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eShirl

(20,545 posts)
Sat Apr 25, 2026, 08:14 AM Apr 25

Automan docu (1983 Glen Larson scifi cop series costarring Desi Arnaz Jr.)

Who else remembers watching this show? I was writing BASIC programs on the old man's TRS-80, and playing TRON in the video arcade.

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Automan docu (1983 Glen Larson scifi cop series costarring Desi Arnaz Jr.) (Original Post) eShirl Apr 25 OP
Spoiler Alert 🚨 LessAspin Apr 26 #1
Earth-83930 LessAspin Friday #3
I liked it MustLoveBeagles Apr 28 #2

LessAspin

(2,136 posts)
3. Earth-83930
Fri Jun 26, 2026, 11:32 PM
Friday
Manimal + Automan + MutantX = MCU

...You probably shouldn't expect to see either Jonathan Chase or Night Man enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe any time soon. Despite their relative obscurity, though, Night Man's entry to the Marvel Universe — and, by extension, "Manimal's" inclusion in that universe — is an interesting and unlikely story.

Comic book sales were hitting a slump in the mid-1990s. While this was certainly affecting the big publishers — prompting Marvel to sell off the film rights to several major characters, including Spider-Man and the X-Men — the impact was even more severe on smaller publishers like Malibu Comics. In the mid-1990s, as DC Comics started eyeing up the prospect of acquiring Malibu Comics, Marvel swept in and bought the publisher themselves.

Malibu Comics characters have faded into obscurity since the company's acquisition by Marvel. Initially, though, Marvel attempted to keep Malibu Comics' Ultraverse going, relaunching several titles, including "The Night Man." Malibu's Ultraverse was subsequently designated Earth-93060 in the Marvel Comics multiverse.

Via "Night Man," Glen A. Larson brought both "Manimal" and consequently his other short-lived 1983 sci-fi series, "Automan" — about an AI-generated holographic superhero — into the Marvel Universe. While "Night Man" and "Manimal" enjoyed a direct crossover, pitting the heroes of both series against a time-traveling Jack the Ripper, the second episode of "Manimal" featured events that were also seen on an episode of "Automan." This means that all three series share one continuity. Unofficially, this universe has been dubbed Earth-83930 by Marvel Comics fans.

Read More: https://www.tvline.com/2198897/how-infamous-nbc-flop-became-part-marvel-universe-manimal-night-man/
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