Magnus Robot Fighter #7

Continuing my look at this terrific 1960s series, I've skipped ahead to #7. The story begins with several robots returning from a space mission. They go berserk, and more frightening, every robot that comes in contact with them also becomes crazy. It's a robot plague! Fortunately, Magnus is there to save the people:

The robots self-destruct after about five minutes as a berserker, but it looks possible that they will end up contaminating all the robots on the planet. Magnus feels this would not be such a bad thing:

The council decides to evacuate all the robots from the civilian sector, since the plague should die out quickly due to the five minute self-destruct feature. But have all the civilians complied?

Magnus, Leeja and her father go to the Goph level to convince them to give up their robots briefly. But a voice is raised against them:

Xyrkol had already appeared in several issues and was rapidly developing into Magnus' chief enemy. He stuns Magnus with a raygun, and teleports away with the hero:

The woman is no Goph, nor a beggar, as the senator at first suspects. It turns out that she and her son were two of the humans used by H8 in the first issue to make up his computer bank of minds, so she owes Magnus a debt of gratitude. She explains that the 1000 minds have strange powers when brought together.

Meanwhile, Magnus has been transported to another planet, run by robots with a gigantic electronic brain:

We learn that the robot brain had created the plague which is infecting Earth's robots. Magnus attempts to break free, but it turns out that he has been fitted with a collar that chokes him whenever he attempts to resist. Xyrkol brings him to a room where he is tested by robot fighters. The brain soon realizes his ability to destroy robots comes from his strength applied against their weakest part, and sends in a robot with no weaknesses. But Magnus realizes that the brain must have some sort of eyes in the room, and he uses the ray-gun of the new robot to destroy them, and his collar. Now freed, he decides:

Solid characterization there. It turns out that the brain has the antidote for the plague, and turns the entirety of its awesome force against Magnus:

Meanwhile, the old woman has gathered together the 1000 minds that powered H8's computer. They use Leeja's love for Magnus to help them focus on finding him in the universe:

Once Magnus is located, the 1000 minds use their power to short-circuit the robot brain. Magnus is able to force Xyrkol to use his teleportation belt to bring them both back to Earth, where:

Comments: This series goes from strength to strength. I've enjoyed thoroughly every issue thus far, and the superb characterization in this one makes it the best yet.