Out of This World #16
"Sky Music" in Out of This World #16 delivers a striking early vision of artificial intelligence and human nature, set in a near-future 1990 where a global computer named R.O.E. (Ruler of Earth) is tasked with resolving human conflicts. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with dynamic art by Jack Kirby and inks by Dick Ayers, the story explores the limits of logic when a group of communists try to manipulate the machine—only for it to conclude, with chilling clarity, that only humanity holds the capacity for evil. The cover by Bill Molno and Vince Alascia captures the era’s sleek sci-fi aesthetic, making this a standout 1/- comic from Alan Class.
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In the near future of 1990, humanity has created a computer, named R.O.E. (Ruler of Earth), to settle disputes for it. A handful of communists attempt to re-program the computer to serve their aims, but the computer is incapable of any wrongdoing. Only man, the computer says, has the capacity to be evil.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).