Earlier this year, Marvel Comics announced the return of a comic book icon: Rom the Spaceknight!
Thanks to an exciting new collaboration between Marvel and Hasbro, the leading toy and game company, we'll be able to enjoy the beloved adventures of this popular toy turned Marvel superhero in the form of long-awaited collections, including the upcoming Rom Omnibus Vol. 1 and last week's Facsimile Edition of ROM #1.
Then, this December, a number of rare mutant moments will be reprinted for the very first time in Rom and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1.
Throughout his hit solo series by industry legends Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, Rom the Spaceknight proved to be a pivotal figure in the Marvel Universe and fought alongside its greatest superhero teams including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. Rom and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1 collects ROM (1979) #17-18 and ROM (1979) #31-32, showcasing the character's first encounter with the Children of the Atom.
During his classic adventures hunting the vile Dire Wraiths on Earth, Rom became embroiled in the affairs of mutantdom as he teamed up with the Uncanny X-Men, fought against the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and even inspired Rogue in a startling turning point towards her journey towards heroism!
In ROM (1979) #17-18, Rom and the X-Men are searching for the offspring of a Dire Wraith and a human, a creature known as Hybrid – which Cerebro has detected as a mutant! But as they clash over their target, Rom gets a taste of his own medicine courtesy of Kitty Pryde.
Then, in ROM (1979) #31-32, the Galadorian hero battles Mystique’s villainous mutant team - including future X-Men stalwart, Rogue - before teaming up with them for a rematch against Hybrid.
Needless to say, we're hoping this is leading to Rom being added to the Marvel Universe's present-day titles as there's a lot the character could bring to those stories. Marvel Comics is clearly making an effort to refamiliarize fans with the Spaceknight, anyway, so it feels like that's what all this is building to.
Marvel Tales celebrates the legacy of the House of Ideas with amazing collections of classic issues, re-presented with brand-new covers, and this one will feature artwork from Nick Bradshaw. You can take a closer look at that below.
ROM AND THE X-MEN: MARVEL TALES #1
Written by BILL MANTLO
Art by SAL BUSCEMA
Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
Virgin Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
On Sale 12/20