[SilverOptimus]

New Trademark (Filed November 7th by Hasbro) at United States Patent & Trademark Office suggest that there maybe an attempt to bring back "Rom: The Spaceknight" toyline.

However, I'm unfamiliar with the line... it may have nostalgic value on you guys.

Here's the link: USPTO TSDR Case Viewer

[Joe Moore]

Never heard of it.

EDIT:
Looks like there was a single toy produced by Parker Bros. and a Marvel comic in 1979 to 1986. Still doesn't even remotely ring a bell.

[themadbubbler]

My guess is that, as opposed to a whole toy line, they're going to be making a figure of him in one of the Marvel toy lines- which is awesome, in my book. Now, give us a Marvel Legends Crystar!

[BAD MOON]

this would make an excellent sdcc exclusive.

[bmorr]

this is good news for those who were into cosmic marvel back in the 1980s. But the other question is, will he be allowed back into comics?

[trebleshot]

That's up to Hasbro, since they bought Parker Bros. and would presumably now hold all rights to the character.

But considering their working relationship with Marvel, it's a good possibility - if they can get a toy line off the ground. Personally, I'd love to see it return, along with the Dire Wraiths. Maybe even an Excalibur reunion/crossover.

[Snowflakian]

The line holds no nostalgic value to me whatsoever though I do know who Rom is and his comics. Honestly I outright loathed the retro toy, but I could see them re-releasing it as a commemorative thing like they do the old styled gi joe ken-like figures.

I am excited though because I do like Rom, would love to have a classic MU figure of him and an updated modernized aesthetic one. Would also love to see the full on Space Knights done even if they aren't the Marvel Galador ones. I also love the origins of Rom and his entire concept. The origins being that he was designed by pretty much Joe everyman, he sold it to parker brothers (which is now hasbro) and they marketed it through Marvel and a release. You don't get much more American dream right there. As for the concept, I'm outright a fan of any kind of tech knights.

Now, all this is assuming GI Joe-Scale though and articulation. Otherwise I'll pass.

[Kaewin]

Rom was a toy made in the eighties and they cross promoted it with Marvel Comics which made a comic book based on it. The Dire Wraiths and such come from this. It would be interesting to see if it comes back into use in Marvel.

[salsa4datass]

i would love to see rom made into a 3 3/4 figure so he could go perfectly with the mu line...

[Paxtin]

I remember Rom. Never owned any of the toys, vaguely recall reading one of the comics. But I remember it.

I'd probably buy a MU Rom, just for kicks. Though it'd also be neat to see what the character would look like updated. Although, I could also see them reinventing the character as a young childrens toy line. Basically similar robot design but in a more playschool'ish style.

[astrakhan]

Cool as the potential toys will be, I'm holding out hope that Rom will finally get collected. It was a great book and Bill Mantlo needs the money for medical care.

[dinga]

ROM was my favourite comic hero. I had all the comics. I bought a Broken Arrow custom but still want an official ROM. Hasbro make this happen. I want ROM and a bunch of his Space Knights.

[payres]

If it helps resolve the problems reprinting ROM then woo!

[cobracobra]

I would be excited for a ROM series for sure. I remember him in the comic books. Did not know they had a seven year span that is quite impressive.

[Jmacq1]

Rom! This will make a lot of folks happy. It was a pretty good comic back in the day.

Marvel attempted a pseudo-revival in the late 90's with a "Spaceknights" mini-series that was kind of a "backdoor sequel" to Rom (They didn't specifically mention "Rom" but those that were "in the know" recognized it for what it was), but aside from some brief appearances since then that incarnation of the Spaceknights has languished (which is a shame, as I'd love to see them in toy form).

If Rom returns to the comics as well, he'd be a natural fit for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

[mj3141x]

I'm all for the resurrection of any 80s property in 3 3/4-inch scale, if that's what this ends up being (like an addition to the Marvel Universe line). I vaguely remember this as a kid, and I may have even had the original figure at one point, but I could certainly make a place for this in my collection if it comes to light.

[r3v3n63]

"Rom has come, Evil is on the run."
I loved the idea of Rom when I was a kid but I was only able to get the comics. The whole wraith concept got worked throughout the Marvel universe which was kinda cool I thought, I seem to remember a Wraith trying to take over Rogue and it backfiring with Rogue thinking she as a Wraith witch.
Anyway, I found this interview with Bing McCoy about how Rom came about as well as other toys like Starbird... An Interview with Bing McCoy

[TomsToyChest]

Wow, ROM The Space Knight is a name I haven't heard in a long time. I remember the toy from Parker Brothers, it was kind of a neat item for its day. I don't think it really went too far in production and I don't recall any other characters being produced for it so I hesitate in calling it a line.

Marvel ran a comic series in the early '80's for several years and I think it ended in 1986. It had some interesting storylines with the Dire Wraith villains which, if memory serves, were related to the Skrulls and shared their shape-shifting characteristics.

I remember the love triangle between ROM, Brandy Clark and Steve Jackson. She even became a spaceknight herself for a period of time named ... Starshine, I think the name was.

Hopefully this revival will have good success. It was an interesting story.

[scottmurdock]

I'm with Bad Moon on this, an SDCC MU or ML scale ROM would go over quite well.

[boombatty]

If they create another 3.75" line for ROM I am all over that. ROM, plus the Space Knights would be incredible.

[Jason Abbadon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trebleshot

That's up to Hasbro, since they bought Parker Bros. and would presumably now hold all rights to the character.

But considering their working relationship with Marvel, it's a good possibility - if they can get a toy line off the ground. Personally, I'd love to see it return, along with the Dire Wraiths. Maybe even an Excalibur reunion/crossover.

Marvel can make Dire Wraiths and any of the other spaceknights whenever it wants- they have the copyright on everything except Rom.
There was even a Dire Wraith figure prototyped for the silver Surfer line in the 90's but the line tanked and it never gor made...it really was not a good likeness anyway, IMHO.

But a 4" Rom would be a dream come true...I've planned on making a custom of him to go with my collection anyway.

Really, resolving the Rom copyright issue is decades overdue- Rom's series touched so many parts of Marvel contunity- it was where Rogue first considered leaving Mystique and going straight...and where Storm lost her powers for several years when Henry Gyrich used a Forge-created copy of Rom's Neutralizer on her!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsToyChest

Marvel ran a comic series in the early '80's for several years and I think it ended in 1986. It had some interesting storylines with the Dire Wraith villains which, if memory serves, were related to the Skrulls and shared their shape-shifting characteristics.

Dire Wraiths are Deviant Skrulls- much like how the Deviants and Eternals of earth are related to humans but are seperate little Celestial experiments.
Dire Wraiths come inn two flavors- the males which had full shape changing abilitiesand were technology masters and the females with sorcerery.
Females eventually got tired of the males failure and....killed them all!

Females can only assume a person's form after they use their probiscus toungue to drill into a victim's skull and suck that person's brain out, gaining all of that person's memories and skills- and allowing that Wraith to assume that person's form.

Lastly there's Hybrid (most recently seen in Avengers Academy) - a crossbreed between a Wraith father and a unsuspecting human mother, this monster had telepathy on par with Professor X and telekenisis and shapeshifting!
Hybrid's goals are to enslave a bunch of super powered women and inpregnate them to create a new race of monsters like himself.

[Immortalis09]

I had ROM as a kid, my nephew has him now without the weapons. The sound effects for the different weapons was awesome. Wasn't it five gongs if someone was a dire wraith. He was released in the UK by Palitoy as part of the Action Man line. I think he was battling some of Action Man's cave men enemies who were possessed by the dire wraith in a comic strip on the back of the box. I also collected the comic for a while and picked up a couple of old issues from a comic shop a while back. I would love it if an MU sized figure was made. He would be an awesome addition to my collection. His weapon was used in the Earth X storyline at one point but I can't remember why now.

[trebleshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Abbadon

Marvel can make Dire Wraiths and any of the other spaceknights whenever it wants- they have the copyright on everything except Rom.

I never said otherwise. My comment about the rights to ROM was specifically about ROM himself, not any of the other stuff Marvel created for that book. Notice I said character, not characters.

When I mentioned the Dire Wraiths, it was with the idea that should ROM return to Marvel comics, I wanted them to appear in the new comic (especially with the newer versions of them, like Hybrid). But I did get the Wraiths mixed up with Warwolves, though (the latter had history with Excalibur, not the former). Even still, the Dire Wraiths do have some history with the X-Men, so maybe they could still work in a classic Excalibur reunion team-up or something.

...hey, I can dream, can't I?

[Morzilla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAD MOON

this would make an excellent sdcc exclusive.

WHAT!?! NO?!? It's bad enough I can't get a hold of most exclusives from either TRU or WALY but an SDCC?!?! not a bad idea but insane for those of us who can't make it to SDCC nor afford SDCC prices!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmorr

this is good news for those who were into cosmic marvel back in the 1980s. But the other question is, will he be allowed back into comics?

I remember reading a good handful of his comics back in the day, and I think I might have had one or two in my collection. I would most definitely like to see him in both a 6" & a 3.75" figure.
And yes that is a very good question, will MARVEL bring back ROM into comics...!!!