Star Wars 1 is the first issue of the Marvel comic book series Star Wars and the first of six issues in the series' first story arc, Skywalker Strikes. The comic takes place in and during the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and features all of the major characters from the original film. It is written by Jason Aaron, with artwork by John Cassaday and was released on January 14, 2015.
Star Wars 1 shows the beginnings of a Rebel Alliance assault on the moon Cymoon 1. The Rebels—Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO—infiltrate and intend to destroy a weapons factory, but their plans change upon the arrival of Darth Vader—whom Skywalker intends to fight, still believing that the Dark Lord of the Sith killed his father.
It marked the start of Marvel's new slew of Star Wars titles, which also included Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Princess Leia, Star Wars: Kanan, and many others.
Publisher's summary[]
Luke Skywalker and the ragtag band of rebels fighting against the Galactic Empire are fresh off their biggest victory yet—the destruction of the massive battle station known as the Death Star. But the Empire's not toppled yet! Join Luke along with Princess Leia, smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, droids C-3PO and R2-D2 and the rest of the Rebel Alliance as they strike out for freedom against the evil forces of Darth Vader and his master, the Emperor. Written by Jason Aaron (Original Sin, Thor: God of Thunder) and with art by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Uncanny Avengers), this is the Star Wars saga as only Marvel Comics could make it!
Plot summary[]
| Book I SKYWALKER STRIKES |
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Mission to Cymoon 1[]
In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, in which Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star, the Rebels use their decisive victory as a catalyst to try to destroy the Empire once and for all. The Empire, meanwhile, wants to use Jabba the Hutt as a weapons supplier and has arranged for an Imperial negotiator to meet with Jabba's emissary at Weapons Factory Alpha on the moon Cymoon 1, part of the Corellian Industrial Cluster. The emissary's ship was hijacked by the Rebels, however, and they intend to infiltrate the weapons factory—the largest in the galaxy—and destroy it to deliver another blow to the Imperial war machine.
The Rebels arrive at Weapons Factory Alpha.
The hijacked ship arrives on Cymoon 1, where it is authorized to land at the weapons factory. Imperial Overseer Aggadeen, a squadron of stormtroopers, and a LOM-series protocol droid stand ready to greet the "emissary." The Imperials are an unwilling ally of Jabba's criminal empire and Aggadeen, mistrustful of the ship orders his stormtroopers to eliminate the emissary at the first sign of suspicion.
When the ship lands, the emissary reveals himself to be Han Solo, still claiming to work for Jabba the Hutt. The Imperials confirm his identity and affiliation and bring him and his bodyguards—a disguised Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa—into the facility, along with R2-D2. In addition to the three Rebels in the facility, Chewbacca stands ready as a sniper, having arrived in the Millennium Falcon, which is being watched by C-3PO.
Behind enemy lines[]
Once inside the facility, the Rebels are shown the automated TIE/ln space superiority starfighter assembly line. As they walk through it, the Overseer explains that there will be no negotiation, and that Jabba will be forced to accept the terms that the Empire gives him. The Overseer tells them to wait in a conference room for the "negotiator" to arrive, but Solo tells him that he was right: there will be no negotiations. Artoo sprays a liquid onto the floor and electrocutes it, shocking the stormtroopers standing in the liquid. Skywalker and Organa fight the remaining troopers, while Solo reveals to the Overseer that they are Rebels and demands to know where the facility's main power core is located. The Overseer refuses at first, but Artoo threatens to electrocute him, so the officer points them in the right direction before Organa punches him.
The Rebels make their way towards the power core, where they plan to destroy both it and the entire facility. Solo contacts Threepio for a status report, and the protocol droid tells him that the Millennium Falcon is safely hidden in a large refuse field outside of the facility. Solo orders him to be on alert, so the droid can engage the ship's auto-pilot once the Rebels are ready to leave. When the Rebels arrive in the power core, Organa tells Artoo to hack into the Imperial computer and shut down the core's safety restraints.
Skywalker discovers slaves of the Empire.
As Artoo works on the computer, Skywalker watches for additional Imperial troops, using what little he knows of the Force to reach out and sense any nearby presence. The Force leads him to a cage filled with Imperial slaves, where he is confronted by a guard. The Jedi trainee attempts to use a mind trick to ward off the guard, repeating the action he once saw Obi-Wan Kenobi use on Tatooine, but he fails at doing so. Instead, Skywalker ignites his lightsaber and cuts off the guard's hand, allowing Skywalker to break the slaves out of their cage and lead them to the other Rebels.
Artoo successfully lowers the safety restraints and Solo sets the power core to overload in ten minutes. Organa thanks him for helping the Rebellion again, particularly because the Empire now knows that he is working with the Alliance. As they talk, Skywalker returns with the slaves. Solo orders Threepio to turn on the auto-pilot so the Falcon can pick them up before the core overloads, but Chewbecca interrupts him and says that an Imperial shuttle has arrived.
Darth Vader arrives[]
The shuttle carries the Imperial "negotiator:" Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Solo tells Chewbacca to stand down and avoid taking a shot at Vader, as he knows that the facility will be on alert if Vader is made a target, but Organa orders otherwise and commands the Wookiee to kill the Dark Lord. Chewbacca takes the shot, but Vader deflects it with his lightsaber. Chewbacca continues firing and Vader throws stormtroopers into the line of fire to avoid being hit himself. Vader uses the Force to tear apart the building that Chewbacca is standing on top of, forcing the Wookiee to flee. Vader orders the entire moon to be on alert and senses Skywalker, recognizing his presence as the man who destroyed the Death Star.
The Rebels fight to escape the facility.
Unable to contact Chewbacca, and with the entire facility on alert, Solo orders Threepio to engage the auto-pilot and pick the Rebels up. Threepio has already tried doing so, however, but native scavengers have begun tearing apart the Falcon in the refuse field, preventing the auto-pilot from working. Stormtroopers arrive at the Rebels' location, forcing them to blast their way towards safety.
The Rebels enter a hangar housing AT-AT walkers, one of which Solo plans to commandeer in order to get out of the facility before it explodes. As they begin loading onto the walker, Organa realizes that Skywalker is no longer with them. He is searching for Vader elsewhere in the facility, as he still believes that Vader is the man who killed his father. As Skywalker approaches the Dark Lord, he hears Kenobi's voice speak to him from beyond. Skywalker comes face to face with his father's so-called killer, and Kenobi tells him to run.
Development[]
In celebration of Star Wars Day on May 4, 2016, Marvel re-released Star Wars 1 as part of its True Believers budget reprint program, which reprints popular comic titles for the suggested retail price of $1.[8]
Reception[]
By the time of its release, Star Wars 1 was the top selling comic of 2015, with over one million copies sold. This also made it the top selling comic from any publisher in the previous twenty years. According to David Gonzales of Forbes, a leading business and financial publication, the fact that "a single issue of a comic book could sell 1 million printed copies in the current comic book selling market is frankly staggering."[9]
Media[]
Editions[]
- UPC 759606081134; January 14, 2015; Marvel Comics[6]
- UPC 759606085002; May 4, 2016; Marvel Comics; True Believers[10]
- 00111; Cover A, John Cassaday
Cover gallery[]
 Special edition cover by John Cassaday  Textless cover by John Cassaday  Variant cover by Joe Quesada, Mark Morales & Laura Martin  Textless variant cover by Joe Quesada, Mark Morales & Laura Martin  Special cover by Alex Ross  Textless cover by Alex Ross  Kid variant cover by Skottie Young  Joined Kid variant covers by Skottie Young  Movie variant cover by Lucasfilm Ltd.  Jaxxon variant cover by John Tyler Christopher  Jaxxon variant cover art by John Tyler Christopher  Forbidden Planet variant cover by Adi Granov  Fantastico variant cover by Paul Renaud  Fantastico variant art by Paul Renaud  Variant cover by Bob McLeod  Variant cover by Sara Pichelli  Variant cover by Sara Pichelli  by Daniel Acuña  Boba Fett variant cover by Daniel Acuna  Textless Boba Fett variant cover by Daniel Acuna  Action figure variant cover by John Cassaday  Black and white action figure variant cover by John Cassaday  Tales of Suspense variant cover by Alex Maleev  Variant cover by Amanda Connor  Variant cover art by Amanda Connor  Variant cover by Jenny Frison  Variant cover art by Jenny Frison Teaser variant cover by John Cassaday Teaser variant art by John Cassaday  Dynamic Forces variant cover by Greg Land  Hasbro Action Figure variant cover by Hasbro Inc.  Unlettered Hasbro Action Figure variant cover  Variant cover by John Tyler Christopher  Variant cover art by John Tyler Christopher  Midtown variant cover by Mark Brooks  Midtown variant cover art by Mark Brooks  Limited Edition Comix variant cover by Mike Deodato (preliminary version)  Limited Edition Comix variant cover by Mike Deodato  Limited Edition Comix variant art by Mike Deodato  Zapp Comics variant cover by Mike Mayhew  Zapp Comics variant art by Mike Mayhew  Newbury Comics variant cover by David Petersen  Newbury Comics textless variant cover by David Petersen  Emerald City variant cover by Alan Davis  Emerald City variant art by Alan Davis  Rebel Base Comics variant cover by Stephanie Hans  Rebel Base Comics variant art by Stephanie Hans  Heroes Haven variant cover by Mike Perkins  Heroes Haven variant art by Mike Perkins  Variant cover by Alex Maleev  Variant cover by Dale Keown  Variant cover by Mike McKone  Variant cover art by Mike McKone  Corner Store Comics variant cover by Stan Sakai  Corner Store Comics variant art by Stan Sakai  Variant cover by Dave Dorman  Textless cover by Dave Dorman  Variant cover by Frank Cho  Variant cover art by Frank Cho  Mile High Comics variant cover by Humberto Ramos  Mile High Comics variant art by Humberto Ramos  Third Eye Comics variant cover by Dale Keown  Third Eye Comics variant art by Dale Keown  Cargo Hold variant cover by J. Scott Campbell  Cargo Hold variant art by J. Scott Campbell  Variant cover by Simone Bianchi  Variant cover art by Simone Bianchi  Kings Comics variant cover by Joe Quinones  Kings Comics variant art by Joe Quinones  Variant cover by Pasqual Ferry  Variant cover art by Pasqual Ferry  Variant cover by Pascal Campion  Variant cover art by Pascal Campion  Previews variant cover by J. Scott Campbell  Previews variant cover art by J. Scott Campbell  Linked Previews variant covers by J. Scott Campbell  GameSpot variant cover by Greg Horn  GameSpot variant art by Greg Horn  Hastings variant cover by Mico Suayan  Hastings variant art by Mico Suayan  AlexRossStore.com variant cover by Alex Ross  AlexRossStore.com variant art by Alex Ross  Fan Expo variant cover by Salvador Larroca  Fan Expo variant art by Salvador Larroca  Loot Crate variant cover by Gabriele Dell'Otto  Loot Crate variant art by Gabriele Dell'Otto  EMP Museum variant cover by Mike del Mundo  EMP Museum textless variant cover by Mike del Mundo  Hot Topic variant cover by Paul Renaud  Hot Topic variant art by Paul Renaud  2nd printing variant cover by John Cassaday  3rd printing variant cover by John Cassaday  4th printing variant cover by John Cassaday  5th printing variant cover by John Cassaday  Director's cut variant cover by John Cassaday  6th printing variant cover by John Cassaday  7th printing variant cover by John Cassaday |
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
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Droid models
Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
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Miscellanea
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Collections[]
- Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes
- Star Wars Vol. 1
- Star Wars by Jason Aaron Omnibus
- Star Wars Modern Era Epic Collection: Skywalker Strikes
Sources[]
SDCC 2014: Inside Marvel's New Star Wars Comics – Exclusive on StarWars.com (backup link)- Star Wars #1 Variant Cover By Joe Quesada – First Look! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars #1 Party Variant with Jaxxon – Exclusive! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Marvel, Lucasfilm, and a New Era of Star Wars Comics on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Marvel Art of Star Wars
- This Week! in Star Wars LEGO Minifigure Madness, Hasbro Celebrates 50 Years of Lucasfilm, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Marvel Comics Celebrates Their History of Star Wars Comic Book Storytelling in 'Star Wars: A New Legacy' #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Star Wars #1 Variant Cover By Joe Quesada – First Look! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ SDCC 2014: Star Wars on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ 'Star Wars' exclusive: Check out this Alex Ross cover for Marvel's 'Star Wars #1' by Franich, Darren on Entertainment Weekly (October 20, 2014) (archived from the original on June 30, 2020)
- ↑ The Cute Is Strong In These Exclusive Marvel 'Star Wars' Comic Book Covers by Zalben, Alex on MTV.com (October 21, 2014) (archived from the original on October 25, 2017)
- ↑ STAR WARS 001 (Movie variant cover) on Star Wars Timeline (archived from the original on March 19, 2015)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars (2015) #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Star Wars (2015) 1 to 0 ABY.
- ↑ Marvel celebrating May the 4th with True Believers: Star Wars by Cranswick, Amie on FlickeringMyth.com (March 25, 2016) (archived from the original)
- ↑ 'Star Wars #1' Is Already 2015's Top Selling Comic by Gonzales, David on Forbes (January 13, 2015) (archived from the original on January 20, 2015)
- ↑ True Believers: Star Wars (2016) #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)