Star Wars by Marvel
To those of you who are not familiar with Marvel’s history with the film giant Star Wars, we wanted to add some background information to clear things up. Currently, both of the franchises are owned by Disney, but their shared history can be dated back to the 1970’s.
Initially, George Lucas approached DC Comics and Warren Publications with the idea to publish a comic book before his movie came out in order to generate more publicity. He wasn’t successful, but Charles Lippincott, acting as Lucasfilm’s publicity supervisor, talked to Stan Lee and Marvel and they eventually agreed to print a comic once the movie was finished.
Writer Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin turned Star Wars into comics, with the first issue being released on April 12, 1977 (a month and a half before the premiere of the film). The two comics creators were allowed to visit the set and to use the script.
Star Wars #1 and Star Wars #2 came out before the film, and they portrayed the capturing of Princess Leia, the meeting of Luke and Obi-Wan, and the deal negotiated between them, Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Marvel published 107 issues between the April 1977 and May 1986. The series was not only a hit, but it’s thought that it saved Marvel from bankruptcy when it experienced financial problems in the late 1970’s. You can see how Marvel’s and Star Wars’ symbiotic relationship has benefitted both parties.
Now, they are owned by the same corporation, so we see a resurrection of the saga on the comic page.
Current Series
Now, let’s go back to the matter in question. The ongoing Marvel Star Wars series intends to breach the gap between Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI – The Last Jedi (1983).
A lot of fans wanted to know more about Luke’s adventures between these two installments, and more specifically, how he dealt with the revelation that Darth Vader is in fact his father and also how he finished his Jedi training. Of course, there have been novels and comics that have explored this time period, but it’s now Marvel’s time to do the same.
Star Wars #20
In Star Wars #19, the previous installment, Luke Skywalker found a holocron that contained recordings of his Master, Yoda. According to a preview of issue #20, recently released by Marvel, the holocron led Luke to the planet of Gazian.
Gazian is a planet with peculiar flora; it’s covered by mushrooms with mysterious properties. In the preview, we see Luke landing his ship on the planet. Immediately after he steps on the ground, he feels a strong connection to the land and observes that the force is strong there.
However, he fails to balance on the thousands of mushrooms that make up the land and he falls. The panels depict him being almost suffocated by the mushrooms; they appear to consume him. Suddenly, his oxygen mask falls, he breathes in the black air and his eyes roll back. Many fans pointed out that the mushrooms must be hallucinogenic based on this portrayal.
The following page of the preview shows Luke and another man donned in traditional Jedi robes sitting close to each other on the backdrop of a peculiar red background with no other details. The man asks who Luke is and when he notices his lightsaber, he uses the force to take it away from our hero. He observes the good quality of Luke’s/Anakin’s lightsaber.
Based on this preview, we can say for certain that the unknown man can wield the force. Yoda must have sent Luke to the planet in order for him to meet this mysterious man and to finish his training. That would be Luke’s third teacher, following Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
Naturally, people are already speculating who this man is. Some believe that he is a new character, while others look for clues in the Star Wars novels. The most common identity they pin to him is that of Jedi Master Elzar Mann based on his appearance.
Elzar Mann is a character from The High Republic novels. By the time the Republic turned into the Galactic Empire, Elzar Mann was dead. If he is truly the man in the story, then he must be a force ghost or a hallucination that Luke experienced by inhaling the mushroom cloud.
In the novels, Mann is known for being a very controversial Jedi Master. He is famous for using the force in new and unpredictable ways, which won his negative reputation among other Jedis. If Mann becomes Luke’s new teacher in the Marvel series, he would certainly teach the youngster the limitless possibilities of the force.
It would also be interesting to explore how Marvel brings together their comics series and the Star Wars novels. Disney has been expanding the Star Wars universe ever since it bought Lucasfilm, so we won’t be surprised. We’ll also not be surprised to see the Marvel comic books come alive on the silver or the TV screen.
