A question about Galadorian spaceknights from the old ROM series

[Buried Alien]

One question that I haven't been able resolve over the years about the Galadorian spaceknights from Marvel's old ROM: SPACEKNIGHT series is *why* the Galadorians had to make their armored warriors into half-human cyborgs a la Darth Vader? If even a technologically "primitive" (relative to Galador) planet such as Earth had people such as Tony Stark who could build readily removable battle armors that could match the spaceknights', was it really necessary for Rom and his comrades to become cyborgs to fight the Dire Wraiths?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Tendrin]

One question that I haven't been able resolve over the years about the Galadorian spaceknights from Marvel's old ROM: SPACEKNIGHT series is *why* the Galadorians had to make their armored warriors into half-human cyborgs a la Darth Vader? If even a technologically "primitive" (relative to Galador) planet such as Earth had people such as Tony Stark who could build readily removable battle armors that could match the spaceknights', was it really necessary for Rom and his comrades to become cyborgs to fight the Dire Wraiths?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I mean, it's never explicitly stated why they made Space Knights the way they did. Maybe it had something to do with the way their powers were created or ensuring the dire Wraiths couldn't duplicate them.

[SuperiorIronman]

I'm not particularly familiar with Rom and the Spaceknights, but merging of man and machine occurred numerous times even with Stark and even then the real world would suggest benefit of cybernetic augmentation. Be it integration to replace cumbersome controls, or replacement of "weak" organs with advanced technology suggest benefits. Matching the technology isn't so much a good thing so much as the integrated unit is quicker to deploy because its always active. Tony Stark actually has this problem recently when he replaced his Bleeding edge armor, and even then it had to be turned on which some villains took advantage of.

Tony actually has to get into his armor or power them on, and said armor can be turned against him if somebody else uses it. A cyborg lacks much of the problem given the unit is usually the weapon.

[Johnny Peril]

I believe the Galadorians were thinking long term. Rom pursued the Dire Wraiths thru space for over a century without food, water, sleep, the Spaceknights were pretty much immortal. Also, as was stated, the Dire Wraiths couldn't use the armor.

[Nomads1]

Yaeh, as stated, I think it was so that the Dire Wraiths couldn't replace the Knights, nor use their armours. The sacrifice had more to do with the enemy they were fighting than the level of their technology. I really loved that old Rom Spaceknight series. Really wish they'd reprint/collect it, like they've been doing with the old Master of Kung Fu.

Peace

[Buried Alien]

Though the Marvel ROM comic book never made it explicit precisely why the spaceknights were made the way they were, the explanations offered in this thread are perfectly reasonable and work well with the established canon. I think we can take these as the actual reasons that the spaceknights were Darth Vader-like cyborgs rather than simply ordinary people in suits of armor like Tony Stark/Iron Man.

There WAS one occasion when the Wraiths were able to hijack a spaceknight armor to use as a weapon against Rom, but even then, they had to capture and use a human being (an ex-convict named Archie Stryker) to serve as the host for the Firefall spaceknight armor of the Galadorian hero Karas.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Buried Alien]

Yaeh, as stated, I think it was so that the Dire Wraiths couldn't replace the Knights, nor use their armours. The sacrifice had more to do with the enemy they were fighting than the level of their technology. I really loved that old Rom Spaceknight series. Really wish they'd reprint/collect it, like they've been doing with the old Master of Kung Fu.

Peace

The primary obstacle is that Hasbro, which owns the Rom IP, currently has its license tied up with IDW Comics. Even if it didn't, Disney/Marvel might not want to pay Hasbro's asking price for licensing Rom again.

But if Disney buys out Hasbro one of these days...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Nomads1]

The primary obstacle is that Hasbro, which owns the Rom IP, currently has its license tied up with IDW Comics. Even if it didn't, Disney/Marvel might not want to pay Hasbro's asking price for licensing Rom again.

But if Disney buys out Hasbro one of these days...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Fingers crossed.

Peace

[j9ac9k]

I believe the Galadorians were thinking long term. Rom pursued the Dire Wraiths thru space for over a century without food, water, sleep, the Spaceknights were pretty much immortal. Also, as was stated, the Dire Wraiths couldn't use the armor.

I loved the old ROM series, and though I don't remember it being explicitly stated, the reason given above was basically what I was about to post.

[chief12d]

Yaeh, as stated, I think it was so that the Dire Wraiths couldn't replace the Knights, nor use their armours. The sacrifice had more to do with the enemy they were fighting than the level of their technology. I really loved that old Rom Spaceknight series. Really wish they'd reprint/collect it, like they've been doing with the old Master of Kung Fu.

Peace

Pretty much this...

Is anyone reading the current ROM and Micronauts book by any chance?

[Zero Hunter]

I have the first two trades of the IDW ROM and Micronauts. I like them. It does feel weird having to seperate them from the Marvel versions, but once you do that they read pretty well.

[roni190]

The primary obstacle is that Hasbro, which owns the Rom IP, currently has its license tied up with IDW Comics. Even if it didn't, Disney/Marvel might not want to pay Hasbro's asking price for licensing Rom again.

But if Disney buys out Hasbro one of these days...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Yeah that's likely to never happen...... Hasbro is basically the Disney of the toy world, buying up it's competition and their licensing rights is how they became the largest toy company in the world. Heck Disney can't even get the Star Wars toy rights back from them for another 20 years.

[Digifiend]

The primary obstacle is that Hasbro, which owns the Rom IP, currently has its license tied up with IDW Comics. Even if it didn't, Disney/Marvel might not want to pay Hasbro's asking price for licensing Rom again.

But if Disney buys out Hasbro one of these days...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Do they really want to end up accidentally buying Power Rangers AGAIN? They acquired PR in 2011 by buying Fox Family, and sold it back to Saban in 2010. Then it was recently announced that Hasbro are taking over from Bandai as toy manufacturer, with the option to buy PR outright. If they do, and then Disney buy them, it's boomerang morphin time!

Hasbro just made sure Disney wouldn't want them, lol.