Rom (2017)

When I covered the original Rom toy a couple years ago as part of my phoney-baloney April Fools Day posts, I never imagined there would be another action figure version of the cult comic star, much less one I could legitimately cover here. And yet here we are in 2017, with Hasbro attempting to mash its various properties into something akin to the Marvel and DC extended/cinematic shared universe concepts. GI Joe, Transformers, Action Man, Visionaries, the Micronauts and Rom now all exist among one another. That’s just nuts, man. Although in my considered opinion, it doesn’t go quite far enough into the toy history vaults for me. Maybe Sky Commanders, Air Raiders, and Inhumanoids will be part of Phase II.

Rom comes to us as part of a massive San Diego Comicon exclusive set. Inside were figures representing the various aforementioned Hasbro properties. I was not fortunate enough to grab the set, and had been thinking of cherry picking a couple of choice items. When an opportunity came to snag Rom, I didn’t hesitate. I’ve not delved into con exclusives since 2010, fearing I’d go down a completist rabbit hole, but Rom beckoned too strongly. I’m glad I went out on a limb to get the figure. I may need to pick up Visionaries Leoric as well, but time will tell.

The figure pays a nice homage to the design of the original toy and comic character. The only big difference, and obvious parts lift from GI Joe, are the legs. Coming from the 25th Anniversary Battle Armor Cobra Commander, I assume they were chosen due to the thigh-high boot look. The shins and feet look a little too robotic, considering the sleek arms.

Then head and torso are where the action is with the figure. The design hews close enough to the original toy and comic art to please us old timers. He’s also equipped with his trusty neutralizer/scanner. You never know when your other figures might be Dire Wraiths in disguise.