U.S. 1 #3
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeU.S. 1 #3 is the issue where writer Al Milgrom commits fully to embedding this toy-licensed trucking series inside the wider Marvel Universe — a storytelling gamble that gives the Highwayman an origin rooted in demonic bargaining and peppered with cameos from Marvel's established mystical pantheon. By pulling the Ancient One, Aged Genghis, and a figure identified as Mephisto into a flashback that explains how Jefferson Archer sold his soul for eternal trucking dominance, the issue transforms what might have been a disposable licensed property into a corner of Earth-616 with genuine cosmological stakes. It also marks the first appearance of Retread, the former P.I. who becomes U.S. Archer's primary comic-relief sidekick for the remainder of the run, and the first appearance of Baron von Blimp. The issue is an odd but genuine artifact of how 1980s Marvel would cheerfully fold even its silliest licensed titles into the shared continuity.
In "Rhyme of the Ancient Highwayman!", a weary trucker spins a tale of a legendary outlaw at the Short Stop, sparking curiosity in U.S. and his new ally Retread. When they track down the old-timer’s truck, they find it surrounded by mysterious vehicles—only to uncover a shocking twist that redefines the story from the start. Written by Al Milgrom and illustrated by Frank Springer, with inks by Mike Esposito and colors by Paul Becton, this 1983 Marvel classic features a standout cover by Michael Golden.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The entire U.S. 1 series grew out of a licensing arrangement: Tyco Toys, maker of the U.S.-1 electric slot-truck line, approached Marvel Comics, and Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter agreed to develop a comic around the brand, tapping Al Milgrom to write it. Milgrom recounted this origin himself in a text piece at the back of the first issue. The series was among the earliest titles under editor Ralph Macchio, with Bob Harras later also working on the book. By issue #3, the creative team had shifted interior art duties from Herb Trimpe (who launched the series) to penciler Frank Springer and inker Mike Esposito, while Michael Golden provided the painted cover — a pairing that would define the visual identity of most of the remaining run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title of issue #3: 'Rhyme of the Ancient Highwayman!' — released March 29, 1983 with a July 1983 cover date.
- First appearance of Retread, a former private investigator who joins U.S. Archer's supporting cast and remains a recurring character through the final issue (#12).
- First appearance of Baron von Blimp, a villain who becomes the central antagonist of the very next issue (#4, 'Hot Air and Chicken Feathers').
- The issue's flashback origin sequence for the Highwayman features cameo appearances (in flashback) by the Ancient One, Aged Genghis, and a shadowed figure identified by the Marvel Database as Mephisto — explicitly linking this toy-licensed title to Marvel's mystical continuity.
- Interior art by penciler Frank Springer and inker Mike Esposito; cover painted by Michael Golden.
- Written by Al Milgrom, edited by Ralph Macchio, with Jim Shooter as Editor-in-Chief.
- The Highwayman's origin as presented here — bargaining his soul for youth and road-supremacy — was later complicated by subsequent issues implying the supernatural elements may have been a fabrication covering alien involvement.
- The series as a whole was produced under a Tyco Toys license (U.S.-1 electric slot trucks) and ran 12 issues from May 1983 through October 1984.
Cast · 14 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Thor #13 (1985)
Key issues in U.S. 1
Variants (2)
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