Star Wars (1977) 1

Star Wars 1 is the first issue of the Marvel Star Wars series of comic books. It closely follows the opening events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Plot summary
Imperial Forces, led by Darth Vader, capture the Princess Leia Organa's ship while on a mission for the Rebel Alliance, but two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, manage to escape to a nearby planet called Tatooine with data critical to the Princess' cause. The droids are acquired by a young moisture farmer Luke Skywalker and his uncle Owen Lars to work at their farm where Luke finds part of an urgent message from Leia to Obi-Wan Kenobi in R2's memory. R2 escapes from the farm with the intention of finding Kenobi on his own; Luke, fearing punishment from his uncle for losing the droid, pursues R2 to the Jundland Wastes only to be attacked by a band of ferocious Sandpeople.

Characters

 * Raymus Antilles
 * C-3PO
 * Camie
 * Biggs Darklighter
 * Davin Felth
 * Daine Jir
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Beru Whitesun Lars
 * Owen Lars
 * Laze Loneozner ("Fixer")
 * Conan Antonio Motti
 * Nebit
 * Bail Organa
 * Leia Organa
 * Palpatine
 * Nahdonnis Praji
 * R2-D2
 * R5-D4
 * Luke Skywalker ("Wormie"
 * Janek Sunber ("Tank")
 * Cassio Tagge
 * Wilhuff Tarkin
 * Mod Terrik
 * URoRRoR'R'R
 * Darth Vader

Sentient species

 * Human
 * Jawa
 * Tusken Raider

Creatures

 * Bantha
 * Elephant

Droid models

 * 3PO-series protocol droid
 * CLL-8 binary load lifter
 * KPR servant droid
 * R2-series astromech droid
 * R5-series astromech droid
 * R2-AG-series astromech droid
 * WED Treadwell repair droid

Locations

 * Alderaan
 * Base One
 * Bestine IV
 * the Central Systems
 * Death Star I
 * Imperial Conference Room
 * Kessel
 * the spice mines
 * Prefsbelt IV
 * the Academy
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Toshi Station
 * Dune Sea
 * Jundland Wastes ("No Man's Land")
 * Lars homestead
 * Toprawa system

Vehicles and vessels

 * Class II frigate
 * Rand Ecliptic
 * CR90 corvette
 * Tantive IV
 * Class-6 escape pod
 * Freighter-tanker
 * Imperial I-class Star Destroyer
 * Devastator
 * Sandcrawler
 * X-34 landspeeder

Organizations and titles

 * Galactic Empire
 * Stormtrooper
 * Sandtrooper
 * Imperial Senate
 * Grand Moff (Regional Governor)
 * Galactic Emperor
 * Old Republic
 * Order of the Sith Lords
 * Dark Lord of the Sith (Sith Lord)
 * Rebel Alliance
 * Rebel spies
 * Royal Family

Weapons and technology

 * Code cylinder
 * Condensing unit
 * Datatape (Information Tape)
 * Control box
 * Darth Vader's armor
 * Electrobinoculars
 * Gaderffii
 * Grappling ray
 * Hologram
 * Holoprojector
 * Laser rifle
 * Macrobinoculars
 * Memory flush
 * Moisture vaporator
 * Motivator
 * Scanner
 * Paralysis ray
 * Rank insignia
 * Restraining bolt
 * Solar fin
 * Stormtrooper armor
 * Technical readout

Languages

 * Basic
 * Binary
 * Bocce
 * Droidspeak
 * Jawaese
 * Tusken

Events

 * First Battle of Tatooine

Miscellanea

 * Blue milk
 * Carbon scoring
 * Crest of Alderaan
 * Death Star plans
 * Distress signal
 * hell
 * hermit
 * Lightspeed
 * Meteorite storm
 * Moisture farmer
 * Primary function
 * Religion
 * Sorcerer
 * Spice
 * Star system
 * Sub-hallway
 * Territory
 * Thermo-capulary dehousing assister
 * Wizard
 * [[bissell carpet cleaners]]

Behind the scenes
The original cover price for this issue was 30 cents but Marvel Comics printed a 35 cent version with a limited distribution of about 1500 copies. The 35 cent version is a bit more valuable than the 30 cent one. There were also several reprint versions in print easily identified by "Reprint" in upper left hand corner of cover or on inside indicia or price and number inside a diamond with no date or UPC on cover, both the 30 cent and 35 cent version exist with the "Reprint" tag. These "Reprint" versions were found in the bagged comic three packs commonly found at department and drug stores back in the 1970s and 1980s. The first 18 or so issues of this series are available in the bagged three packs.

In 2007, this issue was reprinted and included in Hasbro's Comic Packs, which included action figures of Darth Vader, a green-colored IT-O Interrogator, and a "Rebel Officer".

This is Part One of the six part adaptation of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

This is the only issue in the entire series where the traditional Star Wars logo does not have the "S" attached to the "T" in the word, "star"'.

The cover for this issue was based on Howard Chaykin's original convention poster, which became one of the most valuable posters in the Star Wars collecting world.

Includes the Biggs Darklighter and Luke Skywalker scenes on Tatooine that were cut from A New Hope.

Camie & Fixer appear in a scene also cut from A New Hope.

Luke Skywalker's nickname of "Wormie" is used in this issue.

This is one of the most reprinted comics of all time. It has been reprinted along with the other five parts of the adaptation in standard formats and also large treasury size & in small novel sized editions.

In 1994 Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to reprint this issue and the other parts in the adaptation.

Although Obi-Wan Kenobi & Han Solo appear on the cover they do not appear in the series until issue two. Also, X-wing, TIE/ln, and Y-wing fighters appear on the cover, but they don't appear in the series till issue 5.

Darth Vader is incorrectly colored green on the cover.

This issue contains one page of text titled Star Wars: The Ultimate Space-Fantasy describing the background of the film's story and creators.

Since there were no fan letters to publish in the first issue, the letters page titled Star Warriors was used by writer Roy Thomas to explain how Marvel Comics came to acquire the rights to the comics adaptation.

The Bullpen Bulletins page, which is used to highlight important events in Marvel Comics that month, mentions the first issue of the Star Wars comics adaptation.

Collections

 * Marvel Special Edition Featuring Star Wars 1
 * The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Star Wars
 * Marvel Special Edition Featuring Star Wars 3
 * Marvel Movie Showcase 1
 * Classic Star Wars: A New Hope 1
 * Classic Star Wars: A New Hope (TPB)
 * Classic Star Wars Box Set
 * Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 1: Doomworld