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Six Million Dollar Man #3 – The Writer's Commentary

Published Sat, 24 May 2014 15:00:54 -0500

SMDMS6 #3 Writers Commentary by James Kuhoric

P1 -2 Welcome back – Previously on The Six Million Dollar Man: we get back to action as MASKATRON has returned to OSI with the mystery bundle over his shoulder. Juanan Ramirez has done such a great job with the "Mr. X" look in this sequence. Fans of the original SMDM series will love this callback to the first appearances of the Dolenz' robots. I think it is safe to say that the NSB isn't taking any chances with the rogue android as they greet it with an armed response. One of the things I like about the evolution of MASKATRON is how it processes things around it. Seeing it analyzing and initiating actions gives us some understanding of how that AI is developing. More on that to come…

P3 – 5 Have you ever seen those Bionic Showdown shirts? The ones that show Steve vs. Bigfoot on a fight card? That's my inspiration here as the Six Million Dollar Man comes face to face with the Russian B-YAGA one man tank. I loved the name of armor, Hellboy fans may recognize the "Baba Yaga" myth from old Slavic folklore. It originally was an old witch that would fly around in a mortar doing evil deeds. The B-YAGA is sort of the modern equivalent with a Russian soldier essentially riding the armor in a similar fashion. You don't need to know the naming entomology to get it – the B-YAGA is a brutal weaponized and armored exoskeleton. And now it gets to go one-on-one with our cyborg hero.

P6 "Meanwhile…back at the lab…" Interesting how that alien goop seems so active almost like it is being controlled now that good Doctor Anderson is infected…I wonder if that means anything…hmmm.

P7 – 10 Welcome back, Jaime! Those of us who watch The Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman to an unhealthy level know that one of the best parts of those shows was seeing who would guest star on each episode. It makes me smile to see Victoria Webster (played by the lovely Farrah Fawcett back in the day) introducing us to the return of Jaime Sommers. This sequence is in homage to a classic episode of the Bionic Woman. Seeing Jaime use her bionic hearing for the first time – complete with "bi-op-op-op-op" sound effect just made this issue for me. I tried to sneak in a cameo of Dick Van Patten here too…but the censors gave it the axe. We'll see if I can't slip Andy Griffith in later on…shhh don't tell anyone.

I think that's a Shasta Ginger Ale that Jaime throws at Terrorist Shemp #3. Personally I prefer the Shasta Red Pop or the cleverly named Shasta Cola. Hey what do you want from a 125 year old soda pop maker? I suppose a TAB would have been more appropriate for 1979 but I always hated those…they tasted like battery acid and sweat sock. Er…I think I've strayed a bit off course. Sorry about that.

Toward the end of the sequence you can feel some of the tension in the conversation between Jaime and Rudy. That is because of the way the Bionic Woman series ended. If you watched "On the Run," the last episode of her series, you know that Jaime tried to leave the OSI and eventually made peace with having to work for the government. But she did it on her terms and continues to do so. You'll see this develop as the SMDMS6 continues.

P11 – 15 Giant call out to the Dynamite production guys and gals! Finally…Steve's bionic reticle is used with a close up sequence! You wouldn't believe how challenging it was to make this happen. Well the fact that it took three issues to get it in there probably gives you some idea. But I'm thrilled to add this small touch because it just increases the authenticity of the comic. And…can you spot the mistake on the page? It's been fixed but astute bionic fans will notice something a little bit odd…

But wait – this is what we've been waiting for, Steve going one on one with the walking armored tank! To me this is what makes the Bionic Man who he is. He's outmatched in muscle and firepower but he's able to use his wits and observation skills to even the odds. And when the B-YAGA crashes down onto the Russian Captain…you just have to wonder what the ramifications of his failure will be. More on that later.

Wait…almost forgot – who noticed the homage to the Six Million Dollar Man model kit as Steve busts out of the factory? Classic.

P16 – 17 MASKATRON has two crazy robot arms just like the toy! This sequence continues to shows us the evolution of the android's AI. But it also is the first moment that Oliver Spencer starts to grasp the extent of the danger the robot presents. On a lighter note…the panel with MASKATRON holding the NSB agent's head in the vice grip reminded me of the old Kids in the Hall skit…"I'm crushing your head, I'm crushing your head."

Hah…this scene is Dave Foley approved.

And say…what's in that bag…

P18 – 19 Whoa there, Carla. I am digging your new style. It's a little bolder than your nurse scrubs but I like it!

Some fans have surmised what happened to old Barney Hiller and they aren't too happy. But don't assume that Barney is a character that we can throw away. He was an important part of SMDM lore and a perfect foil to show us just how special Steve really is. And I've always liked Barney as a character. I like his bravado and the instability because it's believable. How would you react if you were suddenly superhuman? Maybe like Barney…maybe not… But fear not, Barney's role isn't over yet. But his true nature may be finally revealed.

P20 – 21 This scene is pretty creepy. The alien entity has taken over Doctor Joan Anderson completely and Juanan's design for the creature is far more dramatic than I imagined. I kept sending him these pictures of extreme insect close ups to use as inspiration for the creature's skin and the way the entity would interact with a living host. In my mind the entity has two forms – the hardware and the software. The hardware is the sentient goop – it directs the commands and implements instructions given by the software. And the "Queen" is the software – a living organic extension of the foreign DNA giving direction to what actions the hardware will take. What I didn't realize what how stark the transformation into the Queen would be. But I like what he did with it a lot. It is a creepy mix of Alien, Species, Predator, and the Fly.

P22 This is the end of the issue but the beginning of the rest of the arc. I love the scene of Steve running at bionic speed with the dust cloud behind him. This was something fun that allowed us to harken back to the slow motion bionics in a different way. And the changing of the call sign for this mission was just fun. I always wondered as a kid why the call sign was "Snow White." Oscar wasn't a princess…and Steve wasn't a dwarf. So for this mission we threw Steve a bone with a different call sign that suits him and Oscar just a bit more. And yes, my first draft did say something about flying monkeys…but alas it didn't make the final cut.

Next Month on The Six Million Dollar Man – It is the beginning of the end for OSI as MASKATRON breaks free, Steve is reunited with Jaime, and Oscar must track down the traitor in his ranks. While the Alien Queen's true mission begins…don't change that channel! Join us here for more adventures next month on this bionic network!

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