Star Wars (1977) 44

Star Wars 44

Star Wars 44: The Empire Strikes Back: Duel a Dark Lord is the forty-fourth issue in theMarvel Star Wars series of comics.

Plot summary[]

Luke Skywalker arrives inCloud City andR2-D2 and they begin looking for their friends.Darth Vader delivers the frozen body ofHan Solo over toBoba Fett and instructs theUgnaught workers to reset thecarbon-freezing chamber for Skywalker. He then instructs his officers to haveLeia andChewbacca brought aboard his ship.Lando Calrissian fires back, claiming that part of the deal was that they would remain in the city. Vader venomously tells him that he is altering the deal.

TheImperial soldiers begin escorting Leia and Chewbacca back to the ship when they come upon Luke. A firefight takes place and the group splits up. Lando, feeling guilty over betraying Han, has his own men overtake thestormtroopers. He frees Leia and Chewbacca and the partially re-constructedC-3PO. They try to make it back to the landing pad to free Han, but they are too late. As they arrive, Boba Fett takes off with Han's body en route to his employer,Jabba the Hutt. They board theMillennium Falcon and leave Cloud City.

Meanwhile, Luke goes to the carbon freezing facility where he finds Darth Vader waiting for him. They ignite theirlightsabers and begin dueling. Their fight takes them to a gantry hanging above one of the city's exhaust shafts. Vader slices off Luke's right hand with his saber. Luke accuses Vader of killing his father, to which Vader replies, "No, Luke. I am your father". Unable to handle the truth of the matter, Luke flings himself off the gantry where he begins falling to his death.

Falling through the various tunnel shafts below the city, he is eventually expelled and left hanging from a sensor vane on the underbelly of the floating city. He reaches out withthe Force to project his thoughts to Leia. Leia, hearing Luke's telepathic cry for help, orders Lando to turn the Falcon around and go back for him. They pick Luke up and rendezvous with theRebel Fleet.

Onboard a medical ship, Luke is cleaned up and his hand is replaced with acybernetic replacement. Now he has to deal with his failure to rescue Han as well as the revelation that Darth Vader, the most evil being in the galaxy, is his father.

Continuity[]

Luke Skywalker has two lightsabers on the cover: one in his hands and one on his belt.

Luke falls from the antenna while being rescued and then theFalcon catches him. In the film he doesn't fall while being rescued.

Media[]

Cover gallery[]

Cover art

First printing

Digital edition

Recolored cover

Collected in[]

• Marvel Special Edition 2: The Empire Strikes Back
• Marvel Super Special 16
• The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• The Empire Strikes Back Annual
• The Empire Strikes Back Weekly 133 -135
• Star Wars Special Edition 1984
• Return of the Jedi Weekly 62 -64
• Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 2
• Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back trade paperback
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - The Special Edition
• 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 Omnibus: The Complete Saga
• Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 1
• Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back hardcover
• Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 3
• Star Wars: The Original Trilogy — The Movie Adaptations
• Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Rebellion Vol. 5
• Star Wars Legends: The Rebellion Omnibus Vol. 3

Appearances[]

Sources[]

• The Marvel Art of Star Wars
• "Worldwide" —Star Wars Insider 225

Notes and references[]