Good afternoon everyone,
This is not an April Fools' joke! It's my discussion of the sixty-seventh issue of Marvel's first Star Wars title. The cover showed C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca in the foreground, with an unknown four-armed green, robed alien blocking a doorway behind them. The tale was titled "The Darker." The issue had a cover date of January 1983.
The story started in the Rebel base on the planet Aphra. Luke Skywalker was goading the droids toward a meeting that might shed some light on how to free Han Solo. Luke had just returned from an unexpected mission on the planet Beheboth (as shown last issue), but was determined not to miss the meeting. On the way, Artoo was sidetracked by a cry for help. He went to investigate, but his detour did not go unnoticed, at least not by all, anyway. One of the Hoojibs saw where the astrodroid was headed and knew that he had to inform his fellow Hoojib Plif right away.
Inside the conference room, Princess Leia Organa was stating that they'd received new information from a fellow Alliance member who had unfortunately lost his life. She went on to say that Boba Fett had originally made plans with another fellow bounty hunter to capture Han, but eventually cut his partner out of the reward after acquiring Solo from Darth Vader on Cloud City.
The possible accomplices had been narrowed down to a list of three: a cyborg named Dengar, a droid called IG-88, and the reptilian known as Bossk. Luke looked at Lando Calrissian and asked if they had a chance. Lando was doubtful, but wasn't about to give up hope.
Threepio was standing behind his master and turned to talk to his counterpart, Artoo, only to discover that he wasn't there. Instead, he saw several Hoojibs behind him, who insisted on speaking with Leia right away. They explained that they'd seen Artoo enter a tunnel that they knew contained a great danger, one that they'd left alone for years.
The translator droid then asked Chewbacca if he would investigate the situation with him. Chewie was angered by the thought of having to be temporarily torn away for the search for his friend, but Threepio assured him that the excursion would be brief, and noted that it would take several hours for the ships to be readied for the mission.
Soon thereafter, the group approached the small cave entrance. The Hoojibs accompanied Threepio and Chewbacca inside, even though they were scared. Their friendship with the Rebels kept them motivated. An energy barrier was the final obstacle. Threepio and the Hoojibs passed through it easily, but Chewie had a bit of a struggle before making his way to the other side.
An old, and apparently long-abandoned, city now stood before them. A while later, the friends came across Artoo's disassembled parts, which were being held in a mesh of long green strands. Chewie rushed to free him, only to be warned not to by a voice behind them. The city's sole inhabitant, a being called the Darker, explained that this was his territory and that he alone would decide what transpires within it.
The creature then invited them inside for refreshment, before floating toward a doorway. Chewbacca and Threepio ventured forth, as the Hoojibs ran to warn Leia. A small banquet table had been set, but its food seemed less than appetizing. The Darker told his guests that the people of Arbra had once gotten to where they no longer wanted emotions such as fear, anger, or hatred, and that their technology had reached a point where they could eliminate those emotions. However, they learned that dark energies could not be destroyed, but were siphoned off by him.
Arbra's natives soon left the planet and the Darker behind, keeping him trapped inside the self-perpetuating force field that was rather sensitive to negative emotions. That explained why Chewie had a tough time penetrating it initially. The Darker eventually sensed the Rebels' arrival and realized that he could use that to his advantage by luring them to his home in the hopes of using their machines or technology to deactivate the force screen. It was a long, arduous process, but he finally succeeded in drawing Artoo's attention with his recent call for help.
Threepio exclaimed that the alien wouldn't prevail, and that reinforcements were likely on their way. The Darker scoffed at that assertion, pointing at the Hoojibs who were now cowering in fear in one corner of the room. Chewbacca then fired his bowcaster at their foe, only to have the blast absorbed in the beast's belly. The Darker fired a ray of raw hatred into Chewie's eyes, and the loyal Wookiee then turned on his droid colleague.
Fortunately, Threepio was able to evade his friend for a while. He soon found himself in a library and put his translation skills to good use. His first attempt wasn't what he expected, as the book sitting in front of him was merely a cookbook. Meanwhile, Luke had noticed Threepio and Chewie's absence and asked Lando if he'd seen them. Lando assured his friend that they were probably around somewhere, taking some well-deserved time off. Luke smiled and agreed.
Threepio had finally found a book that explained the history of the planet. He was a bit shocked to learn that the Darker had lied to them, and was in the middle of reading more when Chewbacca struck above him. Threepio used a bit of his lubricant to free himself from harm and rushed to find Artoo, bring him down from his entanglement, and put his parts back together.
By the time that happened, Chewbacca had found his companions. He was ready to crush the golden droid, but Threepio reminded him of their past exploits and the current search to find Han. Hearing Solo's name broke Chewie out of his trance and increased his anger toward the Darker.
The Darker was now in front of them and tried to use fear to disable his opponent. Threepio advised Chewie to fight, adding that the planet's former residents knew that the creature could be destroyed by the same energy that surrounded the city. They chose not to kill him because he was a part of the world.
Artoo told Threepio that the force screen could be neutralized, but only by the Darker. Chewbacca continued to advance on the creature until it seemed like the Darker's will was stronger. Seeing Chewie fall inspired the Hoojibs to pounce on the beast. Their unexpected bravery was enough to distract the Darker, and allowed Chewbacca to recover, grab and toss the being high into the force field.
The creature did indeed destroy the force screen, and the city was about to crumble around them. Chewbacca grabbed the droids and ran along with the Hoojibs to safety. The screen imploded, and only rubble remained. A short while later, a Rebel pilot advised the three heroes to get going. He assumed that they'd been resting, not knowing what they'd just been through.
I'm kind of surprised that we haven't seen others of the Darker's kind or other similar beings in Star Wars comics since this issue. He was a unique kind of evil, and I'm sure that type of powerful influence must exist in others in the galaxy that George Lucas created. I'm glad that his menace was apparently ended forever, but now I wonder what would have happened if other Rebels encountered him. A nice tale by writer David Michelinie, inker Tom Palmer, and new penciler Ron Frenz (who is also known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man and The Mighty Thor, among other books).
That's it for today. Next time, I'll cover a very highly sought-after issue. The sixty-eighth issue of this series starts the search for bounty hunters who may have information as to Han Solo's whereabouts. It begins on the planet Mandalore, as Leia and Threepio look for possible answers and run into new friends and a few old foes. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
