comic I am looking for, but it is a bit of an anti-climax because the panel I have remembered for close to 40 years is not there.

However, I have ordered whatever available other issues of Space Man I can get my hands on, and I'll see if the panel is there (which would confirm # 2).

Cyborg panel sketch

OK, going from a near 40-year memory, this is what I remember the panel in question being like.

The top shows what each cyborg looked like (remember, very similar to the Mad Thinker's android from Fantastic Four vol. 1, #71). Green colored, with the "skin" being like a green fabric covering the entire body and obscuring the face, as shown. Likely, the face was NOT completely blank, but showed rudimentary features, like a human face would if covered by a thick green, skin tight fabric.

The bottom shows what the panel likely looked like, with an image of the (green) cyborgs coming off the "assembly line" and the narrator describing the production of cyborg workers.

Perhaps, then "faceless" is not the best description - obscured featured may be better.

I believe the general idea is clear.

The Search, Initial Description

I have been looking for years - and spending too much money buying the wrong comics - for a comic I purchased on a summer vacation long ago...a particularly good vacation enjoyed with family now deceased.

Info: If I remember correctly, we are talking about the early 1970s - summer. Most likely either August 1971 or August 1972 (which means the comic had an October date on the cover?). However, it could be as early as 1970, or as late as 73-74; however, the most likely dates are 71 or 72.

Based on the story type, I am thinking it may have been a scifi anthology type comic. However, I have ordered, for example, all the From Beyond the Unknown and Strange Adventures comics from that time period, and none of them are the right ones. Keep in mind it could be a "superhero" (DC?) line, either a main story (unlikely) or possibly a reprint filler story after the main one. Or, a "DC special" comic or one of Marvel's reprint lines of 50s-60s comics?

The panel I remember was that a character of the story, or the narrator, was describing his society of the future and/or his planet. The thing he was describing was that they were able to mass produce cyborg workers on an assembly line (or something like that - almost 40 years ago, this memory is).

What I do remember is that the cyborgs were depicted as green and faceless - looking remarkably like the Mad Thinker's android of Fantastic Four 71 (vol. 1 - old comic). That's the clearest memory of the comic - showing the faceless green cyborgs being mass produced. That's something I'm reasonably definite about.

Again, it seems to have been a scifi type story - whether from an anthology comic..I don't know - less likely, but still possible, is a story line from a "superhero" line (probably DC), or maybe an "extra" story at the end of a regular superhero comic (i.e., a reprinted story).

It's possible that the years are wrong, but based on family vacation history, 71 or 72 are the most likely years (70 and 73 being outside possibilities). Hopefully, this was a comic on the newsstands then - and not a used comic that I bought from someone. Let's assume it was on the newsstands at that time.

Storyline may have been of the "Earth for Sale" variety - but the comic is NOT From Beyond the Unknown 25 (which I have) which has the "Earth for Sale" story of the swindler being himself swindled by aliens (and which shows robot workers on an assembly line). That comic I have and it is not the right one - although one story line may have been copied from another.

Again, the clearest and most definitive info is of the green cyborgs...

Note: this was not a "monster tale" featuring the cyborgs - it was a scifi tale in which the cyborgs were featured only in that one panel..but that's the only panel I clearly remember..my favorite one...

This has been driving me nuts for years trying to find this comic, any info is appreciated. This is been an "ongoing project" for years, it would be great to finally have resolution.

If the comic exists, it is within a particular time frame (early 70s) and within a seasonal time frame (summer vacation time). So, there is some focus, but can't quite put my finger on it....