Issue(s): ROM #19
Cover Date: Jun 81
Title: "Limbo!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Sal Buscema - Inker

Review/plot:
As a result of his fight with the X-Men, ROM was trapped in Limbo.

Now we get confirmation that the Limbo that ROM has been banishing the Wraiths to is the mainstream Marvel Limbo, because we find that the Space Phantom is living there...

...along with another banished Spaceknight named Firefall.

This Firefall is the original Spaceknight. We saw his armor re-purposed by the Dire Wraiths for Archie Stryker in earlier issues, but this is the first (and only) non-flashback appearance of the original. It's said that during the big battle for Galador 200 years ago, he was captured by Wraiths, and he used his Living Flame to banish himself to Limbo to escape them (leaving his armor behind).

After some impersonations and fights with the Wraiths banished to Limbo...

...ROM is returned to Earth by Firefall. Before leaving Limbo, ROM was taunted by a Wraith who showed him visions of his home planet in ruins. And Firefall, who was briefly sent back home when the Space Phantom impersonated him, also warns ROM that something is up on Galador.

In a back-up Tales of the Spaceknights, a Spaceknight named Terminator goes a little crazy and kills a civilian in addition to a Dire Wraith. He agrees to return with ROM and Starshine to Galador to stand trial.

The lettercol mentions the fact that since both ROM and the Micronauts are products of different toy companies, a crossover between them is unlikely, despite the fact that Mantlo writes both.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• No footnote, but this Firefall was first mentioned with the appearance of his sort-of successor in ROM #3-4.
  
• The only Space Phantom reference is about when he tricked Thor into rescuing his homeworld in Thor #282.
  
• ROM encounters Rachel Sweet, the Dire Wraith that he banished to Limbo in ROM #11.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Sal Buscema is foreshadowing the rougher, more angular style that he would later use on SPIDER-MAN here. Totally different from what he was doing on INCREDIBLE HULK. This combined with his aping Walt Simonson on BALDER THE BRAVE goes to show how adaptable Sal was. History I going to be kind to him, I think. His legacy right now is spotty- he seems to get little more credit than that of a dependable workhorse- but people are going to start speaking more fondly of him eventually. He deserves new evaluation.