Sunday, January 6, 2013

Rom related alien races, the U.S. govt. & Bill Mantlo's legacy

Left click to enlarge
 The first half of this posting is something of a continuation of the alien races index posting at the tail end of October last year: http://romspaceknightart.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-latest-back-issue-finds.html The funny thing is unlike the Thuvrians and Clavians the "Hibers" weren't even referred to by any sort of name in the actual Rom issue (their only appearance ever in Marvel comics) they appeared in. The writers for Marvel just came up with this name for the sake of including them in the alien races index it would seem.
The Hibers entry was something I've been meaning to post for a while now but here is something I discovered just very recently in that Marvel Universe#15 (1987) back issue as well. This is an excerpt taken from the front inside cover editorial of a general over view of alien races in the Marvel Universe.


So now it would seem is a good time to share with you all yet another Rom related clip art from Gary Martin Jr. taken from the last two panels of Avengers#243.


As most of you know Avengers 244 and 245 had a Dire Wraith story line which very closely corresponded to recent events in the ROM series. Mr. Sikorsky was the U.S. government's liaison to the Avengers at that time and had replaced Henry Gyrich. Just like Forge and Rom the Avengers couldn't stand Gyrich either he was a real dick head to beings with super powers.

And speaking of dick heads Captain Marvel #6 vol. 3 (2001) was written by Peter David and it seems David might also be a fan of Battlestar Galactica as well as Robocop. Anyways, as far as I'm concerned this issue was largely paying homage to Bill Mantlo since it featured this Rom sculpture in Rick Jone's apartment (also seen in issue1 and 3) along with The Micronauts . . sort of. Thanks again for this clip art too Gary.
You'll notice Acroyer, Biotron, Microtron & are missing along with some of the signature vehicles and accessories they used to feature back in the 80s. The Baron, formally known as Baron Karza is only represented as a familiar silhouette shape in a flash back sequence. Marvel did something similar with Rom in Universe X #3 (2000) http://romspaceknightart.blogspot.com/2012/08/new-found-rom-cameo-plus-dire-wraiths.html You also won't find the name Space Glider used any where and The Micronauts are now simply the Microns. This supports my theory that it was in 2000 that Marvel lost the rights to both Rom and The Micronauts. For a review of the issue and more clip art: http://random-happenstance.blogspot.com/2012/02/todays-cross-no-ver-small-x-pectations.html
and http://www.leaderslair.com/legacy/captainmarvel5-006.html

MORE RARE & AWESOME ROM STUFF FOUND TODAY. STAY TUNED FOR NEW POSTINGS COMING SOON!

4 comments:

  1. In 2000? I thought Marvel would have lost the rights much earlier. Shame.

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    1. yeah all the stuff coming out in the mid and late 90s that was Rom related like the last issues of the New Warriors and X-Man#31 were still using Rom's likeness and name. but you see with issue #3 of Universe X (2000), Captain Marvel #6 (2001) and the Spaceknights (2000) mini-series how that all changed with the obvious restrictions that set in.

      just a general note to everyone out there i just made some sweet finds today i'll be posting soon.

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  2. Very nice find man, the OHOTMU v2 #15 reference on the inside cover. ROM gets name-checked too, a few paragraphs before the Wraiths. I've scoured every Handbook-type publication (except A to Z hardbacks, the stack of which I got for Christmas is awaiting perusal) for ROM/Wraith mentions and your find is one that I had missed, so it's yet another beautiful meshing of our research. By the way, I've already had all the alien races you've posted, and I knew about all the Contest of Champions bits. CoC #2's proto-Handbook entry's error of "Clairton, Virginia" (an unfortunate mistake also made in ROM's profile for OHOTMU v2 #11 then uncorrected when reused in TPB vol. 6 and Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe vol. MU3...yeesh!) burns this West Virginian up every time I see it.

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    1. welcome back Gary it's been a while i'm glad you've managed to get some quality time to yourself recently. damn you're right about that Rom name check in that inside front cover Universal Scope editorial how the @#$% did i miss that?
      well coming up next i've got a long lost Rom house ad and a Youtube video clip of a Rom sketch being worked on at a comic convention in Canada last year.

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