Issue(s): Micronauts: The New Voyages #13, Micronauts: The New Voyages #14
Cover Date: Oct-Nov 85
Title: "Dark armada!" / "Greater love hath no man...!"
Credits:
Peter Gillis - Writer
Kelley Jones - Penciler
Dan Bulanadi & Kelley Jones / Dan Bulanadi - Inker
Craig Anderson - Assistant Editor
Ralph Macchio - Editor

Review/plot:
The Micronauts have breached the spacewall preventing them from getting back to their universe, but there's a lot of new madness going on. The electronic recording of Devil, the deceased former companion of the Micronauts that is being kept in Biotron's body, is in agony.

When Huntarr tries to connect with Devil, he freaks out...

...and has to be calmed by Solitaire, who he calls "mother".

There's a lot of metaphysical talk about "pain".

The Micronauts then land on a planet called Fiame, which was apparently the team's intended destination back at the start of the series. It's a peaceful, uninhabited planet, but soon after they land, it's invaded by a fleet of weird looking spaceships. Scion suggests they make contact, and entering one, they find that they are biological.

They fight their way through the ship's defenses...

...and find... now, try to contain your excitement!... the Zodiac Keys!

These were doohickeys used in the origin of the Microverse arc from the original series, and i guess it's true that we never did learn the origin of the keys themselves, but it didn't seem like that was really necessary. The cover of issue #13 promises that we'll learn their secret "at last!".

I guess i'll let Scion explain it:

In order to give this universe meaning, the Makers brought living souls into it. They brought souls from the scattered universes of infinity to live and flourish -- incredibly diverse but with one thing in common -- the code of life -- DNA.

Didn't help? I think it's explaining why the original Microverse galaxy looks like a double-helix. Maybe. Anyway, now it's threatened by "the pain".

Next up is the planet Aegis, which is full of refuges.

Then Scion does something to Bug that puts him in a cocoon...

...and only Marionette's love can save him. But now we hear there's a "secret of Marionette".

While all this is going on, Commander Rann, now one with the Dreaming Star, uses his new cosmic connection to get a glimpse of the Makers, and discovers that they are actually Clown Celestials.

(This is only half of a double-page spread and yes, it's supposed to be sideways. Since it's the coolest thing in these issues, you can click on it to see the full rotated picture.)

I don't know what's going on, folks. I'm sorry.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Scion says he and Huntarr were "womb-mates" in Micronauts: The New Voyages #1-2, and i don't think it was meant to be a pun.
  
• The story of the Zodiac Keys goes back to Micronauts #30-35.
  
• Marionette was paralyzed in Micronauts: The New Voyages #10.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A