We all know that the first Star Wars film changed the face of pop culture forever when it hit theaters 40 years ago today—but it’s not just the movie that’s celebrating that milestone in 2017. Star Wars comics arrived with force in 1977, and hundreds of issues later, they’re more popular now than ever.

To celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Star Wars, we’re looking back at our 40 favorite moments from the history of comics from a galaxy far, far away—one day at a time.

As much fun as a day in the life of farmboy Luke Skywalker may have been to see in Marvel’s 1970s Star Wars comics,  writer Jason Aaron has taken the idea and run with it for his current STAR WARS series. So far, three issues—#7, #15, and #20—have brought Obi-Wan Kenobi’s journal entries from Tatooine to life, as we experience his protection of Luke and the Lars family moisture farm from the Jedi Master’s perspective. At times, this presents as simple as watching young Luke crash his T-16 skyhopper at Beggar’s Canyon—womp rat cameos included! Obi-Wan jumps into action against Jabba’s thugs and Tusken Raiders. And without spoiling too much, Luke himself does some dramatic rescuing of his own!

Star Wars (2015) #7

• Published: July 29, 2015
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: January 25, 2016
• Rating: Rated T
• Writer: Jason Aaron
• Cover Artist: John Cassaday

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While getting a solid taste of Luke’s craving for adventure and excitement at such a young age proves fascinating enough, Obi-Wan’s own actions and introspection really make these issues stand out as modern classics. Aaron takes us inside Obi-Wan’s head, providing a better understanding not only of how seriously he takes his role of protecting Luke, but also of his struggle to balance assisting Tatooine citizens in peril with keeping a low profile—which, as his showdown with Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan attests, doesn’t always work out so well for him. Obi-Wan even has to deal with Uncle Owen yapping at him, saying he doesn’t need his help.

Who ever said life as a secluded hermit would be peaceful?

Kate Bishop has gone up against some shady characters lately, but she has also seen some exciting successes, as she builds her detective agency and enters a new phase of her life. Things will soon get a little darker for Kate, though, when a face from her past shows up in HAWKEYE #8, coming July 5.

Just who is this mystery character?

Kate has seen her fair share of action as a super hero, so she has no shortage of rivals who could potentially crop up and cause trouble. On the other hand, maybe an old friend will make an appearance, and the two will find themselves fighting baddies together.

Writer Kelly Thompson weighs in on our top five guesses—without spoilers, of course!

Clint Barton

He went through a lot recently with CIVIL WAR II and the trial that followed after he killed Bruce Banner. And now we see him fighting HYDRA in SECRET EMPIRE. We’d call this a pretty interesting time for him to reunite with Kate.

Kelly Thompson: Clint and Kate are both definitely in interesting places in their lives, going through a lot and growing a lot. Does that mean they grow toward one another or away from one another? That may indeed be something we’re about to find out. They are definitely going to be connecting in the HAWKEYE GENERATIONS issue—so maybe that’s going to set them up for connecting in HAWKEYE too? All the winks…all the nudges!

Steve Rogers

Getting his blessing as Hawkeye held a lot of significance for Kate. But things have changed a lot for Steve, to put it mildly, and he and Kate would relate to each other very differently now.

Kelly Thompson: It’s pretty hard for anyone to ignore the power of Steve Rogers. And it’s probably doubly true for Kate. The Captain America stamp of approval is a big deal, especially to a young hero. But Kate is nothing if not her own person, and that’s part of what earned Cap’s respect in the first place. She’d have no problem standing up to him today, the same as in the past. Sure, she’d throw up her tacos a bit later from the stress of it all, but Kate makes the tough calls in situations, it’s simply who she is.

Cassie Lang

Cassie and Kate kept the Young Avengers together when Steve and Tony Stark told them to disband. And the two have quite a history of fighting together. We’d really enjoy watching them in action side by side.

Kelly Thompson: It’s been a long time since Kate and Cassie spent any real time together, so it’d be great to get them back together, but I think the surprise guests showing up in Kate’s life soon are a bit on the more contentious side than I’d hope Cassie would be. Still, it’d be a heck of a curveball and we are telling a detective story…so it could happen.

Madame Masque

In Matt Fraction and David Aja’s beloved HAWKEYE run, Kate went up against Madame Masque, and we’d love to see a rematch.

Kelly Thompson: I think Madame Masque was so well developed by Fraction, Aja, and Annie Wu that she’s definitely what I would call Kate’s nemesis, or certainly the top contender. Does that mean she’s destined to come back into play soon…or does that mean we should focus on other potential villains for Kate’s “rogue’s gallery”? Nobody knows! Okay, well, I do, but I’m not telling.

America Chavez

We’ve seen Kate show up in America’s book—maybe America will make an appearance in Kate’s? We really can’t get enough of Amerikate!

Kelly Thompson: I was really glad that I got to consult on Kate’s guest starring role over in America’s book as I had been planning for America to guest star in HAWKEYE well before America got her own book! So we re-jiggered things a bit to ensure we didn’t step on any toes while AMERICA was launching. Suffice to say I’m still itching to get America over into HAWKEYE and it’s basically well overdue at this point…so maybe it’s happening now? Obviously I can’t confirm or deny any of these guesses at the risk of spoiling things, but I will tell you this: at least one of these guesses is right on the money!

Find out who’s paying Kate a visit on July 5 in HAWKEYE #8 by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero!

One of the most exciting aspects of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Tale” centered on the many new storytelling opportunities it created. For decades, fans only found access into the story of the Rebellion’s fight against the Empire through the Skywalker trilogy. Now, that far, far away galaxy finds itself becoming more and more fleshed out as the backstories of the other members of the Rebellion come to life.

This August, writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Fernando Blanco join together to tell the story about two such rebels: Cassian Andor and his wise-cracking, Empire-turned-Rebel robot, K-2SO. We sat down to speak with both creators about their upcoming work on this “Rogue One” origin story and their experience of contributing to the Star Wars canon.

Marvel.com: When you first watched “Rogue One,” what elements of it caught your attention the most?

Duane Swierczynski: The blend of sci-fi and noir blew me away. It had everything that appealed to me as a kid—Stormtroopers, lasers, droids—along with noir elements that seriously appeal to me as an adult—morally-ambiguous anti-heroes, desperate combat, the feeling that the universe really is out to get you. It’s like when you eat something that’s both sweet and salty—a rare treat.

Fernando Blanco: The moral ambiguity of Cassian’s inner conflicts. Star Wars always been about the Light and the Dark Side, but in “Rogue One,” we see for the first time, gray areas that are not related directly with this axis. It’s a more realistic dilemma about real war conflicts, when you are obliged to obey orders or make decisions that could be ethically questionable in order to achieve a supposed higher good.

Marvel.com: This August, you will be pulling back the curtain a bit on two fan-favorite characters from “Rogue One”: Cassian Andor and K-2SO. Apart from the obvious fact that this comic would give you a chance to work in the world of Star Wars, what made this particular chapter in this mythos appealing?

Duane Swierczynski: I love buddy cop movies. To me, Cassian and Kaytoo fit right into that grand tradition of Murtaugh and Riggs, Jack and Reggie, Freebie and the Bean, etc. So, it was great fun to consider their first meeting—who befriended who? Why does K-2 always say exactly what’s on his mind? How did a Rebel spy learn to trust an Imperial droid?

Fernando Blanco: I think there are a really big expectation about the way “Rogue One” has expanded the Star Wars universe. There [are] a lot of stories to be told around this film, not only because of the characters but also because of the tone that “Rogue One” employs. It’s more realistic and darker. On the professional side, for me, the biggest challenge of a Star Wars comic is the “scale.” Everything is huge; planets, cities, spaceships, and more when compared with tiny humans. If a Star Destroyer is big as a small city, how big is the hangar where they repair them?

This is, for example, a question we had to answer in our story. The “scale” is something very difficult to represent in a comic book because you have physical limits about how small you can draw a figure in relation to a gigantic space ship. The only way to achieve this is cheating using perspective and storytelling tricks.

Marvel.com: Of course, there are a lot of characters whose backstories haven’t been fully developed yet. Why were Cassian and K-2SO clear choices for you?

Duane Swierczynski: Well, they were assigned—but I think my editor very much knew these guys would appeal to me.

Fernando Blanco: They are an old-school buddy movie cliché that we have seem many times in Star Wars. Luke and R2D2, Chewbacca and Han Solo, Poe and BB2; but at the same time they have a genuine chemistry, that we haven’t seen before.

Star Wars: Rogue One – Cassian & K-2SO #1 cover by Julian Totino Tedesco

Marvel.com: Duane, in terms of writing their origin story, can you talk a little bit about how much you were able to bring to the table and how much LucasFilm Group had already established? What was this process like for you?

Duane Swierczynski: I was brought to LucasFilm to read the script and watch some rough footage back in March 2016, a good nine months before the movie opened, which was a real treat—that I couldn’t tell a living soul about. The assignment: tell a story about Cassian and K-2SO’s first meeting. I thought about it for a while, then went in to pitch the Story Group directly, which was sort of like appearing before the Jedi Council. But it was also incredibly helpful, since I was able to fine-tune some details on the spot. So, the experience was unlike any other that I’ve had in comics—and one I’d do again in a heartbeat.

Marvel.com: Fernando, similarly, you had a lot of the designs already pre-established from the movie. How many opportunities for adding your fingerprints to this story did you find available? Where can we see some of that?

Fernando Blanco: I’ve designed Rismor and Kertas, alien twin rebels. Both will help Cassian in his mission. Also, I designed a couple of spaceships, Weacoe city and space port, and some Empire buildings and hangars.

Marvel.com: Was it difficult working on this story, knowing the fate awaiting each of these Rebels?

Duane Swierczynski: I don’t think so. I write noir-ish novels, so I’m used to writing about people who are essentially doomed. It’s fun!

Fernando Blanco: Not really, because this story happens many years before “Rogue One” and the tone of the story [is] very different and it’s not dramatic in that way at all.

Marvel.com: As a final question, what sort of story can readers expect from you: action, suspense, comedy, or a little bit of everything?

Duane Swierczynski: Hopefully, Fernando and I have given readers a bit of that sweet-and-salty mix I mentioned before. There’s definitely some intense action, strange aliens—and of course lasers! But I really hope everyone enjoys the buddy cop element and starts clamoring for more.

Fernando Blanco: I think it’s an old-school Star Wars adventure, full of action and humor, and if you loved Cassian and K-S2O in “Rogue One,” definitely, it won’t disappoint you.

Look for STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE – CASSIAN & K-S2O by Duane Swierczynski and Fernando Blanco this August!

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A man punched his girlfriend as she was driving a van carrying him and her four children along an Indiana highway, causing a single-vehicle crash that killed her 6-year-old daughter, police said.

Celebrate the Wall Crawler’s return to the big screen in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” by heading back to school with these adventures available on Marvel Unlimited!

Like many of the greatest heroes, Spider-Man grew out of the tragedies he endured throughout his life. When we first met him in AMAZING FANTASY #15, he lost his beloved Uncle Ben. Over the next several years he’d face more trials and tribulations, but in 1973’s AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121, the bottom fell out of his world thanks to the Green Goblin.

Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and John Romita worked together on that issue as well as its follow-up which started heavy and just got more intense. Peter had gone to Canada in the previous installment to snap pics of The Hulk, but came home to his roommate and friend Harry Osborn in his sick bed. It turned out that his friend had taken another bad LSD trip that could potentially lead to schizophrenia.

Harry’s dad Norman took all this very hard and blamed Peter as well as his girlfriend Gwen Stacy and their friend Mary Jane Watson. At this point, the elder Osborn’s Goblin persona had been buried along with the knowledge that Peter Parker filled out Spider-Man’s suit. The stress of his son’s sickness built up the breaking point, leaving Norman a mess. He eventually found his way to an old warehouse that held his Goblin gear. Wanting revenge on Peter, the villain grabbed Gwen and left a pumpkin bomb waiting in his apartment.

Off his game thanks to a wicked head cold, the Web-Spinner swung out into the city to find the Goblin who had set up shop on the top of the George Washington Bridge. During the ensuing fight, the emerald-hued baddie skimmed past the unconscious Gwen and sent her toppling off the side of the bridge. Instead of jumping after her, Spidey sent out some webs which did grab her around the legs, but that didn’t stop a sickening “Snap” sound from letting out. As he pulled her back up to him, Spider-Man quickly realized that she had died. Even the Goblin tried easing his enemy’s guilt by saying the fall—not its abrupt conclusions—killed the young woman, but that didn’t seem to help much.

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #121

• Published: June 10, 1973
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: September 17, 2008
• Writer: Gerry Conway
• Penciller: Gil Kane
• Cover Artist: John Romita

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In the following issue, an enraged Peter looked all over town for Norman, eventually getting some information about the warehouse from Robbie Robertson. During the battle, Spider-Man damaged the Goblin Glider, which Osborn attempted to use against the Web-Slinger, but Spidey leaped out of the way and it lodged itself into the villain’s own chest. Even with his girlfriend’s killer dead, Parker felt no relief from the pain. An old friend, namely Mary Jane, helped Peter deal with his grief.

A Tangled Web

Even though he repeatedly referred to Gwen Stacy as “boring” in the 2007 introduction to the DEATH OF THE STACYS trade paperback, writer Gerry Conway recognized that the character became far more interesting after her death. One of the cases he specifically pointed out in that intro came in the form of 1994’s MARVELS #4 by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. While trying to prove Spider-Man’s innocence in the death of Gwen’s dad Captain Stacy—originally published in the pages of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #88–92—the series’ star Phil Sheldon befriended the young woman. Through the course of their meetings, the jaded photographer realized that the heroes surrounding them “were here to save the innocent.” He went to meet her the day she died at the hands of the Goblin; the incident left him crushed and even led him to quit the photography game.