Star Wars (2015) 68

Publisher's summary

REBELS AND ROGUES! "The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space…" That's right — you remember the opening titles of The Empire Strikes Back. Now find out what happened just before, as Luke and his friends launch a desperate, three-pronged mission of deception to keep the Empire from finding their new rebel base in a brand-new epic from the new ongoing team of Greg "PLANET HULK" Pak and Phil "POE DAMERON" Noto! Featuring Han and Leia undercover in a noir world of romance and danger! Luke and R2 facing off against the Executor in a single X-Wing! And Chewie and Threepio, the greatest team-up you never knew you always needed!

Opening crawl

It is a time of civil war in the galaxy. The
freedom fighters of the Rebel Alliance fight a
losing battle against the might of the evil
Galactic Empire.

After scoring a major victory against the
Empire and the traitorous Queen Trios of
Shu-Torun, Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa,
smuggler Han Solo, the wookiee [sic] Chewbacca
and Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker rejoin the
fleet eager for their next mission.

But hope for the movement's survival is
dwindling as the Empire moves to crush the
Rebellion once and for all....

Plot summary

Desperate measures

A Star Destroyer drifts through the vastness of space. It's a dark time for the Rebellion; Imperial forces have driven them from their hidden base, pursuing them across the galaxy. As the Rebellion struggles to find a new home, the evil Darth Vader dispatches thousands of remote probes to scour the far reaches of space in his obsession to find young Luke Skywalker.

Somewhere in the Outer Rim, aboard a rebel cruiser, General Carlist Rieekan explains that with thousands of these Imperial probes, the rebels will be found within weeks unless they can give the Empire something else to hunt. Han Solo, standing with Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids, protests being used as bait. Rieekan reveals a report of probes nearing a rebel refueling station and says they need their "best" pilot for the job—a job Han eagerly accepts, only to be told he has a different mission.

A three-part plan

Rieekan unveils a three-pronged plan to create diversions and lure the Empire away from the real rebel fleet.

Han's mission is to go to Lanz Carpo, a lawless core world with a massive crime rate but no Imperial presence, thanks to its boss, who is an Imperial collaborator. Han and Leia are to gain access to Lanz Carpo's comm center and send out fake transmissions to a rebel relay drone. The goal is to make the Empire believe that Boss Carpo is now working with the Rebellion, causing them to divert resources to the planet. To aid them, Leia will use her connection to Dar Champion, a childhood friend who is now the Lanz Carpo district advocate.

Meanwhile, Chewbacca's mission is to travel to K43, an uninhabited volcanic world with an unstable tectonic core. Rieekan hands him a proton detonator, explaining that the plan is to lure as many Imperial Star Destroyers as possible to the planet and then blow it up, creating "our own little Death Star." Chewbacca, who Rieekan says is the "best mechanic in the room," is tasked with placing the detonator, with C-3PO providing technical support.

Luke's mission is to pilot his X-Wing toward a Star Destroyer in the Inner Rim. His goal is to act as bait, but the Imperial Admiral Kendal Ozzel doesn't take the bait, telling his officers to stay on mission. Luke, surprised, decides to continue his mission on foot by destroying the Imperial probes on the planet's surface.

Han and Leia land on Lanz Carpo in disguise. Leia, witnessing guards beating a civilian, pays them off, showcasing her diplomatic side. Elsewhere, Chewbacca and C-3PO land on the volcanic K43. While Chewbacca blasts falling boulders, C-3PO pilots the ship. After landing, they make their way on foot to the fault line. As they are setting the charges, the ground gives way, and they fall into a chasm. They are saved from falling into deadly lava by a rock creature, which C-3PO's sensors fail to detect as a life-form. The mission takes a turn when Han and Leia are suddenly surrounded by guards, but Dar Champion arrives to save them, suggesting a past connection with Leia.

Media

Editions

• UPC 759606081134; July 10, 2019; Marvel Comics^[1]
  • 06811; Cover A; Phil Noto
  • 06821; Cover B; John Tyler Christopher
  • 06831; Cover C; Kaare Andrews

Cover gallery

Cover A

Cover A, cover art

Cover B

Cover C

Collected in

• Star Wars Vol. 12: Rebels and Rogues
• Star Wars by Gillen & Pak Omnibus

Appearances

Sources

• Marvel's Star Wars Begins a New Era with Issue 68 - First Look on StarWars.com (backup link)

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars (2015) #68 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
• Star Wars (2015) #68 (Variant) on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link) (Action figure variant)
• Star Wars (2015) #68 (Variant) on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link) (Greatest Moments variant)