Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #26

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the twenty-sixth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. If you read the last issue, you know that the threat to Galador was none other than Galactus. On the cover, we see the planet devouring titan looking on as his herald Terrax attacks ROM and his fellow Spaceknights. The story was aptly named "Galactus!" The issue had a cover date of January 1982. 

The story begins with Galactus's well-known world ship in space. Galadorians notice it blocking out their planet's twin suns. Citizens begin to panic, not knowing what this new presence is. In the Hall of Science, the ethereal form of the world's Prime Director warns the Spaceknights that the ship belonged to Galactus. No sooner were those words uttered than Galactus and Terrax had appeared. Terrax claimed the planet for his master's consumption. However, ROM and his fellow Spaceknights would not let their world be claimed so easily. 

Terrax advised Galadorians to enjoy their daily activities for what would probably be the last time. The Spaceknights were wary of the one who called himself Terrax the Tamer, and they soon found out why they had good reason to be. Galactus's herald brought his battle axe down onto the ground, causing a significant seismic disruption as a result. ROM and Terminator summoned their neutralizers from subspace and aimed their beams at the herald. Terrax's portion of the Power Cosmic made him a formidable threat to Galador's defenders, and it even caused the neutralizer rays to neutralize themselves.

The Prime Director's astral form made its way to Galactus, far above the planet's atmosphere. The world devourer raised his left hand and released a cascade of antimatter particles, which left the former leader helpless. He was soon absorbed into Galactus's body, but not before emitting a terrified scream. 

With the director gone, ROM rallied his companions around him. They flew toward Terrax, along with the Elite Angel guards. Starshine and Hammerhand burst through the barriers that Terrax constructed, and Javelin was able to use his weapon to knock the battle axe from Terrax's hands. Rainbow's emotion-manipulating powers temporarily subdued the foe until he was within striking distance to lash out at her and reclaim his weapon, which he quickly used against his attacker.

Knowing that Galactus was the primary threat, ROM and Terminator flew to confront the giant. Their neutralizer rays were swiftly countered by Galactus's eye beams. As Terminator went to confront Galactus, ROM feared that if he perished in battle, so too would the remainder of his humanity that Terminator had stolen from the Hall of Science, as ordered by Mentus, the late Prime Director's evil half. While Terminator kept Galactus occupied, ROM then flew toward his massive spaceship.

Meanwhile, in Clairton, West Virginia, Brandy Clark and Steve Jackson were being held against their will by several of their fellow citizens, who were clearly under the influence of something or someone. The ringing of the church bells did not signal good fortune for the couple. Jackson and Clark were led toward the old mine, where a star disc hung suspended in the air before the entrance.

A voice emanating from the disc informed Clark that her parents, neighbors, and friends were being prepared for what was about to transpire. The disc then dissipated, and several Dire Wraiths appeared in its place. Jackson admitted that the Torpedo, a superhero who had been guarding the town in ROM's absence, and his family were caught unaware by the fog, which a wraith revealed had its origins in sorcery. As he spoke, tendrils of that selfsame fog made their way toward the couple. Brandy and Steve held hands and professed their love for each other before succumbing to the fog's mind control. A few moments later, they were as obedient to the wraiths' commands as the rest of the people around them. One of the wraiths instructed the helpless humans to descend into the mine's caverns, which ran for miles beneath the town. The people did as they were told, and soon disappeared from sight. Once they were gone, the wraiths then took the humans' appearances, hoping to use those disguises to deceive the Spaceknight and lead him towards his doom.

Back in space far above Galador, ROM realized that he could not breach the force field that surrounded Galactus's starship. However, his neutralizer could remove it. Once he did so, the Galadorian flew toward a panel section that he was able to break through with a mighty punch. He found that the ship's atmosphere was unaffected by the hull breach. ROM took a few steps inside and discovered a menagerie of beings from other worlds that the titan had kept in cages. For a brief moment, the original silver Spaceknight thought that Galactus was being kind for at least preserving part of the worlds that he destroyed. Then he came to acknowledge that Galactus was wrong for devouring worlds, and that he could be defied. His neutralizer then began to fire once more.

On the surface of Galador, Galactus's herald Terrax had resumed his battle against ROM's fellow Spaceknights. Starshine, Javelin, and others refused to accede to the world destroyer's whims. As they fought, the Spaceknights claimed that Galactus would end up using Terrax just like he did his previous heralds. Terrax denied those accusations, swearing his allegiance to his master. While Hammerhand used his namesake weapons to bash the herald, he told Terrax about how some of those heralds eventually rose up to defy Galactus and stand up against his planetary destruction sprees. Terrax stood momentarily, realizing that he had only been chosen because Galactus's other heralds had stood their moral grounds, and that he was nothing more than a foot soldier in his army. He then collapsed after understanding the weight of his own misdeeds. 

Galactus had witnessed his herald's collapse and struck out at Terminator, angry for his subject's betrayal. Terminator continued his assault on the world breaker, knowing full well that his own life (and half of ROM's humanity) could be forfeited if he was defeated. Moments later, his body fell back to Galador. Hammerhand knew immediately that Terminator was dead. Starshine then began to wonder about ROM.

Our hero was still on the massive ship that Galactus had just returned to. He sought vengeance for Terrax's defeat, not knowing the destruction that ROM had left for him inside his own vessel. Galactus soon confronted the Spaceknight. ROM called the giant a murderer for killing millions of beings on different worlds. He realized that his destruction would make the titan temporarily forget about destroying his own planet. Galactus then asked ROM if there was a world that he could consume. The silver Spaceknight then pointed toward the Dark Nebula, home to his foes, the dread Dire Wraiths. 

This was another of the first ROM comics that I read as a child. Sal Buscema and Joe Sinnott's artwork really held the story together. I loved getting to see other Spaceknights and ROM's home planet of Galador. I just wished that the Saga of the Spaceknights had included warriors like Javelin, Rainbow, and Hammerhand. Terminator's redemption and death would also play a key role in the title for most of its remaining run. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the twenty-seventh issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight series. We'll get to see the Wraith homeworld for the first time, and learn more about the status of Brock Jones, Steve Jackson, Brandy Clark, and the rest of Clairton's residents who were imprisoned by the wraiths on Earth. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.