Rom
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| The name or term "Rom" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Rom (disambiguation). |
Rom K'atsema is a Space Knight and Lord of the Solstar Order. Once a young geologist with a lust for life, Rom was forever changed when the evil Dire Wraiths destroyed his homeworld Elonia. The first armor-enhanced Space Knight, Rom is also one of the most powerful, and the Wraiths fear him more than all others. Because of his success in eliminating their numbers, he has earned the name of Wraithslayer among his enemies. He has hounded the Wraiths and kept them underground for centuries. He alone could wipe them off the face of existence. He is Rom, Lord of the Solstar Order! Rom, the Wraithslayer! Rom, the Space Knight!
However, having spent 200 years trapped in symbiotic metal armor, Rom has tired of waging an endless war. While his fellow Knights are only focused on destroying the Wraiths and those they infect, Rom hopes to save the Wraiths' victims and restore peace to the cosmos. This mission has brought him to Earth, where he finds a world full of strong people, and a Wraith infection greater than any he's known before. Rom wishes to understand what his enemies are planning for this world and to save the unique species that inhabits it.
Fiction[edit | edit source]
Hasbro Universe[edit | edit source]
Beginnings[edit | edit source]
Rom was born on Elonia circa 1800, the son of Shah and Benna K'atsema, along with his younger brother Reyn. The family lived in a collective near the Thrail Mountain Range. Rom enrolled in the Elonia University of Arts and Sciences, where he befriended the exchange student Fy-Laa and Livia, whom he would eventually fall in love with. Rom profile The three shared a tent on the university dig sites. Interlude
While away from home on a digging expedition, a series of meteors crashed onto the planet, some landing near Rom's home. As Rom was about to return home, the meteors exploded, killing Reyn and Benna, while Shah was injured and (unknown to Rom) infected by a Dire Wraith. The Solstar Order took his mother back to their medical center, where Solstar Lieutenant Diavod informed him that his mother wasn't likely to survive. As Livia comforted him, Rom theorized that the meteor landings were too specific to be random, and that they were likely an attack. Just then, the victims, including Rom's mother, transformed into Dire Wraiths and attacked. Diavod tried to fight them off, but the Shah-Wraith knocked his Neutralizer out of his hands before he could use it. Realizing that the creature was no longer his mother, Rom grabbed the Neutralizer and blasted the Wraith. As the Wraiths fled from the scene, Diavod, impressed by Rom's use of his weapon, offered him a place in the Solstar Order's military.
Upon joining the Order, Rom, Livia, and Fy-laa were given a full briefing from Imperator Carax and Senior Officer Orphion on what the Dire Wraiths were and the threat they posed to the planet. Rom was initially angry that Elonia was never warned of this threat, but resolved to do everything in his power to stop the Wraiths from spreading. As the three began their training, Rom and Livia soon began a romantic relationship. After reaching the rank of Cadet, the three were given their first mission: guarding a mine near Rom's old home that the Dire Wraith could use as a command post. Rom was disappointed at this assignment, feeling that his talents could be better served hunting down Wraiths than just sitting around waiting.
Shortly after arriving at the mine, the trio were attacked by a cadre of Dire Wraiths, including the Shah-Wraith. Having grown up around the area, Rom created an escape route for him and his friends by firing his Neutralizer into the ground, leading to a flooded chasm. With the Dire Wraiths right behind them, Rom told Livia and Fy-laa to run as he held them off. His Neutralizer empty, he pulled a stone from the ground with which to combat the Wraiths. However, the monsters responded in fear, saying that he had found "the Ore," as the stone began to change shape and surround his arm. Rom struck one of the Wraith leaders with his Ore-covered hand, causing pain to the creature. Realizing that the mineral could hurt them, Rom grabbed more of the Ore, which surrounded the rest of his body and formed a crystalline armor. As Rom reached for his Neutralizer, the weapon was absorbed into the armor, allowing him to channel its energy into attacks. Rom told his friends to take the Ore for themselves, creating armor for them as well and allowing them to kill the Wraiths, including the one that took over Rom's mother. However, after the fight, Rom discovered that the armor had permanently bonded itself to him and he was unable to remove it.
After running several tests, the Solstar Order found that the armor perfectly preserved the life functions of its wearers, providing any biological need and making them effectively immortal. While Livia and other Order members were satisfied to have such an effective weapon against the Dire Wraiths, Rom worried about the fact that they may be trapped in this form forever. As the rest of the Order went to retrieve more of the Ore, Rom flew to the remains of his home, marking the memory of his family with a beam from his Neutralizer. Cold Fire
The Solstar Order was eventually successful in routing the Wraiths from Elonia, but only after the dark magicians had assimilated and killed much of the population. Earthfall: Part Two Shortly after the invaders had been expelled, Rom and Livia visited the remains of Rom's old homestead. Retracting their faceplates, the two shared a kiss content that they were there for each other. Long Roads to Ruin, Part 3
War Without End[edit | edit source]
The Solstar Order eventually chased the Wraiths all the way back to their homeworld with Rom being part of the squad that ultimately destroyed the planet. In the mid-19th century, Rom was patrolling the Gray Area where he witnessed a Galactic Council warship shoot down a fleeing craft. As the Council simply warped away without providing answers, Rom investigated the wreckage and found a Cybertronian protoform. Taking it back to Elonia, it grew into Stardrive who came to view Rom as her hero for saving her from both the Council and a Wraith on Mato Grosso and eventually became a Space Knight in his honour. A few years later, Rom and Livia were overseeing a training cruise with cadets Auxin and Sata to a mining colony. While there Rom easily routed the Wraiths before noticing Auxin was missing. He returned with Stardrive and agreed with her opinion that the colony's destruction was unnecessary. En route to the space station Orchid Crossing, Rom and Livia argued about the merits of compassion in war. Later that night, the two visited Stardrive to explain that the Galactic Council would arrive in the morning to negotiate safe passage for the Knights through their territory and Stardrive was needed to demonstrate the Order's ability to control Cybertronians. While Livia was very brusque, Rom offerred Stardrive (relatively) kind words.
In the morning, the delegation arrived and soon revealed themselves to be a Dire Wraith/Decepticon alliance. When Stardrive was cornered by Starscream, Rom tried to aid her only to be swatted out of the air by the Decepticon. When Rom recovered, he found Starscream in a standoff against Ultra Magnus and Bumblebee and tried to remind everyone that this was supposed to be a mission of peace but none of the Cybertronians paid him any mind. Shining Armor #1 
He rectified this by shooting Ultra Magnus in the arm drawing their attention. Bumblebee's lack of hostilities however surprised Rom, who had believed them in league with Starscream, and wondered if the Autobots and Space Knights could be allies.
Unfortunately he voiced this thought in such a ridiculous manner that Magnus shot him through a wall for being annoying and talking too much.
By the time he recovered, the Autobot Sky Blast had been possessed by a Dire Wraith, turning the two into an ungodly Cybertronian/Wraith fusion that began killing everything in sight. Nonetheless, Rom stood his ground and rallied Livia and Sata to fight the creature so that the crew of the station could evacuate. The station then began to collapse as Ultra Magnus had shut off its power in the hopes that atmospheric reentry would kill the hybrid. Overseeing the evacuation, Rom called Stardrive to follow them only for her to go help Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus. Escaping into the skies of Xetaxxis, Rom and Livia again argued about Stardrive and whether or not she'd fully defected to the Cybertronians. They then tracked her down with Rom shooting Magnus square in the chest stating that organics were not weak and offering Bumblebee a chance to surrender. Shining Armor #2
The shot barely fazed Magnus and the two Autobots engaged the Space Knights. Rom and Livia fought Ultra Magnus but the blue Autobot proved able to take all their Neutralizer blasts before Stardrive interceded and halted the fighting. The cadet exploded at Rom and Livia, accusing them of lying about the Cybertronians. When Rom highlighted the Cybertronians had destroyed Orchid Crossing, Bumblebee explained it was the Decepticons. At Rom's confusion, Magnus explained that although Cybertron had perfected interstellar travel the species still had societal devisions. When Livia proposed the destruction of Xetaxxis, Rom found himself agreeing for once in fear of the Wraith/Cybertronian hybrid. When Bumblebee asked why they felt the Wraiths would still be on Xetaxxis, Stardrive revealed the existence of her energon synthesizer prompting the Knights and Autobots to agree to a temporary alliance. As Rom, Livia and Stardrive flew ahead, Livia and Stardrive discussed the merits of destroying the planet, Rom only speaking up to protest to Livia's discussing of Reyn's death. The three landed at the wreckage of Orchid Crossing where Rom expressed sympathy for the Xetaxxans before the Decepticons struck. Stardrive evacuated the civilians while Rom and Livia engaged the Seekers in an aerial duel before Starscream shot down Stardrive and landed on Rom. Recovering Rom heroically socked Starscream in the jaw declaring he would protect the innocents of Xetaxxis from both Wraiths and Decepticons and that no more innocents would die on this day. Shining Armor #3
Rom soon found himself fighting Ramjet, swearing to protect some nearby Xetaxxians in an extremely melodramatic fashion before he and Livia eventually to overpower Dirge and send him into Starscream prompting both Seekers to take their leave. Though Rom was eager to pursue, Livia suggested that the Knights destroy Stardrive's energon synthesizer to release an explosion of 2.27x10^(41) megajoules and sterilize half the planet, which Rom immediately shot down. Livia's insistence on the plan caused Stardrive to snap at her hypocrisy and Rom calling the Cybertronians "her people" was the final straw for the cadet who decided to abandon the Solstar Order over Rom's protests. Much to Rom's horror, Livia shot Stardrive down which prompted a retaliatory attack from the Camien who quickly overpowered Livia and the recently arrived Sata despite Rom and Bumblebee's protests to get her to stand down. She only did so when Bumblebee revealed Ultra Magnus had very likely given his life to stop the Decepticons from getting the synthesizer. Magnus soon arrived, possessed by Vekktral. As the Wraith/Decepticon alliance surrounded the Autobot and Knights however, Vekktral turned on Starscream. Shining Armor #4
Using the distraction, Rom focused his energies on Vekktral, only to find that Ultra Magnus's body was immune to the Neutralizer. After the Decepticons had made themselves scarce, Rom led the attack on Magnus until the Autobot was able to wrestle control from Vekktral long enough to reveal his Spark begging Rom to kill him. Rom did so over Bumblebee's protests, slaying the Autobot only to learn that "Ultra Magnus" had been but a guise assumed by Convoy. After the energon synthesizer had been detonated, the group reconvened in orbit where Stardrive shed her Space Knight armor before handing it to Rom and warping off. Though Rom offerred to take Bumblebee with them, the Autobot declined, knowing the Magnus Armor could return him to the Autobot fleet. At a Solstar space station, Rom watched Orphion's negotiations with the Galactic Council break down before he observed Livia and Sata training a new generation of Knights, mourning that unlike Stardrive, he was trapped in the armor and the life of a Space Knight forever. Shining Armor #5
As the Space Knights eventually went beyond their area of space, Rom became familiar with Cybertronian spacebridge technology but would erroneously believe all the portals had been destroyed. O Ship of State He would also learn of the holiness of Titans in Cybertronian culture. Our Darkest
Eventually Rom was partnered with his old friend Fy-Laa. While flying in space, the two came upon the planet Verdulun-5 which read to their Analyzers as both a Wraith and not with the Wraith presence being both and everywhere and nowhere. The surface suddenly sprung to life, Battle Scars, Part 1 prompting the two to take flight before they realized the planet was no threat. After the planet's hive mind explained the reason for the Wraith signature, Fy-Laa sought to use Verdulun-5 as a peaceful way to end the Solstar/Wraith war only for Rom to insist that it be destroyed. The planet made an impassioned plea on its behalf...but it did so through Fy-Laa, its avatars advancing on Rom seeking to assimilate him. Battle Scars, Part 2 Rom begged Fy-Laa to resist the uni-mind but received a Neutralizer to the face. As he recovered, he screamed that Verdulun-5 was a virus before tackling Fy-Laa into the upper atmosphere. Much to Rom's horror, Verdulun-5's Wraith infection had spread into Fy-Laa. The brainwashed Knight proved Rom's superior and stabbed him in the shoulder. As Rom lay bleeding, Fy-Laa claimed that the two Knights would allow Verdulun-5 to spread its influence across the galaxy. Battle Scars, Part 3 Unwilling to be assimilated, Rom channeled his Neutralizer through his entire body, shattering the tentacles holding him and freeing Fy-Laa's mind for a moment. The Velovian confessed to Rom however that he was now bound to Verdulun-5 and mournfully instructed Rom to destroy the planet while making him promise to never let the Wraiths destroy another beautiful world. Heartbroken, Rom agreed and shattered the planet along with his oldest friend. Battle Scars, Part 4
While Solstar protocol dictated Rom request a new partner after Fy-Laa's death, he declined to do so, continuing his mission alone. Earthfall: Part Three
Arrival on Earth[edit | edit source]
In 2016, Rom touched down on the Wraith-infested world of Earth, and was quickly approached by both the United States military and the local police force of Pismo Beach. Identifying several of the soldiers as Dire Wraiths using his Energy Analyzer, Rom engaged, disintegrating two with his Neutralizer. The third Wraith was able to energize itself with the blood of one of the police officers, wounding the other officer in the process, and adopted a Wraith Hawk form to battle Rom, but to no avail. Having destroyed the last Wraith, he proclaimed to the wounded officer and remaining human soldier that their world had been invaded... but Rom the Space Knight had come! Earthfall: Prelude As he flew, he paused to remember Fy-Laa and their last mission together. Battle Scars, Part 1
Arriving in the nearby town of Cooper's Mill, Rom was intrigued to find that it had been overrun by Wraiths, but without any overt signs such as Wraith Hives. Carrying out analysis in Mantlo Park, he stumbled upon a group of disguised Wraiths greeting home the soldier Darby Mason. Attacking just as they attempted to assimilate Mason, Rom began destroying Wraiths en masse, but the crowds of disguised magicians quickly began filming him for propaganda purposes, before revealing that the park's vegetation was also infested, coming to twisted life and grasping at the Space Knight. After boosting away from the creeping plants, Rom set the park ablaze and proceeded to track Mason, who he identified as the last human in the entire town. Carrying her to safety, she initially fought back, before accepting that she too had sensed something strange about her family, and listening to Rom explain his identity and mission. Earthfall: Part One
At Mason's request, Rom brought her to her family home so that the soldier could retrieve a photo of her deceased family. Noting that her love for them was a rock to cling to against the Wraiths, Rom proceeded to explain that Darby had been uniquely resistant to the Wraiths attempt to replace her in the park, but tendrils of infestation soon burst into the house, forcing the pair to flee. High above the town, Rom then used his Neutralizer in its "ultimate form" to burn the Wraiths from the entire settlement... save Mason's house. Retreating to a nearby coastal cave to rest, Rom shared the story of Elonia and the Space Knights with Darby, before detecting an inhuman presence nearby.
Leaving Mason at the cave, Rom discovered the police officer wounded during his arrival on Earth, Camilla Byers, being pursued by Wraith Stalkers, which he promptly disintegrated. The Space Knight was shocked to see that Byers's wound had formed a Wraithmark, but was interrupted by the arrival of soldiers, who quickly attacked Rom. Detecting them as human, Rom refused to retaliate, but was then stunned when they revealed themselves as Wraiths! Earthfall: Part Two Led by the Wraith Sorcerer D'rge, the aliens ensnared Rom and Byers in binding spells, and began an attempt to strip the Space Knight's armor from him. However, whilst D'rge telepathically communed with Byers, weaving lies about the Wraiths' intentions, Rom was able to redirect his Neutralizer through his wrist Analyzers and destroy the Wraith guards. As D'rge fled, Rom explained to Byers how the Wraiths replaced their victims, and that her Wraithmark could yet be safely removed. First, however, he asked that she use the mental connection it provided to aid in their battle. Regrouping with Mason, who had been taken in for questioning by disguised Wraiths and then released, the trio formed a plan to root out the dark magicians hidden within the military—a plan that involved Mason calling the Wraiths to capture Rom and Byers, and take them right inside Vandenberg Air Force Base. Earthfall: Part Three
Within the base, Rom was kept inside a dimensional binding prism, a device that prevented him from properly interacting with the world outside his prison. He was eventually freed when Darby fired an EMP at the cube, disrupting its field long enough for Rom to break free with his Neutralizer, though doing so drained the weapon forcing to rely on melee combat for a time. By the time he could fire it, a Wraith had taken Darby hostage forcing Rom to detach his weapon from his armor and use it as a lance to slay the Wraith. He was then tackled by a Warrior Wraith whom he engaged in fisticuffs. Managing to overpower the shapeshifter, he demanded to know how the Wraiths were able to hide themselves from the Analyzer and the Warrior revealed (after some torture) that the Wraiths had acquired alien technology that had proven more advanced than that of the Elonians. His friends talked him out of further torture and he flew them to safety. Here Darby announced she was done helping Rom, noting he was too violent and she did not want another war. Rom sympathized and wished her good fortune in her future. Camilla however was not ready to leave Rom yet and insisted that the two travel to Seattle to deal with a special Wraith project. Earthfall: Part Four
Teaming up[edit | edit source]
While discussing Optimus Prime's recent annexation of Earth, Miles Mayhem surprised Scarlett with his awareness of Rom's recent exploits in Northern California, noting that the current Action Man could be of potential use there. Secret Raiders
In short order, Rom and Byers traveled to Seattle to investigate signs of Wraith activity. Heading into the city, the duo were suddenly attacked by a strange flying creature calling itself Axiom, with elements of both Wraith and human about it. Depositing Byers atop the Space Needle, Rom engaged the creature, but found himself blasted out of the sky by its energy beams. Crashing to the ground in a shipyard, Rom turned his Analyzer on Axiom, revealing it to indeed be human, but clad in bizarre, Wraith-infested armor. Rom's hesitation to fight a human allowed Axiom the upper hand, but after he opened his mask to reveal a bizarre half-human, half-Wraith visage, the Space Knight decided the time for mercy was passed. However, the creature suddenly took flight, intending to attack the helpless Byers. Atop the Needle, Rom was able to get Axiom at gunpoint, but the creature suddenly teleported to safety. As Rom noted that he had detected the unearthly substance Ore-13 within Axiom, Byers shared a telepathic message that her mark allowed her to overhear: Axiom was working for a Wraith named General Colton. Field Test Before hunting down Colton, Rom left Camilla at Cooper's Mill to recuperate. Reinforcements, Part 1
Rom traced the location of the Wraith Colton to Portland, Oregon, where the false General was coordinating a battle between G.I. Joe and the Transformers. Even as Colton ordered his troops to open fire, Rom disintegrated him, along with three other Wraiths among the Joe forces, Red Zone, Hi-Tech, and Wreckage. As G.I. Joe retaliated, assuming the Space Knight was a Cybertronian, Jazz tried to tackle Rom, to stop him from harming anymore "humans". When the Autobot was shot by Rock 'n Roll, Rom took the opportunity to fly away. Concorde Hymn He was pursued by the Cybertronians who managed to damage and force him to make an emergency landing at the Umpqua National Forest. He tried to rest only to be shot in the chest by Optimus Prime who demanded answers. Annoyed, Rom managed to use his smaller size and superior speed to body flip the Cybertronian by turning his weight against him explaining he was here to hunt Dire Wraiths before he was surrounded by Prime's men. He attempted to fly off, punching Soundwave in the face but this left him opened to Windblade slashing his chest with her sword, Arcee punching his open wound and forcing him to the ground, and Optimus Prime ramming him in his vehicle mode. Dazed, the Space Knight was confronted by Prime's weapon inches from his face and asked to tell them more about his mission. The Divine Source of Liberty
Hopelessly outgunned, Rom introduced himself to the Cybertronians and made peace with them, being brought back to their base. O Ship of State Informed He did not fully trust them, however, due to their dismissive attitude towards the damage their civil war had brought to organic worlds. He gave his information on the Dire Wraiths in exchange for information on Ore-13 and Microspace from the Cybertronians. While the mechanical aliens debated amongst themselves, Rom admired the nearby spacebridge, noting its power could aid the Solstar Order and that his armor somehow resonated with the portal. Without warning the spacebridge activated and Rom used this opportunity to send all the Ore-13 he could to Microspace before Optimus Prime made him see reason and the Space Knight stood down. O Ship of State
Soon enough, the human Snake Eyes made himself known as did the Micronauts. Rom realized the latter were inhabitants of Microspace and offered a heartfelt apology to them for endangering their universe. Optimus cut him off and ordered him to prepare to fight to defend the Earth. Rom's Analyzers then detected a massive army of Wraiths approaching the city. Joining the others, Rom fought off the lead Wraith in combat but was outnumbered by the many Wraiths and outgunned by the power they were drawing from the Ore-13. Rom was downed and his armor was breached as Baron Karza emerged and absorbed all the Dire Wraiths into him. The New Colossus As more confusion kept building, Rom began fighting Snake-Eyes and Acroyear only for the three to be grabbed by Optimus and forced into the cockpit of the Autobot leader's truck mode. As he charged Baron Karza, the Prime explained that Karza was their true enemy and rallied everyone to fight together. Rom soon teamed up with Soundwave, the Micronauts, the G.I. Joe known as Mainframe, and Matt Trakker to stop Karza using his own power. Rom acted as a medium to safely channel the increasingly volatile Ore-13 before he safely flew out, carrying Trakker. Riddled with guilt, he apologized to Scarlett for all the pain he'd caused G.I. Joe before he flew off. Valley Forge He later returned, however, to properly say goodbye. Reinforcements, Part 1
Later on, he tracked a large Wraith presence to the country of Schleteva where he encountered a G.I. Joe unit led by Mayday and joined forces with them to investigate. He informed them however, that the creatures were not true Dire Wraiths, but humans mutated with Wraith genetics. Using his Neutralizer to stun the creatures, Rom followed the Joes to the source of the mysterious transformation. Once there, the group discovered the human Action Man engaged in battle with the Cybertronian Garrison Blackrock over the Talisman that had caused the mutations. Before Blackrock could slay Action Man, Rom intervened which allowed Mayday to talk down Blackrock. When the Oktober Guard attacked, Rom informed Blackrock he was not a Cybertronian before the two attacked the Guard. The obelisk was triggered in the fight, however, forcing Rom to use his Neutralizer to create a forcefield to shield Action Man and Mayday. Major Bludd attempted to flee but was thwarted by Kup, who expressed surprise at seeing Rom. Rom then tried to use his Analyzer to gleam the obelisk's origin before Bludd suddenly teleported away with Action Man. When the group was still without an answer hours later, Rom had to take his leave to fight off the true Wraiths. Blackrock seemed glad to have him leave. Crisis Intervention
Reunited[edit | edit source]
Rom eventually flew back to Cooper's Mill, where he'd left Camilla. En route, he reflected that he'd been careless in his recent actions, that Earth was seemingly unique compared to the other worlds where he'd fought Wraiths and how powerful, yet careless, Cybertronians could be and wondered if he would have to one day fight them. Finding Camilla, Rom saw that the Wraith infection had spread even more while he was away and the woman begged him to kill her. He scanned her with his Analyzer and confirmed that the infection was beyond what he'd anticipated and offered her a final choice between trying to cut it out with his Neutralizer (which involved pain and no real guarantee of survival) or simply killing her altogether. Before Camilla could choose, the Wraith took over and engaged Rom in combat, using its tentacles to stop Rom from properly aiming his Neutralizer. Rom managed to down her using his superior speed but before he could kill her, he was shocked to see his comrades Orphion and Livia were on Earth. Reinforcements, Part 1 While happy to see his old friends again, Rom was quick to jump to Camilla's defence. However he was no match for two Knights and the fight was broken up when the Wraith inside Camilla broke free and formed a Wraith hawk to attack the Knights. While Rom and Livia defeated it, Orphion approached Camilla and primed his Neutralizer. Though Rom was ready to blow Orphion's head off, Orphion shot out only the Wraith from Camilla's body, sparing her. Reinforcements, Part 2 In stealth mode, the three Knights watched Camilla be taken away by paramedics before Orphion decided to blow up the Earth. Rom however managed to get the two to listen to him as he had more experience on Earth. When the three landed at a safe area, Rom expressed his annoyance at the Knights constantly being on the defensive throughout the war and his belief that the war would end on Earth. Orphion chose this moment to chew out Rom for multiple breaches of protocol specifically not requesting a new partner when his had died and not having blown Earth to space dust. Rom highlighted the unusual Wraith activity on Earth and that Earth itself was a Cybertronian colony and to destroy it would likely spark a war against Cybertron. Orphion dismissed both and showed Rom the massive scale of the Wraith infiltration of Earth. Orphion was then struck down by rogue members of G.I. Joe. After confirming that the two were indeed human, Rom and Livia easily dispatched them and rendered them unconscious. During the battle however, Orphion had recovered and flown off. Reinforcements, Part 3
Rom and Livia tracked him to an oil platform. En route Livia commented on how insane humans were but Rom still felt they had their merits. When the two arrived, they found Orphion had dispatched the Wraiths and was preparing to destroy the Earth. Rom tried to talk his superior down highlighting that was going to perform genocide. Rom was then attacked by Orphion and Livia. While Livia went below deck, Orphion engaged Rom. At wit's end, Rom stopped holding back and absorbed Orphion's Neutralizer right out of his armor opting to beat his commander to death. However Orphion was able to channel the energy of his weapon through his armor and stun Rom. Reinforcements, Part 4 Rom refused to stand down however and Orphion simply ordered Livia to shoot him. Mournfully she did so, rendering him unconscious. When Rom had recovered, Orphion was being beaten by a Wraith creature called "The Absence". Rom stuck his Neutralizer inside it and killed it. Seeing that Livia was injured, Rom begged Orphion for help but was denied. His anger at the breaking point, Rom snapped at his commander calling him a coward who hid behind rules as an excuse not to feel and do whatever he pleased. Heeding Rom's words, Orphion donated his energy to save Livia before deciding to give Rom a chance to make his case regarding Earth. Reinforcements, Part 5
Rom took his fellow Knights back to Pismo Beach, California to observe a crowd of humans in stealth mode where he was awed at their diversity. Orphion however had read the human internet and was unimpressed, ordering everyone to drop their stealth coating to see how humans truly reacted. To Rom's joy, the humans were awed to meet the Space Knights (despite thinking them Autobots) and he fondly remembered happier times when Livia's humour was brought to the surface. As the three prepared to leave, they received a tip about a Wraith hiding out at a nearby church. Inside the three found a Wraith masquerading as a priest who claimed to be saving humanity. Intrigued, Rom insisted he continue with the priest claiming the Wraiths brought salvation to all. When Orphion attacked, Rom questioned why the Wraiths needed such an abundance of physic energy, the priest responded it was for their gods before assuming a monstrous form. The three combined their attacks and managed to fall it though were unsure of what future challenge they might face. Interlude
Rom and Livia were then sent to conduct orbital scans of Earth to reconfirm the earlier scan of the Wraith presence. Confirming how infected Earth was, Rom was adamant that Earth would not be destroyed but suggested dividing their forces to cover ground faster. Eager to be away from Cybertronians and G.I. Joe, Rom offerred to head to Europe to track an unusual energy signature. Orphion agreed and sent Livia with him. When the two arrived, they found a cruise ship with two Wraiths posing as a retired couple taking a vacation. Before Livia could do anything, Rom hoisted her up to scold her for her short sightedness. He then used his translator to spy on them before sniping them both with his Neutralizer. No sooner had this act been done, did the monstrous forms of Scylla and Charybdis emerge and drag the two Knights into the ocean depths. Long Roads to Ruin, Part 1
Below the waves, Rom and Livia managed to escape Scylla's clutches only for Livia to be captured by Charybdis telling Rom to flee and contact Orphion. Though Rom prepared to follow, he was confronted by the monstrous form of Scylla who sprayed ink onto his armor, disabling it. Adrift in the sea, Rom regained consciousness and adjusted his armor defences to slowly burn off the contaminant and flew to Livia. He arrived too late however as Charybdis had drained too much of her energy and the lights in Livia's eyes went out as she quietly told Rom to avenge her. Long Roads to Ruin, Part 2
Rom carried her up to a fishing boat where he managed to revive her before Scylla and Charybdis attacked destroying the boat. After ferrying the sailors to the docks, Rom came up with a plan to turn two boats into improvised bombs before he and Livia lobbed them at Scylla, injuring her and causing her to withdraw for the moment. Back at the docks, Rom instructed the sailors to flee and sound the alarm before he and Livia formed spears of Neutralizer energy and prepared to attack. Beneath the waves, the two Knights were beset by Wraith fishes before Scylla and Charybdis arrived aboard a ship, flanked by an army of aquatic Wraiths. Long Roads to Ruin, Part 3
Rom sought to attack Scylla herself and soon realized that the army was nothing more than puppets she was psychically controlling. Instructing Livia to aid him, the two Knights destroyed her additional heads prompting her to unleash her ink as a defense tactic as she scuttled to a crevice. Rom and Livia caught up with her where she explained the Wraiths' endgame of unleashing their dark god as the deity's ghostly tentacles emerged and carried her upwards. Though Rom was given pause by the ominous words, Livia rallied her ex-lover and the two slew the Wraith. Rom could not find any comfort in the victory, having seen situations on Earth that corroborated Scylla's words. Livia then conceded that her and Orphion's original plan to destroy Earth would only have played to the Wraiths' favour, she asked what their next move was. Rom replied that all they could do was keep fighting until the Wraiths were defeated. Long Roads to Ruin, Part 4
Small Alliances[edit | edit source]
Returning to North America, Rom tracked down a human who had been assimilated by the Dire Wraiths but the trail went cold in the desert. Despondent, Rom sat on rocks as he contemplated his failure before being approached by the Micronauts seeking aid in fighting the Wraiths. Rom's Analyzer however read the Micronauts as Wraiths and he promptly armed his Neutralizer and attacked. Micronauts: First Strike
Acoryear managed to destroy Rom's Neutralizer prompting the Knight to fire Neutralizer lasers from his eyes before Biotron convinced him to stand down using logic. After the Microanuts had briefed Rom on the virus and its effects, the Knight quickly agreed to help and followed their directions to the Wraiths' hideout. Upon arriving there however, they found the Wraith Sorcerers long gone with residual energy readings indicating the virus had been stabilized. The group tracked the Wraiths to a carnival the next day where Rom discovered the mastermind was his old foe D'rge whom he engaged while the Microanuts combated the partially sentient virus. At Larissa's urging however, Rom used his Neutralizer to destroy the virus only to be struck in the back and knocked unconscious by D'rge. By the time he recovered, the Microanuts had stopped the virus and sent D'rge running. Rom warned however that the Micronauts had now made themselves a target for the Wraiths before Biotron transmitted the virus' antidote to the Knight. As Rom took his leave to pursue the Wraiths, he swore to the Micronauts that he would always answer their call for help with them promising the same. ROM: First Strike
After reuniting with Darby Mason and Camilla Byers, Rom purged a Wraith cell before the trio were approached by the Micronauts who had found proof of Baron Karza allying with the Dire Wraiths. Tracking their foes to Nevada, Rom engaged Baron Karza in battle. Though the size difference initially gave Rom an overwhelming advantage, Karza enerchanged with the Knight. Karza's enerchange had been altered by the Wraiths, however, and Rom's size and power were transferred to the Baron. Just before seemingly shrinking into nothingness, Rom gave a final declaration of love to Livia. Rom was not dead however, for he had shrunk down into Microspace where his unconscious form was surrounded by the Repto. His distress beacon, now only detectable to Microspacian frequencies, was detected by the Micronauts who set out to rescue him. Small World
Rom swiftly engaged the Repto only to learn the creatures had willingly given themselves over to the Dire Wraiths. As the sheer number of Repto began to overwhelm him, Rom was rescued by the Micronauts, the even fight scaring off the Repto. Aboard the Micronauts' spacecraft, Rom was healed by the rejuvenator before a passing comment by Biotron regarding the Entropy Cloud made everything clear to Rom and he explained to his friends the endgame of the villains: They intended to funnel the Entropy Cloud out of Microspace and to the realm of the Presence to speed up her growth. With no time to waste, Rom hooked up his Analyzer to the craft's radar systems before he learned about the basics of enerchanging from Livia. When the group arrived at the asteroid stronghold, they were attacked by a Hornetroid which Rom managed to destroy. As the group advanced towards the asteroid, Acroyear sprouted Wraith aspects prompting Rom to redirect his attentions to the infected warrior. Microspace Knight
Though Rom had never intended to kill Acroyear, the Micronauts misunderstood his intentions causing minor confusion before the Space Knight healed the warrior. The happy moment was short-lived as they then launched a direct frontal attack. Rom served as the first wave, distracting Ampzilla and Terraphant so the Micronauts could use the Hornetroid as a trojan horse. After the monsters fell, the walls of the stronghold were pierced by Microtron ramming their spaceship through them. The heroic act left the little robot vulnerable to the Absence however whom Rom fired on in a vengeful fury. The attack caused the spectral being to retreat and he delegated Membros to deal with their foes. While the Micronauts fought the grunts, Biotron instructed Rom to destroy the conduit. Quickly finding the device, Rom summarily targeted the weakpoints and destroyed it causing the energies of the Entropy Cloud to spread uncontrollably. He returned to his allies in time to stop Membros from releasing his Hydra-Gas before offering to stay behind and hold off their foes. Membros told him to flee as whatever outcome of the battle against Karza would work in the interrogator's favour. With the Cloud encroaching on them, the heroes all boarded the ship and rocketed off. Entropy
Returning to Earth, the heroes made their way to Gokseong, South Korea where they saved their allies from death. Reuniting with Livia, Rom revealed his theory that the enerchange process may hold the key to shedding Space Knight armor only for Livia to reveal she had no desire to do so. Arriving on Hashima Island, the heroes broke into two groups so Rom could more readily sneak up on Karza. While making their way to the tyrant, Rom and the Micronauts were ambushed by Axiom forcing Rom to enerchange with the hybrid and steal his size and power. As they closed in on Karza however, they found themselves too late to stop the awakening of the Presence. Asymmetric Warfare
Without hesitation, Rom attacked Karza and performed an enerchange only for the Baron to seize control of the process and draw the Space Knight into himself. Unable to force Karza's hands, Rom instead performed Karza's greatest desire by funnelling the Entropy Cloud out of Microspace but placing it right in front of them forcing the Baron to help him channel the destructive force into the realm of the Presence. With the threat passed, Karza separated himself from Rom and returned the Knight's power to him before retreating back to Microspace. Unfortunately their victory had come at the cost of Orphion's life. As the commander was buried, the Micronauts revealed Karza had now cemented his hold on Microspace and had to take their leave. As they flew off, Rom thanked them for their friendship and companionship. Gods and Monsters
Homeless[edit | edit source]
As Livia returned to space, Rom remained behind on Earth, tracking down a group of humans who had become infected with Wraith biomatter. Those same humans had also come across black market Cybertronian technology which drew the attention of Jazz, the two subduing their foes before Rom felt a surge of pain, alerting him to imminent danger threatening Elonia. Unable to reach his homeworld in time, Jazz led him to Trypticon, surrendering himself to the President of the United States in exchange for Rom making use of Trypticon's space bridge. Unstopped and Unstoppable
Boarding the Ark-Zero, Rom was ferried to his homeworld where he witnessed Unicron beginning to consume the planet. Unwilling to stand by, Rom joined his fellow Knights in attacking the Chaos Bringer only for the squad to be defeated with Rom himself falling back onto Elonia by the Thrail Mineral Mine. As he regained consciousness, Optimus Prime and Arcee teleported down where all three discovered the paralyzed form of the Titan Emissary and that the armor of the Space Knights was in fact "Ore-12". When it was discovered that Emissary, in his damaged and confused state, was preventing the opening of spacebridges, Arcee, over Rom's disbelief, thrust her swords directly into Titan's brain module, killing him but allowing for the evacuation of the Elonian people. Rom managed to teleport to the Ark before Unicron devoured Elonia where Optimus and Windblade expanded on the threat Unicron posed to the galaxy though Optimus himself had doubts that any of them would survive. Our Darkest
Taking refuge on Cybertron, the Space Knights were provided with a lodging where Rom successfully managed to rally his friends to keep fighting against the Chaos Bringer to honor the memory of all the loved ones they'd lost. Ad Infinitum
When Caminus came under attack by Unicron, Rom fought against the Maximals alongside Soundwave but the Chaos Bringer was ultimately able to devour the colony. Returning to Iacon, Rom bore witness to Starscream's attempt to revive the Decepticon faction, Unicron #1 having his name smirched as the Seeker attempted to sway the opinions of the neutral Cybertronian populace. Stranger Eons Unicron itself soon arrived to devour Cybertron with Rom proposing Metroplex be turned on the invader. Bumblebee soon arrived professing to have learned Unicron's true past and that the entity's birth had resulted in the creation of the Dire Wraiths, a detail Rom was skeptical about. Our Finest
With Cybertron's defences unable to stand against Unicron, Windblade called on the Spectral Knights to use their magic and teleport the population of Cybertron to Earth. Still within Metroplex, Rom made the journey via space bridge, reuniting with Livia on the human planet. Road's End When the Cybertronians hatched a do or die plan to save the universe, Rom led the diversionary attack on the Decepticon Vengeance Division. Unicron #5 When Optimus Prime's sacrifice allowed the Chaos Bringer to be felled, Rom and Livia comforted an Elonian girl who'd been orphaned by the crisis and pondered the Space Knights taking on a new role in the era. Ceremony
Rom later attended Optimus Prime's funeral as the Space Knight representative. Post
Aw Yeah Revolution![edit | edit source]
While flying through space, Rom the Space Knight detected a group of Dire Wraiths hiding on an asteroid. As the Dire Wraiths emerged to attack Rom, he asked them to calm down and simply talk things out. However, the Dire Wraiths refused, forcing Rom to activate his personal force field. Baron Karza then teleported inside Rom's force field, capturing the Space Knight in green energy and teleporting him away. Rom awoke to discover himself trapped inside a green force bubble, alongside two other heroes captured by Karza: Snake Eyes and Optimus Prime. Karza revealed to his captors his plan to use the Orbsah Gem to steal their abilities, in Rom's case, his tracking abilities, and rule the universe! Aw Yeah Revolution! #1
After Karza had absorbed his prisoners' powers, the Micronauts broke into his base and freed his captives. Their sheer mass however destabilized Microspace prompting Karza to flee to the Hasbro Universe only for Optimus to seize him. Rom, Snake Eyes and Acroyear immediately followed the Prime through the portal only to learn that time in the Hasbro Universe moved at an accelerated rate compared to Microspace. For Optimus and Karza, hours had elapsed with Karza having seized control of Cobra and used their resources to capture Optimus. After the three had defeated Storm Shadow, they prepared to search for Optimus...only for him to rise from a pit, now under Cobra's control. Aw Yeah Revolution! #2
Though Rom was quick to attack, Optimus proved too powerful for the Knight who instead tried coaxing him out. When that failed, Rom wrapped Optimus in a forcefield and towed him into the upper atmosphere, out of range of Cobra's signal. The gambit payed off and while Optimus flew back to Autobot headquarters for reinforcements, Rom spotted the Dire Wraiths, having commandeered the earlier asteroid as a ship, on course for Earth. Rom failed to catch them in time however and the shapshifters assimilated several Cobra troopers. When Destro seized the Orbsah Gem however, Rom broke free of the Wraiths and appealed to Destro to surrender the Gem only for the arms dealer to use it to teleport Rom away. Rom materialized galaxies away from Earth but set out for the planet immediately vowing to protect any world from the Wraiths. Aw Yeah Revolution! #3
Notes[edit | edit source]
- In the original Marvel ROM comic, Rom was Galadorian. This had to be changed to Elonian for IDW's comics owing to Galador and the Galadorians being intellectual properties of Marvel Comics. Despite this, he does share some aspects of the Marvel version, such as being 200 years old.
- Oddly enough, Rom is featured on four of the six main variant covers of First Strike (even with other Space Knights on the cover of issue #4) despite playing no role in the story. A holdover from an earlier draft?
External links[edit | edit source]
- Rom at the TFWiki
