Hi everyone,
Today I'll be writing about the fifty-third issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. The cover shows the titular character in agony, as a pair of large eyes watches him. A sense of paranoia is suggested. The story was named "Paranoia Strikes Deep!" The issue had a cover date of April 1984.
On the first page, we get an eagle-eye view of "Dum Dum" Dugan, Colonel Nick Fury of SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division), and an unnamed technician. The trio is staring at strange birds that appeared on an intruder detection screen inside the SHIELD Helicarrier. The odd animals were actually Dire Wraiths in disguise. Wraiths and their hellhound counterparts soon infiltrated the vehicle and attacked the SHIELD soldiers within. Fury was surprised by the attack that happened before they even had time to sound alarms, but soon joined the fray.
By now, SHIELD was aware of Project Wraithwatch, but this was the first time that most of their agents had observed Dire Wraiths in person. The conflict continued, as wraith Deathwings continued to drop more wraiths onto the helicarrier. Fury eventually brought their flying base into the upper atmosphere, where the aliens were soon exterminated by the extreme cold of outer space. The helicarrier wasn't designed for space travel, and soon plummeted planetward. The friction heat of reentry into our atmosphere killed off the remaining wraiths on the helicarrier, and the brave men and women of SHIELD had gained a temporary victory.
Later on, Fury stands beside ROM and Starshine as they inform the President of the United States (who looks suspiciously familiar to the Gipper) and his trusted Cabinet members about the wraith threat. Starshine informed the government officials about the ongoing war with the alien menace. The President opted to call in more officials before taking action.
Disappointed by the president's lack of urgency, Fury and the Spaceknights moved on to the Project Wraithwatch base. On a nearby monitor, more devastation from wraith attacks could be observed. ROM and Starshine warned that the wraiths wanted to take over the planet. Starshine went on to say that the nations of Earth must unite to defeat this common enemy, and accused anyone who would not agree to that of aiding and abetting their foes. A hasty conversation followed, and ROM used his energy analyzer to confirm that all of the men in the room were indeed human. Fury asked if more energy analyzers could be made. ROM explained that only he and one other (the Torpedo) had been given the ability to detect dire wraiths. When Nick asked what happened to that other person, the silver Spaceknight explained that his friend had passed away (during the wraith attack on Clairton in issue #50).
Fury then turned a large viewscreen on, just as the U.S. President was about to speak in front of an assemblage of national leaders from around the globe. The president explained the severity of the wraith threat, and the aliens' abilities to assume other identities. He announced that his country and many others had agreed to join forces to defend their lands from the Dire Wraiths. The Spaceknights were pleased to hear this. The president continued by saying that super-powered beings from different countries could be counted on to defend their lands. He ended his speech by declaring Earth's war with wraithkind and acknowledged the assistance of ROM, greatest of the Spaceknights. As the people around him started clapping for the Galadorian, Nick Fury stood by and said that now the talking was over, the fighting would begin.
Although Sal Buscema was the primary penciler for this title up to this point, you can easily determine that several panels were crafted by Moon Knight and New Mutants artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who had also drawn a few covers of this magazine by then. His artwork is distinctive, and definitely draws your attention in this issue. There wasn't much action, but the purpose was really to announce the wraith threat and unite the world against the common foes.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the fifty-fourth issue of Marvel's monthly Spaceknight series. In that issue, we'll learn more of the Dire Wraiths' plans to conquer our planet. There will also be an appearance by a character who's been in the Marvel Universe for decades. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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