Hi everyone,
Today I'm writing about ROM: Spaceknight issue #3, which features an excellent cover drawn by Frank Miller and inked by Terry Austin. The cover shows ROM dispatching multiple Dire Wraiths to limbo. The story is called Firefall, and the issue has a cover date of February 1980.
The story begins with several people assembled in a conference room as a S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Development) agent narrates a video presentation that shows ROM appearing to be attacking civilians. In reality, the footage is of the Spaceknight battling wraiths disguised as humans.
One of the audience members is Archie Stryker, who was introduced last issue. He becomes visibly agitated by the scenes unfolding on the screen. One of the government officials in attendance offers to drop Stryker's charges in exchange for his cooperation in a project that the agents have been working on.
Meanwhile, ROM stands on a quiet ridge and broods, replaying the acts of the last several days on Earth in his mind. He also thinks back to the day that he decided to forego his humanity and have his body grafted to his armored shell.
Just after he recounts the first time he looked upon himself after the procedure, ROM brings forth his energy analyzer and detects wraith presence in the nearby vicinity. He flies off to investigate.
At the same time, young Brandy Clark remembers her first encounter with ROM (from the debut issue) as she drives home, weary once more after another long day. She's stunned to find her apartment ransacked and a couple of strangers in her home. The two men identify themselves as government agents and ask Clark what she knows about ROM.
Next, we see Stryker run through a danger-filled obstacle course. Stryker completes the course unscathed and impresses the government agents who were observing his progress. They lead him to a nearby building, where a surprise awaits: a suit of glowing, empty Spaceknight armor. The scientist in charge and the agents express their intent to have Stryker occupy the suit of armor.
We then see ROM fly into a vast tunnel, where he finds a secret hidden laboratory. Summoning his energy analyzer from subspace, he soon learns that Dire Wraiths are operating the complex machinery. He calls out to them, startling several wraiths. ROM sends a couple of wraiths to limbo, but the remaining aliens decide to fight back. One wraith tries to ram a forklift into the Spaceknight. He is quickly sent to limbo, and then ROM hurls the wrecked vehicle into the nearby satellite dish, destroying it. The damage instantly affects local television reception, phone lines, and other electronics.
Brandy's parents and her boyfriend Steve Jackson's car are impacted by the destruction. At first, some think that an electrical storm caused the issues. Jackson overcomes his car's problems as he rushes to find Brandy. Unfortunately, he arrives at her apartment building only to find her apartment trashed and his girlfriend nowhere in sight.
As ROM continues his assault on the wraith stronghold, another opponent enters the fray silently: Stryker in the golden Spaceknight armor. He attacks ROM with the living fire that his suit's former occupant was well known for on ROM's home planet of Galador. Recognizing the fire, at first, ROM assumes that his old friend Firefall is attacking him. He dispatches the artificial flames and asks his Spaceknight comrade to cease his attack.
The issue ends with the revelation that Firefall does not occupy the Spaceknight armor. Instead, Stryker has taken over the armor and intends to slay the silver Spaceknight, in retaliation for what he believed was the murder of several of his fellow humans.
Ending on a cliffhanger and a bonus ROM pinup page were nice touches. I liked how the suspense was built after only three issues. After reading this issue for the first time, I wanted to know more about Firefall, Stryker, and the wraiths that ROM discovered in their secret hideout. This was just one treat for me at the time, as Mantlo and Buscema were writing and drawing both this title and the Incredible Hulk at the same time. It really was a great time to be a comic book fan.
Next time, I'll write about ROM: Spaceknight #4, which concludes the ROM/Firefall conflict. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment