ROM was originally introduced as an action figure in 1979 by Parker Brothers. To encourage sales of the action figure, Parker Brothers teamed with Marvel Comics to produce a ROM comic book. Interestingly, the ROM action figure did not sell well and faded into obscurity, but the Marvel Comic survived well into the 1980s and even had a Spaceknights miniseries in 2000.

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Although John Byrne and Chris Claremont had been collaborating for over two years on The Uncanny X-Men, they reached their creative peak with the Dark Phoenix Saga. The Uncanny X-Men became Marvel’s flagship title in the mid-1980s and its success spawned a rather bulky family of titles that still manages to keep Marvel Comics afloat financially. However, there was a time when an X-Men story could be told without a twelve-part crossover involving dozens of mutants making cameo appearances simply to promote their own titles. Also, this story line is uncluttered with the multiple and obscure plot threads which tend to drag down the current X-Men titles.

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In March 1964, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revived the living legend of Captain America for a whole new generation in The Avengers #4. They established him as the Avengers’ foremost leader, and as the personification of American ideals. However, there was little room for the characterization of his alter ego, Steve Rogers. Lee shaped the Captain America character using his famous angst formula. Captain America was haunted by the death of his W.W.II sidekick, Bucky. He also found himself, a 1940s man, now living in the 1960s and had difficulties adjusting.

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