Mils Giel

Admiral Mils Giel was an officer in the Imperial Navy in command of a large battleship during the waning years of the Galactic Civil War.

Biography
Admiral Mils Giel achieved prominence in the Imperial Navy for his ability to single-handedly construct one of the Empire's most powerful Starfleet armadas. His command capabilities fell under question however when it was discovered that a small contingent of Rebel Alliance pilots were embarking upon a daring strategy to attack his fleet directly (1).

The Emperor ordered Admiral Giel to acquire a strange non-corporeal creature known as a Teezl. A Teezl had the ability to communicate with machine-based hyperspace receivers and offered the Empire a tremendous advantage in their war against the Rebel Alliance. Giel did not maintain control over the Teezl for very long however. Luke Skywalker and the other members of Rogue Squadron attacked Giel's armada and damaged his flagship. The sole-surviving Teezl was destroyed during the conflict (2).

Admiral Giel was forced to report his failure to Darth Vader aboard the Executor. Although he accepted responsibility for the failure to secure the Teezl, he did not feel as if the blame should rest squarely on his shoulders. Vader admired Giel's courage and integrity, so instead of killing him, he demoted him to the rank of lieutenant (3).

Shortly thereafter, Vader assigned Giel to inspect the remains of a former rebel base at a smelting plant on the volcanic world of Golrath. He discovered that mineral compounds used in the smelting process harbored extremely peculiar characteristics. When heated, they refracted light sources and were able to project photoreceptive holograms of events that took place when the plant was still under Rebel control. Giell knew that his discovery would be of tremendous value to the Empire and he took measures to secure the Golrath base to the best of his ability.

Rebel leader, Princess Leia, likewise discovered this, and flew to Golrath on a covert mission to eradicate any evidence of the Rebels’ presence there. She infiltrated the smelting plant and ran afoul of Lt. Giell. As valuable as the base was to Giel, he knew that killing the leader of the Rebel Alliance was even more important. He was willing to sacrifice the plant and his own life in the hopes of destroying Leia.

Giel trapped Leia inside of the reactor core of the smelting plant and activated a self-destruct override, causing the core to reach critical mass. He managed to corner Leia and was prepared to shoot her, but the Princess distracted Giel long enough to affect her escape. Giel chased after her, and they both escaped from the plant before the reactor core exploded (4).

Giel and his assistant Sergeant, Malka, managed to evacuate Golrath aboard an Imperial troop transport ship. However, stray energy from the Golrath Station explosion caused a malfunction in the ship forcing them to eventually land on a backwater world known as Beheboth.

Giel knew that if he were to return to Darth Vader with news of another failure, the Sith Lord would instantly execute him. Instead, he decided to lay low and eke out a life for himself on Beheboth. He established a moisture farm for himself and spent the next five years conspiring of ways to avenge himself against the Rebel Alliance.

In 8 ABY, Mils Giel discovered a sentient energy-based species on Beheboth known as the Tirrith. The Tirrith were empathic entities grouped together as part of a hive consciousness. They had the ability to infect biological entities causing them to pass out. Sufficient infection by such creatures could even cause death. Giel worked with a Quarren scientist who helped him to design condensed containment units for the Tirrith. He enslaved and mutated as many of the Tirrith aspects that he could capture. He tested his new bio-weapon in the field by eradicating a small moisture farm community outside of the town of Prosperity.

Mils Giel was now prepared to return to the Galactic Empire (ignorant of the fact that the war was over). A local moisture farmer named Darial Anglethorn exposed his schemes and informed Alliance hero, Luke Skywalker of the experimental bio-weapon. Lt. Giel and Sgt. Malka eventually escaped from Beheboth, but his plans of achieving glory in service to the Empire were long behind him (5).

Physical appearance
Admiral Giel was a stout, middle-aged man, with receding gray hair, a broad nose and dark, piercing eyes. He wore the standard issue military uniform of an Imperial naval officer both at the ranks of Admiral and Lieutenant.

Personality
Mils Giel was a career soldier who had spent the better part of his life in service to the Empire. As such, his commitment and loyalty to Emperor Palpatine's New Order was unwavering. Even after suffering numerous failures, he aggressively acted to further the Empire's goals at every turn. Darth Vader once referred to Giel as a man of "courage and integrity".

Behind the scenes

 * The character of Mils Giel was created by Marvel Comics writers, David Michelinie and Walt Simonson. Aspects of Giel's background was expanded upon by writer Cory Herndon for Wizards of the Coast.


 * Mils Giel has the distinction of being the one Imperial character, unique to the Marvel Comics series, who has made more appearances than any other ranking Imperial officer.


 * Admiral Giel's flagship design was based on early unused drafts of the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer.

Appearances

 * Marvel Star Wars 60: Shira's Story
 * Marvel Star Wars 61: Screams in the Void
 * Marvel Star Wars 63: The Mind Spider
 * Marvel Star Wars 65: Golrath Never Forgets