March 5-10, 0 BSW4
STAR WARS, EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE
The Tantive IV is attacked and disabled over Tatooine by the SD Devastator, and Princess Leia
Organa is captured by Darth Vader -- but not before she leaves the Death Star plans and a call
for help for Obi-Wan Kenobi with Artoo Detoo, who with See-Threepio escapes in a lifepod. The
Tantive IV is destroyed and her crew (including Captain Antilles) is killed.
On Tatooine, a set of circumstances (namely, a Jawa sandcrawler) bring Artoo and Threepio
into the hands of 20-year old moisture farmer Luke Skywalker, living with his foster uncle and
aunt Owen Lars and Beru Weth-Lars. Going out after the recalcitrant Artoo when he escapes to
find Kenobi, Luke inadvertantly encounters Sandpeople in the Jundland Wastes and is rescued
by Kenobi. At the old Jedi's home, Kenobi gives Luke Anakin's lightsaber, and Luke gives him
the message from Leia. Following the murder of Owen and Beru by Imperial forces searching
for the plans, Luke and Ben hire Han Solo at Chalmun's Cantina in Mos Eisely for 17000 credits.
Solo, already in trouble with Jabba, has to shoot off bounty hunter Greedo and reassure the
Hutt. Just as stormtroopers attack Docking Bay 94, the Millenium Falcon takes off and escapes
the blockaded planet.
As Darth Vader hypnotically tortures Princess Leia to learn the location of the Rebel base, the
planet of Alderaan is destroyed by the newly operational Death Star on the orders of Willhuf
Tarkin as a show of force, and the Emperor disbands the Imperial Senate, putting Imperial
Regional Governors in direct control of the territories.
Luke Skywalker and his band are captured by the Death Star when they arrive at what's left of
Alderaan. Luke stages a daring rescue of Princess Organa and the troupe again escape,
although Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader to allow the escape to
take place. Unbeknownest to them, Vader deliberately made it easy for them to leave as he
had put a tracking device on the Falcon. The Death Star tracks them to the Rebel base on Yavin
IV, where the Death Star plans reveal a weakness - a small thermal exhaust port that leads
straight to the Death Star's reactor. Luke joins the Red (X-Wing) fighter squadron and is
reacquainted with Biggs Darklighter, Han gets his reward and runs, and a final all-or-nothing
battle is waged on the Death Star's surface. Following the death of Biggs and most of his
squadron at the hands of Darth Vader, Skywalker destroys the Death Star after Han Solo returns
and shoots Vader off Luke's back. Luke and his friends are honored by the Alliance.
(MOTION PICTURE - 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm - George Lucas - 25 May 1977)
(NOVELIZATION - Ballantine/Del Rey Books - Alan Dean Foster - December 1976)
(COMIC BOOK MINISERIES - Marvel Comics Inc. - Roy Thomas - July-December 1977)
(RADIO DRAMATIZATION - Highbridge Audio - Brian Daley - 1981)
Date locked by the SW Adventure Journal's Galaxywide Newsnets.
TIE Pilot Qorl (CE3K-1977) crashes on Yavin IV during the Battle of Yavin. He will spend the next 20 years there as a castaway.
"SW: Young Jedi Knights -- Heirs to the Force."
"SW Adventure Journal: Spare Parts."
Jabba the Hutt's Nimbanese clerk has some bad news for Jabba -- Opun "The Black Hole" Mcgrrr, a Corellian guest at Jabba's townhouse, has stolen accounting droid CZ-3. The Snivvian bounty hunter Takeel is sent out to reclaim the droid. What they don't know was that the droid was stolen from Mcgrrr by Squib mechanic Mace Windu (named after the Jedi Master?) and his Jawa partner Aguilae, and then sold. And they've just NOW noticed Jabba's name on the restraining bolt they removed from it...
Lhojugg (the aforementioned clerk) discovers that the droid's disappearance was due to someone who used Jabba's pass codes! And that droid has top secret information in it! Those revelations earn Lhojugg a visit with the Rancor.
Mace and Aguilae track the droid to a Jawa sandcrawler, but the Jawas are more interested in holding them prisoner while they're en route to the annual Jawa swap. CZ-3 had wandered away from the sandcrawler earlier, and got picked up by Mcgrrr's operative. Suddenly, the sandcrawler (which had visited the Lars farm yesterday) is jumped by Imperial stormtroopers. Mace and Aguilae barely make it out in time before the sandcrawler is gutted and the Jawas killed. Meanwhile, CZ-3 escapes from Mcgrrr's operative, at the very speeder lot where Luke Skywalker just sold his speeder for 2000 credits.
Mace and Aguilae return to Mos Eisely, with the damaged R5 nearly sold to the Lars and a Gonk power droid. They come upon Takeel, CZ-5, and the Mcgrrr operative. Takeel's brother destroys the droid and holds the Jenet at gunpoint. He's got lots of evidence of Mcgrrr stealing from Jabba -- from CZ-5 itself. It was a sting operation. Mace and Aguilae salvage what they can of CZ-5, repairing the R5 with it.
(SHORT STORY - West End Games - Pablo Hidalgo - November 1996)
"Marvel Illustrated: The Day After the Death Star."
To be detailed...
(COMIC STRIP - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - November 1981)
"SW Adventure Journal / Tales from the Empire: Tinian on Trial."
I'att Armaments of Druckenwell has come up with the one thing the Empire needs most: blaster-proof stormtrooper armor. But Moff Eisen Kerioth wants a live test -- and 17-year-old Tinian I'att, the company heiress, is chosen. Against all odds, Tinian survives the test. Kerioth promptly seals the factory off and announces he's taking the whole staff -- as prisoners -- to Doldur to churn out this armor for the Empire, as he takes all the credit himself. When the company founders -- Tinian's grandparents -- protest, he murders them in front of her.
Tinian, the Wookiee bodyguard Wrrl, and Daye Azur-Jamin attempt to escape; only Tinian makes it out, and is forced to pose as a torch singer to escape notice. The Force-sensitive Daye rigs the factory to blow, and disappears to join the Rebellion. Tinian, believing everyone she knew dead, takes off from Druckenwell, vowing to hurt the Empire every way possible....
(SHORT STORY - West End Games - Kathy Tyers - 1994)
"SW Adventure Journal: Turning Point."
"SW Adventure Journal: To Fight Another Day."
"SW Adventure Journal: A Certain Point of View."
To be detailed...
"Star Wars 3-D (#1)"
To be detailed...
(COMIC BOOK - Blackthorne Publishing - Len Wein - 1987)
"SW Pizazz magazine serial/ Star Wars #0: The Keeper's World."
Three weeks after the Battle of Yavin, Luke and Leia travel towards the Rebel base of
Akuria to insure against a sudden Imperial counter-attack on Yavin. But thanks to Artoo (not properly repaired after the Battle of Yavin), the ship flies wildly off course. After a near-miss with an
Imperial fleet, Luke and Leia encounter four android children who can control the elements, and a computerized "Keeper" on a formerly war-torn world who helps them escape the Imperials.
(COMIC STRIP - Marvel Comics Inc. - Roy Thomas - 1977)
An eyewitness to the destruction of his homeworld (he was working on a nearby satellite station
at the time), Alderaanian General Carlist Rieekan joins the Alliance.
"SW RPG Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook."
In the wake of Bail Organa's death and the Battle of Yavin, Senator Garm Bel Iblis fakes his
death in a battle at Anchoron and begins his own private war against the Empire. He fears that
should the Rebels prove triumphant, Mon Mothma will declare herself Empress and establish a
second Empire.
"SW: Dark Force Rising."
"Pizazz Magazine serial: The Kingdom of Ice."
Luke and Leia arrive on Akuria Two, to meet with Colonel Odan and his resistance group of
Snow Demons. But unbeknowest to them, he's been replaced with an Imperial imposter who
runs Odan' massive battle fortress. The real Odan is able to warn the Rebels, and the imposter
is defeated.
(COMIC STRIP - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - 1978)
"SW Adventure Journal: Chessa's Doom."
"SW Adventure Journal: Big Quince."
"SW Adventure Journal: Droid Trouble."
To be detailed...
"Boba Fett: Salvage."
While en route to Coruscant, Boba Fett comes upon the Mingula, a derelict freighter carrying Volpau, the late third cousin of Emperor Palpatine, as well as the crew's killer -- Ubuugan fleshborers. Fett loses one bounty and barely gets away himself. He's forced to destroy the freighter, but intends to sell Volpau's amulet to make up the difference.
(COMIC BOOK - Dark Horse Comics - John Wagner - December 1997)
"SW Adventure Journal: Explosive Developments."
To be detailed...
Senator Canna Omanda, Mon Mothma's replacement as Chandrilan senator, is arrested, tortured into a "confession" of various crimes, and executed for treason.
The SW Adventure Journal #3-4.
"The Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage."
The Towani family has crash-landed on Endor, and Jeremitt and Catrine are on a desperate search for their missing children, Mace and Cindel.
Ironically, the Ewok Deej Warwick is looking for his children too. Once he finds them, they stumble upon the wrecked Towani ship - and Cindel, trapped in a cabinet. Mace jumps them, but is subdued. The two children are led (Cindel freely, Mace on a spit) to the Warwick home. Wicket (Deej's youngest son) takes an instant liking to Cindel, giving the sick child some medicine. She in turn helps Wicket learn how to talk their language.
Mace and the Ewoks find his father's life-monitor on a creature the Ewoks hunt. He is led to Logray, who divines that their parents are being held captive by a giant monster named Gorax, who lives in a part of Endor no Ewok has ever returned from. The Ewoks nevertheless gather a huge caravan and sets out for Gorax's land.
After many adventures, and the use of many magic items provided by Logray, the Ewoks rescue the Towani's and kills Gorax. The family is adopted into the Ewok tribe.
(TV MOVIE - MGM/UA - George Lucas/Bob Carrau - 1984)
"SW Solitare Adventure: Scoundrel's Luck."
"SW Solitare Adventure: Jedi's Honor."
Probably apocryphal. To be detailed...
After having stuck around and helped the Rebels for two months, Han Solo and Chewbacca leave Yavin for Tatooine to pay off Jabba the Hutt. Just before they can jump to hyperspace, the Falcon is jumped and boarded by a modified Star Destroyer under the command of space pirate Crimson Jack. The pirate gang steals all of the treasure Princess Leia gave Han and takes off. Now unable to pay Jabba off, Han and Chewie go into hiding on the obscure world of Aduba-3.
The Marvel Series, issue #7.
"The Marvel Series: Han Solo and the 'Sprites' of Aduba-3. (#7-10)"
Hiding out on Aduba-3, Han and Chewie help out a insectile preacher trying to bury a cyborg pilot on
"Spacer's Hill" -- a move opposed by bigoted spacers. Afterwards, they enjoy a drink at the
local cantina -- until a peasant shows up and offers them a job. After a fun bar brawl, they learn
what the job is -- to protect a poor village from an outlaw band of "Cloud Riders" led by one
Serji-X Arrogantus. Taking pity on them, Han assembles a gang of his own -- a group of
down-on-their luck spacers (including a nut called Don-Wan Kihotay, who thinks he's a Jedi) he
dubs "Sprites." Serji's gang shows up, offering more money to stay out of it. But Han won't turn
his back on those needy people, and heads for the village with the Sprites. They help the
village learn to defend themselves against an attack by Serji, but an old villager claims it's not
necessary -- he can conjure up a monster to protect the village. When Serji attacks, the Sprites
prove effective -- but when the old man's monster shows up, the battle gets even worse. Serji's
gang attack it first -- and fall along with the old man. As the monster turns its attention on the
village, the Sprites move in. Don-Wan attacks it with his lightsaber and with Han's help destroys
the monster. Picking up their pay, Han and Chewie leave Aduba.
Note: The authenticity of this series of Star Wars comic books is somewhat questionable, but is
included for this list to be as complete as possible. Dark Horse is currently planning to rerelease the Marvel Series, first with a limited "best of" collection later this year, followed by a full reprint the following year.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Roy Thomas/Donald F. Glut - January-April 1978)
Luke Skywalker sets out with Threepio and Artoo in a Corellian Corvette to find the Rebels a
new base, but crashes on the planet Drexel. Leia sets off in a smaller Corellian vessel to save
him.
Between the "Aduba-3" and "Drexel" stories of the Marvel Series.
"The Marvel Series: Crimson Jack and the Dragon Lords of Drexel. (#11-15)"
Han decides it'd be better to stick with Luke and Leia than go hiding from planet to planet. On
his way back to Yavin, he is again picked up by Crimson Jack -- who this time also has Leia.
Between the two of them (and a very convincing first kiss), they convince Jack that there is a
Rebel treasure on Drexel.
On that watery world, Luke is picked up by a group of "Skimmers" who are being harassed by
people called "Dragon Lords," former members of that group who rebelled and learned to
control giant sea serpents. When the Skimmers disable Crimson Jack's ship the way they
disabled Luke's, Han, Leia and Chewie escape in the Falcon. They splash-land right in the
middle of a full-scale attack by the Dragon Lords. Mistakingly believing he killed Han, Chewie
attacks Luke. Han is in fact dragged away by the Dragon Lords, who reveal that the "dragons"
are sentient. Han makes his way back to Luke, who has learned that the Skimmers are former space scavengers. Together, they help the Dragon Lords defeat the evil Skimmers. But an angry Crimson Jack still waits for them in orbit. When the attack comes, the Falcon is beat up, but Han has an advantage - he wiped Jack's navicomputer. A swap turns into a spacewalk/duel between Han and Jack. Jolli, a bloodthirsty woman Jack abandoned in the battle, crashes her Y-Wing into Jack's SD, crippling it. Han uses the distraction to kill Jack, and the Falcon heads back for Yavin...
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - May-September 1978)
"SW Adventure Journal: Bungo n' Rusti get Carry-out."
All Sullustan merchant Bungo Bung can think of is food, as his ship ("The Chubby Gundark") buzzes an SD and lands on Sullust. He and his droid Rusti order a Bantha Breakfast Biscuit (with extra blue sauce) from Biscuit Baron (a TaggeCo restaurant). They get a great idea -- why not sell several Breakfast Biscuits to backwater worlds!
They take off with several crates, but get snagged by the SD. An angry Captain Wankle seizes the food to feed the crew and leaves them one crate. They sell it to the Outer Rim world Gastrula, and start a trading run -- until two weeks later, when the planet is consumed by a creature spawned from the biscuit and the planet's air...
They're not aware of this event. Until one crate bursts open to reveal -- the Breakfast Bantha Monster!!
All appears lost for the unlucky duo -- until Bungo discovers that blue sauce causes the monster to revert back to food! Bungo slyly sells the contaminated crate -- minus the blue sauce -- to that nasty ol' Captain Wankle and his SD.....
(COMIC STRIP - West End Games - Jim Anderson - November 1996)
Major Soontir Fel meets and marries actress Wynssa Starflare -- who is really Syal Antilles,
Wedge's sister.
"X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Making of Baron Fel."
Darth Vader returns to Coruscant to report the destruction of the Death Star to Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine cuts off Vader's right hand in punishment, declares martial law throughout the galaxy and orders the Yavin system blockaded. He then tortures Bevel Lemelisk to death, brings him back to life in a new clone body, and orders him to build an even larger and more powerful Death Star. He also announces to the galaxy that Alderaan was destroyed "in a meteor shower," and Tarkin was killed in a shuttle accident at the Tallaan shipyards. The hand loss is from "Dark Force Rising," the unfortunate fate of Lemelisk from "Darksaber," and the construction of the Death Star from the assumption such a task would take three years. The reported version of Alderaan's fate is from the Marvel series, #30. Tarkin's reported demise is from the SW Adventure Journal. A planned comic miniseries, "Vader's Quest," will detail these events.
"Ewoks: The Battle for Endor."
A group of two-meter tall marauders kill Cindel Towani's entire family and capture several Ewoks. Cindel and Wicket find themselves on the run from the marauder leader King Terak, as well as the witch queen Charal. Along with a creature named Teek and a stranded human hermit named Noa, Cindel and the Ewoks defeat Terak, and Cindel is returned to free space with Noa.
(TV MOVIE - MGM/UA - George Lucas/Ken Wheat/Jim Wheat -1985)
Boba Fett is hired by Jabba the Hutt to bring in Han Solo, alive. (The reward is only if he's alive--Jabba means to make an example out of Solo.) A general price is laid on Solo's head for other bounty hunters. From the SW IV radio program. Jabba (yeah, I know they said it was 'Heater', but come on--who else could it be?) threatened to hire Fett if Han failed to pay the debt, which of course he did.
"The Bounty Hunter Wars: The Mandalorian Armor."
The capture of one Nil Posondum by Bossk and (newest member of the Bounty Hunters' Guild)
Zuckuss is ruined when Boba Fett beats them to it. When he delivers Posondum to an
intermeditary named Ku'dar Mu'bat, he is given a surprise job offer by Mu'bat, one that
involves joining the Guild -- and then destroying it from within.
One that, unbeknownest to Fett, is being arranged from behind the scenes by Prince Xizor.
Fett makes his way to the Guild's station, fooling Bossk and Zuckuss into attacking a
bomb-laden decoy ship. While Bossk's father, Cradossk (head of the Guild) and the older
hunters welcome him to the Guild with open arms, Bossk and the younger bounty hunters do
not -- which is just what Xizor is counting on. With the Guild smashed along age lines, he
explains to the Emperor and Vader, the younger hunters will get tougher, more adaptable,
afraid of nothing -- perfect tools for the Emperor to turn loose on his enemies.
With an old friend -- a cyborged creature named D'harhan -- Fett assembles a team of hunters
to go after a huge bounty named Oph Nar Dinnid. Dealing with the Shell Hutts who have him,
the hunters uncover treachery from the Hutts, one of whom has already killed Dinnid. That Hutt
is killed, as is D'harhan. And apparently, so is Bossk. Which Cradossk had hoped for. And that's
just the start of a large purge he is planning. Until Bossk appears from out of nowhere, very
much alive, and tears his father apart. The bounty hunters of the galaxy are now at each
other's throats....
(NOVEL - Bantam Books - K.W. Jeter - June 1998)
"The Marvel Series: The Wheel. (#18-23)"
While meditating in the Force, Luke is knocked out by the terrifying presence of a powerful evil -- Vader,
searching for him. Leaving hyperspace midway to Yavin to get him medical help, the Falcon is
jumped by TIE Advanceds. Running from them, the heroes come upon a smashed Tagge
Industries ship. A dying Rebel survivor says it was destroyed by the Empire, made to look like a
Rebel raid. Evading a light cruiser commanded by Commander Strom, the Falcon reaches the
enormous casino space station called "The Wheel." Strom (who arranged the Tagge raid)
bullies his way aboard despite the protests of Administrator (and Senator) Simon Greyshade. When he learns Leia is among the Rebels though, the corrupt Greyshade changes his tune and captures Han and
Leia personally. Chewie ends up in a bar brawl and is taken for use in "The Big Game." In
return for Leia, Greyshade will help Strom with his plan.
Desperate to come up with enough money to get them all out, Han becomes a gladiator in The
Big Game himself. Even as Strom begins scaring the customers with staged Rebel raids, Greyshade
arranges for Han and Chewie to fight each other to the death. Either they kill each other in the
final round -- or they both die.
Both Luke (who forces himself with Ben's help to face his fears of Vader, breaking free of his
coma) and Leia manage to escape their captivity, as Greyshade secretly raids Strom's ship for the Wheel revenue taken from the Tagge ship.
Elsewhere, on Ultaar, Vader hears first word of Captain Valance's search for the "boy with two droids."
When he also hears word that the unknown Force-user is on the Wheel, he races out for there.
Greyshade faces Luke and Leia, and makes them a deal -- if Leia joins him on his yacht with
Strom's treasure, he'll let Han and Chewie live. Before she can decide, Chewie seemingly
murders Han. Han is actually wearing a blast shield he found on a dead gladiator.
Stumbling onto what Greyshade is doing, Strom declares the Wheel under martial law and
orders Greyshade and the Rebels killed on sight.
Just then, Vader arrives.
Greyshade's Master-Com droid helps Artoo show the Wheel customers the truth about Strom's
scheme. The furious customers riot, and Strom and Greyshade kill each other. The heroes
manage a difficult escape under Vader's nose, with Luke literally shocking Vader with his
rage-filled power in the Force. The group splits up, with Luke, Leia and the droids going one
way, Han and Chewie another.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - December 1978-May 1979)
With the Falcon damaged in the recent incident with the Wheel, Han and Chewie divert to
Orleon, an old hideaway of theirs -- but are cornered by Jabba, who left a tracking beacon
there. The two smugglers find themselves besieged.
Between issues #24 and #28 of the Marvel Series.
"The Marvel Series: Siege at Yavin. (#25-26)"
TIE Fighter squadrons begin pounding Yavin base. But no Star Destroyers are anywhere in
sight. How can the Rebels defend themselves?
On the mid-system trading world Centares, Luke and Leia ditch Greyshade's yacht and buys a
Corellian gunship to take them back to Yavin. They witness a Tagge mining explorer taking off
for the Gordian Reach -- where Yavin is. The whole sector is supposedly blockaded due to a
huge spice strike the Tagges are on to. But there's no spice anywhere in the sector. The Empire
doesn't want the galaxy to know the Death Star's been destroyed, Leia reasons. Hence, the
system is bottled up until the Empire can come up with something comparable to the Death
Star to rout them with.
Inside the Tagge ship, Baron Tagge himself plots revenge against Vader for blinding him years
ago by defeating him in a lightsaber duel. As the ship enters the system, he orders mines laid.
Luke barely steers the gunship through the minefield via the Force, and follows the Tagge ship
to the giant Yavin's atmosphere. There, Tagge transfers TIE's to a hidden base inside the gas
giant.
Fighting their way to the Rebel base, Luke and Leia informs General Dodonna of the danger.
Luke examines a crashed TIE for the means to enter the base, but is jumped. He defeats the
pilot, but Artoo is badly damaged.
Nevertheless, Luke uses the repaired TIE to enter the Tagge base. He blasts the giant
turbine-powered base to cinders, then with the Force struggles out of the gas atmosphere.
Baron Tagge's ship limps out a little later, with Tagge vowing revenge on Luke too.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - July-August 1979)
"The Marvel Series: Whatever happened to Jabba the Hutt? (#28)"
On the planet Orleon, Han and Chewie are in the middle of very difficult 'negotiations' with an
irate Jabba. He wants Han and Chewie dead -- but not bad enough to destroy the Falcon in the
bargain. Han discovers stone mites on the planet -- a biological weapon developed in the Clone
Wars. And Jabba caves them in a cavern full of them. Han takes off through the cavern, cooking
the little bugs in the process. He finds Jabba's ship being eaten up by mites, and graciously
allows the Hutt on the Falcon. In return, Jabba lifts the price on Solo's head -- for now.
Jabba as presented in this pre-ROTJ comic was VERY different in appearance. This will soon be
reprinted in Dark Horse's "Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago," but it is unknown if Jabba's
appearance will be changed to match his ROTJ appearance.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - October 1979)
"The Marvel Series: The Hunter. (#16)"
Captain Valance, a cyborg bounty hunter, is raiding a medical center on Telos 4 when he
comes upon the senile Don Wan Kihotay, who mentions his adventures with Han Solo on
Aduba. Although interested in Solo too, the droid-hating ex-Imperial cyborg is more interested
in the droid-loving boy who (according to a recent file stolen from the Empire) blew up the
Death Star. Weeks later, Valance travels to Aduba and nearly kills the surviving Sprites before he discovers
he mistook Jimm "The Starkiller Kid" for Luke. He leaves the battered outlaws, vowing to
continue his search..
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - October 1978)
Han diverts the Falcon to Ord Mantell to finish repairs. There, bounty hunter Czethros (and his
Rybet henchman Briff) captures Chewie and demands Han's surrender as ransom. Han lures
stormtroopers to the bounty hunters and frees Chewie. Czethros is sent to Kessel, and Han,
Jabba and Chewie continue on to Tatooine.
Conjecture from The Marvel Series #31 and "SW: Young Jedi Knights - Return to Ord Mantell."
"The Marvel Series: Return of the Hunter. (#27)"
Captain Valance is on a bounty-hunting and droid-smashing rampage. He thinks he finally has a
line on Luke, and waits for him on a Rebel shipping route.
Luke, meanwhile, is blockade-running with Threepio in the gunship against a SD. They make
their way to Junction, a galactic trading post, in search of repair parts for Artoo. An Imperial spy
is fatally stopped from reporting Luke's presence to Vader by Valance, who faces off against the
young farmer. Luke repels the attack and reveals the hunter's cyborg nature. When Threepio
puts himself between Valance and Luke, however, the hunter is stunned by the show of
compassion between droid and human -- stunned enough to let them go.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - September 1979)
"The Marvel Series: A Princess Alone. (#30)"
Princess Leia tries to bolster rebellion on the regimented Imperial factory world of Metalorn by
contacting Arn Horada, a professor who had taught her galactic history. Unfortunately, her visit
coincides with a visit by Baron Tagge, sent to inspect each of his projects as punishment from a
doubtful Emperor. She fights her way through a group of stormtroopers alone, finds Horada and
lets him know that she's alive and not killed in Alderaan's destruction, barely evades Baron
Tagge and escapes Metalorn, leaving behind a mutinous population.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - December 1979)
"The Marvel Series: Dark Encounter. (#29)"
Vader finally tortures out of a prisoner the name of someone who MAY know who the Death
Star's destroyer was -- a pilot named Tyler Lucian, who panicked and fled Yavin before the
great battle.
Thing is, Valance has also learned of this pilot, and knows where he is too. Both rivals race to
the volcanic planet of Centares, home of the former resort Rubyflame Lake. Vader stops him
just short of killing Lucian, and the two fight it out. The battle goes back and forth, but finally
Vader gets the advantage. Yet still the wounded Valance holds Vader back. He says he believes
"the boy" will one day be more powerful than (and thus able to defeat) Vader, and any delay --
ANY delay -- in Vader's search gives him more time to prepare for that destiny.
Vader throws Valance into the lava lake, only to see Lucian (who heard Valance's words)
bravely jump into the lake himself. Frustrated, Vader continues his search.
(COMIC BOOK - Marvel Comics Inc. - Archie Goodwin - November 1979)
