In the 1970s some of the hottest toys were action figures inspired by comic books, like Superman, Spider-Man and others of the caped, crusading or crime-fighting sort. With such a successful combination, toymakers and comics publishers decided to try the reverse, namely to produce a toy that would inspire comic books and market both simultaneously.

ROM the Spaceknight was such a joint venture by Parker Brothers and Marvel Comics in 1979. Marvel spun a back-story for ROM that was compelling, brave and full of pathos. ROM was a young alien from the planet Galador who traded his humanoid form for the cyborg trappings of Spaceknighthood, in order to defend his planet from the Dire Wraiths (the bad guys, if you couldn’t tell by the ominous name). ROM eventually finds his way to Earth where Dire Wraiths lurk in human disguise. To aid one and all in better visualizing this gripping yarn, Parker Brothers released a suitably futuristic ROM action figure.

Standing at 13 inches and equipped with red LED eyes, ROM also came with a Rocket Pack mounted on his back that made blast off noises. The Rocket Pack was also the power source for ROM’s included accessories: the Energy Analyzer; the Translator; and the Neutralizer. All three emitted beautiful, tinny space sounds and/or had flickering lights which made ROM the Spaceknight quite the favorite among other alien cyborg knights.

The toy’s popularity soon waned however and it disappeared from circulation. The comic book lasted through 1986, though its successful run never rekindled an interest in the toy. ROM the Spaceknight hasn’t been reissued since the 70s so any toys out there are collector’s item, kids. Keep your eyes peeled.