Hi everyone,
Today I'll be writing about the forty-eighth issue of Marvel's ongoing ROM: Spaceknight series. The cover blurb announced "ROM To Fight No More," as the titular character walked off into the distance, with his neutralizer at his feet as Dire Wraiths surrounding seem to revel in their foe's surrender. The story was called "Renuciation! Or What Happens When A Spaceknight Has Had Enough!" The issue had a cover date of November 1983.
The tale begins at the United Nations building in New York. Unbeknownst to the human guards, the facility is about to be the site for an extraterrestrial conference between male and female Dire Wraiths. Male wraiths arrive with a Watchwraith, and robed female wraiths make their own entrance with hellhounds by their sides. Wraith siblings greet one another, knowing that both wraith science and magic are preventing the Earthlings from knowing they are even there.
The wraith witch blames her wraith brother for their being on this planet. She recounts the time 200 years ago on their home planet, Wraithworld. Their leader noted that the female wraiths weaved their spells, but never left their world, while the scientist wraiths had created vessels capable of space travel to allow them to pursue the conquest of the Golden Galaxy. The witches explained that they remained close to home to draw on the powers of their own black sun to supplement their abilities. Male wraiths complained that their sisters had limited them and thus prevented them from taking over other planets.
A decision was then reached by their leader. Although it had more in common with the witches, it opted to support the male wraiths' plans to invade the galaxy. The wraith witches came to rue that choice, lamenting their brothers' failures in battle with the Spaceknights and attempts to rule Earth. The females cast off their robes and then attacked their male siblings. Hellhounds and deathwings proved to be no match for the science-based wraiths and their weapons and inventions. The females then declared themselves to be the victors, and now that their brethren had been disposed of, that they would no longer use science. From then on, wraith sorcery would reign supreme.
Meanwhile, Starshine had finally caught up with ROM, although he was still less than willing to listen to what his love had to say. The Galadorian was still lost in his own thoughts until Brandy teleported right in front of him. She pleaded with ROM to talk to her and asked what was wrong. The silver Spaceknight replied that everything was wrong. He noted that he, who cherished humanity more than anything, had become inhuman to save humanity, and that the woman whom he loved for her humanity gave that humanity up to be more like him. Brandy replied that she became like ROM so that she could be with him, and professed her love for him once more.
ROM decided to show Brandy what she'd lost by becoming a Spaceknight. He took her hand as they flew down toward the ground near San Francisco. They flew past children playing, elderly gentlemen playing chess, and a young couple holding hands. ROM asked his love to hear the sounds below them, and asked Brandy if she missed being a part of that. She admitted that she did, but that she loved ROM more.
There were no supervillains in this issue, but it was an important story for character development. We got to see the female wraiths rise to superiority among their kind. We also got to learn more about ROM and Brandy as individuals. Writer Bill Mantlo finally got to show us a few details about the characters that would play bigger roles in upcoming issues. The wraith war has definitely started to take its toll on ROM, while Brandy seemed to be a bit renewed and invigorated to defend the planet of her birth.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, we'll see ROM's adopted hometown of Clairton, West Virginia once more. ROM and Starshine will stand beside each other, and confront the wraith threat. We'll also see a bit more of the aliens who entered the planet's atmosphere earlier this issue. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
The silver Spaceknight recoiled in agony over that remark. He explained that she only recently became a Spaceknight and couldn't yet personally know the long-term effects of being encased in cyborg armor. The Galadorian felt that his mere existence was ongoing torture, and that looking at Starshine only seemed to prolong the anguish. He fled, and Brandy followed, not knowing that Earth radar had picked up their flight.
When they were in space, ROM reminisced about how peaceful his homeworld had once been. He now wondered if the fight to save his planet was worth the effort. Brandy agreed that fighting can take its toll, and asked what ROM would have had her do. He replied by saying they could leave her fellow Earthlings to take on the wraith battle on the planet down below, and that they could find another world to settle on and become human once more.
Starshine was stunned to hear those words. She couldn't believe that he would abandon his 200-year quest to save Earth from the Dire Wraith invasion so quickly. Brandy explained that it was ROM who taught her what sacrifice and courage truly meant. She went on to ask him how long they would be safe before the Wraiths invaded that world. Starshine opted to defend her home and teleported down toward the surface. ROM flew after her, having learned her location by using his energy analyzer. Moments later, a large spaceship entered the atmosphere. Longtime Marvelites will recognize the shadowy figures traveling in that vessel. One being announced that their target was Earth and ordered shuttle craft to descend to the planet.
Back in San Francisco, a young woman fled for her safety from aspiring muggers. The girl screamed before tripping and falling, and just when things seemed hopeless, a bright light filled the night air. That light emanated from Starshine, who stood in front of the woman. Her light eye rays illuminated the would-be attackers, who fired their pistols at her, only to have the bullets bounce off the golden Spaceknight armor. Brandy then used her light eye rays once more, this time to melt the pistols into warm pools of molten metal.
Starshine shook off the men's rush toward her. Several of them fell right in front of ROM's feet. He was about to use his energy analyzer to determine if the attackers were human or wraith when the young woman cried aloud, thinking that the weapon was some kind of alien death ray. She begged the Galadorian not to use it on the men who had just tried to attack her. ROM was surprised that the woman would have mercy on them, knowing their savage capabilities.
Brandy replied that she never thought that people could be anything but human, and reminded him that there were other races with evil potential. She added that she accepts her homeworld with all of its faults, and would gladly defend it, noting that it wasn't a perfect world like Galador. ROM admitted that his own world had its weaknesses like any other planet. He lashed out, realizing that the picture of perfectness that he had been sold was a lie. Brandy tried to console him by saying that no planet is perfect and that every world wants peace. She added that there are no perfect planets anywhere, just imperfect worlds inhabited by imperfect people. She then asked ROM if he would join her in her quest to protect her fellow humans and their right to exist. ROM agreed, and the pair teleported away from sight.
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