Retro Comic Recap: Return of the Jedi #1

Hello there,

Hope all's well with everyone. Today's focus is on the first part of Marvel's Return of the Jedi adaptation. It was released as a four-part monthly miniseries, and the full adaptation was chronicled in Marvel Super Special #27. The first issue in the limited series had an Al Williamson drawing (taken from his adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back) in the top left corner box, and Lando Calrissian (in Skiff Guard disguise), Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa (in her slave girl costume), all drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz. This issue had a cover date of October 1983.

After the title/splash page (which had another illustration by Sienkiewicz that was unique to this limited series), the story began with the movie's title crawl and the arrival of Vader's shuttle at the new Imperial base. Vader met with Moff Jerjerrod and communicated the Emperor's displeasure at the commander's apparent lack of progress. The commander assured the Sith Lord that the new Death Star would be operational as planned, but that he needed more men. Vader replied that he could address that concern with the Emperor personally when he arrived, noting that his master would not accept further delay. 

Chapter one, entitled "In the Hands of Jabba the Hutt!" started on Tatooine, as C-3PO and R2-D2 neared the vile gangster's hideout. Threepio expressed doubt, noting that Lando Calrissian had yet to return from the compound. After a hasty introduction, the front gate opened, and the two droids entered. They were soon met by Jabba's aide, Bib Fortuna. The Twi'lek was unable to ascertain the reason for their visit, except for Artoo's insistence that their message could only be delivered to Jabba himself.

A few moments later, Luke's faithful companions had their audience with the repulsive slug. Artoo then showed a hologram of Luke, who now referred to himself as a Jedi Knight. He asked for an audience with Jabba to bargain for Han Solo's life. He offered the droids to him as a token of his appreciation. This was obviously news to Threepio, who was certain that his counterpart had played the wrong message.

Jabba accepted the gift and ordered them away. He had no intention of giving up his favorite decoration, which was Solo on the opposite wall, still frozen in carbonite. The droids then met with EV-9D9, who assigned Threepio to serve as Jabba's translator and sent Artoo to serve on his master's sail barge after fitting each of them with a restraining bolt. 

The usual revelry continued shortly thereafter. At one point, Jabba's dancing girl refused the Hutt's commands. A trap door opened under her feet, and the female Twi'lek was soon heard screaming, much to the delight of the crowd. A short while later, the amusement was broken up by the arrival of Chewbacca, who was being led to the Hutt by a masked bounty hunter.

The bounty hunter known as Boushh demanded a reward of fifty thousand credits for the Wookiee. When asked why, the mercenary pulled a thermal detonator from a pocket. Jabba laughed at the bounty hunter's inventiveness and offered a sum that was more practical. Boushh agreed, much to Threepio's relief. Chewie was led away by a pair of Gamorrean Guards, and we then saw Lando in his Skiff Guard disguise. 

Later that evening, while all was quiet, Boushh quietly made his way to the man encased in carbonite. A few buttons were pushed on the side of the slab, and the block began to melt. Solo fell to the floor. Unable to see, he asked who his savior was. It was soon revealed that Boushh was actually his love, Princess Leia. However, before they could take another step, they heard the Hutt's laugh. They turned and found Jabba and his crew amused at the escape attempt.

Han offered triple the reward that had been on his head, but Jabba wasn't interested in anything that his former employee had to say. He had Solo taken away and preferred to keep Leia close by his side, against her wishes. Han was then reunited with Chewie, who filled him in on what he'd missed. He was skeptical of the plan and that Luke was now a Jedi.

A short while later, Luke arrived. He used a Jedi mind trick to convince Fortuna to grant him an audience with his leader. Luke tried the same tactic on Jabba before being informed that such an effort would be useless against the Hutt. He was still determined to bring his friends back with him. Before Threepio could warn his master, the trap door began to open once more. Luke used the Force to bring a blaster from a nearby guard to his hand, but all he could muster was a wasted shot at the ceiling before falling through with a Gamorrean Guard.

Skywalker was now inside a dusty pit and found himself facing a Rancor towering over him. He evaded the monster's grasp a few times before making a break for the gate. He tossed a skull at the control panel just as the creature was underneath. The gate came slamming down on top of the Rancor, killing the mighty beast. 

Jabba was incensed by this action, and soon recalled Luke, Han, and Chewie to his chamber. Leia had taken the role of dancing girl now. Threepio translated the Hutt's words and informed his colleagues that they were about to be taken to the Dune Sea and thrown into the Pit of Carkoon, where they would be slowly digested by the powerful Sarlaac over the next thousand years. Luke warned the crimelord that he'd regret this, but it was a threat that Jabba ignored.

The entourage traveled in Jabba's sail barge to the Sarlaac pit, where a skiff bearing the Rebel heroes was waiting to drop the prisoners. Jabba promised Leia that he'd grow to appreciate his company before giving his next order. Threepio ran into Artoo, who had been serving drinks on the barge at the time. Han wondered what was next. Despite the danger, Luke advised him to just stay put. The former Tatooine farmboy seemed assured that everything would work out to their advantage, although it certainly didn't look like it at the time. 

Following this part of the story were pin-ups of Fortuna, Sy Snootles and the Max Rebo band, the Kowakian lizard monkey called Salacious Crumb, and an Imperial shuttle. In the place of a letter column was a house ad for the Star Wars monthly comic, featuring the same image of Vader that had been used for the cover of the third Star Wars annual.

Writer Archie Goodwin teamed up with Williamson and Carlos Garzon on this adaptation. The trio worked so well together on The Empire Strikes Back adaptation, and this time around was pretty much at the same standards of excellence. Goodwin and Williamson had been working on the Star Wars newspaper strip for several years at this point, so they weren't about to let the storytelling standards slip. There were a few deviations and omissions, which are understandable given the task of condensing a two-plus-hour movie into a four-issue limited series, but they covered all of the key aspects and paced each issue well. The limited series had splash pages, pin-ups, and additional art pages that were not included in the single-volume versions of the ROTJ adaptation. 

That's it for this issue. Next time, I'll recap the second issue of this limited series. We'll find out what happened at the Pit of Carkoon. We'll also see the Emperor's arrival and Luke's return to honor his promise with an old friend and the stunning truth that he discovers. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #80

Good afternoon all,

This post is dedicated to the eightieth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars series. The cover showed a droid holding a wounded rebel, while staring at the spectre of Darth Vader. The tale was titled "Ellie." The issue had a cover date of February 1984.

The tale began on an unnamed planet. An Imperial Stormtrooper squadron was making its rounds, not knowing that Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and C-3PO were observing them from a nearby corridor. The soldiers walked past, and the Rebels breathed a sigh of relief after thinking that Threepio's voice might draw them to their hiding place. The sector was off limits to civilians, so they had to move fast.

This was the next destination on the search for fellow Rebel Tay Vanis. He and his droid were carrying the Bothan tapes that described the Imperials' latest super weapon. They inspected the hangar bay, but didn't expect to find Vanis' specially modified X-Wing fighter there. They then reached the manifest area, and were greeted by a female protocol droid designed LE-914, or Ellie for short. 

After receiving their ship's clearance code for departure, Luke asked if the computers had any information on Vanis. Unfortunately, requesting that information triggered an alarm, which sent Stormtroopers running. A battle ensued shortly thereafter. At one point, Ellie shielded Threepio from a laser blast with her body, and was unharmed. 

The quartet then ran in the rain to the Millennium. Falcon. Ellie provided the coordinates that allowed them to find Vanis' downed fighter. Luke retrieved a message from the ship and brought it back to the Falcon to play back. A prerecorded message began, showing an image of Vanis. The pilot explained the reason why he and Yom Argo separated. At the end, he said that if he was not heard from within two planetary days, Ellie would destroy the Bothan tapes.

Threepio had noticed Ellie had disappeared before the message ended. Luke decided to return to the castle that they had just left, because he wanted answers about Vanis, Ellie, and the Bothan tapes. The trio found an unguarded entrance and were disgusted after overhearing a pair of Imperial officers describing the wanton slaughter of the planet's populace. 

The group then made their presence known to those Imperials. One of them informed them that what they were looking for was just behind the door in front of them. A hologram of Vader appeared. It took the Rebels by surprise and allowed one of the commanders to grab Leia's blaster. She then borrowed Luke's pistol and took out the thief. The hologram explained that he'd expected Skywalker's arrival. He presented him with what was left in the cell. 

The door opened. Luke, Leia, and Threepio entered the room and were saddened by its contents. The broken man that was Tay Vanis sat in a corner, oblivious to anything. The sound of Ellie rose from behind them. She knew the danger that her master had represented to the Empire.

Ellie then opened a chest compartment and gave the Bothan tapes to Threepio. She had kept them even after Vanis had ordered her to destroy them, and was now sure that they would be in good hands. Ellie explained her reasons for overriding that command and went to comfort her master one last time. Her allies watched from the hall entrance as the two perished together. They then returned to the Falcon. Luke reported to Admiral Ackbar via comlink that they'd accomplished their mission and that there were no survivors. The last panel showed Threepio in the rain, and it appeared that even the droid was crying. 

I initially wondered why Marvel's creative staff seemed to drag out storylines before their Return of the Jedi adaptation. Stories like this answered that question. It now made sense that the pirated files were the Bothan tapes, a development that Marvel probably didn't know about until Lucasfilm shared that information with them. Ellie was one of the most compassionate droids I'd ever read about in this title. It's a pity that we didn't get to see a bit more of her or Vanis' backstory. Maybe someday Marvel will provide more.

Well, that's it for me for today. Tomorrow, I'll begin my coverage of the Return of the Jedi film adaptation. I'll cover the four-issue ROTJ limited series. The adaptation was also chronicled in Marvel Super Special #27. After that, I'll resume my recaps of the regular series with issue #81. Until tomorrow, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #79

Good morning,

Hope everyone's having a great Sunday! It's time for me to discuss the seventy-ninth issue of the first Star Wars comic book title. The cover showed Lando Calrissian (in his Captain Drebble disguise) clutching a wanted poster of Han Solo and Chewbacca. The story was called "The Big Con." The issue had a cover date of January 1984.

The tale began with a picture of Han Solo (a reproduction of his headshot that was prominently used in press features to promote the Return of the Jedi movie) that had been placed on the wall of a tavern on the planet Arcan IV. Several patrons discussed their contempt for their fellow scoundrel before booing and tossing items at the picture. Some expressed regret at not collecting the bounty that had been posted for Solo. 

The criminals who had gathered in the seedy establishment were lamenting Han's capture, because they knew that he would have been valuable to their pursuit of the lost Dancing Icon and Minstrel icons. A few mimutes later, Chewbacca pounded at the door of the bar, and was quickly allowed in. He sat by himself for a few moments, before the reason he'd arrived spoke up. Lando, in his Captain Drebble disguise, stood in front of the patron. He introduced himself before taking a seat at Chewie's booth.

Lando layed it on thick, saying that he and his Wookiee friend had heard about their caper, and that they were willing to help for a cut. The gang's leaders, Lemo and Sanda, decided to hear him out. Lando explained that he knew what they were looking for and that Solo was an expert at finding artifacts. He was talking about the affair on Stenax (recounted in issue #70) when one of the patrons pulled a blaster on him. The alien was stunned to see a knife embedded in his chest shortly thereafter. He fell to the floor before uttering his final word of amazement.

The group turned and saw that one of the knives was missing from Drebble's bandolier. That left no question as to who had thrown the weapon, which Drebble apparently preferred after stating that blasters made him nervous (even though Lando carried a holstered pistol at his side). Lando and Chewie departed after annoucing where their ship was docked.

Inside the Cobra, the two Rebels had a chance to relax. Lando knew that what he said was hokey, and admitted that he preferred using the name of a formal rival as his alias. He added that he had possession of both idols that Lemo and Sanda's gang were searching for, after winning them in a card game several years ago. He took one of them with him after the duo were invited to dinner by the gang.

After a few appetizers and drinks, Lando drunkenly admitted that they were searching for Han, and had even been to Tatooine, where he had not arrived yet. He went on to say that Solo had other enemies right before several blasters were pointed at him. Chewie tossed a table, and grabbed his friend. They took the nearest hovercar and escaped, with the gang members in hot pursuit.

Lando asked a streetwalker for directions a short while later, not knowing that he'd been given false information. He headed straight into oncoming traffic, but still managed to avoid trouble. At one point, Chewie lunged at their attackers, leaving Lando to fly alone. It wasn't long before both Chewbacca and Lando's cars collided with each other.

Dafi was the first gang member to catch up with the heroes. However, she was too preoccupied with possessing the Minstrel statue that fell out of Lando's pocket to eliminate her foes. She grabbed the idol and fired wildly at her companions, allowing Lando and Chewie to retreat. In space, Lando recapped the mission. They were no closer to finding Solo, and lost one of the statues, but still had the Dancing Goddess.

Instead of a traditional letters page, the last page of content was a story featuring assistant Eliot R. Brown showing readers a cheap way to make a Darth Vader costume until George Lucas intervened. This issue was published during the infamous assistant editors' month, when the regular editors and management had gone to California for a convention. Many issues from that month contained some humorous content, or ran stories that deviated from their regular storylines.

The one thing that bugged me about this story was that Lando, as Drebble, said that he abhorred blasters, but wore a blaster at his side. He also allowed Chewbacca to carry his bowcaster rifle. Lemo and Sanda were interesting, and we'd see more of them in the future. I don't think that Dani survived, though. 

That's it for this morning. Later today, I'll discuss the eightieth issue of this title. This was the final issue before the Return of the Jedi adaptation. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and C-3PO journey to a world under Imperial control. There, they finally learn the fate of missing Rebel pilot Tay Vanis and his faithful droid. It would also be the last time that Darth Vader appeared in this series. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #78

Good afternoon,

I'm taking a little time on this rainy Saturday afternoon to write about the seventy-eighth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars title. The cover showed an unidentified Rebel pilot squaring off against a pair of Wampas. The tale was titled "Hoth Stuff!" The issue had a publication date of December 1983.

The story started inside the cockpit of a Y-Wing fighter that was making its way back to the ice planet Hoth. Its crew, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Lieutenant Barlon Hightower, were on a mission to find out what had happened to Alliance pilot Wedge Antilles. Writer David Michelinie apparently confused Wedge with Luke's old boyhood friend Biggs Darklighter, saying at one point that Luke and Wedge had grown up together, even though there was no canon indication that the two were even raised on the same planet.

A Rebel transport ship appeared on the horizon, and the fighter docked near it. Luke grew a bit despondent after seeing that the ship was empty. Leia remembered to turn on the ship's log tapes, and Wedge's prerecorded voice filled the air. He started by recounting their recent battle with Imperial Walkers. Wedge and his former academy roommate, Janson, had boarded a Y-Wing and were about to leave Hoth when their ship was shot down by an AT-AT. Wedge emerged unscathed, but Janson had been injured. Antilles removed his friend from their battered craft moments before the ship blew up.

The pilots holed up in the cockpit of a downed Walker for a while. They would be safe there, now that the battle was over and the Empire's troops had left. The next morning, they returned to their former base. Even though they no longer had to fend against Imperial troops, that didn't mean that there weren't other dangers. The roar of a beast not far away drew their attention momentarily, but they still ventured on until they reached the main control room.

Wedge set his friend down and went to gather supplies. He found enough food to last for a while and noticed four blips on the radar. The Empire had left a squadron of TIE fighters orbiting Hoth's atmosphere to prevent any further ships from escaping. Before Wedge could think more about this, he heard the cry of an animal that was clearly in distress.

He ran to investigate and found a Tauntaun surrounded by a pair of Wampas. Wedge's blaster quickly took out the ice creatures. It took more time to calm the frightened Tauntaun, but Wedge eventually managed to accomplish that task. He took the creature back to where he and Janson had been staying. He would go out on patrol occasionally to scrounge up some scrabblers for food, when he wasn't spending time with the wounded Janson or watching the blips on the radar continue to go around in circles.

Wedge was returning from another scouting trip one day when he saw that the base had been ransacked. He dismounted the Tauntaun and followed the trail of wreckage to the command post, where he saw his poor friend had been senselessly slaughtered. After a few moments, he went back out to see who was responsible.

He soon learned that the mercenary Arns Grimraker and his crew had been responsible. The pirates were not strangers to the Rebellion and had worked with them a few times, but only when it had been absolutely necessary. The scavengers were undoubtedly looking for more ships and other items to claim as their own.

Wedge returned to the base to give his former wingmate a proper burial. He sat up that evening devising a plan. The next morning, Antilles ran to an MLC-3 unit (one of Kenner's mini-rig toys from the time) and laid in a timed program that would send it on an assault course against the pirate ships. He then used that diversion to board the nearest Rebel transport and escape. 

Antilles had realized that the scavengers had relayed the program that helped them avoid the Imperial scouts in the transport's navigational computer. He used that information to escape. His pursuers naturally followed, but they didn't know that Wedge had since changed the programming maze, and they ran right into the very patrols that they'd evaded earlier. 

Wedge's transport continued on in space until the engines quit. Antilles inspected them and discovered that the exterior ion link had been broken, causing all remaining fuel to go out into space. His rations were limited, since they were only intended for one maintenance officer. He began to despair, knowing that it was only a matter of time. 

The recording ended just then, leaving the three Rebels wondering how long it had been since Wedge had recorded anything. They turned around moments later to see Antilles outside the ship in a spacesuit, smiling at them. He entered through the airlock and reconnected with his comrades. Wedge explained that he'd been doing some maintenance on the ship's exterior when he saw the Y-Wing approach. It took him a while to work his way to the main controls. 

Once everyone was sitting down, Antilles said that he had enough scavenged parts to make a new ion link. He drained the fuel from salvaged parts and was setting up the new link when Luke, Leia, and Barlon arrived. Wedge had planned to journey to the next settlement, but now that was no longer necessary. The Rebels had a few laughs and were ready to head home. 

As a filler, this story wasn't bad. I assume it was written before the events in recent storylines. Aside from Michelinie's confusing Antilles with Darklighter, it was a solid yarn. I still wonder if Grinraker and his pirates survived. We still don't know because there hasn't been another story involving them to date.

That's it for this article. Next up is the seventy-ninth issue of this series. Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca travel to another planet in search for Solo. They run into a few questionable characters and end up in more trouble than they bargained for in an issue that was released during the infamous assistant editors' month. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) Annual #3

Good morning,

Hope everyone's having a great Saturday!

It's time for me to discuss the third Marvel Star Wars annual. All of the covers for their 1983 annuals had the traditional cover box in the top left-hand corner, and a drawing in the middle, with a black background around the artwork. The image for this cover was of Darth Vader, drawn by the issue's artist and colorist, Klaus Janson. The story was called "Apprentice." 

On board Vader's Star Destroyer, the Dark Lord of the Sith was speaking with several Imperial officers. He wanted to stress the importance of their mission and his orders that were directly from the Emperor. The fleet was in orbit around the planet Belderone because the work that went on there was important to the Empire's goals of crushing the Rebel Alliance and the conquest of other planets and systems. Failure was simply not an option here.

The Emperor had sensed growing unrest among the people of Kulthis, the third planet in this solar system. As soon as work was complete on Belderone, Imperial forces would travel to Kulthis to squash the Rebellion forces there. General Andrid expressed his doubts about belief in the Force, which Vader quickly dispelled. He stated that important elements would soon come into play and that they must be ready for them.

In the city streets of Belderone, an excited native boy named Flint was rushing to find his friend Barney. Flint had just seen something incredible that he wanted his buddy to see. Barney woke slowly and followed Flint down the street. At one point, Flint's mother warned her son that he would be late for his work shift. Flint replied that he would be back in time. His mother watched the boys run off, knowing that her son only wanted what was best for all of them.

The friends were part of the growing crowd that had gathered to witness the Millennium Falcon. Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, Princess Leia Organa, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO emerged from Han Solo's ship, surprised to see so many people around them. Flint noticed the lightsaber hilt at Luke's belt. He knew that the stranger must be a Jedi, just like Flint's father had been. 

Conversations began shortly thereafter. Lando said that he and his associates represented a trading fleet. One of the residents replied that they had a trade agreement with the Empire for items they produced on Belderone. Flint asked Luke where he got his saber from. Luke admitted that it had been given to him by a friend of his father's and repeated the familiar line that his father had been a navigator on a spice freighter. 

Lando added that Kulthis was one of the places they had been from recently, which elicited an intriguing reaction. Flint and Barney made their introductions with the Rebels and invited them to a local tavern. Artoo and Threepio stayed behind with the Falcon while the others moved on. Luke talked with Leia about the reactions to the word Kulthis and that he could feel Vader's presence nearby via the Force.

Flint introduced his mother to their new acquaintances, who entered the tavern right before the young lad took off on his speeder to make his work shift. Their arrival was noticed from a safe distance by an Imperial commander, who didn't think that the Dark Lord needed to be involved just yet. Inside the tavern, the Rebels noticed how reluctant the locals were to talk much about what their work actually entailed. Lando was confident that Kulthis had enough Rebel fighters to combat any Imperial threat. 

As the evening wore on, Barney and Flint continued to admire the guests from afar. Luke sensed danger right before several shots were fired at the patrons. A firefight began, and two of the assailants were taken out swiftly. Luke corralled the third gunman, who took his own life instead of surrendering. 

While Flint was admiring Luke's Jedi abilities, a call was placed from one Imperial agent to Andrid. Vader was soon made aware of that transmission and questioned why Andrid did not inform him of the Rebels' presence on Belderone. Andrid replied that he had to act fast because Skywalker was among them. Vader already knew that and used the Force to end the commander's life. He then proposed a toast to the late general before ordering his personal craft to be prepared so that he could personally supervise their mobilization on Belderone.

Luke and Chewbacca took the Falcon to Kulthis to bring reinforcements. Leia and Lando stayed behind and talked with Barney and Flint. The youths wanted to help and showed their friends the location of their workforce. As fighters were making the journey to Belderon, Calrissian and Organa soon discovered that the natives had been working on Imperial Walkers, as a trio of the large vehicles moved out. 

Barney and Flint jumped into a speeder to warn Flint's mother, just as the Rebel X-wings arrived on the scene. Luke knew from the Battle of Hoth how to defeat the war machines. Tow cables tied up the legs of one walker and brought it crashing down to the ground. 

Flint and Barney's speeder crashed, and the impact knocked out the boys temporarily, just before one of the walkers came stampeding through the city streets. Luke was surprised to learn that Leia and Lando had taken control of one of the walkers, and he quickly commandeered another. The battle didn't last long, but that's not to say that it didn't come without costs.

Flint awoke and saw that Barney was still unconscious. He then ran to his mother's tavern. Flint found her on the floor, unresponsive. He'd been too late to save her. As he lamented her loss, Flint vowed to eventually rise to power and have retribution. Someone behind him said that he could give him the opportunity to help fulfill that dream.

Afterward, Leia expressed remorse over the city's destruction. Lando acknowledged that residents hadn't had much of a life anyway since the Empire set up production there. Luke hoped things could return to normal now that their operations had ceased. Barney told his new friends not to feel bad because what happened wasn't their fault.

Barney was convinced now more than ever that he wanted to join the Rebellion. He wanted to fight for good, now that there was nothing left for him on Belderone anymore. Barney realized that Flint was after power and was chasing a source that could further that goal. As the Rebels boarded the Falcon, Flint took his place among the new Stormtroopers who were about to depart from a different location to pursue a different mission. 

This wasn't the last that we'd see of Barney and Flint. The two would return in a double-sized issue of the monthly title more than a year after the Return of the Jedi film adaptation. I liked how two childhood friends' experiences with the Galactic war showed them which side they aligned with. My one complaint was the artwork. Klaus Janson is a fine inker, but his pencil work was rather sloppy in spots, especially toward the end of the story. It was also hard to tell at times where certain characters were, and the drawings of the walkers and X-wings were very basic at best. 

Well, that's it for this article. Next time, I'll discuss the seventy-eight issue of this series. This is a fill-in issue that answers the question of what happened to a popular supporting character after the Battle of Hoth. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #77

Happy Friday, everyone,

The topic of today's blog post is the seventy-seventh issue of the first Star Wars comic book. The cover showed Luke Skywalker with his lightsaber in one hand, facing a giant Huhk. The tale was titled "Chanteuse of the Stars..." The issue had a cover date of November 1983. 

The story started on Arbra, where C-3PO was being swarmed by native Hoojibs. The protocol droid was unprepared for their warm welcome after he and his colleagues had been away from the Rebels' base planet for quite some time. The group was also greeted by General Rieekan and other fellow Alliance members. They had some news to share after everyone assembled in the conference room.

Rieekan restated that Luke, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and Threepio had been searching for missing Rebels Yom Argo and Tay Vanis, who had purloined Imperial information about their opponents' newest weapon. Argo perished on the planet Lahsbane after his ship crashlanded there, and Vanis had last been seen in the area of twin planets Gamandar and Iskalon. He went on to say that they'd recently intercepted an Imperial communique that had been sent from one of the city computers on Gamandar to their fleet. It turned out that another Rebel had learned the same information that Vanis and Argo did. Rieekan then turned on the holographic projector to display an image of that Rebel, who was none other than their missing companion, Han Solo.

The general proposed dividing their forces. Lando and Chewie would resume the search for Solo, while Luke and Leia would keep looking for Vanis. Rieekan sent Organa and Skywalker to the planet Kabray. The duo departed in the Millennium Falcon, with Plif and several other Hoojibs at their side. They arrived for a diplomatic conference. After landing, Luke was surprised to see a Zeltron who looked very similar to Dani (who was part of Rik Duel's crew that was first introduced in issue #70). Leia reminded him that it wasn't the same girl, moments before she bumped into a male Zeltron. 

The heroes entered the conference after a timely intervention by Plif. Luke and Plif decided to search the back rooms, while Leia stayed in her natural atmosphere, mingling with other delegates. As Luke ran into more female Zeltrons who were obviously attracted to him, Leia ventured into the backstage area, passing by a singer who was less than pleased with her manager.

Luke and Plif ran for safety and hid out in an unoccupied room as Leia made her way into the kitchen. She hid in a cabinet just as someone slipped some poison into one of the soup pots above her. Luke detached a scanner from his wrist and soon located Vanis' message in the room. He also overheard a plot to kill the governor. Skywalker was about to pursue the conspirators he'd just heard when a trio of female Zeltrons surrounded him.

Just as Imperial Stormtroopers walked by, Luke was able to convince his female companions to join him in the ballroom before the next act went onstage. Meanwhile, Leia took cover backstage and put on a wig, which apparently was enough to make the manager think that she was her singing starlet. Plif and his fellow Hoojibs were communicating telepathically to Luke about the assassination attempt, while the Zeltrons were trying to gain the farmboy's attention.

Before further plans could be made, the emcee announced the next act, the chanteuse of the stars. As the curtains opened, Luke was stunned to see Leia standing there in disguise. She stood there for a moment before finally starting to sing. Her songs stimulated one of the young Lahsbees in the crowd, who finally turned into a mature Huhk. 

The transformation served as a distraction for Luke to run into the porter carrying the poisoned soup. He took advantage of the crowd's panic to seek shelter behind the Stormtroopers. He briefly forgot that he'd asked the Hoojibs to drain the soldiers' blasters beforehand. This was problematic because delegates weren't allowed to carry any weapons.

Plif suggested that Leia continue singing. She did so, and her melodies resonated with the giant creature. He dropped the Stormtrooper that he'd been holding and moved to the front of the stage, where he could adore her close up. Luke was relieved, but hoped that she knew a few more tunes, now that he had several female Zeltrons to entertain after the performance. 

I remember buying this issue when I was 11. I brought it home with the Squid Head action figure that I'd also purchased that day and enjoyed them both thoroughly. This was a more comedic, lighter-paced issue than the previous ones, and I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw Leia standing on stage like a deer in headlights. I could visualize her poor singing, which really saved the day in this issue. 

We would see more Zeltrons and Huhks in future issues. This concludes my recap of this issue. Next time, I'll cover the 1983 Star Wars annual. The Alliance and the Empire have their sights set on the planet Belderone. We'll learn what happens to that planet, and the sides that a couple of its residents who grew up together take. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #76

Good afternoon everyone,

It's time for me to summarize the seventy-sixth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars title. The cover showed Darth Vader expressing anger, with a hologram of a protocol droid in front of him, and a pair of Imperial officers over his right shoulder. The story was called "Artoo-Detoo To The Rescue." The issue had a cover date of October 1983. 

The tale began on the bridge of Vader's Super Star Destroyer. The Dark Lord of the Sith was awaiting his subordinates' reports, noting that the Emperor wanted a status update on the subjugation of the solar system that Iskalon, Gamandar, and Telfrey belonged to. The Empire had already established a base and enslaved the population on Gamandar and was making efforts to ensure that Iskalon fell in line.

Admiral Tower was in charge of Gamandar, although Vader knew that the leader was both brutish and arrogant. An officer informed his superior that they were still searching for the Rebel who had obtained confidential documents. Vader was confident that the Alliance member Tay Vanis would be dealt with accordingly eventually.

Another officer interrupted the proceedings to inform Lord Vader about an incoming transmission from a protocol droid. The droid was K3PX, who was insistent on informing the Sith that Tower had fired a missile at Iskalon, and that Luke Skywalker was one of the Rebels on the water world at the time. This news piqued Vader's attention immediately.

Meanwhile, Luke, Princess Leia Organa, and their new ally Kiro were busy tending to the injured and those who had perished after the bomb's detonation. They were taking a brief respite when a large creature emerged from the water's surface. Kiro instinctively reached for Luke's stinger and fired, keeping the beast known as a Chiaki at bay. He explained that the monsters were drawn to the blood and would easily claim those who were lost or defenseless.

The trio agreed to stay awake waiting for whatever would happen next. They didn't have to wait very long, as Kendle arrived moments later, claiming that the heroes were responsible for the damage that had been wrought. She allied the natives to her cause as the daughter-in-law of their late leader, Primor (who perished during the bomb's explosion). Luke used the Force to propel debris in the air toward Kendle's group, allowing his friends time to retreat to safety.

On Gamandar, several Imperial officers were noticing Artoo's hard work, even though no one knew much about him or his background. The clever astrodroid had learned much from his connections with Imperial computers before deciding to act on his own. Elsewhere on the planet, Lando Calrissian was just waking up inside a detention cell, where he was alongside Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Kendle's mate, Mone. 

K3PX had blasted the heroes, who found themselves in custody next. Lando was wondering aloud who had sold them out when Tower admitted that it was Kendle who had tried to buy Mone and Primor's lives and that he'd sent a missile to Mone's homeworld. Angered, Chewbacca lunged at the cell door, only to learn that it had been electrified after Tower had pushed a button on the console on the other side. 

Tower knew Lando's identity (after being introduced to Calrissian in his "Captain Drebble" guise in the previous issue) and was about to begin interrogations when K3PX arrived with his own squadron of Stormtroopers. The protocol droid informed Tower that Vader was most displeased with the Admiral's decision to send a missile to Iskalon, and followed the soldiers who placed Tower under arrest.

After the Imperials had left, Artoo approached the cell door and unlocked it. He led his companions back to the Millennium Falcon, informing Threepio along the way that he'd resigned from his Imperial work and instructed the city's central computers to leave the Falcon alone. The ship took off just as Tower faced a hologram of the Sith Lord, who was displeased by the unnecessary missile strike, one that may have affected a particular Rebel that Vader and the Emperor were most interested in. Another officer behind Tower spoke up to say that some survivors had been reported on Iskalon. Vader then ordered his personal ship to be prepared for the journey to Iskalon and instructed the guards to terminate Tower before ending the transmission. 

Back on Iskalon, Luke, Leia, and Kiro found themselves outnumbered by Kendle and her allies, but they weren't about to give up the fight. Their foes, which had included several Imperial Stormtroopers by then, continued advancing. One Stormtrooper struck from behind, hitting Kiro's faceplate. Luke cried out and took Kiro's blade, driving it deep into the chest of the trooper who had just fired at his friend.

Luke then realized that Kiro was still alive, but needed to get to water quickly. He carried Kiro as Leia provided cover fire. Another Chiaki surfaced, but this one was bracketed by shots coming from the Falcon. The beast fell right onto what was left of the landing platform and presumably crushed Kendle in the process.

Afterward, Luke helped Kiro into the water, earning his gratitude. The Rebels were glad to be reunited, but Mone still wondered why his mate had betrayed them, as he looked at her corpse. He bid adieu to his friends and announced that there would be no more pavilions or living in two worlds as long as the Empire still existed. Mone then swam on, with his followers flanking him.

This is one of those issues where I really developed more appreciation for inker and sometimes penciler Tom Palmer. By now, he had a firm grasp on the existing and new characters that he worked on, and his covers were top-notch. His portrayals of Vader are probably the best in this entire series. I felt like this issue satisfactorily wrapped up this storyline. Tower got what he deserved, and the Iskalonians learned a harsh lesson, one whose impacts would continue to be felt after the Return of the Jedi movie adaptation.

Well, that's it for now. Next time, I'll cover the seventy-seventh issue of this title. The Rebels return home to Arbra momentarily before Luke and Leia are sent out on a diplomatic mission, which continues the search for Vanis and involves Han Solo. There will also be the return of some of the citizens from planets that we've seen representatives from in recent issues. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.