FROM THE VAULT: 1st BUCK ROGERS

Long before space adventures became a pop-culture staple, Buck Rogers rocketed into the imaginations of readers everywhere. Buck Rogers, one of the most recognizable names in science fiction, made his first appearance in the pulp world in August 1928 in Amazing Stories, a pioneering sci-fi magazine founded by Hugo Gernsback.

The story, titled "Armageddon 2419 A.D." and written by Philip Francis Nowlan, introduced readers to Anthony Rogers—later known as "Buck"—a World War I veteran who falls into a mysterious gas-filled mine. Rogers wakes up 500 years later in a dystopian future where America has been overrun by oppressive foreign forces. Armed with ingenuity and bravery, he teams up with futuristic rebels to fight for freedom.