Happy Friday, everyone,
Today's topic is the fifty-third issue of Marvel's first Star Wars series. The cover showed Princess Leia Organa being carried off by a Stormtrooper in the foreground, while another trooper brought a different person up a ladder extended from a TIE bomber. The tale was titled "The Last Gift From Alderaan!" The issue had a cover date of November 1981.
The story began aboard a Rebel ship, where Leia looked at an image of her homeworld, Alderaan, a planet that no longer existed thanks to the Empire. She thought back to her home, wondering what her parents were doing right before their world was obliterated. Leia wasn't there because she'd been sent to find Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight who'd served her father during the Clone Wars, to help their cause. Unfortunately, her ship was captured, and she became a prisoner of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.
Tarkin grew weary of Leia's refusals to admit where the Rebel base was, and decided to test the destructive power of their Death Star on Alderaan. Leia was forced to watch in horror as the only home she'd ever known was blown to bits. Her reminiscing was broken up by Captain Chedaki's arrival to inform her that the ship had entered the planet Shiva's atmosphere.
The Alliance was concerned about this system because there had been an unusual amount of traffic to and from it, and because the Empire was interested in it. Leia and Chedaki moved to a shuttle and strapped in moments before an explosion rocked the vessel. First Officer Roak ordered an investigation and learned that very minute anti-matter bombs had caused the damage. He had no choice but to cut the shuttle loose.
Chedaki perished in the explosion, but Leia was still inside. She closed the hatch and manually released the shuttle, sending it toward the planet Shiva below. Leia hoped that her act saved the larger ship, but had a small chance of landing the shuttle successfully.
A while later, several Shiva natives congregated. These warriors were about to enjoy a meal when they heard a commotion. They rushed to help a lone woman who'd been encircled by an outcast raiding party. led by Aron the Peacebringer. The quartet was soon victorious, and the attackers fled in fear. Leia joined her saviors as they boarded a flier and headed toward their city.
Along the way, Leia tried to learn their language. She recognized a blue flame called the Cherenkov effect and used hand signals to convey its danger. Aron understood, and they took a different route home. Little did he know that his longtime comrade Delois was plotting to overthrow him and take over all he'd held dear.
Weeks went by, and things seemed quite peaceful. Aron conferred with his wife, Alisande, before their gala to celebrate the first anniversary of their signing of the Concordat of Peace. Aron had talked to Leia since their first meeting and had reason to believe what she had to say. He was sympathetic to her cause, and his feelings for her had grown stronger over time.
At the ceremony, Leia danced with Delois for a time before running off, visibly upset. Aron went after her and learned that she'd been thinking about those lost in her world. He told her of the young child he and his wife had lost, after he and the child both contracted the same disease. Aron survived, but the child was not as fortunate.
Moments later, the duo was struck from above by giant Stormtroopers. They were knocked out and taken to a waiting TIE bomber. Havero rushed out to the balcony minutes later, but found it empty. He thought he'd heard the princess cry out. She and Aron were missing, although he'd been watching the only exit and didn't see either of them leave. He decided to inform Alisande and the war council.
Meanwhile, Aron was in shackles, the prisoner of Imperial Stormtroopers. He soon met their leader, an alien named Sk'ar, who was a general in the Imperial Strike Force. He looked forward to taking over the seemingly primitive planet, not knowing that Aron and his allies would fight them tooth and nail.
This story makes more sense if you know that writer Chris Claremont also wrote several issues of Marvel's monthly John Carter, Warlord of Mars title (a series that I'll eventually cover here at some point). Aron, Keral, Pavero, Delois, Alisande, and the outlaws are somewhat similar to some of the characters portrayed in those stories. This was one of the first Star Wars comics I ever had, and I enjoyed the story. The art team of Carmine Infantino, Walt Simonson, Alan Kupperberg, and Tom Palmer worked very well together to craft the first part of this story.
Next time, I'll cover the fifty-fourth issue of this series. The conclusion of this storyline will show what happened to Aron and his people as they finally faced the threat of the Empire. We'll also learn Leia's fate and the role that she played in the planet's resistance. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment