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1st appearance of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, C-3PO, & R2D2; 1st cover appearance Obi-Wan Kenobi & Han Solo (not in story); Chaykin cover; COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)


Star Wars #1 boasts some of the earliest first appearances of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia, along with the first appearance of Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the cover of a comic. Our heroes weren't just saving a galaxy far away, though.Star Wars would also play a big role in saving Marvel Comics.

Roy Thomas got an early look at the future blockbuster as a work-in-progress in early 1977, and the legendary editor and writer wisely convinced a skeptical Stan Lee into snagging the comics rights to the future mega-franchise. It didn't take much to convince filmmaker George Lucas to go along with the deal. The notorious fanboy was a long-time Marvel maniac, and knew that the House of Ideas was the only logical home for his daring new project.

After months of furious work on the part of Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin, the first issue hit the newsstands six weeks before the film's premiere. That meant Chaykin and company only had access to movie stills and inferior workprints while crafting the book. As a result, there are plenty of interesting portraits and color choices within the early issues. Those include a surprisingly beefy Luke, a zaftig Leia, and...a green Darth Vader? Forget all that. Star Wars was already becoming the most significant pop-culture creation of the past 40 years. Jim Shooter credits the title for keeping Marvel going through 1978, and this big debut remains a vital artifact for fans!