Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 14:47:09 -0600
From: [0--06--2] at [mantaray.LANL.GOV] (Mark Martinez CIC-2)
Subject: Re: Star Wars comics checklist
Reply-To: [m l bm] at [lanl.gov]
Subject: Star Wars Comics Checklist, Part 2/4
--
This is the second of four articles containing a checklist of
Star Wars comics and was last modified 30 April 1995.
The list is posted quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) to
rec.arts.sf.starwars.info.
Part Two (1977-1986)
Marvel Comics
Star Wars
Star Wars Annuals
Return of the Jedi
--
MARVEL COMICS STAR WARS ARCHIVE 1977-1986
All issues of Marvel's Star Wars series are Copyright
Lucasfilm Ltd. This archive was compiled by Jack Camden;
notes Copyright 1995 Jack Camden; direct questions,
comments, corrections, additions and miscellaneous
criticism to [J--Ca--n] at [aol.com.]
I. FORM OF THIS ARCHIVE
[Issue #] [Date] [Issue title] [Writer(s)/Penciller(s)]
[Story Description]
[Notes on chronology, continuity problems, interesting
aspects of the story, some random editorial comments.]
II. ARCHIVE
In 1976, Marvel Comics agreed to adapt what was then
expected to be, at best, a modestly-grossing oddity of a
film due from Twentieth-Century Fox the following year.
("Star Wars" received some of its best early buzz from
audiences at science fiction conventions, largely because
of Ralph McQuarrie's production paintings).
"Star Wars" (now properly "Star Wars Episode IV: A New
Hope") went on to become an entertainment empire, spawning
two hugely-successful sequels, books, toys, trading cards,
and several comic book series. And for nine years, Marvel
adapted the films and filled the time between new movies
with further adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and
their friends and enemies.
In 1992, Dark Horse Comics brought Star Wars comics back
with "Dark Empire." Later, Dark Horse reprinted newspaper
strips written by Archie Goodwin and Russ Manning during
the late 1970s and 1980s, as well as Marvel's movie
adaptations and, in 1995, one of the old Marvel issues.
George Lucas' saga is undergoing a renaissance as old fans
and new prepare for a re-release of the first film and
three promised prequels. But the Marvel stories -- good,
bad, and ugly -- have gone thusfar unrevived and
little-noticed.
This archive is a guide to the 120-odd issues of Marvel's
Star Wars. It is my hope that it will rekindle old memories
in veteran collectors, intrigue a few new fans, and amuse
Star Wars experts who may have forgotten a few of the odder
twists, turns, and dead ends taken by various authors in
exploring the Star Wars universe.
SPOILER NOTE FOR THE TRULY OBSESSED: I have tried to keep
the story descriptions somewhat vague in the interest of
space and to avoid completely giving away what happens.
Sorry if the results are a little TV Guide-ish. But for
those who don't want to know ANYTHING about a given issue's
plot, consider yourself warned.
1 July 77 "Star Wars" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: The hopes of the Alliance reside with Artoo-Detoo and
See-Threepio after the two droids are the only escapees
from Princess Leia Organa's blockade runner. Trapped on the
desolate desert planet of Tatooine, Artoo must find the
Jedi Knight Ben Kenobi against all odds.
Notes: Part 1 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope."
2 Aug. 77 "Six Against the Galaxy" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi hire two smugglers, Han
Solo and Chewbacca the Wookiee, to take them to Alderaan
and return the plans of the Empire's mightiest weapon, the
Death Star, to the leaders of the Alliance.
Notes: Part 2 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope." Includes
the scene with Han confronting Jabba the Hut(t) -- Jabba is
depicted as a walrus-faced biped, as he is in the Marvel
series until "Return of the Jedi."
3 Sept 77 "Death Star!" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Trapped in the Death Star after the destruction of
Alderaan, the crew of the Millennium Falcon struggles to
free Princess Leia Organa and find a way to escape the
battle station.
Notes: Part 3 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope."
4 Oct. 77 "In Battle with Darth Vader" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Luke, Han, and Chewbacca rescue Princess Leia and
escape the Death Star, but Ben Kenobi is struck down in a
lightsaber duel with Darth Vader.
Notes: Part 4 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope."
5 Nov. 77 "Lo, the Moons of Yavin!" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: The Rebel Alliance studies the secret plans of the
Death Star and prepares a desperate attack on the battle
station, but can the Alliance destroy the Empire's greatest
weapon before it destroys the Alliance's main base on Yavin
IV?
Notes: Part 5 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope."
6 Dec. 77 "The Final Chapter" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Luke Skywalker and the other Rebel pilots battle
Darth Vader and the Empire's TIE fighters in a furious
dogfight above the Death Star.
Notes: Part 6 of 6-part adaptation of "A New Hope."
7 Jan. 78 "New Planets, New Perils!" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Leaving Yavin IV to pay off Jabba the Hutt, Han and
Chewbacca are ambushed by Crimson Jack and his band of
space pirates, who steal their reward money and leave the
two looking for greener pastures on the rimworld of
Aduba-3.
8 Feb. 78 "Eight For Aduba-3" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Han and Chewie hire six motley star-hoppers,
including a crazy old man who thinks he's a Jedi Knight and
a six-foot green rabbit, to defend a peasant village on
Aduba-3 from a band of pirates; Luke, Threepio, and Artoo
leave Yavin IV in search of a new base for the Alliance.
Notes: Thomas' take on the "Magnificent Seven" and "Don
Quixote" was probably fun for him, but as for the rest of
us....
9 Mar. 78 "Showdown on a Wasteland World" Thomas/Chaykin
Story: Fighting vicious man-birds and the raiders of Serji-X
Arrogantus, Han and Chewie's band of star-hoppers awaken a
reptillian behemoth from the depths of Aduba-3; when Luke's
ship vanishes in the Drexel system, Leia rushes off to find
him.
10 Apr. 78 "Behemoth From the World Below" Glut/Chaykin
Story: Han, Chewie, and the star-hoppers fight the final
battle for Aduba-3 against Serji-X Arrogantus and the
creature awakened by the battle. Notes: Ends "Eight for
Aduba-3" Series. Oddly, issue was written by Donald F.
Glut, who wrote the novelization of "The Empire Strikes
Back."
11 May 78 "Star Search" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han and Chewie run afoul of Crimson Jack and his
space pirates once again, only to discover the gang has
captured Leia as well.
Notes: Begins Goodwin's fruitful three-year association with
the title.
12 June 78 "Doomworld!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Luke and the droids become servants of Gov. Quarg,
master of a city-sized ship prowling the waters of Drexel
One in a war against giant sea-dragons and their human
masters; Han, Chewie, and Leia approach Drexel One on
Crimson Jack's cruiser.
13 July 78 "Day of the Dragon Lords!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han, Chewie, and Leia escape Crimson Jack, only to
find themselves in the middle of a battle between Governor
Quarg's pirates and the masters of the sea-dragons on
Drexel. But when Han is apparently killed by one of Quarg's
skimmers, Chewie thinks Luke has turned traitor and attacks
him and the droids.
14 Aug. 78 "The Sound of Armageddon!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han, rescued by the sea-dragons, turns the tide
against Governor Quarg with Luke's help, but what of
Crimson Jack's orbiting cruiser?
15 Sept 78 "Star Duel!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Crimson Jack finds himself in a stalemate with the
Star Warriors (a bad, but useful term coined by
Marvel)...his first mate has gone mad, his star charts have
been erased, and he's trapped in an outer space duel with
Han Solo -- from which only one man will survive.
Notes: Ends "Waterworld" series.
16 Oct. 78 "The Hunter!" Goodwin/Simonson
Story: A bounty hunter who hates droids and dreams of
killing Luke Skywalker for befriending Artoo and Threepio
comes to Aduba-3 in search of his quarry.
Notes: Introduces Valance the Hunter, one of Goodwin's best
characters.
17 Nov. 78 "Crucible!" Goodwin & Claremont/Trimpe
Story: During ship's watch on the Millennium Falcon, Luke
remembers a Tatooine adventure where he had to fly a
seemingly-impossible route through Beggars Canyon to save a
poisoned Biggs Darklighter and bring word to Anchorhead of
an impending Tusken Raider attack.
Notes: A flashback story which apparently takes place about
a year before "A New Hope."
18 Dec. 78 "The Empire Strikes!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Pursued by TIE fighters and with Luke fallen into a
catatonic trance while meditating, the Millennium Falcon
flees to the Wheel, a space station casino where an
Imperial commander has launched a scheme to discredit the
Alliance.
Notes: Presciently titled, to say the least. And great
characterization of Han and Chewie.
19 Jan. 79 "The Ultimate Gamble!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han and Chewie are captured, the droids pawned, Leia
trapped, and Luke unconscious as the plans of former
Imperial Senator Simon Greyshade and Commander Strom come
to fruition on the Wheel.
20 Feb. 79 "Deathgame" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: A desperate Han Solo finds himself fighting in the
gladiator pits of the Wheel, unaware that Greyshade has
rigged the game against him.
21 Mar. 79 "Shadow of a Dark Lord!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Luke breaks free of his trance and Leia and the
droids escape their captors on the Wheel, but Han finds
that his opponent in the gladiator arena is Chewbacca; on
the planet Ultaar, Darth Vader makes his move.
Notes: First appearance of Vader in the series since "A New
Hope."
22 Apr. 79 "To the Last Gladiator!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Simon Greyshade offers to expose the Empire's plot
and rescue the Star Warriors if Leia will be his lover.
23 May 79 "Flight Into Fury" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: The rebels escape the Wheel, but Darth Vader and his
battle cruiser are waiting for them.
Notes: Ends "Wheel" series. With the benefit of hindsight,
Luke helps his friends escape Vader by using the Dark Side
of the Force. But a fine series.
24 June 79 "Silent Drifting" Duffy/Infantino
Story: Leia tells the Millennium Falcon's crew about how
Obi-Wan Kenobi once saved a pleasure cruiser trapped in an
asteroid belt from the feared Merson slavers.
Notes: A flashback story of a younger Ben Kenobi before the
Clone Wars.
25 July 79 "Siege at Yavin!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Escaping from the Wheel to Centares, Luke and Leia
buy a starship to take them back to Yavin IV. But on the
way, they discover a plot masterminded by the House of
Tagge which could spell doom for the rebel base.
Notes: Begins series of interconnected stories pitting the
Alliance against Baron Orman Tagge (who was blinded by
Darth Vader and now fights with a lightsaber and the
benefit of "cybervision") and his family, which includes
the commander choked by Vader aboard the Death Star. (In
the movie, the Imperial officer choked is Motti; in the
novelization and the Marvel series, it's Tagge.)
26 Aug. 79 "Doom Mission" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Luke volunteers for a desperate mission -- destroy an
immense turbine base which the House of Tagge has built
inside the gas giant Yavin. But with the turbine destroyed,
Luke must use his untested skill with the Force to fly his
fighter back out of the gas giant.
Notes: One of Goodwin's best stories.
27 Sept 79 "Return of the Hunter" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Luke and Threepio are ambushed on the planet Junction
by Valance, the cyborg bounty hunter, who is in a race with
Darth Vader's spies to find the Death Star's destroyer.
28 Oct. 79 "Whatever Happened to Jabba the Hut?" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han and Chewbacca are besieged in a cavern on the
desolate planet Orleon by Jabba the Hutt and his pirates,
but soon face a deadlier foe -- stone mites capable of
eating through rock walls, the Millennium Falcon, and its
trapped crew.
Notes: A Goodwin/Infantino adventure, complete with the
humanoid Jabba -- and the small problem that Han and Chewie
get the Hutt to cancel their debt.
29 Nov. 79 "Dark Encounter" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Darth Vader and the bounty hunter Valance battle over
a rebel deserter who holds the secret Vader wants most --
the identity of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.
Notes: One of the better stories told by any of the
"non-canon" authors in the Star Wars universe.
30 Dec. 79 "A Princess Alone!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Princess Leia travels to an Imperial factory world to
enlist the help of an old tutor from Alderaan against the
Empire -- but runs afoul of a ruthless Imperial governor
and Baron Tagge.
1 1979 "The Long Hunt" Claremont/Vosburg
Story: In Marvel's first Star Wars annual, Luke battles a
winged Imperial commander who uses the Force and swings a
lightsaber, while Leia struggles to save Han and Chewie
from an Imperial dungeon.
Notes: In one of the bigger continuity goof-ups, the issue
ends with a tale of how the planet of the Long Hunt was
once visited by three Jedi Knights -- Ben Kenobi, Darth
Vader, and Luke's father.
31 Jan. 80 "Return to Tatooine!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Luke returns to Tatooine to recruit star-hoppers for
the Alliance, and uncovers an Imperial plot masterminded by
the House of Tagge.
32 Feb. 80 "The Jawa Express" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han, Chewie, Luke and the droids escape Imperial
stormtroopers with the help of a band of jawas, only to run
into a deadly test of the Omega Frost, the House of Tagge's
secret project to cripple the Alliance.
33 Mar. 80 "Saber Clash!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Han, Luke, and Chewie follow the Tagges to Junction,
where the Baron plans to devastate the planet with the
Omega Frost and cripple the Alliance's supply lines. But
when Luke is captured while on a spy mission, he is forced
into a lightsaber duel with the Baron.
34 Apr. 80 "Thunder in the Stars!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: The Millennium Falcon and a rebel task force race
towards Junction, but Han doesn't know he's leading the
rebels into a trap, and a stranded Luke can't warn him.
Notes: Ends "Omega Frost" series.
35 May 80 "Dark Lord's Gambit" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Darth Vader drives the Tagge family to its knees,
while Luke finds himself waging a battle of diplomacy
against the Dark Lord for the loyalty of the cloistered
world of Monastery and its mistress, Sister Domina Tagge.
But whose side is Domina on?
36 June 80 "Red Queen Rising!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Leia, Han, Chewie, and Threepio are trapped on
Vader's star destroyer, while below on Monastery, Sister
Domina and the Dark Lord weave a trap for Luke.
37 July 80 "In Mortal Combat!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Hoping to destroy both Luke and Vader, Sister Domina
arranges a lightsaber duel between them in a dangerous,
eldritch valley, while the Star Warriors and Baron Tagge
race to intercede.
Notes: As an epilogue, Jabba the Hutt (still on two legs)
discovers Crimson Jack's derelict pirate ship, which he
financed. Furious, the Hutt puts a price back on Han and
Chewie's heads, and a bounty hunter guns for the two on Ord
Mantell.
38 Aug. 80 "Riders in the Void!" Goodwin/Golden
Story: A malfunctioning hyperdrive hurls Luke and Leia
beyond the galaxy, where they are caught in a strange,
living starship intent on their destruction.
39 Sept 80 "The Empire Strikes Back" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Darth Vader and the Imperial fleet search for the
Alliance's new base on Hoth.
Notes: First part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
40 Oct. 80 "Battleground Hoth!" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: The Alliance battles Imperial walkers and
snowtroopers on the frozen planet Hoth.
Notes: Second part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
41 Nov. 80 "Imperial Pursuit!" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Escaping the rout on Hoth, Han, Chewie, Leia and
Threepio are pursued into an asteroid field by the Imperial
fleet; Luke lands on the swamp planet Dagobah in search of
a Jedi Master to complete his training.
Notes: Third part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
42 Dec. 80 "To Be A Jedi!" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Luke begins his training under the Jedi Master Yoda;
the bounty hunter Boba Fett trails the crippled Millennium
Falcon after it eludes the Imperial fleet.
Notes: Fourth part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
43 Jan. 81 "Betrayal at Bespin" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Han, Chewie, and Leia are betrayed by Lando
Calrissian in Cloud City, where Darth Vader and Boba Fett
await them -- and set a trap for Luke.
Notes: Fifth part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
44 Feb. 81 "Duel A Dark Lord!" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Luke battles Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel in
Cloud City; Lando Calrissian frees Chewie and Leia and the
three race to save Han from Boba Fett's clutches.
Notes: Sixth part of 6-part adaptation of "The Empire
Strikes Back."
45 Mar. 81 "Death Probe" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: While testing himself to see if he's recovered from
his defeat at the hands of Darth Vader, Luke encounters a
blockade runner taken over by a monster probot -- and
intent on sabotaging the rebel fleet.
46 Apr. 81 "The Dreams of Cody Sunn-Childe" Lombego/Infantino
Story: While searching for Han Solo, Lando and Chewie are
catapulted into another dimension, where a long-lost rebel
warrior has built a utopia out of the stuff of his own
dreams.
47 May 81 "Droid World!" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Trying to fix a damaged war droid, Threepio and Artoo
travel to an artificial moon manned only by robots, where
they find themselves caught in the middle of a revolution.
Notes: Story was later adapted into a children's book and
tape of the same name.
48 June 81 "The Third Law" Hama/Infantino
Story: Leia and Darth Vader fight a war of diplomatic
intrigue on the neutral world of Aargau.
Notes: Entertaining, though its tongue-in-cheek tone and
bloodless intrigues are more James Bond than Star Wars.
49 July 81 "The Last Jedi!" Barr/Simonson
Story: Luke and Leia help Prince Denid of Velmor in his
quest to regain his throne, but are caught up in palace
intrigue surrounding a brain-damaged old alien who may or
may not be the last of the Jedi Knights.
50 Aug. 81 "The Crimson Forever!" Goodwin/Simonson/Williamson
Story: Attempting to save Luke from a strange disease, Leia,
Lando, Chewie, and the droids travel beyond the galaxy
retracing an old adventure of Han and Chewie's.
Notes: Double issue brings back the bounty hunters from "The
Empire Strikes Back" and Sister Domina Tagge. Goodwin's
last issue until #98, four years later.
51 Sept 81 "Ressurection of Evil" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: The Star Warriors attempt to sabotage the
construction of "the Tarkin," a warship built around the
Death Star's planet-destroying laser cannon.
Notes: A different twist on the much-abused "new Death Star"
idea.
52 Oct. 81 "To Take the Tarkin" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: The Star Warriors battle Darth Vader aboard the
Tarkin, where a cadre of Imperial officers plot to betray
the Dark Lord of the Sith.
53 Nov. 81 "The Last Gift From Alderaan" Claremont/Simonson
Story: Leia battles an inhuman Imperial Warlord and his
anti-matter bombs on Shiva IV.
Notes: A not-particulary successful homage to "John Carter,
Warlord of Mars" by Claremont, a former writer for that
title. Additional art by Infantino.
54 Dec. 81 "Starfire Rising" Claremont/Infantino/Simonson
Story: Luke helps Leia and Warlord Aron defeat General
Sk'ar, but the Millennium Falcon is trapped between a Star
Destroyer and a black hole, and only Luke's skill with the
Force can save them.
55 Jan. 82 "Plif!" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: A rebel scouting team investigates the planet Arbra
as a possible new base for the Alliance; Lando returns to
Cloud City and finds it mysteriously deserted.
Notes: Adapted as "Planet of the Hoojibs," a children's book
and tape.
56 Feb. 82 "Coffin In the Clouds" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: Lando contends with time bombs, an Imperial
explosives team, and a beserk Lobot in the deserted Cloud
City.
Notes: Introduces Lieutenant Shira Brei (sometimes Brie),
Michelinie's best character -- and a rare love interest for
Luke.
57 Mar. 82 "Hello, Bespin, Goodbye!" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: Lando journeys to the surface of Bespin and enlists
the aid of the ugnaughts in retaking Cloud City from the
Empire.
58 Apr. 82 "Sundown!" Michelinie/Simonson
Story: Threepio and Artoo are Leia's last hope to save the
rebel fleet from destruction inside Arbra's sun; Luke,
Lando and Chewbacca run into trouble on the space station
Bazarre.
59 May 82 "Bazarre" Michelinie & Simonson/Simonson
Story: Luke and Lando are trapped on the disposal planet of
Patch-4 with a giant worm invulnerable to blasters.
60 June 82 "Shira's Story" Michelinie & Simonson/Simonson
Story: On a mission to uncover plans for an Imperial armada
under construction on the edge of the galaxy, Luke and
Shira Brei run into trouble on Shira's homeworld of
Shalyvane.
61 July 82 "Screams in the Void" Michelinie & Simonson
Story: Luke leads the mission to destroy the Empire's armada
and its latest secret weapon, but has he destroyed what he
loves, too?
Notes: Simonson pencils.
62 Aug. 82 "Pariah!" Michelinie & Simonson/Simonson
Story: Stripped of his commission for shooting down Shira
Brei's fighter, Luke returns to Shalyvane with Chewbacca
looking for answers.
63 Sept 82 "The Mind Spider!" Michelinie & Simonson/Palmer
Story: Luke and Chewbacca raid the Imperial data bank on
Krake's Planet in search of the information about Shira
Brei which could clear Luke's name.
64 Oct. 82 "Serphidian Eyes" Fleisher, Michelinie/Brozowski
Story: Luke and two fellow officers travel to a
quasi-medieval world to oust its Imperial-allied king.
65 Nov. 82 "Golrath Never Forgets" Michelinie/Simonson/Palmer
Story: The rebels scramble to destroy Golrath Station, an
obscure outpost which could betray their new base to the
Empire.
2 1982 "Shadeshine!" Michelinie/Infantino
Story: Luke and Lando uncover a tale from Han Solo's past,
in which a smuggling run for sansanna spice lands the
Corellian in the midst of a power struggle between a
strange priesthood and an alien satrap.
Notes: Second annual. First was in 1979.
66 Dec. 82 "The Water Bandits" Michelinie/Simonson & Palmer
Story: Trapped on the backwater planet of Beheboth, Luke
strives to rescue a friend from a band of brigands who
control the planet's water supply.
67 Jan. 83 "The Darker" Michelinie/Frenz
Story: As the Star Warriors begin the search for Han Solo,
Threepio, Artoo, Chewie, and the hoojibs battle an ancient
foe lurking in the deepest caves of Ambra.
68 Feb. 83 "The Search Begins" Michelinie/Day & Palmer
Story: Leia and Threepio travel to Boba Fett's rumored
homeworld of Mandalore, where they fall in with Fenn Shysa,
one of the last three Mandalorian supercommandos.
Notes: Continuity problems will one day abound -- Fenn Shysa
tells Leia that the supercommandos were charged with the
defense of Mandalore before the Empire and that, of 212
commandos, three survived -- chief officer Boba Fett, Fenn
Shysa, and Tobbi Dala. In a major howler, story also has
Palpatine briefing the commandos on Princess Leia's rebel
activities during the Clone Wars.
69 Mar. 83 "Death in the City of Bone!" Michelinie/Day
Story: Fenn Shysa tries to rescue Leia from the strange City
of Bone on Mandalore.
70 Apr. 83 "The Stenax Shuffle" Duffy/Frenz & Gammill
Story: As Lando, Chewie and Luke head for Stenos in search
of the bounty hunter Bossk, Luke recalls an early adventure
which brought the Star Warriors to the planet shortly after
"A New Hope."
Notes: Duffy's best effort -- a fine, witty adventure.
71 May 83 "Return to Stenos" Duffy/Palmer & Frenz
Story: Luke and Lando's search for Han leads them into
danger on Stenos, but they finally find Han -- or do they?
72 June 83 "Fool's Bounty" Duffy/Palmer & Frenz
Story: Luke, Lando, Chewie, Artoo, Rik Duel and Dani
struggle to destroy the bounty hunters' base on Stenos.
73 July 83 "Lahsbane" Duffy/Palmer & Frenz
Story: Luke, Leia, Chewie, Dani, and the droids are sent to
the planet Lahsbane to recover tapes from a downed rebel
pilot's ship, but run into one problem after another.
Notes: Lucasfilm blew the whistle on the issue after
Marvel's first depiction of the Lahsbees looked too much
like Ewoks.
74 Aug. 83 "The Iskalon Effect" Duffy/Frenz & Palmer
Story: The Star Warriors travel to the waterworld of Iskalon
in search of missing rebel agent Tay Vanis and his droid.
75 Sept 83 "Tidal" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Lando and company infiltrate the planet Gamandar;
Luke and Leia fight for their lives on Iskalon's ocean
floor.
76 Oct. 83 "Artoo-Detoo to the Rescue" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Artoo struggles to save his friends on Gamandar while
Luke, Leia, and Kiro are caught in the chaos of war-torn
Iskalon.
77 Nov. 83 "Chanteuse of the Stars..." Duffy/Frenz
Story: Luke and Leia, investigating a lead about Han Solo,
take desperate measures during a delegation of planetary
representatives on the space station Kabray.
Notes: Leia sings, and the results are as embarrassing as
the "Star Wars Holiday Special," even though you can't hear
them.
3 1983 "The Apprentice" Duffy/Janson
Story: The Star Warriors and the Empire clash on the dismal
planet of Belderone, where Darth Vader finds a new
apprentice.
78 Dec. 83 "Hoth Stuff!" Michelinie & Layton/McDonnell
Story: Luke and Leia hunt for Wedge Antilles, missing since
"The Empire Strikes Back" on Hoth.
Notes: Curiously, the first non-movie issue to include
Wedge. But Marvel confuses Wedge with Biggs, describing
Rogue Squadron's chief as Luke's oldest friend, whom he
grew up with on Tatooine.
79 Jan. 84 "The Big Con" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Lando and Chewie hunt for clues to Han Solo's fate on
the dreary world of Arcan IV.
80 Feb. 84 "Ellie" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Luke, Leia and Threepio finally find Tay Vanis -- or
what's left of him -- and the Bothan tapes which hold the
secret of the Empire's new superweapon.
Notes: Last issue chronologically before "Return of the
Jedi."
1R Oct. 83 "In the Hands of Jabba the Hutt" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Luke, Leia, Chewie, and the droids finally free Han
Solo from carbonite, only to find themselves Jabba the
Hutt's prisoners.
Notes: Part one of a 4-part limited series adapting "Return
of the Jedi."
2R Nov. 83 "The Emperor Commands!" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Having escaped from Jabba the Hutt, Luke travels to
Dagobah to find Yoda dying; Emperor Palpatine arrives at
the partially-completed new Death Star.
Notes: Part two of a 4-part limited series adapting "Return
of the Jedi."
3R Dec. 83 "Mission to Endor" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: The rebels launch a commando raid on the Endor Moon,
where they win over the native Ewoks; Luke surrenders to
Darth Vader.
Notes: Part three of a 4-part limited series adapting
"Return of the Jedi."
4R Jan. 84 "The Final Duel" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: The Imperial and rebel battle fleets clash over the
Endor Moon while Luke duels Darth Vader and the Emperor
within the new Death Star.
Notes: Part four of a 4-part limited series adapting "Return
of the Jedi."
81 Mar. 84 "Jawas of Doom" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Han, Leia, and Artoo return to Tatooine to recover
some of Han's money, but when Artoo is stolen by jawas,
they're forced out into the Dune Sea in pursuit -- and they
discover that Boba Fett is very much alive.
Notes: A delirious Fett escapes the Sarlaac and is found by
jawas, who think he's a droid. But by issue's end he's
fallen back into the Sarlaac, no doubt to re-emerge a
second time ready for action in the West End Games
sourcebooks and "Dark Empire."
82 Apr. 84 "Diplomacy" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Seeking to gather emissaries from the former systems
of the Empire, Luke returns to Iskalon.
83 May 84 "Sweetheart Contract" Grant/McLeod
Story: Lando is caught up in a disagreement between the
Queen of Drogheda and her rebellious sister.
84 June 84 "Seoul Searching" Richardson/Mazzucchelli
Story: Han and Chewie run into remnants of the Imperial
military while treasure-hunting on the ancient world of
Seoul Five.
85 July 84 "The Hero" Duffy/McLeod
Story: Han, Chewie, and Lando run afoul of Bossk and IG-88
on Keyorin, the Hunter's World.
86 Aug. 84 "The Alderaan Factor!" Stradley/McLeod
Story: In an adventure taking place shortly before "Return
of the Jedi," Leia is betrayed on the planet Yinchor and
must try to win over a young stormtrooper from Alderaan.
87 Sep. 84 "Still Active After All These Years" Duffy/Palmer
Story: The Rodian smuggler Chihdo trips a terrible trap in
the catacombs of Shawkan as Luke rushes to save his
friends.
Notes: A Duffy/Palmer effort.
88 Oct. 84 "Figurehead" Duffy/McLeod
Story: Mon Mothma and Princess Leia fight surviving Imperial
forces led by the mysterious Lumiya on the planet Herdessa.
89 Nov. 84 "I'll See You in the Throne Room" Nocenti/Blevins
Story: Luke searches for a traitor to the New Republic on
the exotic world of Solay.
90 Dec. 84 "The Choice!" Duffy/McLeod
Story: As the New Republic's leaders meet with
representatives of many newly-freed worlds, trouble breaks
out between Rik Duel and the Republic.
91 Jan. 85 "Wookiee World!" Duffy/Salmons
Story: Han, Lando, and Chewie discover that the slave trade
has been reactivated on Chewie's homeworld of Kazhyyyk.
Notes: Fairly daring, considering the draconian plot and
subject constraints Marvel had to work with after "Return
of the Jedi." Mala, Itchy, and Lumpy, Chewie's family from
"The Star Wars Holiday Special" and "The Wookiee
Storybook," appear, working overtime for their place in
Star Wars apocrypha.
92 Feb. 85 "The Dream" Duffy/Duursema
Story: A desperate refugee leads the New Republic to an
Imperial stronghold run by Darth Vader's last pupil, a
self-styled Dark Lord.
93 Mar. 85 "Catspaw" Duffy/Buscema
Story: Luke, Leia, and Han investigate rumors of Imperial
activity in the Cantros system.
94 Apr. 85 "Small Wars" Duffy/Martin
Story: A traitorous aide to Admiral Ackbar stirs up war
between the Ewoks and the Lahsbees, the New Republic's
smallest warriors.
95 May 85 "No Zeltrons" Duffy/Martin
Story: Leia, Han, and a Zeltron band run across a villainous
new race from beyond the galaxy -- the Nagai; Luke and
Lumiya clash on the borderworld of Kinooine.
96 June 85 "Duel With a Dark Lady!" Duffy/Martin
Story: Luke fights for his life against Lumiya and her Nagai
allies and discovers the Dark Lady's secret as a Nagai
invasion fleet arrives.
Notes: An extra-galactic alien race invades just after
"Return of the Jedi," shades of Kathy Tyers.
97 July 85 "Escape" Duffy/Martin
Story: Luke, Kiro, and Dani fight to elude the Nagai on
Kinooine.
98 Aug. 85 "Supply and Demand" Goodwin/Williamson
Story: Han Solo is sent to the planet Vandelheim to check
out a supply problem for the New Republic, and winds up
battling an Imperial scheme.
Notes: Goodwin and Williamson return for a one-shot which
briefly interrupts the series' virtual free-fall. Reprinted
as Classic Star Wars: The Vandelheim Mission by Dark Horse
in 1995.
99 Sept 85 "Touch of the Goddess" Duffy/Frenz
Story: Luke, Han, Chewie and Lando search for missing
components to a mystical machine which could be the only
hope for the inhabitants of a dying world.
100 Oct. 85 "First Strike" Duffy/Martin
Story: The New Republic tries to fight off the Nagai
invasion as they leave Endor.
Notes: A double-sized issue. Features a flashback of Han's
childhood with his friend and mentor Bey.
101 Nov. 85 "Far, Far Away" Duffy/Martin
Story: Accompanied by droids and hoojibs, Han Solo takes a
little detour while on a mission for the Alliance.
Notes: Takes place before issue #97.
102 Dec. 85 "School Spirit!" Duffy/Buscema
Story: Luke and Lando battle Nagai invaders on Iskalon.
103 Jan. 86 "Tai" Duffy/Martin
Story: Leia and the Zeltrons learn a little more about the
enemy when they run into a wounded Nagai youth on the
planet Trenwyth.
Notes: First bi-monthly issue.
104 Mar. 86 "Nagais and Dolls" Duffy/Martin
Story: The Nagai invade Zeltros, catching the New Republic
off-guard.
105 May 86 "The Party's Over" Duffy/Martin & Leialoha
Story: Chaos reigns on Zeltros as the Tofs, aliens from the
Nagai's galaxy, invade the planet right on their old
enemies' heels.
106 July 86 "My Hiromi" Duffy/Martin
Story: Luke and the Hiromi try to rescue Leia's attaches
from the Tofs.
107 Sept 86 "All Together Now" Duffy/Martin
Story: The New Republic joins Nagai warriors and Imperials
in an attempt to stop the Tof invasion before it can start.
Notes: Last issue.
III. THE MARVEL ILLUSTRATED BOOKS AND THE U.K. ISSUES
Marvel also published its Star Wars adventures in weekly
form in Great Britain, leading to inevitable scheduling
problems. According to Marvel, six complete stories were
published in the British weekly and pencilled in for the
U.S. comic after "The Empire Strikes Back," but were then
shelved. Four stories were reprinted in the U.S. in "Star
Wars," a Marvel Illustrated Book dated Nov. 1981, and
copyrighted 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981.
In October 1982, "Star Wars 2: World of Fire," a
three-issue, black-and-white series also apparently written
for the British weekly, was released by Marvel Illustrated
Books.
How the seven total issues in those two books equates to the
six missing Star Wars stories first mentioned by Marvel is
beyond me. And to further complicate things, "War on Ice"
clearly begins in the middle of the story. That raises the
possibility that some other part of "War of Ice" remains
uncollected.
If anyone is familiar with the British Star Wars Weekly and
whether or not other Marvel Star Wars stories appeared in
it, I'd like to know.
Star Wars (Nov. 81):
-- ??? "Way of the Wookiee" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Days before "A New Hope," Han and Chewie run afoul of
an Imperial colonel, Jabba the Hutt's traitorous
operatives, and Chewie's vendetta with another Wookiee
while smuggling spice on the Kessel Run.
Notes: Continuity disagrees with Kevin J. Anderson's account
of Han and Chewie's fateful Kessel Run in "Jedi Search."
-- ??? "The Day After the Death Star" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: On the day after the Death Star battle, a giddy Luke
goes for a joyride in his X-Wing -- and learns a difficult
lesson about war.
-- ??? "Weapons Master" Goodwin/Infantino
Story: Leia tells Luke the story of Giles Durane, who taught
her how to wield a blaster -- and how idealism can turn
sour.
-- ??? "War on Ice" Goodwin/Cockrum
Story: Luke must rescue Leia from a huge Imperial fortress
on the ice world of Akuria Two.
Star Wars 2: World of Fire (Oct. 82):
-- ??? "World of Fire!" Claremont/Infantino
Story: After stealing the Staraker, an prototype Imperial
warship, Luke, Leia, and rebel operative Mici Shabandar
find themselves stranded on the haunted, deadly world of
Alashan.
-- ??? "The Word for World is Death!" Claremont/Infantino
Story: Luke and Leia join forces with a stranded team of
Imperials to explore the ruins of Alashan.
-- ??? "The Guardian of Forever!" Claremont/Infantino
Story: Luke, Leia and Major Grau's Imperials duel with an
alien sentinel in Alashan's underworld.
IV. THE STAR WARS CANON -- A MODEST PROPOSAL
In an unfortunate parallel with Star Trek, fans of Star Wars
are becoming increasingly concerned with questions about
what Star Wars adventures are canon -- and, in a related
debate, how various chapters in the constantly-expanding
Star Wars saga fit together.
One easy way out of the canon dilemna is what could be
called the "Robin Hood defense." The adventures of Luke
Skywalker and his friends, as we all know, take place "a
long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" -- time enough for
any number of legends to have sprung up arpund them since.
In a peaceful galaxy ruled by the restored Jedi Knights, it
is logical that every backwater planet would claim to be
the site of some adventure or other of Luke, Han, Chewie,
or even Darth Vader. And it's equally logical that, over
thousands of generations, some inconsistent or downright
contradictory legends might be sprung up.
Thus, the inhabitants of Bespin boast that Luke Skywalker
and Darth Vader's first lightsaber duel took place in the
carbonite chamber of Cloud City. But the natives of Mimban
tell a different story, one featuring a grim battle in the
Temple of Pomojema. And the people of Monastery recall how
Luke and Vader met in single combat at the bidding of
Sister Domina. (This is nothing compared to the disputes on
Ord Mantell, where different factions tell the tale of "the
Bounty Hunter of Ord Mantell" four of five different ways!)
On the other hand, Kevin J. Anderson is at work on a James
Michener-style history of the Star Wars universe; efforts
like his and the forthcoming "Shadows of the Empire" are
fueling the debate over, and desire for, a single
"canonical" chronology.
The Archie Goodwin/Al Williamson newspaper strips reprinted
as "Classic Star Wars" by Dark Horse have been very
well-received; not a few fans, in fact, greeted them more
warmly than the grittier "Dark Empire." The West End Games
sourcebooks, while themselves "non-canon," have already
accepted the newspaper strips as fact. And Dark Horse is
reprinting the only Goodwin/Williamson issue (#98) from the
regular run of the Marvel series.
No small amount of the appeal of the "Classic Star Wars"
stories is Williamson's fine art -- but credit should also
go to Goodwin, who captures the Flash Gordon spirit of Star
Wars without neglecting the epic sweep of the galactic
civil war, the spiritual demands of the Force, or the real
love between Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie.
One partial answer to the canon/chronology debate would be
to elevate Goodwin's stories (nearly all of which take
place between "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back")
to canon status, and let the other (decidedly inferior)
Marvels remain apocrypha (most of the others have been, or
will be, supplanted by the new novels and "Shadows of the
Empire," anyway).
The rebels' betrayal on the Wheel, Han Solo's duel with the
space pirate Crimson Jack, Darth Vader's search for the
name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star, the
treachery of the House of Tagge, the lonely quest of
Valance the Hunter -- these are exciting, entertaining
stories which are worthy additions to the Star Wars saga.
There is time enough between "A New Hope" and "Empire" to
fit them and Archie Goodwin's newspaper strips into a
logical timeline, and ample reason for a new crop of Star
Wars fans to enjoy learning what befell the heroes of the
movies between their victory on Yavin and their defeat on
Hoth.
--
eof