Star Wars (1977) 53

The Last Gift From Alderaan!

Plot summary[]

PrincessLeia Organa andCaptainChedaki pilot ablockade runner to investigate Imperial activity in theShiva system, but as the two are entering a shuttle to go down to the planetShiva IV, the ship is damaged by aspace mine. Chedaki is killed in the explosion and Leia is forced to launch the damaged shuttle in order to protect the ship and the rest of the crew from harm. The shuttle crashes on Shiva IV and Leia is immediately attacked by a savage raiding party. A group of natives led byAron Peacebringer andKéral Longknife repel the raiders and rescue the princess. Leia returns to the capitalIllyriaqüm with Aron, and tries to warn him of the danger that the Galactic Empire poses, but the warlord is not convinced that such an empire exists. But during a gala ofCalian nobility, Aron and Leia are both secretly captured by Imperialstormtroopers and brought beforeGeneralSk'ar as prisoners.

Development[]

This issue andthe following one were based on unused art for the canceledMarvel Comics seriesJohn Carter, Warlord of Mars.Star Wars series regularCarmine Infantino had provided some fill-in art for the series based onEdgar Rice Burroughs's space-fantasy warlordJohn Carter of Mars which was left over after the cancellation; not wishing that the art be wasted, approximately a year after the cancellation Marvel taskedChris Claremont with writing a new story based on the existing art andWalter Simonson with adapting Infantino's art as needed to fit theStar Wars series. John Carter was turned intoAron Peacebringer ofShiva IV in the story that filled these two issues.^[3] In theStar-Words letters column, the issues were passed off as simply inspired by the John Carter stories.^[4]

Continuity[]

The story introducesSk'ar, Aron Peacebringer,Ygal Delois,Alisande andKéral Longknife.

Leia refers to theCherenkov effect when she sees the destroyed city of K'avor. This phenomenon is named after the real-world Russian scientistPavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov.

The2008The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia confirmed that theTIE Series craft appearing on the comic's cover is aTIE boarding craft, not to be confused with aTIE/sh VIP shuttle.

While not named in this story, Sk'ar's race wasretconned to be Kaleesh in laterExpanded Universe material.

Appearances[]

Collections[]

Explore all of Wookieepedia'simages for this article subject.

• Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 3: Resurrection of Evil
• Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago.... Volume 3
• Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 2
• Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 3

Sources[]

• "Comic Marvels" —Star Wars Insider 91

Notes and references[]