1980: MARVEL UK'S STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK MONTHLY ISSUE 142

From 1980: long before the TV show, the STAR WARS DROIDS go solo in MARVEL UK's STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK MONTHLY issue 142, published in November/ December 1980... despite the muddled cover date.

It 'reprinted' US issue 47, on sale Stateside in February 1981.  Another British premiere.

The same strip, published here in b&w, also (by virtue of its done-in-one nature) appeared in the fifth British annual (published in 1982).  It was also - weirdly - adapted as a 'Read Along Adventure' audio.