Marvel; January 1981
Cover by Dave Cockrum

Title: “The Ultimate Android!”
Synopsis: Rom is attacked by the Mad Thinker’s android – and learns more about Earth technology and human lunacy!

Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Buscema

Review: Rom is one madcap comic. Out of nowhere, the Mad Thinker shows up with misguided notions and a mad on for everyone’s favorite spaceknight. One dry flashback and a pointless battle later and the reader is left saying “huh?” As usual, Sal Buscema’s art is solid but unspectacular.

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Title: “The Saga of the Spaceknights!”
Synopsis: Rom and his fellow spaceknights battle the Dire Wraith on Agricon – with tragic results.

Writer (story suggestion): Steven Gran
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Buscema

Review: There are the seeds of a good – and important – story here, but the execution is pretty ho-hum.

Grade: C

Cool factor: Umm … there are some nice subplot moments in this issue?
Not-so-cool factor: For a mad genius, the Thinker doesn’t actually think too well.

Notable: First appearance of Starshine. … Death of Ray-Na.

Character quotable: “How human error galls me in contrast to the pristine perfection of my infallible computers.” – The Mad Thinker, who obviously has never experienced the blue screen of death

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