History: (Kamandi #10 (fb), 2) - In the aftermath of the nuclear Great Disaster most of humanity perished, and the majority of survivors devolved into feral savages, while animals evolved intelligence. Renzi, Steve and Ben Boxer were from a group of mutants who retained normal intelligence and were natural atomic piles and atom smashers. They were born with their powers after a series of experiments by Hiram Boxer and the Planners, who hoped their offspring could survive the new world. Steve and Renzi went on a scientific expedition to NYC in a dirigible, but were attacked by the scavenging Rat-Men and captured. When Ben learned of their predicament he brought his friend Kamandi, the last boy on Earth into the underground rat tunnels, and allowed themselves to be taken prisoner and taken to his people. Ben transformed into his atomic steel form, freed his friends, and burst out of the tunnels. They prepared to return to his home; Tracking Site. Kamandi joined them, knowing it would be a better situation for him than being lost among wild humans and brutal beasts.

(Kamandi #3) - Boxer and his friends landed in Nevada, a site that legend said was instrumental to the creation of their people. Kamandi volunteered to scout ahead, but ran afoul of Gorilla-Men and was captured. Boxer and Renzi explored the Diggings, the underground chambers that housed the remains of NASA's Apollo 20 project. They encountered the Rock-Buster, an alien brought back from the moon as an egg, and it instinctively attacked them. They chased each other through the tunnels when they met up with Kamandi, who was fleeing his gorilla captor Chaaku. Chaaku and the Rock-Buster engaged in mortal combat, resulting in both their deaths as the underground tunnels collapsed around them. Ben was upset that the history of his people was now destroyed, but he told Kamandi his destiny would go on.

(Kamandi #4) - Kamandi and Ben discovered the ruins of a shopping center, and collected canned goods. Kamandi was fascinated by an old DC comic by Jack Kirby he found. They were forced to flee when they encountered a squad of Tiger-Men led by Chief Tuftan. The Tiger-Men were encroaching on gorilla territory, and a group of gorillas captured Tuftan and forced the others to free. The gorillas launched gas shells at Kamandi's dirigible, and captured Kamandi and his friends.

(Kamandi #8) - Ben Boxer, Renzi and Steve made their escape from captivity during a conflict between the Tiger-Men and Gorilla-Men. Assuming Kamandi dead they continued on their mission, exploring the Atomiktest site in Washington, built by their ancestors. They ran into Kamandi, who was being abducted by Bear-Men looters, and saved him. They were headed nonstop back to their home of Tracking Site, and Kamandi was eager to join them.

(Kamandi #9, 10) - Kamandi and friends reached Tracking Site in Central America, a globe floating above Earth's surface. Bat-Men attacked them, but were repelled by Tracking Site's sonic laseron. The Serviteks, created to serve the mutants, greeted them, and they replayed the rituals of their astronaut ancestors, from being ferried to an artificial air carrier to being saluted by a crowd of Serviteks. Ben, Renzi and Steve fed cartridges in their suits containing info from their survey into the NASA Mind computer, telling Kamandi that once the NASA Mind had enough information it would have a clear picture of Earth after the Great Disaster. Serviteks ambushed them, and paralyzed Ben, Renzi and Steve with a para-shock ray. Their fellow mutant Misfit, who suffered from severe deformities, had reprogrammed the Serviteks using mind control, and intended to practice his powers on his fellow mutants. The Serviteks restrained Kamandi and Misfit showed him his batch of Morticoccus, the deadliest bacteria known to man. It had wiped out all the non-mutant members of Tracking Site, and he planned to use it to control the fate of Earth. Kamandi shoved Misfit into Tracking Site's electric control, disabling him, but also the laseron. The Bat-Men were free to attack Tracking Site, and Misfit revived Ben and the other mutants, telling them that if the Bat-Men damaged the Morticoccus container it would mean the end of life on Earth. Misfit was mauled by the Bats, and Kamandi took him to safety, placing him behind a steel door. Thousands of Bats poured in, despite Ben and the mutants best try at fighting them off, and they decided Tracking Site had to be abandoned. They realized Misfit was in the same room as the Morticoccus, and he was once again in control. He allowed only Kamandi in the room before shutting the door with his telekinesis, and bragged that when Morticoccus was released only he and his fellow mutants would inherit the Earth. He showed Kamandi a film of Morticoccus ravaging the humans from Tracking Site, infecting and killing Ben's father Hiram. Ben used a shaft beneath the room to rescue Kamandi, and they proceeded to activate the Site's magnetic-repulsion engine, sending it into space as they escaped on a hover-jet. Morticoccus escaped its' prison, killing Misfit and the Bats, but it was destined to starve in space with no more life to infect.

(Kamandi #11) - The hoverjet's engine caught on fire, and Kamandi and his allies were forced to jump off, landing in the Atlantic. Kamandi was separated from Ben, Steve and Renzi, being picked up by a Leopard-Men pirate vessel.

(Kamandi #22, 23) - Boxer, Steve and Renzi met the civilized dolphins of Seaway and went to work for them as a Radiation Rescue Squad, saving those who'd gotten to close to the radioactive Barrier that separated the former US from Canada and served to keep out the Devils, giant mutant insects that lived in the north. The mutants destroyed a Devil that made its' way past the barrier, and saved Kamandi, dolphin Inspector Zeel and his squire Ahab, who'd wandered too close to the Barrier. They were thrilled to see their own friend, and made their way back to Seaway. Kamandi, Zeel and Ahab were placed in a decontamination unit to remove excess radiation, and when they recovered the mutants gave Kamandi a tour of the dolphin's peaceful utopia. The killer whales warred with them, and Zeel discovered the base of their main raider, a human named Red Baron, in Monster Lake. Ben showed Kamandi the squires' quarters, where humans were trained as warriors and assigned to a dolphin. Dolphin Teela had a crush on Kamandi, and received a permit to make him her squire, but he bristled at the idea of being a servant. Teela told him humans were partners, not slaves, but as she talked Red Baron attacked, killing her with a speargun and blowing up one of the squire quarters. Ben and the others prepared to fight back, and Kamandi demanded to join them to avenge Teela. Kamandi went on a ski-team patrol, strapping on water-skis and being led by two dolphins in search of raiders. He found the Red Baron, who killed Kamandi's two dolphins and nearly drowned him before Ben, Steve and Renzi saved him. Kamandi wanted another crack at him, saying he hated men like Red Baron who made war a way of life. The Baron ambushed another ski-patrol, killing a number of humans, including Ahab. Zeel was heartbroken when Kamandi broke the news to him, having become inseparable from his squire. Ben, Steve and Renzi decided to go after the Baron themselves, changing into their metal forms. Kamandi joined them, and they soon found the Baron. During the fight Ben leapt on the Baron and his supply of explosives detonated. The Baron was dead, but Kamandi could find no trace of his friends. The Red Baron's killer whale master found him dead and sunk Kamandi's ship, preparing to kill him for destroying his perfect murder machine. Kamandi told him the Baron's death was his fault for engaging in meaningless brutal war, and the stunned whale swam off.

(Kamandi #25, 26) - Ben Boxer, Steve and Renzi walked onto shore, having walked the entire sea bottom in their organic steel form until they walked onto land, where they were reunited with Kamandi. Kamandi had washed ashore on the small island that formerly housed the Reim Institute, a government outpost. He’d met ape Flim-Flam and his trained humans. Flim-Flam and his companions hid until Kamandi assured them his mutant friends were no threat. Flim-Flam mentioned that he had a popular traveling show with Dukie, Lukie and Jukie performing acrobatic tricks and a juggling act, Flim-Flam said if Kamandi and his mutant friends joined his act people would call him Flim-Flam the Great, but everyone was insulted by the offer. A giant mutant sea creature attacked them, before being dragged under the sea by an equally gigantic rival mutant. Kamandi and his friends knew they had to get off the island fast, and searched the Reim Institute grounds until they found a hovercraft. After saving the vessel from a mutant eel they set set course away from the island. The engine gave out just as they were confronted by flying sharks that battered the hovercraft. Kamandi managed to fight them off long enough for Ben Boxer to get the engine running again, and they soon spotted land protected by a great wall. Kamandi and friends tried to figure out how to scale the vast walls, and fell in luck with a giant mutant eagle. Ben Boxer and a more reluctant Kamandi agreed they’d use the eagle to fly up the wall, and hoped to reunite with their friends later. Flim-Flam, his men and Renzi and Steve said their goodbyes as Ben and Kamandi flew into the Dominion of the Devils.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

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