Comic-Con
2014:
ROM The Space Knight Returns
MTV News got the scoop on this, because what does that M stand for anyway? Hasbro announced this exclusive, which I'll call the only Mighty Muggs figure I've ever been tempted to buy -- ROM The Space Knight returns in a cute almost cuddly form.
Originally marketed by Parker Brothers and licensed to Marvel Comics for a long-running and actually far-reaching series by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, the rights to ROM have been unattainable for years. Hence, readers under 30 may have never seen ROM mentioned in Marvel Comics, nor ever read the series which, like Mantlo's Micronauts, was so much better than it needed to be.
Marvel can and does use every other aspect of the comic -- Space Knights appeared in Annihilation and Infinity, and ROM's arch-enemies the Dire Wraiths pop up in various X-books from time to time, and surely there's more. But they can't use the actual title character, and they can't reprint any of his adventures.
Or can they?
Maybe this will spark another announcement at Comic-Con, beyond the huge line at Hasbro's booth for this Comic-Con exclusive. Actually, IDW has been dropping hints, and they do have the Hasbro Transformers and G.I. Joe licenses for comics. But Marvel also has a relationship with Hasbro, so maybe IDW and Marvel should play nice and let's get this back into continuity!
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