Second Generation Spaceknights
The second generation of Spaceknights were created after Galador's encounter with Galactus (Rom #26-27). Many Galadorians feared that with Galador now moved by Galactus to a location unknown to the original Spaceknights, they would be defenseless against other threats. The second generation Spaceknights were more powerful than the first, but also had less of their humanity. This proved to be the Galadorians' undoing as these Spaceknights went rogue, turning on their creators and destroying them. They were defeated when Rom finally returned to Galador again (Rom #73-75).
Although there were dozens of second generation Spaceknights, most were not identified in the final issues of Rom. In most cases, nothing is known about their history or even their human identities. Below are what few names were given.
Note that all Spaceknights are assumed to share the following powers, although the power level may vary by individual:
- Plandanium armor
- Flight (both atmosphereic and interstellar via rocket pods and hyperspace warps)
- Superhuman strength and resilience
- Enhanced senses
- Short-range radio communication
Dominor
Real name: Unknown
Powers: Razor-force blades formed at hands,
distruptor beams from hands, paralysis beam from eyes
First appearance: Rom #74
Death: Rom #75
History:
Lord Dominor, as he was addressed, was leader of the rogue second
generation Spaceknights. His secret plan was to have the rogue
Spaceknights return to their human forms once they wiped out the
existing Galadorians and breed a master race. The destruction of all
Spaceknights' humanity, save Lord Dominor's, by Heatwave threatened his plan. He needed Brandy Clark, the last
woman on Galador, to carry it out, but Rom refused to give her up.
Dominor and Rom fought in single combat. Rom defeated Dominor, turning
the rogue Spaceknights against their former leader. They formed a
"Ring of Power" to destroy Rom, Dominor, and Galador itself, but it
actually destroyed only the rogue Spaceknights themselves. The Ring
of Power had actually been a trap set by Dominor, but the resulting
explosion did destroy Dominor's humanity, which he had hidden in his
throne. Distraught, he used Rom's neutralizer to commit suicide, thus
ending the threat of the rogue Spaceknights.
Heatwave
Real name: Unknown
Power: Heat rays
First appearance: Rom #73
Death: Rom #75
History:
Heatwave desired to take leadership of the rogue Spaceknights away
from Dominor. He took every opportunity that
presented itself to point out Dominor's weaknesses. He had no desire
to ever give up his powerful Spaceknight armor and become human again.
As a result, he destroyed the humanity of both generations of
Spaceknights cryogenetically preserved in the Hall of Science when the
rebels attempted to hold it hostage. He later declared that the
rogue Spaceknights should destroy the entire planet of Galador to wipe
out the last of the rebels. These actions went against Dominor's
plans to repopulate Galador with a master race bred from the restored
rogue Spaceknights. After Dominor lost his one-on-one battle against
Rom, Heatwave had the rogue Spaceknights present form a "Ring of
Power" that was supposed to destroy Rom, Dominor, and all of Galador.
However, the plan backfired and all the Spaceknights who joined the
ring were destroyed instead. Dominor had set up the Ring of Power as
a failsafe in the event any Spaceknights revolted against him.
Lightningbolt
Real name: Unknown
Power: Throws lightning shaped energy bolts
First appearance: Rom #73
Death: Rom #73
History:
Lightningbolt was the first Spaceknight to come across Brandy Clark after she was
transported to Galador. She managed to elude his attacks until she
found a Horn of Heaven (a weapon of Galador's Angel Elite guards),
which stunned him. Lightningbolt was then killed by a group of
Galador's few remaining humans.
Soundscream
Real name: Unknown
Power: Sonic scream
First appearance: Rom #73
Death: Rom #73
History: Soundscream was one of two rogue Spaceknights
guarding the Hall of Science when Galadorian guerrillas staged a sneak
attack. He was stunned by an Angel Elite attack, but managed to use
his sonic scream to kill the last three Angel Elite in response. He
was subsequently killed by human's leader, Ariane, using one of Lightningbolt's bolts, but his cry summoned
the rest of the rogue Spaceknights.
Steelshot
Real name: Unknown
Power: Unknown
First appearance: Rom #73
Death: Rom #74 or 75 (not explicily shown)
History: Steelshot was one of the Spaceknights accompanying
Heatwave in answer to Soundscream's final cry.