Star Wars (1977) 39

Star Wars 39: The Empire Strikes Back: Beginning is the thirty-ninth issue in the Marvel Star Wars series of comics.

Plot summary

The Rebel Alliance has established a new base on the ice planet called Hoth, but an Imperial probe droid discovers their location and transmits the data before it can be destroyed. Luke Skywalker has been attacked by one of the Wampas and is taken to the creatures cave, but Luke escapes from its custody and, with the help of Han Solo, returns to Echo Base. Captain Firmus Piett receives the probe droid's signal and reports his findings to Darth Vader who immediately orders the fleet to the Hoth system.

Appearances

By type

Characters	Creatures	Droid models	Events	Locations
Organizations and titles	Sentient species	Vehicles and vessels	Weapons and technology	Miscellanea

Characters

2-1B C-3PO Chewbacca Bren Derlin FX-7 Tigran Jamiro Obi-Wan Kenobi (Appears as a ghost or spirit) One-Arm Leia Organa Kendal Ozzel Firmus Piett R2-D2 R3-A2 Carlist Rieekan Zev Senesca Skorr (Indirect mention only) Luke Skywalker Han Solo Jabba Desilijic Tiure (Mentioned only) Darth Vader Maximilian Veers (Mentioned only) Yoda (Mentioned only)

Creatures

Bantha (Mentioned only) Tauntaun Wampa

Droid models

Astromech droid R-series R2-series astromech droid R3-series astromech droid KPR servant droid Medical droid 2-1B surgical droid FX-7 medical assistant droid Probe droid Viper probe droid Protocol droid 3PO-series protocol droid

Events

Galactic Civil War

Locations

Dagobah system (Mentioned only) Hell (Mentioned only) Hoth system Hoth Echo Base Echo Base medical lab Echo Station 3-8 Ord Mantell (Mentioned only) Tatooine (Mentioned only)

Organizations and titles

Alliance to Restore the Republic Commander Major Rogue Squadron Rogue Two Bounty hunter (Mentioned only) Captain Galactic Empire Death Squadron Admiral Gank Killer (Mentioned only) General Jedi Master (Appears as a ghost or spirit) Order of the Sith Lords Dark Lord of the Sith Princess Smuggler

Sentient species

Human Corellian Hutt (Mentioned only) Wookiee Rwook

Vehicles and vessels

Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Rebel Troop Cart T-47 airspeeder T-65 X-wing starfighter YT-1300 light freighter Millennium Falcon

Weapons and technology

Armor Darth Vader's armor Bacta tank Blaster Blaster pistol DL-44 heavy blaster pistol Comlink DF.9 Lightsaber Anakin Skywalker's second lightsaber Portable scanner Self-destruct mechanism Sensor Shield door TD1.4 electrobinoculars

Miscellanea

Bacta Cape Death mark Dormo-shock Goggles Light-year (Mentioned only) Meteorite (Mentioned only) Meter Shyriiwook Temperature The Force Force ghost Telekinesis

Behind the scenes

This is Part One of the six part adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back.

The price changes from forty cents to fifty cents with this issue.

As mentioned in the editorial comment of the letters page, Al Williamson and Carlos Garzón each pencil and ink the issues of the comics adaptation.

Only small references link the ESB story arc with the rest of the series; otherwise we have no clue on how and when the Alliance colonized Hoth, what happened to Jan Dodonna and other original characters etc. Storywise, the ESB story arc begins abruptly

Collections

• Marvel Special Edition 2: The Empire Strikes Back
• Marvel Super Special 16: The Empire Strikes Back
• The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 1
• Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (TPB)
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - The Special Edition (TPB)
• Classic Star Wars Box Set
• Star Wars: The Special Edition Box Set
• Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 3: Resurrection of Evil
• Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago.... Volume 2
• Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 1
• Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 3
• Star Wars: The Original Trilogy — The Movie Adaptations

Sources

• The Marvel Art of Star Wars

External links

• The Empire Strikes Back: Chapter One on StarWars.com (content obsolete and backup link not available)

Notes and references

In other languages

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