Hi everyone,
Today I'll be writing about the seventy-fourth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight series. The cover shows Brandy Clark pleading with ROM to take a side in the Galadorian conflict, something that he is unwilling to do at that point. The story was called "The Bargain!" The issue had a cover date of January 1986.
The tale began where the last issue left off. Seeker accused Heatwave of murder, after having destroyed the human remains of himself and his fellow Spaceknights, acknowledging that none of them could ever become human again. Heatwave claimed that humanity made the first generation Spaceknights weak, and that his generation eliminated that weakness. He added that Seeker should be grateful for that and join them in ridding their world of other human life.
Seeker replied that their goal after the end of the wraith war was to return to Galador to reclaim their humanity, something that was now impossible, just before he attacked Heatwave and his crew. Trapper and Scanner soon joined the conflict, while Brandy begged her love to join them. ROM was conflicted. He was surprised how the second generation had defied the Spaceknight code, but soon knew that he had to take action.
ROM's neutralizer appeared from subspace and was quickly utilized against the new Spaceknights to shut down their systems. He was still bound by the code and would not willingly destroy his fellow Galadorians, a moral obligation that Heatwave and his companions did not follow. ROM took the brunt of Heatwave's rays and inspired those behind him, including the humans in the resistance, to strike back.
The battle was fierce, with losses on both sides. Seeker blasted a hole in the floor so that he and his comrades could retreat to safety. In the catacombs, Brandy explained to ROM how and why she had arrived on Galador. ROM replied that her dream of returning to her may very well turn into a nightmare. Conversation began about their original goal to defend the planet from the wraith threat, and how the new generation of the planet's protectors saw humanity as a weakness and viewed themselves as the rightful rulers of Galador.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Tower, Heatwave and his troops reported their progress to Lord Dominor. The tyrant was less than pleased with the results of their latest conflict. He was angered by the fact that Heatwave destroyed the cryogenically frozen bodies in the Hall of Science crypt, as it doomed all Spaceknights to spend the rest of their lives in their cyborg suits of armor. Lord Dominor gave no orders to do that. Heatwave replied that humanity made Galadorians weak and that his action eliminated that weakness. Heatwave's comrades argued his point until Lord Dominor agreed to renounce humanity, before adding that the sole remaining human (Brandy Clark) must be destroyed. The evil ruler even contemplated the end of their own planet if necessary.
In the resistance base, ROM spent a few moments with Brandy. She admitted that she wasn't scared of wars any longer, and that she didn't really care where she was, as long as the two of them could be together. A while later, ROM and his fellow first-generation Spaceknights contemplated their next course of action. Even though they now had no humanity left to return to, they eventually agreed that honor and peace were worth fighting for, after Brandy's encouragement.
They knew that they had to visit the Dark Tower and do battle with the second generation Spaceknights. The war would not be easy, but they were prepared to face the consequences. Brandy vowed to stay behind and wait for them. The conflict soon began, and in the midst, ROM found his way to Lord Dominor's chamber. The second-generation ruler admitted that it was he who had ordered the elimination of all humans on the planet, because he saw humanity as weak.
Lord Dominor offered the silver Spaceknight a proposal. He asked ROM to tell him where Brandy was hiding so that he could use his hidden humanity to mate with her and repopulate the world, and save his fellow Spaceknights. ROM objected, and asked for the duel between the two of them to begin.
I still didn't like Ditko's depictions of the second-generation Spaceknights, but John Byrne's inks over his pencil work made the art a bit more acceptable. Knowing that the series would soon be ending, I thought that this was a fitting set up to the final issue. It's too bad that Brandy was the only non-Spaceknight who survived this issue's battle.
Well, that's all for now. Next up is the final issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight series. We'll find out what happened in the skirmish between ROM and Lord Dominor. We'll also learn the final fates of Brandy Clark and the Spaceknights. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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