Rom The Spaceknight: Marvel’s Cosmic Warrior Explained

Rom the Spaceknight is one of the most influential Marvel characters they do not own. Launched in 1979, and lasting well into the 1980s, Rom the Spaceknight chronicled the cosmic warrior’s struggle against the Dire Wraiths of the Dark Nebula. Along the way, Rom rubbed shoulders with other Marvel icons, including the X-Men.

Rom the Spaceknight was based on a toy created by Parker Brothers (now owned by Hasbro) in the late 1970s. The high-tech toy included lights and sounds, but no backstory, save that he fought the Dire Wraiths, and even they were not defined. Bill Mantlo, one of Marvel’s biggest writers of the time, fleshed out Rom’s backstory. Mantlo, and artist Sal Buscema, breathed life into the admittedly one-dimensional character, creating a story inflected with paranoia and pathos.

Rom Was the Greatest of the Spaceknights, Marvel’s Cosmic Cyborg Army

Rom’s Story Bears a Strong Resemblance to That of the Silver Surfer

When Rom made his fiery entrance into the Marvel Universe in 1979’s Rom the Spaceknight #1, fans were only given a glimpse of his origins. Over 200 years prior, the Dire Wraiths, shape-shifting aliens from the Dark Nebula, attempted an invasion of the planet Galador. Facing extinction, Galdaor’s Prime Director put out a call for volunteers for a new program, called the “Spaceknights.” Rom was the first to step up, undergoing an intensive process that stripped him of his “humanity,” and turned him into a giant cyborg being. Inspired by Rom’s example, 1,000 Galadorans stepped up to become Spaceknights.

As promised, the Dire Wraiths try to invade Galador. The Spaceknights formed a defensive line around the planet. They held the line, and despite losses, Galador stood. However, the threat of the Dire Wraiths persists, and Rom decides to forsake having his humanity restored. Rom learned the Dire Wraiths had begun infiltrating less developed planets. In time, they would control these planets, and then use them as bases to strike at the rest of the universe. Rom then sets off into the cosmos, leaving behind his beloved Ray-Na. Eventually, Rom’s quest brought him to Earth.

More than a few commentators have remarked the character’s origin bears more than a passing resemblance to the Silver Surfer. Both were respected in their cultures, who sacrificed everything to save their planet from destruction. Both were also transformed into silver, metallic beings. Yet that is where the similarities end. Rom had no master like Galactus to rebel against. Instead, Rom was fully in charge of his destiny from the beginning.

Rom Traded His Humanity For Great Power and Longevity

Rom Has Weapons That Made Marvel’s Tech Geniuses Envious

When Galador’s Prime Director sent out a call for recruits to the Spaceknights, he was upfront about what they would be sacrificing: their “humanity.” As noted in Rom the Spaceknight #1, this pained the people of Galador. Volunteers such as Rom were marched into Galador’s Hall of Science, undergoing extensive physical conditioning and upgrades. Each Spaceknight had his own respective power.

The Marvel Universe is full of exotic elements, such as Vibranium and Mysterium, and Rom the Spaceknight introduced a new one: Plandanium. Rom’s armor was composed of this element. Plandanium is super-strong, and as seen in Rom #18, was able to take a thrashing from Wolverine’s adamantium claws. The armor is the source of Rom’s powers: flight, super-strength and endurance, as well as enhanced reflexes. As a Spaceknight, Rom also had no need to eat or drink traditional food or water. In Rom #6, he absorbed power from a light-bulb.

As a Spaceknight, Rom had three primary tools he used in his quest against the Dire Wraiths:

The Energy Analyzer: this scanning device was able to detect the shape-shifting Dire Wraiths, no matter what form they took. Resembling a laser gun, the Energy Analyzer was actually harmless to humans. Due to its sinister appearance, however, the Dire Wraiths were able to convince unsuspecting people that it was lethal. Universal Translator: Rom’s mission took him across the universe, meaning he would need an effective way to communicate with the lifeforms he met. Rom’s Translator could instantly deduce the language of any species he met, and would imprint it in his memory banks. The Neutralizer: Rom would use this weapon to banish the Dire Wraiths to a mysterious dimension called “Limbo.” This Limbo had a similar function to the Phantom Zone of Superman lore. The Wraiths can see everything, but do nothing. For the Wraiths, it was a fate worse than death and one Rom was all too glad to send them to. Only Rom could use it, and in the previously mentioned Rom #18, Wolverine was seriously hurt trying to use it.

Rom’s War Against the Dire Wraiths Brought Him To Earth–and the Marvel Universe.

The Dire Wraiths’ Shape Shifting Powers Infused Rom With Paranoia

Mentioned in passing in the ad copy for the Rom toy, Mantlo and Buscema built the Dire Wraiths from the ground up. They decided to link the Dire Wraiths with another shape-shifting race in the Marvel Universe: the Skrulls. It was revealed that the Dire Wraiths were the product of tampering with Skrull DNA by the Celestials. This experiment was similar to the one run on Earth that created the Eternals and the Deviants.

When readers first meet the Dire Wraiths in Rom #1, they appear as blue-skinned humanoids, with shadows obscuring their faces. Their true forms were hinted at for over a year before they were finally revealed. They used their powers to infiltrate the small town of Clariton, West Virginia. Over the years, they slowly took over the town, posing as normal Earth people. The Dire Wraiths also managed to work their way into positions of power on Earth. Several government officials, and even a SHIELD agent, are revealed to be Dire Wraiths in disguise.

The Dire Wraiths’ plan to conquer Earth was endangered by Rom’s arrival. The Wraiths took advantage of the public’s mistrust of aliens and made Rom out to be a killer. Indeed, when Rom banished a Dire Wraith to Limbo, it left behind a trail of ash. This made it look like Rom disintegrated his victims, and the Wraiths seized on this fact. Anyone could be a Dire Wraith, and this helped give Rom the Spaceknight its dramatic heft. This paranoia, reminiscent of movies such as They Live, helped transform Rom into more than just a comic about a toy.

Rom Met Many Marvel Icons In His Heyday

Rom Is Ripe For a Return to the Marvel Universe

Despite not being created by Marvel, Rom nevertheless interacted with many of their characters. Rom’s first encounter, of sorts, was with Doctor Strange in Rom #5. In issue 12, Rom meets Jack of Hearts, who fought the Spaceknight nearly to a standstill. SHIELD was also present early on in Rom’s run, thanks to an undercover Dire Wraith. Rom’s run-ins with the X-Men are also legendary. In Rom #17-18, the Spaceknight teams up with the X-Men to fight a Wraith/human mash-up appropriately called “the Hybrid.”

During a fight with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Rogue tries to steal Rom’s powers. Instead, the experience fundamentally altered Rogue, and eventually turned her to the side of good. Rom also participated in the Secret Wars II crossover, which helped establish the book’s endgame. Marvel lost the license to Rom in 1985, and did not bother to renew it. This meant Rom’s appearances alongside the X-Men, the Hulk, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, could not be reprinted. This led to some awkward moments in collections and omnibuses, as sometimes vital material was missing.

Now that Marvel has reacquired the license, it is time for a new generation of fans, and characters, to meet Rom. Rom’s book concluded with his humanity restored. This means if Marvel brings him back, the new creators must find a way to get him back into the armor. Furthermore, Rom’s book ended with him marrying Brandy Clark, the human who had stuck with him throughout the entire series run. Rom would make appearances, sort of, throughout Marvel books in the 1990s, albeit in human form. Rom’s most notable appearance came in 1994’s Incredible Hulk #418, at the marriage of Rick Jones.

There are a number of characters who have been created since Rom’s first run in the Marvel Universe. These include: Venom, Deadpool, Miles Morales Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel, to name a few. The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, which Rom was firmly grounded in, has changed significantly since his last run. At this point, a story involving Rom and the Guardians of the Galaxy seems like a no-brainer. Each of these prospective team-ups is ripe with story potential. Rom left a lasting impression on the Marvel Universe during his first run with the publisher. With the rights to Rom now back at Marvel, the Spaceknight can soar once again.