It’s a shame that the “Star Wars” Marvel comics are dismissed out of hand by some continuity gurus, because Archie Goodwin — the first long-term writer for the series — clearly cared about continuity. Issues 31-38, written between the announcement of the film’s name (“When the moment is right, the Empire will strike back!,” a villain not-coincidentally says in Issue 31) and the release of “The Empire Strikes Back,” provide clear examples.
In a nice bit of synergy, Issue 31, where Luke returns to Tatooine, features an Imperial troop transporter, the first Kenner toy not based on a design from the moviemakers. And at the end of issue 38, Goodwin establishes that Jabba the Hutt (spelled “Hut” at the time, with Jabba portrayed as a Nimbanel, as per his appearances in Issues 2 and 28) reinstitutes the bounty on Han Solo, thus syncing up the story with the George Lucas/Lawrence Kasdan narrative of “Empire.”
I find it telling that, aside from a handful of post-“Empire” issues, Goodwin would opt to depart Marvel and take over the “Star Wars” syndicated newspaper strip in 1981 (later packaged as “Classic Star Wars”), where he was free to go back and tell key stories between Episodes IV and V, this time with full knowledge of “Empire’s” plot.
Now, some people might argue that Luke and Vader’s first face-to-face meeting is in “Empire,” and that any Expanded Universe meetings before that are apocryphal, but I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. Their first novel meeting is in “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” — where Vader knows Luke’s name, this putting it further along the timeline than these issues — and their first comic-book meeting is in Marvel Issue 37, “In Mortal Combat.”
Vader discovers the name of the Death Star destroyer by torturing a Rebel in Issue 35. Goodwin shows us Vader’s reaction:
“Luke Skywalker. A long breath rasps from the Sith lord’s mask. In someone less awesome, it might almost have been a sigh. Two words; one name. Almost anticlimactic, considering how long it has taken him to learn it.”
Of course, when we read this passage today, it seems very climactic, because Vader should react with shock that the boy shares his surname. Combined with his knowledge of the boy’s Force sensitivity (gleaned in the Death Star trench and in a few incidents after that), it should send his mind whirling: Did Padme give birth before she died? Did the Emperor lie to me?
As it stands — since Goodwin obviously didn’t know the “Empire” twist of Vader being the elder Skywalker — it seems odd that Vader would immediately go to his underling, Captain Wermis, with a complex plan to stage a meeting with Luke via Domina Tagge and the Order of the Sacred Circle. It seems more likely that he would be angry at the Emperor, perhaps needing to retreat to his meditation chamber and do some serious soul-searching.
However, my argument — as someone who wants to fit Marvel into the continuity if at all possible — is that we as readers simply aren’t privy to Vader’s thoughts along those lines. They occur on missing panels, if you will.
Because Goodwin had his hands tied in so many ways — it’s not like he could introduce the Emperor, for example — he creates the Tagge family of villains to torment the Rebel Alliance during the issues leading up to “Empire.” Although they are borne out of necessity, they are actually great characters. The House of Tagge illustrates the unsavory relationship between a corporation and a tyrannical government, and Tagge is perfect for inserting between Luke and Vader. In Issue 37, by having Vader use the Force to make Luke think he’s fighting him, when it’s actually Orman Tagge, readers get the best of both worlds: 1) A scene of Luke “defeating” Vader, and 2) Affirmation that Vader is much more powerful than Luke at this point.
Accidentally, but somewhat beautifully, the retcon that Vader DOES know Luke is his son here actually makes Issue 37 better than it otherwise would be. Vader explains that he is using Orman Tagge to test Luke’s strength, thus giving Vader knowledge for a future duel. But that raises the question of why he doesn’t kill Luke right there on Monastery after he gains the knowledge of his own superiority. The answer, I argue, is that he is hesitant to kill his son, a trait that would later be on display in “Empire” and “Return of the Jedi.” (Although I’m a Marvel apologist, I will note one inexcusable oddity from No. 37: Vader mockingly calls Luke “puppy” twice. Yes, “puppy.”)
Another reason that some people don’t bother to fit Marvel into the continuity is that each issue between Episodes IV and V seems to directly link into the next one, and characters regularly think back to previous Marvel events. However, there is technically room to insert more stories in there (as there must be, as even in 1979, “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” and the Russ Manning newspaper strips shared this part of the timeline). And Goodwin acknowledges this most clearly in Issue 35, when Leia has a leg injury, which — the writer teases in a footnote — occurred in “(a mission) we’ve yet to chronicle.”
It still hasn’t been, to my knowledge, but one mission that is chronicled is “Riders in the Void” in Issue 38, a standalone yarn before the “Empire” adaptation. Although it’s co-written by Goodwin, this is arguably the first of the weird Marvel stories that define the series in many fans’ minds (co-writer Michael Golden’s art, notably different from Carmine Infantino’s, adds to the disconcerting effect).
Luke and Leia accidentally make a hyperspace jump outside the galaxy. In “Star Trek”-ian fashion, they’re brought aboard a sentient ship. Luke and Leia’s affection for each other reminds the ship of the meaning of love, and it decides to let them go and kill a few pesky Imperials, to boot. The concepts of extragalactic beings (see the Yuuzhan Vong) and sentient ships (see “Lost Tribe of the Sith”) would later be revisited, but back in May 1980, this was a daring, bizarre story that pushed the boundaries of what stories could be told in this universe. Quite possibly, it only exists because Marvel needed a filler issue at the last minute.
Comments
The Tagge stories are probably the best Goodwing has writen for Marvel Star Wars so far. Despite I prefer Michelline’s run, I understand the importance of Archie contribution for the series.# Posted By Eric | 8/11/13 1:14 AM
It’s definitely a close call between Goodwin and Michelinie. I just posted a review of the first batch of Michelinie issues. I’ll have a more informed opinion after I get through the latter half, which includes the famous Shira Brie arc.# Posted By John Hansen | 8/21/13 10:17 PM