Boba Fett was a hit with Star Wars fans from the beginning. Much of that success can be attributed to Lucasfilm's early exposure of the character to fans eager for movie news prior to the release of The Empire Strikes Back. Boba Fett starred in a cartoon short in the Star Wars Holiday Special which aired on CBS on November 17, 1978. Boba Fett's real popularity took off though when he was turned into an action figure by Kenner in 1979. To sell Star Wars toys and promote the upcoming movie, a free Boba Fett action figure was given away by mailing in 4 proof-of-purchase seals from Kenner Star Wars action figures.
Marvel Comics published a couple of original tales that featured Boba Fett. The first tale occurs in the first issue of a two part story that begins in Star Wars #68.
Star Wars #68a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 1983) NewsstandStar Wars #68b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 1983) Direct
Attempting to rescue Han Solo from Boba Fett, Leia tracks Dengar to the planet Mandalore on intelligence that Dengar may have been in on Boba Fett's original plans to capture Han. On Mandalore, Leia encounters slavers and ends up fighting alongside a Mandalorian soldier that looks very much like Boba Fett against the slavers. After the battle, Leia learns the Mandalorian is not Boba Fett, but Fenn Shysa. Fenn Shysa tells Leia he was part of a group of 212 Mandalorian commandos who helped the Empire during the Clone Wars. The commandos' leader was Boba Fett and only 3 commandos survived the war. A disenchanted Boba Fett struck out on his own after the war to become a bounty hunter. This story told by Fenn Shysa takes place in a 2 page spread with a single picture of Boba Fett. This is the only appearance of Boba Fett inside the comic.
Star Wars #68 - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 1983) 2 page spread with Boba Fett appearance
The second original yarn to feature Boba Fett occurs in Star Wars #81. In the first story post Return of the Jedi, Han Solo is attempting to reconnect with his previous life and decides to take a trip to Tatooine in the Millennium Falcon with Princess Leia and R2-D2. Meanwhile on Tatooine, Boba Fett crawls out of the Sarlaac Pit and is picked up by Jawas in a Sandcrawler. Back in Mos Eisley, Han Solo is getting use to his new circumstances when he and Leia discover R2-D2, who was watching the Falcon, was stolen by Jawas. They "borrow" some landspeeders and race after the Jawa Sandcrawler to retrieve R2-D2. Han and Leia attempt to stop the Sandcrawler by exchanging blaster fire with the Jawas. Eventually, Han boards the Sandcrawler and finds not only R2-D2 but Boba Fett. The amnesiac Fett helps Solo free R2-D2 but regains his memory just as Han is helping Fett out of the Sandcrawler. In the end, the Sandcrawler and Boba Fett fall into the Sarlaac Pit.
Star Wars #81a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 1984) NewsstandStar Wars #81b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 1984) Direct
The covers for Star Wars #68 and #81 show Boba Fett in a similar pose although Fett does shares the spotlight on the painted cover to issue #81 with other characters. Boba Fett only appears in a 2 page spread inside Star Wars #68. The other 2 surviving Mandalorian commandos do appear in more panels wearing the same armor as Fett in Star Wars #68 and #69 however. Even though the story is contrived and returns Boba Fett to the same status quo he starts in, Star Wars #81 has the more significant Boba Fett appearance and is the first time readers learn that Boba Fett survived the battle on Tatooine in Return of the Jedi.
Ultimately, both original tales are weak Boba Fett stories. Marvel may have been hamstrung by Lucasfilm with no clear direction for the franchise after the Return of the Jedi. Readers were treated to more (and better) Boba Fett stories when Dark Horse Comics began publishing Star Wars comics in the 1990s.
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