In the spirit of what i did for the Femizon story in Savage Tales #1, here's another comic that's only vaguely in continuity and which i don't actually own, so i'll look at it here instead of in my timeline project.

I recently read the Mantlo/Mignola Rocket Raccoon mini-series and read in the text piece at the end of issue #1 that Rocket's first appearance wasn't Hulk #271. He previously appeared in Marvel's black & white magazine Marvel Preview #7 (actually the afterword incorrectly says it's issue #16, but there are no raccoons in that issue).

I don't own that issue and probably never will, so i took a peek and, well... i'm not so sure it should count.

The story (by Bill Mantlo) in issue #7 is actually a continuation of a series called The Sword In the Star. The first installment appeared in Marvel Preview #4 (which was also, incidentally, the first appearance of Star-Lord). The story is introduced as the Odyssey in space, basically. The intro also indicates that it takes place in the "distant future". Comments in the issue itself put it about fifteen thousand years forward, in fact. Beyond that, the details of issue #4 aren't important to our Raccoon history. The next (and final) installment of the series was in issue #7, and that's where the main character, Prince Wayfinder, meets "Rocky".

Art is by "talented newcomer" Keith Giffin.

His name really is Rocky.

And while the Rocket Raccoon we know and love has never gone by that nickname, the biggest discrepancy is his manner of speaking.

On the other hand, like our Rocket, he does have a love for firepower.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, and it's never continued.

Now, at the end of the Rocket Raccoon mini-series, Rocket Raccoon leaves his home planet for the first time. And more importantly, this storyline takes place in the future. So if this is the same character, it must take place after the mini-series, and probably involves time travel. Or alternatively, it's one of Rocket Raccoon's great-great-super-great descendants. Good fodder for a future Abnett & Lanning story, maybe. But either way, as far as i'm concerned, Hulk #271 is still Rocket Raccoon's first chronological appearance.