Reviewing ROM #2 (January 1980).

Bill Mantlo is the writer and Sal Buscema is the artist of this issue titled “Second Coming”.  Right on the first page there is the amazing “Stan Lee Presents” banner explaining the backstory of the character.  Such a simple but brilliant idea that can get new readers caught up to speed.  This should be on every comic without fail.  “Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed and he devoted his life to fighting crime as Batman!”  “Rick Grimes tries to survive in a world overrun by The Walking Dead!”  “X-Men!  Who the fuck knows?!”

ROM bursts through the walls of a bank that is being robbed.  One person yells out “its ROM!”  Let’s predict that this guy is actually a Dire Wraith.  The other speaking robber calls ROM some kind of robot — thus probably a human.  ROM has “come seeking evil!”  Well it doesn’t get any more evil than bank robbing wraiths.

ROM breaks out the energy analyzer to reveal which one of the robbers is the Dire Wraith.  The Wraith is revealed, but lets remember that only ROM can see the true form of the alien.  The robbers go after ROM to protect the “guy we snatched”.  ROM couldn’t care about stopping a bank robbery.  What is money to one who has traveled the stars for 200 years?  Archie Stryker, leader of the criminals, fires a laser cannon at ROM, and it is the first thing so far on Earth that has caused pain to ROM.  The Wraith gets away while ROM stops the laser cannon, which is now more a nuisance than a potentially fatal device.

The Wraith tries to hide in a bank vault, but mere steel doors are not enough to stop ROM.  This is one more reason why I’m not sure yet  if the title takes place in the regular Marvel Universe.  If I was a manager of a bank in the 616 my security would be something like adamantium or vibranium.  Also, the FDIC policies must be insane in Marvel U.  All banks are insured against acts of God, but not acts of gods (be they Roman, Norse or what have you).  But I digress… the gang leader, Stryker, refuses to leave the (non) human as prey for this space monster.  That’s right, ROM is so horrifying, even hardened criminals grow souls in his presence.  The Wraith reveals the master plan, to build a transmission base that will bring all his fellow race to Earth.  The Spaceknight dispatches of his foe, but not before the rest of the lasers have been turned on.  Our protector from the stars is now caught in a deadly grid of laser blasts.  Have no fear true believers, ROM escapes.  Archie Stryker curses out the metallic soldier, which at some point he learned the name of – ROM!  Styker’s curses are heard by a local policeman, who may be another Dire Wraith.

We return to Clairton and see how Brandy Clark is doing.  Those around Brandy (her doctor, family, and friends) believe she is still in shock after her encounter with the shining scythe from space.  But Brandy knows that ROM is here to save us, and pleads her case.  She is the only one to believe this as everyone else thinks she has left shock and went to crazy.  Brandy is comforted by her lover Steve Jackson.  As a woman in the era, she needs to be held by a man when she’s upset.  Brandy breaks off from Steve and takes a walk with her wolf looking dog, Tempest.  When suddenly, there’s a commotion coming from the gazebo!  (Worst game of Clue ever.)  Its  ROM, asking Brandy for help with understanding human nature.  ROM feels something for Brandy, as she does for him.  But could a love like this ever happen?  A seven foot silver man and a middle American innocent  brunette.  There’s a KISS song in here.

A Wraith disguised as a raven enters a pentagon-esque government building to meet with other Dire Wraiths.  The danger of the Wraiths is increased when it is revealed that SHIELD agents, senators and generals are among their ranks.  The Wraiths in power vow to use their technology, along with war weapons of planet Earth to ride the universe of ROM.  The inhuman silhouettes of these  villains implies that their  true forms have yet to be revealed.

ROM uses his Energy Analyzer to confirm that Steve is in fact human.  For a moment, the hero’s eyes change from fiery red to the glowing green shade of jealousy.  The Spaceknight and Steve may be competing for the same woman.  Before a love triangle can bloom, the police have arrived to stop the covetous crusader from the cosmos.  Chief Rogers and Stryker are among the law enforcement vehicles.  The Chief almost lets his true purpose slip numerous times while speaking with Stryker.  Two hundred years of wandering the stars hasn’t been enough for the Wraiths to learn how to keep their stories together.  Chief Rogers pulls a Wraith gun out of the glove compartment.

With every gun in the county pointed at him, ROM holds his hand high in the “open palmed universal gesture of peace”.  Should SETI or NASA ever find life elsewhere, I would like this gesture tested.  Law enforcement begins to fire upon ROM and Brandy’s innocent little wolf-dog is caught in the crossfire.  ROM’s anger is unleashed and he begins to tear apart the gazebo, using parts of it as projectiles.  Under Chief Rogers’s orders a “star wars type cannon” is fired on ROM, momentarily harming him.  ROM destroys the cannon like its a world 1-1 bad guy.  Rogers tries the sonic shatterer on ROM, a weapon that used to have a fatal effect on Spaceknights.  However, this knight of space has had 200 years to toughen himself to the extremes of space.  The shatterer has no effect on the centuries old centurion.

ROM tosses Stryker aside and sends Rogers to a horror worse than death.  While ROM may preserve life, that does not mean it all must be preserved in the perfect area.  ROM leaves before her harms Brandy’s life anymore.  Brandy begs him to explain, but even ROM knows that his story will be unbelievable to the humans.  The same humans who are now vowing to destroy ROM.

This really is a fantastic comic, and one I cant wait to read.  How any company, like Parker Brothers, would choose to sit on nothing while the opportunity to roll in dollars is not just prevalent, but screaming to be noticed, is beyond me.