Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #61

 Hi everyone, 

Today I'll be writing about the sixty-first issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. The cover is pitch black, except for the cover image, title, description and the titular character and his neutralizer, who appear to have fallen into a bottomless chasm. The cover indicates that he is in a type of wraith realm. The story was named "The Beginning of the End of the World!" The issue had a cover date of December 1984. 

The tale began on a sunny day in Virginia Beach. People were taking advantage of the nice weather until it started to get cold. Beachgoers looked up to see a swarm of Deathwings overhead. The wraith monstrosities started filling the skies and were noticed by planes and air traffic controllers. Military jets observed the massive swarm that eventually turned into a large black disc not far from the sun. People on the ground watched in horror as the disc evolved and a spike emerged from it, one that pierced the sun itself. 

As deathwings continued to fly around the star disc, ROM, greatest of the Spaceknights, was there, sending as many of them to limbo with his neutralizer as he could. Not even their frozen fire could deter him. The Galadorian was resolute that if he defeated his enemies that day, then the wraith war would finally be over. He pursued the wraiths into the very heart of the star disc itself. 

For a while, ROM seemed to be plunging into never-ending darkness, until the light of his beloved Starshine illuminated the way out of the prison. As the silver Spaceknight escaped, he wondered how that could even be possible, knowing that Hybrid had taken Clark out of her Spaceknight armor (in annual #3). As he looked back, he stared in horror at the black hole that the wraiths had made in Earth's sun.

Back on Earth, the members of the Wraith Hunter-Rangers were concerned that their ESPers hadn't been able to identify wraith activity in more than a week. Meanwhile, the dark hole in the sun continued to expand. Government Agent Henry Peter Gyrich was growing impatient and demanded answers that weren't easy to give. ROM explained what he had seen, just before checking in on the sleeping Clark once more. He realized that there may be one way to tell what the Dire Wraiths had in mind. 

In another trailer, Rick Jones played guitar and sang to young Cindy Adams. The songs seemed to be soothing to them both. Just then, the silver Spaceknight entered the room. He knew that a wraith died, leaving its mind in the young child, and supposed that she would know what they were planning. Jones resisted, knowing how Cindy was still grieving the loss of her parents to Dire Wraiths (in the previous issue). ROM knew that he couldn't leave her alone.

Cindy agreed to share what she knew. She saw how wraiths despised what Earthlings enjoyed, adding that the star disc was just part of a bigger spell. The hole in our sun would drain its energy to power a black magic beam out into space to their own dark nebula. The beam would link those two stars and allow it and Wraithworld itself to enter our atmosphere. The result would inevitably lead to destruction on Earth, as the two planets merged with each other.

Gyrich and Locklin wondered how they could defeat such a formidable threat. ROM noted that his neutralizer was usually effective. Gyrich added that our world had its own super-powered being who could stand up to Dire Wraiths, and that one scientist had developed his own neutralizer prototype. ROM was intrigued until he learned that its creator had thus far refused to turn that weapon over to mankind. The individual was known as Forge, and the issue ended with a glimpse of its creator and his new weapon. 

This was one of the first issues of ROM that I read as a child, and along with several issues of Marvel Tales, was one of my first issues of Steve Ditko's artwork. It's much different than that of Sal Buscema, but writer Bill Mantlo had a definite plan for each and every issue of the title's run. Although this particular issue was very dark, I felt like I had a bit of an inkling of the penultimate wraith confrontation. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the sixty-second issue of Marvel's monthly ROM series. In that issue, we'll learn more about the man known as Forge, his weapon, and his concerns about it. We'll also see what happens to Brandy, Rick, and Cindy. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Review: ROM Annual #3

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about Marvel's third ROM: Spaceknight Annual. The Bill Sienkiewicz-crafted cover shows the titular character and his love, Starshine. There's a cover blurb featuring the New Mutants and the indication of the end of a Spaceknight. The story was named "The Prodigal Son!"

The tale began outside of a childcare center in the eastern United States. ROM and Starshine arrive as a corral of cars and parents wait anxiously outside the building. The Spaceknights talk with General Locklin, leader of the Wraith-Hunter Rangers. He confirmed that the SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division) ESPer agents had identified Dire Wraith activity in the building. The wraiths were still inside the building, but the safety of the students and staff inside was still unknown. Starshine flew to confront their enemies, followed close behind by the silver Spaceknight.

In one room of the daycare center, a quartet of wraiths was almost as confused as the children in the room. The younger wraiths were without the guidance of their elders. Minutes later, the students' teacher woke up, which drew the attention of one of the wraiths. As the alien looked into the frightened female's eyes, it seemed to understand more. The wraith then dug its forked tongue into the teacher's forehead, absorbed her memories and knowledge, and assumed her appearance. The disguised wraith now knew what to do and invited her sisters to join her in turning the children into wraiths as well.

Before that could happen, the Spaceknights burst through a classroom wall. The wraith, assuming the teacher's guise, unleashed tendrils of black wraith magic at Starshine, whose light eyes eliminated her foe. The children watched in horror as their teacher died for a second time. ROM and Starshine battled the wraiths before the Wraith Hunter-Rangers entered the fray. One of the wraiths knocked ROM's neutralizer from his hand, but he recovered his weapon moments before the remaining Dire Wraiths took to the skies to flee. 

Two of the three remaining wraiths were gunned down, but one flew off, with the Spaceknights hot on her trail. Eventually, the young wraith tired and found a resting place atop a rock jutting out from the river. Realizing that the alien was a child, ROM tried to convince his love that their foe should be banished to limbo. Starshine was less than agreeable to that, especially after the wraith spat fire at them while posing as a Deathwing. Starshine struck back with her light eyes, but ROM's neutralizer dispatched the creature to the limbo dimension anyway. Starshine was amazed that he did not kill the beast, even though he had suggested this option earlier. As she flew off, ROM reminisced about the woman inside the golden armor whom he had once loved for her humanity. 

The Galadorian watched the portal to limbo close before flying off. What he didn't know was that a small portion of an organism escaped the portal and remained in the river. It gradually began to assemble itself as the currents carried it downstream, until it came across several members of a religious revival movement who, at the time, were preoccupied with baptizing one of their parishioners in those same waters. No sooner had the young man been baptized than the priest noticed another being in the river. The entity first seemed to have an alien appearance, until it took on human form just before accepting the priest's outstretched hand for help. His arrival was hailed as a miracle, and the youth was welcomed into the fold with open arms, even as an evil grin formed on his lips.

Several weeks later, Professor Charles Xavier and his teenage students were held up in a roadblock. The Appalachian road they had been trying to traverse was blocked off because of a raging fire in the nearby hills. One of the students, Sam Guthrie, was trying to reach his family, who lived not far from there. Xavier and Guthrie's fellow students tried to console him before young Bobby Da Costa took matters into his own hands.

The young man, also known as the mutant Sunspot, used his powers to fell several large trees in much less time than it would have taken the lumberjacks who were already on the scene. Guthrie then sped off in his guise as the mutant Cannonball to move the trees and clear a path in a matter of seconds. Their teammate, Rahne Sinclair (aka Wolfsbane), transformed into a wolf and used her animal instincts to locate firefighters who had been trapped by the blaze. It was then up to Ilyana Rasputin to use her teleportation skills to move the firefighters out of harm's way. However, the fire still continued to spread until young Amara Aquilla used her Magma powers to concentrate the flames into a volcanic output that cleared a path for their car to cross. 

As Xavier and his New Mutants drove past, Rahne noticed a nearby church that had been in the path of the blaze, yet amazingly appeared to be unsinged. Inside that church, the priest warned his flock that the one who came after him would baptize them in fire. The disciple in question stood behind him, with a sneer on his face, replying that the priest had indeed taught him well, but that even he could not fathom to guess the miracles that he was capable of. 

Not far away, ROM was alone with his thoughts on a secluded hillside until Starshine asked her love if he was still praying. She told him it would take more than that to defeat the wraith menace, and the pair flew off to the Wraith Hunter-Rangers base. They were trying to figure out where the Dire Wraiths would strike next, now knowing that their enemies had something big planned. One of the humans with extrasensory perception abilities was trying to determine just that when she was struck with a severe mind blast that left her semicatatonic. The woman kept repeating "the horror," two words that reminded ROM of one of his most brutal enemies. 

In Cumberland, Kentucky, Guthrie was finally reunited with his family. He and his traveling companions were greeted warmly by his mother and siblings. Sam's mother insisted that they spend the night there and share a meal with them. At the dinner table, the conversation eventually turned to the recent fire. Sam asked his mother what happened to Reverend Joad. She replied that he had fallen ill, and taken on an apprentice, a young man who had arrived out of the river stark naked and suddenly began speaking Scripture as if it were second nature to him.

Meanwhile, the Spaceknights were flying toward that very church, noticing how it remained unmarked by the recent fires. They soon landed and walked toward the building to get a closer look. Once inside, the Reverend looked up at the silver Spaceknight and repeated the words "the horror" before falling to his knees. The Galadorian asked his opponent to come out of hiding, and the enemy revealed himself. 

The shrill sound of ROM's neutralizer being fired drew Starshine's attention, and she flew through the open church doors. She saw the prone figure of the reverend lying dead in front of her. Clark asked who slew the man, right before his assailant reached out with his clawed hands, which he quickly wrapped around her head. We then saw the being known as Hybrid facing her. The half-human, half-wraith announced his desire to antagonize his foe by making her his bride. 

The next morning, Sam Guthrie and his younger brother Josh went out for a walk in the woods together. Josh brought his hunting rifle with him, just like their late father used to do. They talked about Sam's time away from the family, which Josh suspected was since his older brother was different than most. During their conversation, the pair noticed a man carrying another man in his arms. Josh turned to fire, but Sam deflected his shot, realizing that what they saw were people, not animals. What they did not know at the time was that what they saw was the young deacon carrying his deceased predecessor, wearing the same evil grin on his face that we saw earlier. 

Sam, his family and friends, and other residents of Cumberland County gathered not long afterward for Reverend Joad's funeral. Sam looked down at the casket and was amazed by how quickly the reverend had aged. His apprentice, who was now the new reverend, led the ceremony. As he spoke, Xavier and Ilyana could detect his evil. After the ceremony at the cemetery, the professor shared his suspicions with the rest of his young charges. Guthrie and Roberto initially doubted their leader's words. None of them thought to look toward where the priest was watching them with glee.

A while later, inside the church, ROM and Starshine remained Hybrid's helpless prisoners. The evil being sent the Galadorian to limbo to battle wraiths, which would preoccupy him so that he could strip Starshine of her cyborg armor and prepare her for the upcoming wedding ceremony. He also swore that he would deal with the mutants, having faced several of their kind twice before. As he did so, he forced the church to bury itself deep underground and out of sight.

Word of this incident spread among the community quickly, and a search and rescue team was swiftly organized. Xavier and his young charges were among the rescue party. As the efforts commenced, no one knew that the young reverend was watching them from close by. A cave-in started minutes later. Cannonball rushed up hundreds of miles before collapsing from exhaustion. Magma kept the cave illuminated while she and her companions approached the church.

No sooner had they arrived than Hybrid struck Xavier with a powerful mind blast. The reverend then revealed his true hybrid form, and the New Mutants went to attack him. Hybrid deflected them with ease, and only Ilyana escaped by teleporting to limbo. Charles and his remaining charges were now Hybrid's unwilling servants. 

In the limbo dimension, Ilyana stumbled across ROM and helped him to defeat the wraiths. Her kind actions reminded the silver Spaceknight of Sprite (aka Kitty Pryde), who had assisted him during his first encounter with Hybrid (in issue #18 of ROM's monthly mag). She returned them from limbo just before the wedding was about to begin. ROM leapt to defend his comatose love, and the battle was renewed. Ilyana's sword cut deep into Hybrid, causing him to lose focus.

Brandy was awakened by ROM's pleas and offered to help, but then noticed her Starshine armor lying empty on the floor near her. She knew she had to do something to save her beloved and rushed to his neutralizer. She fired the weapon, and thanks to Xavier's mental shield, was undamaged. Clark continued firing until Hybrid had finally disappeared from Earth once more. 

Clark expressed her longing to fight once more at her love's side before collapsing in his arms. By then, the church had disappeared. ROM thanked his new friends before flying off. We later saw him soaring outside a hospital, where Clark lay in a deep sleep. Even though he didn't know when or if Brandy would awaken, he was dedicated to her now more than ever before. 

This was one of the first ROM annuals that I ever read. Mutants were popular, and this was the third time that several of them appeared in this comic. Seeing what happened to Brandy reminded me of the late Archie Stryker, who wraiths bonded in the old Firefall armor. It was the last time that Starshine would appear in this title, and put Clark on a different path for the rest of the series. This was also Hybrid's last appearance in this series, but he would still be a part of the Marvel Universe and encounter other characters before eventually being depowered along with many other mutants. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the sixty-first issue of Marvel's monthly ROM: Spaceknight series. That issue marks the beginning of the endgame for the Dire Wraiths. We'll learn just what they have in store for our planet, and meet another character who has a potential solution, one that will impact another title later on. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #60

Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about Marvel's sixtieth issue of ROM: Spaceknight. The cover borrows from the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers On A Train, as ROM and Starshine fly to meet their enemies, the Dire Wraiths, who had been overpowering passengers on a train. The tale was titled "The Eyes of a Child!" The issue had a cover date of November 1984.

The story begins with Rick Jones in the throes of a nightmare (not the villain Nightmare, who affected Bruce Banner's control over his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk, but a normal nightmare). He cried out after seeing an alien world that he was suddenly drawn toward. Dire Wraiths soon entered the fray, and Jones realized that he was on Wraithworld, as he looked up at their Dark Nebula in the skies above him. As he wandered, he came upon a familiar landmark: the Statue of Liberty, now half-buried in the ground, along with other nearby buildings (somewhat similar to the ending of the very first Planet of the Apes movie, starring Charlton Heston). He realized that he was on Earth and awoke with a loud scream. Although it was only a bad dream, it was a premonition of things to possibly come later.

Meanwhile, ROM flew through an unseasonal blizzard (thanks to the Casket of Ancient Winters being opened in the monthly Thor comic) until he found his love, Starshine (aka Brandy Clark), standing in a relative paradise. Clark was at a crossroads between her humanity and her responsibilities as a Spaceknight. She gave up her humanity to be closer to her love, and became very callous and cold after wraiths destroyed people that she loved. After having witnessed ROM's humane methods for combating wraith infection at the molecular level (in the last issue), she now wondered if she could ever truly become human again. 

While the two heroes confided in each other, a train rolled through, regardless of the harsh winter weather. Passengers were suddenly alerted to the shrieks of wraith Dreadwmings outside. The birds turned into female Wraiths once they hit the ground and began attacking the passengers who had exited the train. As they began conjuring their sinister spells, one of the wraith witches announced their plans to recreate their beloved Wraithworld here on Earth. 

ROM, Starshine, and Jones arrived on the scene after several humans had been killed both on the train and outside of it. The trio searched the train for clues as to why the grim incident had happened. As he wandered, Jones felt a twinge of pain, indicating that his cancer was just as much a threat to him as ever. Afterward, he found a young girl hiding. He called out to the Spaceknights, and the three of them tried to learn more.

Seeing the telltale burn of a wraith tongue on the terrified girl's forehead, Starshine exclaimed that she was a wraith and went to attack her. Jones leapt in front of the Spaceknight's light eye rays, just before ROM raised a cyborg palm and placed it over Starshine's eyes to prevent further beams from emitting. Jones' jacket was burned to shreds, but he remained otherwise unharmed.

The Galadorian then used his analyzer to ascertain that the girl was indeed human, albeit one who was deathly terrified of his mortal enemies. He convinced her that he meant no harm and asked what had happened. The girl went on to explain how the Dire Wraiths had boarded the train. Her father had pushed her and her mother to safety. A train door closed in front of them moments before wraiths attacked him. Minutes later, the wraith who had exterminated and assumed her father's identity came toward her. While her mother defended her, a wraith tongue reached into the child's forehead.

The young girl began to envision a terrible, dark world, not unlike the one from Jones' dream. Just then, her mother lunged forward with a knife and attacked the alien. The wraith eventually died, but its mind was still inside the girl. She was horrified by the visions that the wraith had envisioned, and worried that the dark and terrible things it saw might come true. 

This issue was inked by the late Tom Palmer, who was well-known for his contributions to titles such as Tomb of Dracula, Avengers, and Star Wars, among others. It definitely helped move the story along and made Steve Ditko's pencil work more defined. The girl would later be known as Cindy, and she would play an important role in the issues that followed, leading up to and after the monumental culmination of the wraith war on Earth. It was a fun standalone issue that introduced a lasting supporting character.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about Marvel's third ROM Annual. In that issue, ROM and Starshine meet yet another mutant team. We'll also see the return of a popular ROM foe, and their battle will determine the fate of one of the Spaceknights. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

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. 

Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #58

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the fifty-eighth issue of Marvel's monthly ROM: Spaceknight title. The Butch Guice crafted cover shows ROM, Starshine and Ant-Man stuck in what appears to be a pile of green organisms. The story was called "A Plague of Insects!" The issue had a cover date of September 1984.

The tale began with the astonishing Ant-Man riding one of his winged ants as they made their way over the destruction that had just happened in Beaver Falls, Ontario, Canada, last issue. They eventually flew into the medical tent, where Sasquatch and Snowbird from Alpha Flight were having their wounds tended to. I had thought that Marrina was feeling better, but on page 3, we see her teammate Shaman working to cure her of the wraith plague that had infected her when she entered the lake to combat the rising waters and the wraith-mutated fish that first attacked the townspeople (in issue #56). A vial of pure seawater helped to heal her, but she was still weakened. 

Ant-Man and his ant Jezebel then flew on toward a table, where ROM and Starshine were talking with Rick Jones and General Merriwhether Locklin, leader of the Wraith Hunter-Rangers, a specialized task force that was developed to combat the wraith threat on Earth. The general demanded a status report from the Spaceknights. Starshine explained that she and ROM went to save a town that was eventually destroyed by Dire Wraiths' magic. The general wondered how to fight a war against something that man couldn't see. Jones reminded him that the conflict was being waged against an enemy that most of the general public purposely knew nothing about. 

The quartet didn't know that Ant-Man was nearby, listening in on their entire conversation. The wraith war was news to him, just like it was to everyone else who had never been involved in it. Locklin declared that the only way to stop the people from panicking would be to win a battle against ROM's mortal enemies. The Galadorian agreed, but admitted that it was easier said than done. He reminded the general of the wraith spell that polluted the Beaver Falls waters and contributed to the dam's collapse and subsequent devastation. He went on to say that life itself had been altered by the spell.

Starshine explained how Dire Wraith sorcery had caused fish in the lake to mutate, and that the same or worse could happen to other animal, soil, or plant life. Just when the group seemed to be out of ideas, a small voice behind them chimed in. Ant-Man offered his assistance to the military man and his companions, although no one in the assemblage could see him and his winged ant mount until Starshine shone her light eye beams on him. 

The hero replied that he received an Avengers call for help. Jones replied that he was the one who made the request. The Galadorian explained to Ant-Man (Scott Lang) what Dire Wraiths were and the dangers that they posed. Lang learned that the heroes wanted to shrink down to face the threat head-on along with him. Ant-Man was more than happy to oblige. He broke out a couple of vials of shrinking gas. One he used on himself. The other were analyzed by ROM's energy analyzer and Starshine's light eyes so that the Spaceknights could experience the same effect. Once the trio had shrunken down, Ant-Man led them into a nearby anthill. Jones wished them luck as they began their trek. 

They hadn't gone far before Ant-Man started wincing as he felt the pain of several ants who were not far by. Starshine's light eye beams shone the way down the trail, where the heroes soon found a cadre of ants who were screaming in agony. ROM's analyzer revealed that the ants had been affected by the black waters, which had been tainted by wraith magic. No sooner had he uttered that than one of the ants transformed right before their eyes into a deformed monstrosity. 

The mutated ant headed straight for Lang, who was quickly able to defeat it. ROM then explained how this mutation would affect the ecological balance of the planet itself. Infected ants would be eaten by fish, who were then consumed by birds, who are then consumed by larger and larger lifeforms until all living species eventually die out. Ant-Man began to realize how this was all part of the wraiths' plans to take over the planet, as he, ROM, and Starshine fought back against the other ants who had mutated into ghastly creatures. The Galadorian mused that the sorcerous infections might go down to the microscopic level. 

Lang admitted that they could shrink down further in size, because he did just that not long ago (in Marvel Two-In-One issue number 87). He then used another shrink gas capsule that caused the Spaceknights to shrink down until they could no longer be seen by the naked eye. Ant-Man remained behind and made his way out of the anthill, only to find out that more insects were already attacking other humans. Meanwhile, ROM and Starshine started to combat the wraith evil at the molecular level.

This was penciler Sal Buscema's last issue of Marvel's ROM series, although he would ink a backup story in the IDW ROM title. His artwork in this and the Incredible Hulk monthly comics is initially what drew me to explore more Marvel titles that weren't Star Wars. He's still one of my favorite artists, and it's quite obvious how much he enjoys the characters that he draws. This was an interesting issue, one that started to show just how deep the wraith influence was, and on a much smaller level than most of us would have expected.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the fifty-ninth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. It continues this issue's story, with the same writer, Bill Mantlo, joined by a new art team. Longtime Marvelites will recognize them from their contributions to many legendary comic book issues. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #57

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the fifty-seventh issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight series. The John Byrne-illustrated cover shows the silver Spaceknight firing his neutralizer against a massive wave of water, as Sasquatch helps his teammates, Shaman and Snowbird. The tale was titled "Scenes of Destruction on Every Hand!" The issue had a cover date of August 1984. 

The story began with the crumbling of the dam in Beaver Falls, Ontario. ROM, Starshine, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird, and Marrina stood paralyzed by the potential impact the upcoming onrush of water would have on the Canadian village. The Galadorian asked his new friends to save the people, while he and Starshine went to find a way to prevent the floodwaters from destroying the town. 

ROM flew toward a church that was nearest the rising waters, knowing there wasn't much that he or his love could do to prevent the upcoming devastation, but he was determined to try. He and Starshine used their powers against the tall waves, but were soon swept underneath and found themselves floating helplessly. Meanwhile, Sasquatch used a truckful of logs to construct a barrier. As he did so, Shaman levitated once more, this time calling forth the great spirits to assist him. Several mystical seeds were dropped from one of Shaman's pockets, which quickly grew into tall hedges that might hold the waters back. 

Young Marrina dove into the waters, but was swiftly expelled just moments before the waves struck the town. Snowbird flew around looking for her comrades and lamented her inability to be everywhere she was needed at the time. She turned into a polar bear and plunged into the cold waters below. Snowbird was able to save a few citizens, as was Sasquatch, who soon found Shaman and Marrina clinging to each other. He rescued them and then saw the Spaceknights doing their part. 

The heroes saved as many townspeople as they could. Shaman used a potion from one of his pouches to cure Marrina of the sickness caused by the wraith-infected waters. She revived momentarily and rose to join her friends. One of the people who had been rescued asked the heroes why they didn't do something to save their town. ROM looked around and explained that they did.

This was one of those rare instances where the good guys weren't able to save the day, at least not on a grand scale. It was a very real example of what can happen during a natural disaster. I felt that writer Bill Mantlo handled the topic quite well. ROM and his companions couldn't do everything, but they definitely gave their all to save as many people as possible. It was also a rare ROM issue where the Dire Wraiths and/or their wraith-infused allies were nowhere to be found, but given the story, they didn't really need to be included.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the fifty-eighth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight. We'll see how ROM and Starshine pursue the source of the wraith-polluted waters, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. The Spaceknights will also meet another Marvel character who we know well now, thanks in part to the MCU, but at the time was relatively new to most Marvelites. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Review: ROM: Spaceknight #56

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the fifty-sixth issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight comic. The cover features the titular character and Alpha Flight members Snowbird and Marrina, illustrated by John Byrne. The tale was called "Clear Waters Remembered!" The issue had a cover date of July 1984.

The story resumed after the incidents at Mercy Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, in the last issue. Military members were holding the line against the concerned pubic and members of the press. They wanted to know what had just happened. One of the military men was talking to Rick Jones, who knew it would be difficult to keep the wraith infiltration secret for very long. That secret was kept for far less time than expected, as one of the blankets on a stretcher in the front entryway slipped off, revealing a green monster underneath. The soldier was just trying to prevent chaos and panic. Jones confirmed his faith in his newfound friends, the Spaceknights, who were the planet's only hope to quell the wraith invasion. 

Meanwhile, ROM and Starshine stood atop a cliff looking down at the town of Beaver Falls in northern Ontario, Canada. Starshine demanded to know why they were there. ROM replied that SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division) ESPers detected wraith activity in the area. Starshine grew angered at the mere mention of her hated enemies. ROM was reminded of how human he and Brandy Clark once were. Starshine thought about her own hometown of Clairton, West Virginia, a small hamlet not unlike this one before Dire Wraiths invaded it. She recoiled at the mention of her birth name. She stated that part of her was dead, and that she would not rest until their enemies were eliminated.

Deep in the waters of Beaver Lake, the Alpha Flight member known as Marrina dove until she found a glowing object in the watery ground. Snatching the object, she soon returned to her teammates, Doctors Walter Langkowski (also known as Sasquatch) and Michael Twoyoungmen (also referred to as Shaman). What Marrina had found were salmon eggs, very far from any known spawning grounds. The doctors were puzzled by their ability to grow in a town known for coal slurry contamination, or why the eggs glowed so brightly. 

The trio was talking about their mission and the support of the Canadian government when another colleague, Snowbird, flew by. Shaman's telepathic link to her informed him that there was more going on in the village than just polluted water. He and his teammates rushed to the source of the disturbance in town, which was caused by Dire Wraiths. A swarm of dark creatures was heading towards the frightened townspeople. The mutant team members knew nothing about their opponents, except that they posed a significant danger and had to be stopped. 

Shaman soon ascertained that the creatures were extraterrestrial in origin. He detected otherworldly forces in action that were concentrated on the black waters that he had just investigated. While he, Sasquatch, and Snowbird fought the aliens on land, Marrina led the defense in the water. She soon emerged from a whirlpool that tossed several more creatures about. She joined her companions in the fray just before the arrival of ROM and Starshine. The Galadorian explained that the creatures had been altered by wraith magic, and used his energy analyzer to reveal that one of his opponents had previously been a harmless fish. 

Once that had been discovered, Shaman levitated over the lake and dispersed several mystic herbs as he glided over the water's surface. Marrina entered the water and began to spin rapidly to accelerate the herbs' healing abilities. The magic worked, as the fish returned to their former selves, but unfortunately, they began rising to the surface. ROM realized that in their previous incarnations, the fish could have easily sustained the polluted waters, something they could not handle in their original forms. 

ROM, Starshine, and the members of Alpha Flight looked toward the Beaver Lake mining company headquarters. As they did so, several wraith witches began casting spells that set forth even more magically powered monsters. Before long, the sounds of the nearby dam rupturing alerted the heroes to a much larger danger than they anticipated.

Even though Sal Buscema didn't contribute, this was still an enjoyable issue. The Byrne cover caught my attention immediately, and it was good to see a few Alpha Flight members involved in the story. It showed more of Starshine's loss of her own humanity and the continued plans by the Dire Wraiths to take over our world.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the fifty-seventh issue of Marvel's ROM: Spaceknight monthly series. That issue will wrap up this story. We'll see how the heroes take on the dam break and how it affects the residents of the small Canadian town. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.