Spaceknight Saturdays: Rom, Herald of Galactus!

Folks, Rom has never been so Silver Surfer-like, and Galactus knows it! So quick recap here before we jump into the meat of the matter:

Rom's gotten to Galador, which is spinning out of control towards the Dire Wraiths' Dark Nebula when it is intercepted by Galactus out for a bite to eat. In the ensuing battle between Rom, the Spaceknights, Galactus and herald du jour Terrax the Tamer, a couple Spaceknights are killed (Rainbow and Terminator) and Rom strikes a bargain with the Devourer of Worlds to spare his homeworld. He will be leading Galactus to Wraithworld where he can eat his fill. Rom, you genocidal badass!

But first, let's take care of our dead, shall we? Terminator, along with what's left of Rom's humanity (Terminator stole his spare fleshy bits) is dead and Terrax is ordered to make him a tombstone.
What, no funeral rites for Rainbow? I guess she was never popular. Not even with her own kind.

Galactus is too hungry to tarry for long though. Without so much as throwing a single flower on the Terminator's casket, he beams back to his ship with all the surviving Spaceknights.
"Take me to that Wraith buffet now!" he intones. The trip is quick and uneventful.
Our first actual visit to the Wraiths' home system (now deserted) really shows how sorcery can warp even a science-fictionny corner of the Marvel Universe. The planet orbits a black sun, which nonetheless provides enough light for Galactus and co. to see where they're going. And if Galador is Heaven, Wraithworld is Hell.
This isn't Wraithworld (I'm sorry, I mean WRAITHWORLD!!!) in its heyday. The Spaceknights really did a number on it. But the descriptions of WRAITHWORLD!!! before its fall aren't any more heartwarming. Aside from the great view, the weather's pretty bad. I mean, acid rains that melt Galactus' cosmic equipment?
Soon, it starts eating at his very armor, and the planet has a strange effect on his digestive system. Overtaken by cramps, the Galactic One heads for the source of the power suckage - the black sun itself!
The Spaceknights only gawk and stare as Galactus becomes as large as the star, which starts spewing Darkwings that threaten to overwhelm him!Yes, you will believe that Galactus can be humbled!To recap what Rom did here: He got into a bargain with the devil to spare his home planet and brought Galactus to WRAITHWORLD!!! where he thought there was a good chance either Galactus would be destroyed, the Dark Nebula would be destroyed, or both. Didn't quite work, but is Galactus going to hold a grudge? Well, he laughs his head off about it, so... no?

No grudge, but payback. Galactus throws Galador in another direction and strands the Spaceknights at its former location.As Rom says, now they're all exiled away from home, and looking for home now would mean leaving the universe prey for the Dire Wraiths. Next stop then: Earth!

BONUS HERALD ANGST MOMENT!
If you thought Terrax wasn't like the Silver Surfer...
...you were dead wrong! Just another whiny cosmic-powered bitch.

Comments

Sleestak said…
As Galactus failed that means the Wraiths have earned their right to exist in the Universe. That makes Rom a villain for detroying them.
Siskoid said…
Or at least their star system does, long abandonned by the Wraiths themselves...
Siskoid said…
To be fair, he was pretty much operating on fumes at the time. I get edgy when I'm hungry too.
mwb said…
Whoa, I'd completely forgotten about that story.

It was an excellent use of Galactus, IMO.

Way better than that run of lets show how powerful villain X is by having them beat Galactus that happens too often in later Marvel.

Here was the same idea, but it worked.
Marc Burkhardt said…
Dang ... I forgot how badly Galactus' butt was kicked in that issue.
viagra online said…
Galactus is the most prominent villain of all comics, any other one have won the quantity of fans that Galactus has.
In this issue we get to see how clever ROM is even though his plan did not quite work out the way he wanted. this is kinda like the equivalent of a U.S. general finding a way to get neo-nazis to fight islamic terrorists. if we could only make that happen the world would be a better place.
Tazirai said…
Rainbow is actually alive at the end. she appears in Issue #28 on the first page.