Rom Quick Start for Annihilators Readers
The opening of the comic summarized it so well! If you didn't read it before, here it is again:
Two-hundred years ago, the evil Dire Wraiths threatened the peace-loving planet, Galador. In their homeworld's darkest hour, a thousand brave, young Galadorians sacrificed humanity itself to become Cyborg Warriors, a last desperate line of defense. Though hopelessly outnumbered, these Spaceknights triumphed and pursued the remnants of the Wraith horde across the universe. Now, alone in the Enemy's mightiest stronghold, on a backward planet called Earth, one Galadorian Warrior faces his most awesome challenge.
Stan Lee Presents: The Greatest of the Spaceknights--ROM!
The Dire Wraiths, a magic-wielding offshoot of the shape-shifting Skrulls, had settled on the single planet orbiting a black sun in the Dark Nebula. The planet became known as Wraithworld and the system became the source for the Wraiths magical powers. They fled from it after their defeat by the Spaceknights.
Rom, based on an electronic action figure by Parker Brothers, came to Earth in pursuit of the Dire Wraiths in Rom #1 (1979). After many adventures (including a return to Galador, an encounter with Galactus, and then back to Earth), he eventually convinced the people of Earth that there was an alien threat amongst them. The Wraiths finally got desperate and attempted to merge Wraithworld with Earth. With the help of the mutant Forge, Rom destroyed Wraithworld and the Wraiths sorcerous powers seemed to come to an end. Rom then left Earth to seek Galador, which had been moved to an unknown location by Galactus.
Encountering other Spaceknights along the way, Rom and company eventually found Galador, but it had fallen prey to a new, evil generation of Spaceknights. Rom triumphed against them, had his humanity restored, and, his comic book series canceled (1986), went to work restoring Galador with Brandy Clark, an Earth woman he had fallen in love with. (See the comic book page for a more detailed summary of Rom's 75-issue run. You can also learn more about the Dire Wraiths, Rom's fellow Spaceknights, and his supporting cast, including Brandy Clark.)
Behind the scenes, contact was re-established with Galador's colonies from before Galactus moved it and a new generation of Spaceknights, including Rom and Brandy's two sons, was created. (How it is that Rom's sons are young adults when the rest of the Marvel Universe is still less than 20 years beyond Fantastic Four #1 is unexplained.) In 2000, a Spaceknights limited series began with the death of Rom and the Galadorians discovered a revived Dire Wraith threat. Plus, the Wraiths now had their own Wraithknights. Unfortunately, low sales kept readers from finding out any more of their story or how the Wraiths had returned. (And I apologize that I never seem to have fully completed the Spaceknights Limited Series portion fo the site.)
This Spaceknights of the limited series made a cameo at the end of Annihilation. Then some previously unseen ones were used to help the Phalanx invade the Kree at the beginning of Annihilation: Conquest. And that's been their appearances to date. Ikon is a new character readers have never seen before, although her armor is obviously inspired by Rom's.
Click the button to reveal potential spoilers for Annihilators #1!
