Droids #1

History

The series was a direct extension of the Star Wars: Droids animated television series, which aired during the 1985–86 Saturday morning season, and Marvel moved quickly to publish a companion comic through its youth-oriented Star Comics imprint. Writer David Manak and penciller John Romita Sr. — the Spider-Man legend who had also served as Marvel's Art Director — formed the creative team, with Carlos Garzón on inks, Marie Severin on colors, and Grace Kremer on letters; the issue was edited by Sid Jacobson and Tom DeFalco, the two architects of the Star Comics line itself. The book was physically published in February 1986, carrying an April 1986 cover date, and shipped in both a direct-edition and a newsstand edition, with a Canadian price-variant as well.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First issue of the eight-issue bimonthly series Star Wars: Droids (1986–1987), published by Star Comics, Marvel's all-ages imprint, with a cover date of April 1986 and a physical on-sale date of February 1986.
• Written by David Manak and pencilled by John Romita Sr. (inked by Carlos Garzón, colored by Marie Severin, lettered by Grace Kremer); edited by Sid Jacobson and Tom DeFalco.
• The lead story, 'The Destroyer,' introduces the planet Dodz, corrupt Governor Kugg, boy hero Jost Ellon, and the Ranger X-One defense robot — all characters and concepts created for this comic, not lifted directly from the TV series.
• John Romita Sr. is credited by Wookieepedia as the designer of Kugg, the Ranger X-1 craft, and the Destroyer — making this issue a notable creative contribution to the Star Wars Legends universe by one of Marvel's most celebrated artists.
• The series is set approximately 15 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (roughly 15 BBY), filling in a period not covered by the films and placing it in continuity before several TV-series story arcs.
• The issue was reprinted in the 1988 Marvel UK Droids TV Special, in the Dark Horse Star Wars Omnibus: Droids and Ewoks (June 2012), and in the Marvel True Believers: Droids one-shot released on Star Wars Day (May 4, 2016).
• The entire run of all eight issues — including this debut — was collected in the Marvel Star Wars: Droids & Ewoks Omnibus (2016) and again in the Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years – Droids & Ewoks #1 (2024).
• The series exists as part of the Star Wars Legends continuity (non-canon under the current Disney/Lucasfilm framework), though later Expanded Universe reference works made efforts to reconcile the comic's timeline with the animated series.

Cast · 2 characters

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