Marvel Special Edition: Star Wars 1

Marvel Special Edition: Star Wars is a comic book magazine series based on the 1977 feature film Star Wars by Lucasfilm Ltd. and its sequel projects. The series was published by Marvel Comics and produced in tabloid edition format (10"x13"). Three issues of the series were produced which reprints the first six issues of the Star Wars ongoing comic book series. Volume 1 reprints issues #1-3. The story was written by Roy Thomas with artwork by Howard Chaykin and inks by Rick Hoberg and Steve Leialoha. It was colored by Marie Severin and lettered by Jim Novak, and Tom Orzechowski. This issue shipped with an August, 1977 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.00 per copy (US).

"A New Hope"
The Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator bears down upon a fleeing Rebel Blockade Runner, the Tantive IV. Laser blasts strike a solar fin and the ship heaves from the impact. A boarding party consisting of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and a squadron of Imperial Stormtroopers stalk through the corridors of the ship gunning down members of the Rebel Alliance. Two droids, Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio do their best to avoid random blaster fire. Threepio complains in desperation, but manages to avoid being struck by a stray blast. Darth Vader captures the commander of the ship, Raymus Antilles, and begins throttling him, demanding to know the location of a set of stolen plans relating to the Galactic Empire's newest super-weapon, the Death Star. When the captain fails to give Vader the information he wants, he snaps his neck and orders his soldiers to tear the ship apart until they recover the missing data tapes. Threepio meanwhile loses track of Artoo but finds him in the company of a white-robed young woman. The woman programs a message into Artoo's databank then disappears into the smoke. Threepio questions his smaller compatriot who communicates to him through a series of beeps and whistles that he must complete his "mission". Threepio has no idea what Artoo's secret mission could possibly be. Artoo finds one of the ship's Escape Pod and Threepio follows behind him. They activate the launching mechanism and the pod blasts safely away from the Tantive IV. The Stormtroopers meanwhile, find the young woman Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan and fire a blast into her shoulder. She slumps to the floor and the soldiers take her to Lord Vader.

Far below the carnage taking place in outer space, on the desert world of Tatooine, young moisture farmer Luke Skywalker takes his landspeeder to the town of Anchorhead where he meets up with his friends Biggs Darklighter, Camie Loneozner and Fixer. With little knowledge of the true politics of the war between the Empire and the Rebellion, Luke is excited to learn that Biggs has been accepted into the Imperial Navy and will be serving aboard the Rand Ecliptic. He tells him about watching the previous space battle through his macrobinoculars and hands them over to Biggs. Biggs stares through them, but only sees the Devastator and the Tantive IV seemingly adrift in space. He dismisses Luke's excitement saying they are too far away from the core worlds to be of any interest to either the Empire or the Rebellion.

In space, Darth Vader addresses his commander, Nahdonnis Praji. He instructs him to raze the ship, killing everybody aboard the Tantive IV, then report back to the Imperial Senate, claiming that the ship was destroyed in a meteor shower. Vader deduces that Princess Leia must have hidden the stolen plans in an Escape Pod and tells Praji to send a detachment to the nearby planet Tatooine to retrieve them.

The Escaped Pod lands in a canyon region of Tatooine called the Jundland Wastes. Threepio and Artoo disembark the small ship and begin scouting out the terrain. The two bicker with one another and they eventually split up. While rolling across a smooth patch of road, Artoo is set upon by a race of small scavengers known as Jawas. They zap him with their energy weapon and carry the droid to their giant Sandcrawler.

Back in Anchorhead, Biggs takes Luke aside and tells him his true plans. Once the opportunity arrives, he is going to "jump ship" and join the Rebel Alliance. He has to stay true to what he believes, he tells Luke. Luke is happy for Biggs, but frustrated over the fact that he must remain with his family's moisture farm on Tatooine.

In a conference room aboard the Death Star, several high-ranking imperial officers including Conan Antonio Motti and Cassio Tagge argue about the growing support the Rebel Alliance is gaining in the Senate. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Darth Vader enter the chamber and announce that the Emperor has just dissolved the Galactic Senate and has handed direct control of individual star systems to regional governors. Motti criticizes Vader for failing to recover the stolen tapes, and the Dark Lord demonstrates his own mystical power by using the "Force" to choke the Admiral. Governor Tarkin orders Vader to release him. Although the Rebels have gained a small advantage by finding the tapes, Tarkin is confident that they can crush them in "one swift stroke" well before they can develop a means of effectively combating them.

Back on Tatooine, the Jawas, having also captured See-Threepio travel out towards the Lars moisture farm. They role Threepio, Artoo and several other droids out and display them for sale. Luke Skywalker and his uncle, Owen Lars, come out to take a look at the Jawas' wares. Threepio annoys Owen, but he recognizes the need for Threepio's talent at speaking Bocce, so he agrees to purchase him. Threepio convinces Owen to also purchase Artoo-Detoo.

Luke begins cleaning up Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio. He removes the restraining bolt that the Jawas placed upon Artoo and instantly, he begins projecting a hologram of Princess Leia. The hologram repeats the same desperate message, "Obi-Wan Kenobi... Help me!" The message stops and Luke wants Artoo to play it again, but the droid refuses.

That evening over dinner, Luke addresses his uncle and his aunt, Beru. He tells them that he thinks the new droids will work out just fine, and if so, he would like to submit his application to join the Academy. Owen is distraught with this, pleading with Luke to stay on. He emphasizes that he needs him for one more season and that he can join the Academy the following year. Frustrated, Luke storms off into towards the maintenance garage. Beru tells Owen that he can't keep Luke around forever. She makes a point to mention, "He's got too much of his father in him", to which Owen solemnly responds, "That's... what I'm afraid of...!"

When Luke arrives in the garage, See-Threepio is in a state of panic. Artoo is missing and Threepio tells Luke that he has run off. He has no idea why, but knows that Artoo kept speaking about "his mission". Angry, Luke takes Threepio in his landspeeder and rides out to find the troublesome droid.

Meanwhile, a squadron of Imperial Stormtroopers sets down in the Dune Sea. They find the empty Escape Pod, but there is no evidence of any passengers or the stolen Death Star plans. One of the troopers, Davin Felth, finds a metal ring in the sand and deduces that the plans are now in the possession of one or more droids.

Elsewhere, Luke and Threepio track Artoo-Detoo into the Jundland Wastes, but a more pressing threat makes its presence known. Using his macrobinoculars, Luke spies a tribe of Sandpeople known as Tusken Raiders riding atop a herd beast called a Bantha. A savage tribal leader, URoRRuR'R'R, appears in front of Luke and begins attacking him with his Gaderffii stick.

"Six Against the Galaxy!"
In the Jundland Wastes, a group of Sandpeople prepares to descend upon Luke. They are frightened off by the strange sounds being admitted by an elderly man coming up over the horizon. The man helps Luke to his feet and Luke asks him he is related to someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. The man admits that he is Obi-Wan and Luke tells him that his astromech droid R2-D2 claimed that it was his property. Obi-Wan has no recollection of ever owning a droid, but invites Luke, R2 and the protocol droid C-3PO back to his dwelling. R2 plays a holographic message intended for Obi-Wan's attention. The image is of Princess Leia who calls upon Obi-Wan's history as a veteran warrior to help her Rebel Alliance in their "desperate hour". After the message concludes, Obi-Wan tells Luke that like his father, he was once a member of the august body known as the Jedi Order. He gives Luke his father's lightsaber. Luke asks Obi-Wan how his father died and the old man tells him that a former pupil of his named Darth Vader betrayed and murdered his father. Obi-Wan wants Luke to accompany him to Leia's home planet of Alderaan, but Luke cannot shirk his responsibilities to the farm.

On their way back to the Lars homestead, the group comes upon the ruins of a Jawa Sandcrawler. There are dead Jawas scattered about and Obi-Wan quickly deduces that it was Imperial Stormtroopers who had killed them. Realizing that the Stormtroopers were looking for the droids, Luke races back home, but he is too late. The house is in smoking ruins and his aunt and uncle are dead. With nothing left to keep him on Tatooine, Luke says that he will help Obi-Wan.

Luke, Obi-Wan and the droids take Luke's landspeeder to the space port known as Mos Eisley. Obi-Wan is confident that they will be able to find a pilot willing to take them to Alderaan. They go into a cantina and almost immediately, two aliens begin bullying Luke. As the situation turns violent, Obi-Wan ignites his own lightsaber and cuts the offenders down. Afterward, they meet a Corellian smuggler named Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca, the Wookiee. After a hasty bit of bartering, Solo agrees to fly them to Alderaan. To help finance Han's fees, Luke and Obi-Wan go out into the market place to sell Luke's speeder. Han meanwhile, has a run-in with a bounty hunter named Greedo. The meeting is short and ends with a blaster shot to Greedo's chest.

Leaving the cantina, Han runs into Greedo's employer - Jabba the Hut. Jabba is disheartened that Han killed Greedo and reminds him that he owes him substantial reimbursement for dumping a load of Jabba's illegal spice.

Meanwhile on the Death Star, Darth Vader subjects Princess Leia to interrogation. She proves resistant to the mind probe so Grand Moff Tarkin decides to give her a more proper incentive for cooperating; he sets course for Alderaan.

Back on Tatooine, a spy informs a Stormtrooper patrol of the droids' whereabouts and they track them to Luke, Han and Obi-Wan at Docking Bay 94. A fire fight breaks out, but they manage to get onto Han's ship The Millennium Falcon and blast off. The ship breaks through an Imperial blockade and they jump into hyper-space.

"Death Star!"
Aboard the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin gives Princess Leia one last chance to reveal the location of the hidden Rebel Alliance base. If not, then he threatens to use the station's firepower against her home planet of Alderaan. Leia relents and gives Tarkin the name Dantooine. Satisfied with her answer, he nonetheless continues with the operation and gives the order to fire. In tears, Leia spits the words, "And you call yourselves humans!", to which Tarkin coldly replies, "You're far too trusting." A blast surges forth from the Death Star and Alderaan explodes.

Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan Kenobi feels a powerful surge in the Force. He describes it as a feeling of death and instructs Luke Skywalker to continue with his Jedi training. Pilot Han Solo pokes fun at Obi-Wan and Luke and their shared interest in a "hokey religion". In the corner of the room, the droid R2-D2 is playing (and beating) Chewbacca the wookiee at a holographic chess game. Chewbacca grows irritated and Han reminds the droids that wookiees are prone towards ripping peoples' arms out of their sockets when they lose. C-3PO advises his short companion to "...let the wookiee win". Luke meanwhile, continues practicing with his father's lightsaber. Obi-Wan sets up a targeting remote which emits short electrical bursts. Luke tries to deflect the bursts with a small degree of success.

Han brings the Falcon out of light speed and they find themselves smack in the middle of a meteor shower. Han checks his star charts and realizes that this is where Alderaan is supposed to be. He deduces that it has been destroyed. A rogue TIE fighter is seen navigating its way through the meteors and the Falcon crew, fearing that it might be able to identify them, decide to go after it. They track the ship towards what they believe is a small moon, but as they approach, they realize that it is in fact a space station - the Death Star. They try to turn around, but the Death Star locks the Falcon in its tractor beam. The ship is pulled into one of the station's hangar bays.

A scanning crew analyzes the ship, but pick up no signs of life. They believe that the crew may have escaped in life pods shortly after their initial departure. Darth Vader orders two Stormtroopers to inspect the interior of the ship. Sensing a mysterious presence, Vader muses to himself and takes his leave.

Han and the others are hiding inside secret compartments under the ship's deck plating. When the moment is right, they ambush the two Stormtroopers and take their uniforms. They leave the ship and manage to make their way to a computer room. Luke criticizes Han for his excessive use of a blaster and Chewbacca's perpetual "screaming". R2-D2 plugs into a computer outlet and finds the location of the tractor beam controls. He also discovers that Princess Leia is alive and is being held in the Death Star's prison block. While Obi-Wan Kenobi goes off to deactivate the tractor beam controls, Luke convinces Han and Chewie to help him rescue the princess.

Luke's plan involves Han and he continuing to masquerade as Stormtroopers while they "escort" Chewbacca to the cell block as part of a prisoner transfer. Chewbacca feigns breaking loose and Han and Luke begin blasting away at Stormtroopers and Death Star officers. Once the room is clear, Han checks the computer database and tells Luke that Leia is in cell number 2187. Luke goes off to find her, leaving Han and Chewbacca behind to hold off any more Stormtroopers that might come their way.

Luke makes his way down the cell block and finds Leia's cell. When she sees him, she snidely remarks, "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" Luke removes his Stormtrooper helmet and reveals that he is with Ben Kenobi and that he is here to rescue her. The two leave and meet back up with Han and Chewie in another section of the detention level. A squad of Stormtroopers come around the corner and open fire on them. Han and Chewbacca return fire while Luke desperately tries to get in contact with C-3P0.

Appearances

 * Luke Skywalker
 * Leia Organa
 * Han Solo
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * C-3PO
 * Chewbacca
 * R2-D2


 * Beru Lars
 * Owen Lars


 * Conan Antonio Motti
 * Cornelius Evazan
 * Davin Felth
 * Darth Vader
 * Daine Jir
 * Emperor Palpatine undefined
 * Greedo
 * Jabba the Hut
 * Khurgee
 * Mod Terrik
 * Nahdonnis Praji
 * Ponda Baba
 * Shann Childsen
 * TX-421
 * TX-422
 * URoRRuR'R'R
 * Wilhuff Tarkin


 * Cass
 * Dannik Jerriko
 * Datcha
 * Garindan
 * Kabe
 * Nabrun Leids
 * R5-D4
 * Raymus Antilles
 * Tank
 * Tzizvvt
 * Wioslea
 * Wuher


 * Galactic Empire
 * Imperial Stormtroopers
 * 501st Legion


 * Rebel Alliance
 * Tonnika sisters


 * Aqualish
 * Alderaanians
 * Banthas
 * Corellians
 * Jawas
 * Rodians
 * Sandpeople
 * Tatooinians
 * Wookiees


 * Alderaan
 * Dantooine
 * Death Star I
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Bestine
 * Dune Sea
 * Great Chott Salt Flat
 * Lars homestead
 * Jundland Wastes
 * Tosche Station
 * Mos Eisley
 * Chalmun's Cantina
 * Docking Bay 94


 * Astromech droid
 * DL-44 heavy blaster pistol
 * DT-12 heavy blaster pistol
 * Droids
 * E-11 blaster rifle
 * Gaderffii
 * Holoprojector
 * IT-O Interrogator
 * Lightsaber
 * Macrobinoculars
 * Protocol droid


 * Blockade runner
 * Escape Pod
 * Imperial Star Destroyer
 * Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator


 * Landspeeder
 * X-34 landspeeder


 * Millennium Falcon
 * Rand Ecliptic
 * Sandcrawler
 * Tantive IV
 * TIE/In starfighter

Issues

 * Star Wars #1
 * Star Wars #2
 * Star Wars #3