Earthfall

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Rom, now might not be the best time to pose for the camera.
"Earthfall"
Publisher	IDW Publishing,Ted Adams
First published	July 27,2016
Cover date	July 2016
Written by	Chris RyallandChristos Gage
Art by	David Messina
Inks by	Michele Pasta
Letters by	Shawn Lee
Editor	David Hedgecock

Rom hunts the Dire Wraiths... and discovers things even he's never seen before.

Synopsis

AtVandenberg Air Force Base,aUnited States Armysoldier is being questioned by agents from theEarth Defense Command,Ken Francis,Bryce Kukuk,andDave Dubosky,abouthis encounterwith the extraterrestrial known asRom the Space Knight.However, after telling his story, the EDC officers reveal themselves to beDire Wraithsand infect the soldier.

In the small town ofCooper's Mill,Darby Masonwalks through Mantlo Park with her family. Darby is on leave from the military and her family brought her to the park to try to help her through her PTSD. When her father touches her head, Darby gets a strange feeling. She begins to freak out, pushing her parents away. When she starts to calm down, however, a red light shines from the woods. Rom emerges, telling Darby to back away. Her family are all Dire Wraiths. Rom activates hisNeutralizerand blasts the Wraiths away, while a crowd of people crowd around and record Rom's actions. Rom then sees that all the people in the crowd are Wraiths, and while they confess, they continue to record Rom on their phones, framing him as a monster murdering helpless people. The Dire Wraiths then transform, revealing that their "Wraith-rot"has even infected the landscape, something Rom says is impossible, and he is forced to set fire to the park. He then turns hisEnergy Analyzeron to track down Darby, the only Cooper's Mill resident that is still human.

Elsewhere,Camilla Byerswakes up on the California shore. She calls her police station and reports that she andOmar Ruizwere attacked last night.Cusiter,her superior, says they know and asks for her location, but she then hears his thoughts, revealing him to be a Dire Wraith. She smashes her phone on the ground and heads back to her car, knowing the Wraiths will be coming after.

Back at Cooper's Mill, Rom finds Darby and, much to her protest, flies her away from the town. He explains to her about the Dire Wraiths, and how they killed and replaced her family, offering his condolences. When she expresses worry about her town, Rom tells her the unfortunate news: the entire town was overrun with Dire Wraiths. Darby was the only one to resist being infected. Rom needs to know why that is before he can wipe the Wraiths from the Earth.

At Vanderberg, the now infected soldier walks out with Dubosky and Kukuk. They walk to a helicopter where they meet up with a team of soldiers called in to help them deal with Rom:Scarlett,Roadblock,andJoe Colton.Yo, Joe.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"By theSolstar Order!"

—Rom

Notes

• The first half of theRevolutionprelude story “Secret Raiders”is printed in the back of this issue.

Continuity notes

• Darby's mother mentions Monument Valley, referencing therecent eventsfrom IDW'sThe Transformerscomic.

ROM references

• Mantlo Park is named for Bill Mantlo, writer of the originalROM: SpaceknightfromMarvel Comics,as well as the writer of Marvel'sMicronautsseries.

Other franchise references

• The Earth Defense Command began as an organization in theoriginalTransformerscartoon,and now serves the purpose of a SHIELD-esque organization in the IDW universe.
• Aside from the appearance of the Joe team at the end of the issue, G.I. Joe fans should recognize David Dubosky, otherwise known as Countdown, the Joe team's resident astronaut. Dubosky makes his debut in the IDW universe here as a member of the EDC that's been replaced by a Dire Wraith.

Covers (24)

Yes. 24 covers. Get help, IDW. Please.

• Regular cover:Rom surrounded by Dire Wraiths, byJ.H. Williams III.
• Subscription cover A:Rom landing in an explosion, byZach HowardandNelson Daniel.
• Subscription cover B:Rom in classic movie poster style, byTom Whalen.
• Subscription cover C:Photo of the original Rom action figure, byJack RiveraandChris Ryall.
• Subscription cover D:Blank cover for sketches.

• Retailer incentive cover A:Rom with Neutralizer charged, bySal BuscemaandMike Cavallaro.
• Retailer incentive cover B:Rom fires his Neutralizer, byMichael Golden.
• Retailer incentive cover C:Rom flying into space, byP. Craig RussellandLauren Kindzierski.
• Second printing cover:J.H. Williams III's regular cover in monochrome with highlights.
• Complete 3D Box Set exclusive cover:J.H. Williams III's regularIN 3D!

• Bedrock City Comics exclusive cover:Rom surrounded by tentacle monsters, byNick PitarraandMike Garland.
• Bell Book and Comics exclusive cover:Wraparound cover featuring Rom holding his Neutralizer and reaching out, byStuart Sayger.
• San Diego Comic-Con Diamond retailer exclusive cover:Rom bust with red foil logo, by David Messina.
• IDW Convention Edition cover:As previous, with Rom bust and logo in silver foil.

• Previews exclusive cover:Rom fighting various monsters. One half of image, by Nick Pitarra and Mike Garland.
• Previews exclusive cover:Rom fighting various monsters. One half of image, by Nick Pitarra and Mike Garland.
• Previews incentive cover:Wraparound black-and-white version of Diamond Exclusive image, by Nick Pitarra and Mike Garland.
• Painted Visions Comics exclusive cover:Replicates the original Rom toy packaging, byLance Sawyers and John Paul Bove.
• Rob Liefeld Creations exclusive cover:Rom's eyes glow in space, byRob Liefeld.

• Starbase 1552 Comics exclusive cover:Rom fire his Neutralizer in a burning city, byDave Dorman.
• Starbase 1552 Comics virgin exclusive cover:Virgin edition of previous.
• Ultimate Comics/NC Comicon exclusive cover:Rom stands surrounded by flames, byTommy Lee Edwards.
• VA Comic Con Red Foil exclusive cover:Rom flies through space, with red foil logo, byKevin Roberts.
• VA Comic Con Silver Foil exclusive cover:As previous, with silver foil logo and armor.