Issue(s): Micronauts annual #1
Cover Date: 1979
Title: "Timestream" / "Coup!" / "Arena of Death!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Steve Ditko - Penciler
Steve Ditko - Inker

Review/plot:
This annual mainly tells of an adventure Arcturus Rann and Biotron had during their journeys before returning to Homeworld in Micronauts #1. They meet the Galactic Defender...

... who guards a long dead planet where everyone has isolated themselves for fear of disease.

It has a nice early-Ditko Strange Tales type of feel to it...

...and it's a nice story to see Ditko work on for his late 70s return to Marvel.

There's also scenes of where the other Micronaut characters happen to be at this point in time.

It's not a great story, and it's one that probably doesn't work as well when read in chronological order instead of by publishing date, since these characters haven't been properly introduced, but that's my burden.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - a prequel to the Micronauts series.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place prior to Rann returning to Homeworld in Micronauts #1.

References:

• On the fringes of the Microverse, Rann and Biotron encountered the Enigma Force, which allows them to merge their minds. This is shown in Micronauts #7.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y - it's a prequel

My Reprint: N/A

Ditko clearly just hacked this story out artwise. It's not really comparable to his earlier 1960s work for Marvel or Charlton IMO.