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Marvel Database

Appearing in "Arrival!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Mayor John Bradford of Clairton
  • Governor of West Virginia (Mentioned)
  • Galadorians (Main story and flashback)
    • Spaceknights (Only in flashback) (First appearance)
    • Prime Director (Only in flashback) (First appearance)
    • Galadorian trading armada (Only in flashback) (First appearance; dies)
    • Surgeons (Only in flashback)

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Wraith Cruiser (Only in flashback) (First appearance)
  • Ships of the Galadorian trading Armada (Only in flashback) (First appearance; destruction)

Synopsis for "Arrival!"

Rom arrives on Earth and encounters Brandy Clark for the first time, saving her from a car crash on the highway. Rom arrives in the town of Clairton, West Virginia ahead of Brandy and banishes a number of Wraiths sending the populace into a panic. Wraiths embedded into the community contact superiors who send the National Guard to deal with Rom but they lack the ability to hurt the Spaceknight.

Notes

Chronology Notes[]

A flashback in this story affects the chronology of the following characters:

Publication Notes[]

ROM The Space Knight 1979 Parker Brothers toy

Original "ROM: The Space Knight" Parker Brothers toy

  • The production of this comic was commissioned by the toy company Parker Brothers in early 1979 to promote their latest product at the time: "ROM: The Space Knight", an electronic robot toy. Parker Brothers contacted Jim Galton, president of Marvel Entertainment Group, to offer the possibility of licensing Rom. Aware of the success Marvel had achieved with Micronauts (another licensed comic based on a toy line), Galton informed the editor-in-chief of Marvel's comic book division, Jim Shooter, about the proposal. Galton and Shooter traveled to Boston to finalize the contract with Parker Brothers and Bryan Lawrence "Bing" McCoy, the toy's designer, officially starting the comic's production.[1]
    • The character of Rom, his powers, and the name "Dire Wraiths" for his enemies were all that Parker Brothers provided to the Marvel staff to create the story.[2] The idea to make Rom a cyborg instead of a robot came from McCoy.[3]
  • A group of creators, including Shooter and editor Jo Duffy, worked on the basic premise of this issue before securing a writer. Shooter provided "some critical ideas".[2] At the time, it was difficult to get high-profile creators to work on licensed comics, as they generally earned fewer royalties from sales. Additionally, many creators were fans of Marvel's earlier days and didn’t want to write stories outside the main continuity. This was part of the reason why ROM and other licensed comics were integrated into Earth-616. Eventually, Bill Mantlo (known for "always being hungry for work") accepted the role of writer. Sal Buscema was later chosen as the artist, as he was also "not too demanding".[1]
  • Mantlo and Shooter received a tape sent from Parker Brothers that contained a promotional video that summarized the basic premise of the toy. It had been previewed earlier when the company introduced Rom at the Toy Fair in February 1979. Mantlo did not like the robot's appearance at first.[4]
  • At Shooter’s request, artist John Romita Jr. redesigned Rom’s toy to give it a look more suitable for the comic format. He created three (known) pieces of art, all inked by Marie Severin, to send as samples to Parker Brothers. The first was a four-panel sequence showing Rom landing on Earth. This sequence was recreated by Sal Buscema to become a house ad and later the opening page of this issue. The second was a pin-up of Rom in space, showcasing the character’s redesign in greater detail. Issue #169 of The Comic Reader fanzine, which features a brief advertisement for this series, used this piece as its back cover. The third illustration was a smaller drawing of Rom in space, seen from a different angle, which was also reused as a house ad. These illustrations satisfied both Parker Brothers and Marvel’s staff, allowing the project to move forward.[5]
  • Mantlo initially proposed a treatment where Rom would land in England, with a stronger focus on dark, occult elements. Unsatisfied with the result, Shooter rewrote much of the treatment, introducing the concept of the Spaceknights sacrificing their humanity and providing names such as Galador and Clairton. Although Mantlo initially disliked the changes, particularly due to the similarities between Rom and Silver Surfer, he eventually warmed to the new direction, especially when he began writing this issue inspired by classic films from his childhood such as Them!, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The War of the Worlds.[1][2][4]
Rom (Earth-616) from ROM Vol 1 3 001

Discarded and later reused cover of Al Milgrom

Rom Vol 1 1 Unused Cover 01

Unused cover by Ed Hannigan

Rom Vol 1 1 Unused Cover 02

Unused cover by Michael Netzer

  • According to Shooter, completing the cover for this issue was a nightmare. Marvel’s then-editor-in-chief gave several artists the concept he had envisioned: a seemingly menacing robot terrorizing the people of a small town. He was looking for an art piece that would evoke the vibe of the 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still (likely noting the similarities between Rom and Gort, the robot deuteragonist of that film). However, it took four attempts to achieve the final result.[1][6]
    • The first cover sketch was drawn by Al Milgrom, who based his illustration on the stylized design of Rom created by John Romita Jr. for the book's interior art. It was rejected but later reprinted as a pin-up in ROM #3.
    • The next attempt was made by Ed Hannigan. Milgrom left a note for him in the margin of the sheet, offering advice on the work and apologizing for providing such slippery paper. Again, it was rejected.
    • The third cover was drawn by Michael Netzer, who took significant liberties with Shooter's instructions, depicting Rom in a heroic pose, being celebrated by the townspeople. According to Shooter, Netzer drew himself on the cover as if he were Jesus Christ, Neal Adams as Moses, and Adams’ family as the rest of the townsfolk. Rom's physical features, particularly his head, were inspired by Parker Brothers' original toy but adjusted with more humanoid proportions. Shooter rejected the work, but kept the drawing. Decades later, he posted it on his website, leaving the artist's identity anonymous to protect him. However, it was Netzer himself who would comment on his post accepting credit.[1][7]
    • The fourth and final attempt, which ultimately became the chosen cover, was sketched by the renowned artist and writer Frank Miller. By this point, the cover was already significantly delayed, so Miller hastily drew it as a favor to Shooter. Later, Josef Rubinstein inked it and added some additional details. Miller's depiction of Rom features a pose clearly inspired by Milgrom's discarded cover.

Trivia

  • In 2014, Ginger Rabbit Studio released ROM remix, a recreation of this issue in which each page was redrawn by a different artist. The purpose of this project was to raise funds to help pay for Bill Mantlo's treatments, who, as is well known, suffered an accident in 1992 that unfortunately caused permanent brain damage.
  • A facsimile miniature of this issue's cover was used as an accessory for the Marvel Legends Mini-Comic action figure of Rom, released in 2025.

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Shooter, Jim (June 17, 2011) The Coming of ROM: A Knight’s Tale JimShooter.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hungstien, Shlomo Ben (November 23, 2013) Some colorized fan art, a new custom figure and Jo Duffy on Rom BLOG FOR ROM FANS WHO AREN'T DICKS. Archived from the original on January 28, 2025.

    Jo Duffy: "Actually, a group of us plotted the first issue of ROM, before Bill came on board. Jim was definitely an important part of the group with some critical ideas, and Bill modified them to fit his style when he took the reigns. All the toy company gave us was ROM, his name and powers, and the fact that the enemies he fought were called Dire Wraiths. I think the dust outlines of the banished wraiths was Bill and Sal's idea, but was inspired by mid-century science fiction flicks, like the Gene Barry version of War of the Worlds. The group created the young lovers who befriended ROM, and set the mandate that Steve be a sympathetic, likable rival. Bill developed them and gave them their names. The wraith's true forms were kept secret to build the suspense. And ROM sent them to limbo as a kind of prison sentence. No one wanted or could care for a hero whose idea of protecting the innocent was to commit genocide against even the worst villains."

  3. Seitz, Lee K. (July 29, 2005) An Interview with Bing McCoy Rom, Spaceknight Revisited. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Mantlo: A Life in Comics (2007) pp. 49-52
  5. Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #1
  6. Wahl, T. Andrew (March 4, 2023) Review: Rom #1 Offthewahl.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025.
  7. Shooter, Jim (August 30, 2011) Items of Interest JimShooter.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025.

    Jim Shooter: "Note to Michael: This drawing is yours, of course, and I will cheerfully return it to you, if you wish."

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