ROM Swiped-Knight -or-ROM LIEFELD -or Rob Liefeld obviously owns some ROM comics

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Lately, I find that I unintentionally give less attention on this blog to ROM SPACEKNIGHT than I would like.

Oh, no.
Not at all.

 ROM SPACEKNIGHT cover art by Frank Miller.

It isn't that I like ROM any less than the other characters that garner my interests (Doctor Strange & Man-Thing, among others).

Oh, no.
Not at all.

In fact, ROM was integral to my discovering Doctor Strange (as related in this blog post [HERE]).

However, since ROM is sort out of the public eye (no comic in many decades and with the rights tied up in legal limbo - no comic soon to be forthcoming either), it's easy to focus more on characters that are still current.

But that isn't to say that others don't keep ROM fresh in their sight.

Oh, no.
Not at all.

Many comic creators still dabble with the various ROM characters; the Dire Wraiths, Hybrid and so on, who ARE properties of Marvel comics.

And still, some creators keep their ROM comics out where they can obviously be used as creative fodder.

Rob Liefeld is such a creator.

He obviously has a copy of ROM # 17 lying around.
How do I know?
Well... take a look at this cover that Rob Liefeld drew for the current issue of HAWK and DOVE (# 7).

Look familiar?
Take a closer look and then check out the cover of ROM # 17 at the top of the post.
Sure, he changed some of it a little... but that is a swipe of the ROM cover if ever I saw one.

For those who may not be privy to the term, a "swipe" is when an artist basically copies another, earlier work and doesn't give any proper credit to the original artist. They just copy it and call it their own.
That is not to be confused with an "homage". An homage is an intentional replication, with some alterations, as needed, intended to remind viewers of the earlier piece - or just give a creative "nod" to the one that came before.

Homages are tributes to great artists who came before.
Swipes are not.

Oh, no.
Not at all.

When I first saw the cover to Hawk and Dove # 7, I immediately did a "double-take", saying essentially; "What-the-wha?"
I KNEW I saw that cover pose before.

The arm position of Hawk, with one clawed hand swiping down.
Heck, Hawk's entire body is in the same position as Wolverine's.

The furtive, helpless pose of Dove, held aloft by a much more powerful captor, standing spread-legged in a power-pose.
I KNEW it... but I originally thought it was a swipe of a Spider-Man cover.

But then, it hit me.
ROM.

Because, it is not the first time that Mr. Liefeld used a ROM cover for his own ends.

Oh, no.
Not at all.

Take a look below.

New Mutants v1 # 91
See the background?
The stone cavern wall with the skull lodged in it, and the skeletal remains in the water?
Even the pose of CABLE and the fact that his enemies lurk around the corner...

Now take a look below, at the cover of ROM # 9, by Michael Golden.

Yeah...

Rob Liefeld isn't very good.

Oh, no.
Not at all.

The RETURN...? (Out of Limbo)

So... could it BE?
At long last, after YEARS of wrangling legal rights out of a quagmire of inactivity and confusion...?

The RETURN of...

It seems that HASBRO, the holder of the rights to ROM, and manufacturer of Marvel Legends action figures, has recently filed new trademarks for "ROM" and "ROM the SPACEKNIGHT".
Not sure what that means at this time, but since next year is the 30th Anniversary of his appearance (toy and comic), it stands to reason SOMETHING is going on.

Beginning in 1979, ROM started life as a cult-favorite toy "action figure" from Parker Bros., and a simultaneous Marvel comics series written by Bill Mantlo and illustrated by Sal Buscema (and later Steve Ditko).

The comic series was about a man from the planet Galador who, upon seeing his peaceful world attacked by foul, evil invaders, was fused with living armor to become the first, and greatest of the "spaceknights", in order to battle the shape-shifting, evil alien menace. That menace was the DIRE WRAITHS, a race of aliens who sought to take over worlds and rule the galaxy via evil science and dark sorcery. An evolutionary offshoot of the Skrulls, the Wraiths were so reviled by all that even the Skrulls despised them. The Wraiths came to Earth many years earlier and had been infiltrating the world's populace by taking the forms of people from all levels of society; the farmers and the politicians alike. (30 years before Secret Invasion.)

ROM came to Earth to rid it of Wraith infestation. Wielding various weapons and tools, he was able to pierce the wraith's disguises and banish them to an otherworldly Limbo. This was seen, by human eyes, as his murdering innocent humans (since the wraiths human-shells would turn to dust while their spirits fell into the other dimension - unseen), and he was seen as a menacing alien robot by a frightened and confused populace. Soon, however, he earned their respect and trust and not too long thereafter gathered the aid of nearly ALL of the world's super-powered heroes to win the war on Earth.
He would then continue his fight to the stars.

An epic tale of humanity (and alien ass-kicking) and one that is just as good when read today as it was then.

While the toy quickly vanished from shelves, due to a lack of anything else in the toy-line, the series lasted over 7 years (a 75 issue run and 4 annuals, a few guest starring spots and a storyline that TOTALLY affected the landscape of the Marvel Universe). Eventually, his story reached an "end" and it remains a much beloved hallmark in the lives of comic fans to this very day.

There have been many attempts to revive ROM over the past few years, at least one by his creator; Bing McCoy. However, all attempts have ended in... well... LIMBO (except for a horrid one-off mini-series by Marvel - about the Next Generation of Spaceknights - that was received with disdain by all).

However, that is all in the past.
Perhaps now ROM will return from LIMBO!

(the fantastic cover to ROM # 19, by Michael Golden)
image from the GCD

But in what capacity? Only the Gods of Galador know for sure.

Info garnered from the ROM, Spaceknight Revisited site, who garnered info from the Allspark Forum.

Somewhere, Chris Sims is weeping tears of joy.
Me too... me too.

***UPDATE***
(03-21-09)
Check out THIS entry for MORE recent info about a possible RETURN of
ROM!
***END UPDATE***

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****2nd UPDATE***
(07-03-09)
Check out THIS entry for MORE recent info on the possible PROBLEMS with a return of
ROM!
***END 2nd UPDATE***

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****3rd UPDATE***

(07-01-06)

ROM is BACK!

But it he is being published by IDW, who managed to secure the rights (and not Marvel).

This means that ANY aspect that we loved from the Marvel run can not and will not be in this run.

So, NO Galador, No Hybrid, not much of ANY kind of history really.

It's a clean slate with a whole new take.

I'll buy it and see how it goes.

***END 3rd UPDATE***

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****4th UPDATE***

(07-06-07)

ROM is GONE - sorta!

After a little more than a year, ROM's IDW series is "cancelled" (sort of ).

He'll be folded into a new title that he'll share with the MICRONAUTS 

(also being published at IDW).

To be honest, I've bought every issue of the IDW ROM series, but the artwork seemed so... lacking on the first few issues that I never continued reading past #2.

I figured I'd catch up, but just haven't yet.

I'm up in the air if I'll buy the team-up title, as I've opted out of the other crossovers that IDW constantly published (with GI JOE and Micronauts and other properties) and sadly, none of their books LOOK appealing to me (art too amateurish for me, personally, and coloring too garish).

Sadly, if this were old-school Bill Mantlo penning a ROM / MICRONAUTS book I'd be ALL over it.

The past is done, and so, for now (sorta), is ROM

***END 4th UPDATE***