Atari Force Mini Comic (1982) comic books 1980 or later

Promotional comic originally given away in connection with promotion of the Atari 2600. "Intruder Alert!"/"Deadly Orbit"/"Final Approach", script by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, art by Ross Andru, Dick Giordano, and Mike DeCarlo; In the year 2005, a female intruder with a gaelic accent infiltrates ATARI HQ in Northcal (formerly known as California); Meanwhile, in earth orbit, Martin Champion saves ATARI Solar Satellite; Station One from a run-away solar panel. While Dr. Lucas Orion is tending the shoulder he used to block it in sick-bay, both are summoned to a "crash priority" meeting of the Project: Multiverse; team, a project neither knows anything about; On the way to earth, Champion remembers how he first met Lydia Perez on a rescue mission for the lunar colonists after an attack on it by unnamed enemies in 1998; This led to the Five Day War which left the earth with no more traditional nation-states and a food shortage, among other problems; He wonders why Perez seems so cold during the summons. The two are met and driven to ATARI HQ by Perez. 5-in. x 7-in. mini comic book. 52 pgs., full color.

Promotional comic originally given away in connection with promotion of the Atari 2600. "Berserk"/"Unmasked"/"Spoils of War", script by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, art by Ross Andru, Dick Giordano, and Mike DeCarlo; Champion, Orion, Perez, and Mohandas Singh meet with the director of ATARI while the intruder eavesdrops; ATARI security finally discovers the intruder, issuing an "intruder alert" for a "berzerk situation"; The flashing lights and sirens send Singh into a remembrance of his former life as a street urchin in New Delhi with his friend Raja; A tourist accidentally accuses them of picking his pocket and Raja dies when he slips and hits his head on a river bank; To try to make up for what he's done, Prof. Stanley Miles (the tourist) sends Singh to some of the finest schools on three continents to train his very intelligent mind; Meanwhile, the intruder slips into the _Scanner One_ hangar as the meeting participants give chase; After a fight between the intruder and Champion (which he loses), the intruder is revealed to be Li-San O'Rourke, the executive director of ATARI security doing a field test which the security teams have failed miserably; She apologizes for disrupting the meeting, the but the director reveals she is to be the fifth member of the Atari Force; As they enter the craft, O'Rourke recounts her mission during the Five Day War to win back an enemy-occupied oil field. 5-in. x 7-in. mini comic book. 52 pgs., full color.

Promotional comic originally given away in connection with promotion of the Atari 2600. "Enter--The Dark Destroyer"/"Planet of the Doomed!"/"Star Raiders!", script by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, art by Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, and Mike DeCarlo; Inbetween universes, a planet-sized octopus-like creature grabs _Scanner One_ and tries to crush it. Atari Force escapes by having the computer kick in the dimensional warp engines on full, creating a power surge; Unable to control where they reappear in normal space, they end up above a dead earth-like world where they have to set down to make repairs to the engines; As they investigate, Hukka appears and decides he likes Singh; They split up and then Champion and Orion are attacked by spaceships; Another appears out of the ground and makes short work of the attackers; When it lands, O'Rourke, Singh, and Hukka are inside; Hukka led them to the ship and a jewel which shows them how the world used to be before the Zylons attacked and destroyed it; Everyone but Orion is inspired to vengeance; While O'Rourke and Champion battle Zylons in the Star Raider, Orion discovers the Zylons are controlled by the Dark Destroyer, so Orion, Perez, and Singh go to find it; They do, and seem to destroy it with an overloaded probe; Meanwhile, the Star Raider is in trouble and are saved when the Dark Destroyer is attacked. 5-in. x 7-in. mini comic book. 52 pgs., full color.

Promotional comic originally given away in connection with promotion of the Atari 2600. "Phoenix," script by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, art by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano; The story opens as David Marcus is killed when the Malaglon's destroy his Phoenix star-fighter; Six months ago Atari Force discovered the Malaglon controlling dozens of solar systems and enslaving the natives in a parallel universe; They decided to "put an end to their reign of terror," so the Phoenix star-fighter was created and the members of Atari Force put in charge; Now the eleventh pilot of Phoenix, Bob Marcus, David's little brother, is chosen to try to stop the Malaglon before they reach Earth. 5-in. x 7-in. mini comic book. 52 pgs., full color.

Promotional comic originally given away in connection with promotion of the Atari 2600. "Galaxian", script by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, art by Ross Andru, Gil Kane, and Dick Giordano; Atari Force investigates their 13th world, which turns out to be an unihabited paradise; Then a ship appears carrying Aviar, a Custodian, asking why they are trespassing; After hearing their case, she escorts them to Centerworld so the First Custodians can decide whether to allow them to settle there; After they land and depart their ship, the Dark Destroyer, who was sent to this universe after its last encounter with the Atari Force, takes control of the population and attacks; Orion discovers the Dark Destroyer and Atari Force attacks the asteroid its hiding on, having to fight their way through the Custodians first; Atari Force is victorious, although the Dark Destroyer created an organic nodule in the event he was defeated that goes unnoticed as Atari Force heads back to Centerworld; After some discussion, it is decided to allow humanity to settle on planet 11435-18-2 and grant them probationary membership in the United Federation of Worlds. 5-in. x 7-in. mini comic book. 52 pgs., full color.