Hi everyone,
Today I'll write about the twenty-first issue of Marvel Comics' ROM: Spaceknight. The cover, drawn by penciller/editor Al Milgrom, shows the titular character being shoved out of the way by the Torpedo, who was previously last seen in a two-issue storyline in Marvel Premiere. The first story was titled "Move Over, ROM: There's A New Hero In Town!" The issue had a cover date of August 1981.
Our hero expressed a desire to leave Earth to combat wraith infestations elsewhere, but was hesitant to do so until he knew Earth would be safe. ROM wished that someone else could safeguard Clairton in his absence. Little did he know that another hero was already on his way. The attention then moved to a U-Haul truck making its way to the small West Virginia hamlet, driven by former football star/business executive Brock Jones. Jones, his wife Lorrain, and their three young children were on their way to Clairton, where Brock would soon be starting a new job coaching the high school football team.
On his way to their new home, Jones stopped at Steve Jackson's service station to ask for directions. ROM's friend Steve was more than happy to supply the stranger and his family with the information that they wanted, and to spread the word that the old Mason house in town would soon be occupied once more. As they made their way, Brock thought about how their move was necessitated by his recent encounter with the Rocketeers (who Brock fought in his costumed identity as the Torpedo in Marvel Premier issue numbers 39 and 40) outside their previous residence. This time, the Torpedo quickly dispatched the villains, who turned into gray piles of ash after being struck by the superhero. Brock assumed that he was a murderer as a result of the skirmish and felt it necessary to relocate for the sake of his family's safety.
Brock had no sooner thought about that last encounter when they pulled up into the driveway of their new home, where they found that a small welcoming committee had already assembled. Jackson had spread the word of the new arrivals by phone, and Jackson, his fiancée Brandy Clark, and several other fellow residents pitched in to help unload the moving van and get the new family settled in.
Several hours later that Sunday afternoon, Clark returned to her parents' home and found ROM using his universal translator to swiftly scan encyclopedia pages to store the information contained in them. To his left was a large globe that he shone his energy analyzer's rays on to pinpoint spots where Dire Wraiths had been active. Clark understood the Spaceknight's desire to return to his homeworld, even though she also wished that he could stay and defend their planet from Dire Wraiths at the same time. ROM then flew off, but promised to return. As he did so, he thought about his love for the Earth female, not knowing that she also thought of her own love for him.
Meanwhile, the Jones family was adjusting to their first night in a new setting. Brock felt a bit uneasy, and his wife gave her blessings as he went out for a walk. He soon saw a streaking light in the sky, and assuming it to be a Rocketeer, quickly changed into his Torpedo outfit and flew up to meet the being. He crashed right into ROM, and the silver Spaceknight soon plummeted down toward the football field. ROM crashed at the 40-yard line, and the Torpedo descended right behind him. Brock thought back to a previous encounter with the hero Daredevil and recounted the property damage his assault on the crimefighter caused.
ROM turned and summoned his energy analyzer from subspace to determine if he was attacked by another wraith menace, but Torpedo used a jet-powered punch to strike at the Spaceknight. The analyzer was returned to where it came, but not before the Galadorian learned that his opponent was human. He wondered if his opponent had been tricked or otherwise affected by Dire Wraiths while Torpedo charged at him once more. ROM felt anger rising from within, just before another torpedo punch knocked him clear through the football field bleachers.
Torpedo had struck once more, thinking that he was defending his new town. ROM likened the attacks to those from the Earthling Jack of Hearts (whom he battled in issues 12 and 13). The Spaceknight figured that, like this battle, it was another misunderstanding, a situation that he was growing tired of. ROM then stood up and did not raise a hand or weapon in defense. He even thought that his possible impending death would be a relief from the issues that weighed heavily on his conscience. The Torpedo stopped his attack short and landed a few feet in front of the Spaceknight before discharging the energy of his jet punch skyward.
Brock was confused as to why his opponent just stood there. ROM revealed the human's errors in judgment, and explained why he came to Earth and the purposes of his energy analyzer and neutralizer. He also told the superhero about the Dire Wraiths whom he had fled his home planet of Galador to pursue, and of his interactions with them on this world. After listening to the Spaceknight, the Torpedo realized that the Rocketeers that he turned to ash during his last fight with them must have also been wraiths. He explained that encounter to ROM, and the two shook hands, after knowing they now had a common foe.
ROM was now assured that Clairton had a suitable person who could protect it from the wraith threat. At the same time, back at Brock's former offices at the Delmar Corporation in New York City, a meeting was being held behind closed doors by top-level executives. One of them had obtained a letter to Brock's sister Maggie that had his new return address on it. The man sitting behind the desk revealed himself to be a Dire Wraith, and his companions removed their business suits to expose the Rocketeer costumes that they had been wearing underneath. Their next mission was to be the annihilation of the Torpedo and the Spaceknight in Clairton, West Virginia.
The second story was called "Trouble in Paradise!" The Saga of the Spaceknights tale began 200 years ago on Galador, where the outcast Spaceknight Terminator came swooping down upon the Angel Elite guards who were protecting the planet's Hall of Science. Terminator's eye beams made short work of the winged soldiers, and he blasted an entrance into the facility. Once inside, he was met with more guards, none of whom posed a serious threat to him. Inside a restricted area, a viewscreen activated before Terminator, and the visage of Galador's Prime Director appeared. He was stunned by the fact that the Spaceknight he had recently sentenced to death (in the last issue) was indeed alive. Terminator quickly ended the conversation by using his eye beams once more to obliterate the viewscreen as he moved on toward his goal.
He blasted another door and then entered a chamber where the human remains of his fellow Spaceknights were stored. Terminator looked at the names before stopping at the receptacle for ROM, he whose name meant above all others in their native language. The rogue Spaceknight then vowed to destroy those who had in essence destroyed him.
I have read several articles that accused writer Bill Mantlo of plagiarizing other authors. In this instance, it seemed to me like he copied himself a bit from his tales involving ROM and his meeting with the Jack of Hearts. I think it was something that he might not have even realized that he was doing. The battle was somewhat similar, but this time the two heroes came together in the end once they realized that their adversaries were mutual. Mantlo did a good job of resurrecting characters that were used sparingly in the past, although there are times when he did tend to forget about some of those heroes and villains that often turned out to be fan favorites.
It was another good issue. Both tales moved their overall storylines along well, and both the Torpedo and Terminator would have significant impacts in future issues. Joe Sinnott continued to ink Buscema's pencil work on the main stories, and readers really got a sense of the seriousness of both scripts. As I've said before, the first 30 or so issues of this title are among the best comics that I've ever read.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, we'll see what happens when the Torpedo and ROM team up to confront the Rocketeers. We'll also learn why Terminator stopped at the Hall of Science, where the human remains of Spaceknights were kept. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment