Spaceknight Saturdays: Immunology Lesson

This is the last part of Rom's Canadian adventure in... uhm... Canada, and once again we're left wondering WHICH part of Canada. This time, Beaver Falls is said to be in "northern Canada", which might indicate that it's still in British Columbia. Then again, I wouldn't refer to "northern Canada" unless I was talking about the territories above the permafrost line. Some, less kind than I, would simply say that saying Northern Canada is just redundant. Canada is just not an "up and down" country, it's a "left and right" country.

But this is Marvel's Canada, which apparently contains the New York skyline:
Again, I'm not sure what the big hoo-ha is. Looks like a typical outdoors vacation to me. It doesn't really matter anyway, since Rom and Starshine may be in Canada, but they're also inside the DNA inside an ant inside an anthill inside Canada. L'arbre est dans ses feuilles, maridon, maridé... At least they will be once they shrink small enough.
Dont' hate the ant, hate the Wraith Taint corrupting the ant. And on the ant's back is a corrupted mite, but again, not its fault.
Shrink even more, Spaceknights, until the world looks like a Dr. Stange comic.
Ah, THERE it is.
Keep in mind, there's one of those things on every single DNA molecule of every single cell or every single corrupted animal. Simple. Rom stimulates the ant's anti-bodies so hard it basically creates a chain reaction that heals the entire ecosystem.
That's right. Rom kicks the Taint's ass so hard, it's contagious!

All that's left is the friendly goodbye (possible thanks to the following theory.)
"Nah, we don't need to talk to Ant-Man again. We REALLY don't. Just tell him thanks for us."

This was MIke Carlin's very first editorial work, for you comic book historians out there, an issue that also greets Steve Ditko as new regular penciller, a role he'll play until the end of the series. I know he's a legend and all, but his more toy-like Rom and heavy-brasiered Starshine makes me miss Sal Buscema already.

Comments

PrimeDirector said…
Steve Ditko...I know he's a legend and all, but his more toy-like Rom and heavy-brasiered Starshine makes me miss Sal Buscema already.

Amen, brother. From here on out, the craftsmanship really suffers, (excepting annual 3.)

RE: the cure for the wraith taint, it was a case of the Neutralizer as Sonic Screwdriver. Galador's greatest weapon is supposed to neutralizer energy, not impart it, but whatever. The ending, where Rom enlists the ants in his war against the wraiths more than makes up for it. (Rom as Charlemagne: Let my army be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky. And the ants. Don't forget the ants.)
Siskoid said…
No-prize time: Rom and Starshine attack the ant's system. Under attack, it creates antibodies to deal with Galadorian weapons which are more than able to also destroy the Taint (which inhibited antibody production, but not the antibodies themselves).

But yeah.
amen to missing to missing Sal's work on ROM! from some of your later spaceknight saturday posts i'm glad to see others were also hating on ditko's pencils in ROM.