I've been waiting to do this book for ten years, ever since I co-scripted Wendell Vaughn's first appearance as Quasar (he was called "Marvel Man" before that) in MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE back in 1979. I've always liked cosmic heroes - the Silver Surfer, Captain Mar-Vell, Adam Warlock - and I felt that Quasar, despite his humble origins, might bring something new to that field. After all SS, CM, and AW were all non-human, and Marvel had yet to showcase a cosmic hero with a totally human perspective. So for the past ten years ideas for Quasar have been percolating on the back burners of my mind, and I've managed to resist the temptation to cannibalize them for other projects I happened to be writing.

So why did it take so long for me to get this book off the ground? Well, the main reason is Marvel doesn't publish just anything its freelancers or editors get a hankering to do. Before I could convince anybody that I merited the opportunity to have a new book added to the schedule just because I thought it might be fun, I had to establish a track record for myself as being dependable, viable writer. That took about six years.

I first submitted a proposal for a QUASAR book in 1984, and even plotted the first issue with a story that bears an uncanny resemblance to the story in this, the second issue. But then an editor I know wanted someone to write a SQUADRON SUPREME limited series so I put QUASAR on hold to go do that (I always wanted to write a team book). When that was done, an editor in chief I knew was putting together a New Universe and I thought it might be advantageous to get in on that. Well, that lasted 32 issues - almost three years of a little thing I like to call D.P.7. But when the decision was made to pull the plug on the New U and we were looking for new books to replace them on the schedule, I dusted off my old QUASAR proposal, fine-tuned it with the benefit of four more years of writing experience under my belt, and submitted it to the greatest editor in chief in the history of four-color literature, Tom He-Paid-Me-To-Say-That DeFalco. Tom said "Let's humor him," so here it is at long last, a book that absolutely nobody but me has been clamoring for!

If QUASAR has a somewhat familiar look to you, it may be because the exact same creative team worked together on D.P.7 - every last one of us: writer penciler, inker, letterer, colorist, editor, assistant ed, and ed in chief! When in the course of comic events you come across a team that really meshes well and enjoys and complements one another's work, you don't let a little thing like a book's cancellation let it end. You hire the whole zany crew to do a new book. And for those among you familiar with D.P.7, you know that when Peerless Paul Ryan and myself commit to a project, we're on for a long haul. The Gruenwald-Ryan team not only cops the record for being the only writer and penciler to remain on a New Universe title for its entire run, but with 32 issues under their belts, Gru-Ry stand as Marvels' longest lasting creative collaboration currently working together. (Okay, so we have a way to go to top Lee and Kirby's 102 issue run on FANTASTIC FOUR - give us time!) Since D.P.7 has given your entire crew plenty of time to iron out all creative bugs and glitches, you can just bet that we're hitting the ground running on this title.

My fondest hope in doing QUASAR is that I can not only provide whopping good yarns for you to read month in and month out, but I can also break new ground not yet trodden by previous cosmic heroes. Since Marvel has presented the most cosmic heroes in the history of the medium, I realize what a challenge this will be. But he, if Quasar and I wanted things easy, we would have never left Wisconsin!

- Mark Gruenwald

As a public service to the completists among you, here are Quasar's complete appearances to date, in chronological order, no less!

QUASAR #1

CAPTAIN AMERICA #217

DEFENDERS #62-64

INCREDIBLE HULK #232

CAPTAIN AMERICA #231

INCREDIBLE HULK #233-234

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #53-58, #67, #73, #74

DAZZLER #9

MARVEL TEAM-UP #113

MARVEL TEAM-UP ANNUAL #5

QUASAR #2-3

AVENGERS #302-303

AVENGERS ANNUAL #18

ASTONISHING TALES #1-5 (1951)

FANTASTIC FOUR #164-165

WHAT IF #9