Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #59

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the fifty-ninth issue of Marvel's monthly ROM: Spaceknight title. The cover, illustrated by Paul Smith and Bob Layton, shows ROM and Starshine battling an unidentified villain. The story was titled "A World Alive!" The issue had a cover date of October 1984.

The tale began with a recap from the previous issue, when the Spaceknights, with Ant-Man's assistance, took on the wraith menace that had been affecting ants. Ant-Man's shrink gas allowed Starshine and ROM to shrink down even further. While they continued to track the wraith evil to its source, Ant-Man (Scott Lang) went to join his fellow humans, only to find that they were under attack by more insects, undoubtedly under the influence of Dire Wraith sorcery.

Back inside the anthill, the Galadorian and his lady love continued to combat wraith-mutated ants. The shrink gas allowed the Spaceknights to shrink down to where they were eventually smaller than their opponents. They soon landed on the back of one of the ants. Starshine marveled at its beauty before a wraith-infected mite on the ant became their newest threat.

Meanwhile, Rick Jones, General Locklin, and his soldiers used flamethrowers to defend themselves from the insect onslaught. Lang had arrived in time to try and communicate with the insects and sent a distress signal to them. Several flying ants responded to the message and joined Lang in the attack. They gave Locklin and his companions the respite they needed to recharge and renew their defenses. The battle was soon won, but it was just the first skirmish in the wraith war. Jones took to the radio airwaves to connect with the Teen Brigade to warn people in other areas about the impending wraith threats. Lang informed his comrades of the Spaceknights' status, while they were unaware that the wraiths were watching their ecological terror spread with glee.

Starshine and ROM continued to shrink until they finally reached the molecular level. As they descended past multiple microscopic organisms, they finally found the source of the wraith infection. Starshine proposed destroying it, while her love opted for a more civilized method. ROM used his neutralizer to develop antibodies that it fired at the enemy. As he did so, the infected wraiths began to lose the sorcerous infections and returned to their true selves. Jones, Locklin, and the soldiers celebrated after seeing this transformation occur before their eyes. 

Once all of the ants had been restored, the Spaceknights were brought back to their original sizes. ROM's universal translator allowed him to communicate with the ants, who expressed their sincere thanks and gratitude to the Spaceknights. They vowed to stand ready against further wraith attacks on their planet. The incident made Starshine rethink her previously bloodthirsty intentions and plans for vengeance, which began when the Dire Wraiths murdered many of the people in her hometown of Clairton, West Virginia (back in issue #50).

This was the first ROM issue penciled by Steve Ditko. Best known for his work on the Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange stories in the Sixties, Ditko had returned to Marvel as a freelancer after working for DC and Charlton Comics, as well as a few other publishers. This time around, he worked on everything from ROM and Indiana Jones to Chuck Norris Karate Commandos. Before he left this time, he had created the characters Speedball and Squirrel Girl.

I originally thought that his work on this title seemed a bit dated, and that it was actually okay if it was inked properly. Overall, I thought that this was a good issue, one that showed how far the wraiths were willing to go to dominate Earth. It also marked a turning point in Brandy Clark's perspective on the Wraith conflict.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the sixtieth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. In that issue, Rick Jones will take on more of a prominent role. We'll also be introduced to a new character, one who has unexpectedly intimate knowledge of the Dire Wraiths' plans. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.