Doom Patrol #87 (Part 2)

Doom Patrol #87 (1964)
by Arnold Drake & Bruno Premiani

This is a Robotman solo story, because Chief sends him on a mission to capture a killer.
Since Robotman will undoubtedly become the face of the Doom Patrol, it’s interesting to see that he’s the first one to be given a solo story.

I couldn’t find any real-life “Sutu Island”, unless it’s alternate spelling of something.

It doesn’t take long before Robotman is damaged by a booby trap, either left behind after the war or set up by the killer.

There seems to be no consistency on just how tough Robotman is: sometimes he’s basically indestructible, sometimes he’s slightly tougher than a car.
One thing to appreciate, though, is that his way of dealing with damages always feels refreshingly realistic.

And he falls for another trap almost immediately.

His strength is even more inconsistent. Last issue he was strong enough to crush diamonds, but now he can’t lift a concrete box? Sure it’s big, but it was suspended by vines and trees!

He escapes by removing a leg and shaping it into a giant key.

Sounds legit.

Up to this point Robotman has lost an arm and a leg, but he also loses the other leg between panels without any explanation!
Seriously: on one panel he’s walking on one leg, using a crutch…

…but the very next panel he’s missing both legs!

The killer shows up with a tank left behind during the war, and Robotman gets his most badass scene to date: beating up the tank by holding his last remaining arm in his teeth!!!

I don’t care if it makes little sense, seeing how that arm was working perfectly fine, because THIS IS AWESOME!

When the killer shows up, Robotman ups the badassery: “There’s nothing left of me but my anger” is a GREAT one-liner.

How cool is Robotman? He can defeat you even without his arms OR his legs!

And so we end with the rest of the team showing up.

Okay so far Chief has sent each member of the team in an independent mission at least once, and it never goes according to plan.
Why is he the leader, exactly?

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Historical significance: 0/10
The killer has a name, but do you care?

Silver Age-ness: 1/10
Just the inconsistency on Robotman’s capabilities.

Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
When a story is just 7 ½ pages, most of the time it’s a point against it. But here it works: the story does its job and doesn’t overstay its welcome.
And can you not love a story where the hero is so tenacious he still fights without arms or legs?

Times Robotman has been damaged: 5