Hello there,
It's time for me to recap the last issue of Marvel's Return of the Jedi adaptation. The Bill Sienkiewicz-drawn cover showed Luke Skywalker flanked by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. The chapter was called "The Final Duel!" The issue had a publication date of January 1984.
After the title page (which, as usual, featured another Sienkiewicz illustration on the bottom half), we saw the Rebel fleet gathering. They waited for Admiral Ackbar's command to enter hyperspace en route to the planet Endor to take on the second Death Star. Meanwhile, on that forest moon, one of the native Ewoks was busy distracting the guards outside the Imperial bunker, allowing Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and their fellow Rebels to sneak inside and start planting explosive charges.
On the massive space station, the Emperor was greeting Skywalker, who was accompanied by his father. Luke was certain that he would not be turned to the Dark Side as Vader had, but Palpatine remained confident, noting that everything was proceeding according to his plans. The Rebels were walking into a trap. He was the one who allowed the Alliance to learn the shield generator's location. Luke was stunned by this revelation, but made no move to retaliate just yet.
A short while later, the Rebel fleet reached its destination. Lando Calrissian and Nien Nunb aboard the Millennium Falcon could not ascertain if the station's shields were still active. The Rebels were then stunned by the sight of a deadly blast emanating from the Death Star. They assumed that the incomplete station's weapon systems weren't operational.
True to Palpatine's prediction, a squadron of Stormtroopers entered the other side of the bunker and quickly outnumbered the Rebel forces. After some time, Luke finally felt compelled to use the Force to bring his saber hilt to his open hand. He ignited the blade, which was met by Vader's own lightsaber. Father and son began to duel once more.
On Endor, C-3PO and R2-D2 waited on a hill before drawing the Imperials' attention. What the soldiers hadn't counted on was the Ewoks' decision to fight for their world. Their unexpected assistance allowed Han and his colleagues to make another run for the bunker, just as the Alliance fleet was making strategic strikes on larger Imperial vessels.
Luke had knocked Vader down the Emperor's steps before opting to end the hostilities for the moment. He vowed not to fight until Vader searched his feelings and learned the truth about his sister. Vader proposed that if Luke would not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she would. That set Luke off, as he struck fiercely to avoid that possibility.
Several Scout Walkers joined the conflict on Endor, but they were no match for the traps that the Ewoks had laid in wait for them. When Artoo was hit by a stray Stormtrooper rifle blast, Leia and Han tried to hotwire the door. Leia was struck by another shot, but her wound wasn't serious. Things looked grim as another Scout Walker stood before them.
Lando led the smaller fighters through the maze of Imperial ships, saying that there was still hope while they had ships left to fight with. Inside the Death Star, Luke continued to advance on the now weakened Sith Lord. He pressed the attack until his foe clung desperately to a railing. Luke made one final slice that severed the hand that had held his father's saber. He then looked down at his own mechanical right hand, remembering the similar fate he'd suffered from Vader back on Cloud City.
The Emperor descended the steps from his throne, observing Vader's defeat, adding that Luke should take his rightful place at his side. Luke declined, stating that he was a Jedi, like his father before him. Palpatine soon reasoned that if Luke could not be turned, then he would be destroyed, and summoned lethal bolts of lightning from his hands, which struck the former Tatooine farmboy swiftly.
Luke struggled as his father gradually got to his feet and stood next to his master. He stood there for several long moments before coming to his senses. He grabbed Palpatine and walked to the nearby pit. The Emperor continued to fling lightning, much of which hit Vader as he tossed his former leader down into the chasm below. The Emperor screamed as he fell, before all was suddenly silent.
Inside the bunker, the crew received a transmission stating that the Rebels had retreated into the woods. The commander ordered his forces outside, not knowing that it was a trick. Chewbacca and a pair of Ewoks had gained control of a Scout Walker, which allowed Han to come up with this ruse. They surrounded the Imperials and went inside to continue setting up explosives. Moments later, the bunker went up in a spectacular detonation.
Once the shield was down, the Rebel fleet made its attack run. Lando led the charge, guiding the fighters through the maze within. He and Wedge Antilles (in his X-Wing) were the first ones to reach the reactor. The Falcon fired, followed by Wedge. Their shots were direct hits, and the damage was immediate.
As both ships were racing to escape, Luke struggled to bring his father to safety. Knowing he didn't have much time left, Anakin asked his son to help him remove his mask. Even though it would mean his imminent demise, he wanted to see Luke one time with his own eyes. Luke then boarded an Imperial shuttle and took off, evading the explosion just as Lando and Wedge had.
Later that evening, a celebration was held in the Ewok village. The Rebel ground crew was slowly joined by the heroic pilots, including Lando and Luke. Luke looked away at one point before being drawn back into his circle of friends, knowing that the galactic threat was finally over.
The remaining content pages were pin-ups of Ackbar and other Mon Calamari aboard their ship, the Ewok Logray and a trio of Imperial helmets on posts, a Rebel B-Wing fighter, Luke Skywalker before the shadow of Vader, and the Force ghost images of Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi that Luke saw in the final minute of the original version of the Return of the Jedi film. That scene was altered later on by George Lucas to show Hayden Christensen as Anakin instead of the original actor, Sebastian Stan.
I felt like this was a fitting conclusion to this miniseries. There were a few things omitted, like Vader's face reveal and the burning of his corpse on Endor, but I know that Marvel had to condense a two-hour-plus movie into this four-issue limited series (and single-volume Marvel Super Special). I appreciate the extra content that was included in each issue of this series. They also had to take the fact that their primary target audience was children into consideration.
That's it for this article. Next time, I'll resume my coverage of the original Star Wars title with a recap of the eighty-first issue. Han has to decide what to do next now that he's back in circulation. Leia and Artoo go along for the ride as he visits an old haunt, but runs into a familiar opponent. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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