1984: AMAZING HEROES MAGAZINE: POWER PACK

Marvel launched POWER PACK in May 1984. AMAZING HEROES ran this piece to coincide with the first issue. The cover is an original commission not seen elsewhere.

POWER PACK itself enjoyed surprising longevity, despite some highly erratic quality control after the first few years, eventually clocking-up 62 issues (to 1991). It reduced to a bi-monthly frequency, and went direct-sales only, from issue 26 (October 1986).

A one-shot special (POWER PACK HOLIDAY SPECIAL), reuniting the original creative team, followed in 1992.

In more recent years, the Pack have been revived on several occasions, most notably as a series of out-of-continuity limited series aimed at younger readers.

In 1991, just as the comic book incarnation was winding down, New World Television produced a thirty minute (including commercials) live-action TV pilot for possible inclusion into NBC's teen-centric Saturday morning programming block. NBC passed and NWT explored the possibility of a first-run syndication deal before abandoning the project. The pilot has never been broadcast but copies are unofficially in circulation.

In the UK, US copies of Power Pack were distributed via newsagents as part of a bundle of US Marvel titles. It was dropped from the range when its frequency was cut to bi-monthly.

The Pack were a regular fixture in STAR WARS RETURN OF THE JEDI weekly for some 90-odd issues, serialising the first 23 issues. The strip ended, along with ROTJ itself, with issue 155. This left the end-of-issue cliffhanger unresolved and readers were directed to track down the US edition to follow the story.

Reprints of Power Pack began again, starting from the beginning, in the UK edition of THUNDERCATS beginning in 1989.