Dragon Strike

FROM THE ARCHIVES (Comics That Time Forgot)

DRAGON STRIKE

# 1, One-Shot, Marvel (1994)

SCRIPT: Jeff Grubb

PENCILS: Mike Harris

INKS: Frank Percy

COLORS: Pat Garrahy & Chris Matthys

LETTERS: Janice Chiang

EDITOR: Glenn Herdling

It seems like every Marvel comic published in 1993 contained an ad for the Dragon Strike board game. Marketed as a sort of introduction to role-playing for pre-teens, the TSR board game cast players as one of a handful of traditional fantasy archetypes: warrior, rogue, wizard, dwarf, or elf. If I remember correctly, it came with a cheesy videotape that somehow tied into the game.

Marvel’s 1994 one-shot, Dragon Strike, was a “prequel” to the board game. In a rather slight story, we see the heroes of the realm (identified only by their profession, not with names) fight various standard fantasy menaces (orcs, undead knights, bandits) before banding together at the end of the comic with the avowed goal of stopping the evil ruler Teraptus and his plan to create a land of permanent darkness.

It’s hard to be critical of a comic obviously meant to introduce younger readers to sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Indeed, the writer seemed to have fun with the story, as there’s some good wisecracks throughout. Other than role-playing tie-in completists, or those looking for a fantasy-themed gift for an adolescent, however, there’s no need for anyone today to track down a copy of Dragon Strike.