Jell Spiel
Jell Spiel was a Human male from Bespin who served the Bespin Wing Guard as a cloud car pilot during the Galactic Civil War.[1] He co-piloted one of two Storm IV Twin-Pod cloud cars near Cloud City in 3 ABY when the Millennium Falcon arrived there. One Cloud Car fired warning shots at the freighter before escorting it to a landing platform.[2] Spiel's experience as a pilot of cloud car prototypes proved very useful during the evacuation of Bespin.[1]
Behind the scenes
This character was most prominently seen as an action figure in Kenner's The Empire Strikes Back toy line[3], though the pilots can be briefly glimpsed inside the Cloud Cars in the film. Close up photos of the Cloud Car prop used in the film shows two different pilots inside the pods.[4][5] The action figure package photo appears to be one of those pilots.[3] His name and personal history was finally revealed in the Rogues Gallery feature of Star Wars Insider 148.[1] The second pilot, distinguished by a mustache,[6] was the basis for a later action figure by Hasbro.[7] He was later named Duncan Hikmat.[1]
The figures' full uniforms were based on concept art by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, which was later used to represent Rebel Alliance officer Kem Monnon in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe.[8]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (First appearance)
Sources
1980 Topps Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Series 2 (Card: Twin-Pod Cloud Car) (backup link) (Picture only)
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Pack: (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Pilot) (backup link)- Star Wars: Chronicles
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic (Picture only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 32 (TWI2, Storm IV Twin-Pod Cloud Car) (Picture only)
Star Wars: The Original Trilogy Collection (Pack: Cloud Car Pilot) (backup link)- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 24
- 2012 Topps Star Wars Galactic Files Series 1 (Card: Twin-Pod Cloud Car) (backup link) (Picture only)
"Rogues Gallery: The Cloud City Wing Guards" – Star Wars Insider 148 (First identified as Jell Spiel)- The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 52 (CLO1, Twin-Pod Cloud Car) (Picture only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Rogues Gallery: The Cloud City Wing Guards" – Star Wars Insider 148
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Pack: (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Pilot) (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Chronicles
- ↑ Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 24
- ↑ Photos from Star Wars: The Magic of Myth exhibit on TheForce.net
- ↑ Star Wars: The Vintage Collection (Pack: (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Pilot) (backup link)
- ↑ The Illustrated Star Wars Universe