Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back



Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back is a 4-part comic sub-series of Star Wars Infinities. It was published from July 2, 2002 to November 20, 2002, then compiled as a trade paperback on April 2, 2003.

It deals with what would have happened if Luke Skywalker had died in the frozen wastelands of Hoth, leaving Han Solo to go to Dagobah.

Publisher's Summary
Take the events and characters from one of the classic Star Wars films, throw in one happenstance, mishap, or technical glitch beyond the characters' control, and watch how that changes everything. In Dark Horse's first foray into Infinities (Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope), Luke Skywalker's valiant torpedo attack on the Death Star failed due to a faulty detonator -- an event no one could have foreseen -- and the Rebellion was dealt a debilitating setback. In Infinities -- The Empire Strikes Back, Han Solo's desperate attempt to locate his friend Luke in the icy wastes of the planet Hoth is thwarted when the tauntaun he's riding succumbs to the cold while Han is still a mile from Luke's location. Han arrives too late, barely in time to hear Luke's dying words about Jedi training and the planet Dagobah...

Thus begins an adventure far different than the one seen in the motion picture. Along the way, a famous bounty hunter is frozen in carbonite, Han and Chewie are captured on Tatooine by Jabba the Hutt, and Princess Leia and Yoda have a fateful jungle showdown with Darth Vader! Collecting the four-issue miniseries.

Story Summary
On the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker is scouting the vast wastelands when he is attacked by a Wampa. Freeing himself and escaping its cave, he collapses in the snow, hearing the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, telling him to go to Dagobah to train under Yoda. A short time later, Han Solo arrives, but it is too late for the young Jedi. Luke tells Han to go to Dagobah and train as a Jedi, then dies in the Corellian's arms.

The next day, the Alliance forces hold a funeral for Luke that is interrupted by the arrival of the invading Imperial forces. Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson die during the ensuing battle, although much of the Rebel force escapes, including Han, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3P0 onboard the Millennium Falcon.

Evading the blockading Imperial ships, the Falcon travels to Bespin, where Han and the others are met by Lando Calrissian. Although skeptical of Han's claim of being a Jedi, Lando offers to fix the Falcon and keep them company. Lando then meets with another recent arrival: Boba Fett.

Fett demands that Lando take him to Han and the others. Lando does so, quietly signalling to Lobot to inform the Cloud City Police for assistance. Fett is knocked unconscious in the ensuing battle. Lando tells the others that Fett was here on his employer's wishes. Thinking that Fett meant Jabba the Hutt, Han, Leia, Chewie and Threepio depart Cloud City and head for Dagobah.

Shortly thereafter, Lando is relaxing in his office, complete with a brand new desk (actually the carbon frozen body of Boba Fett), when Darth Vader arrives in orbit demanding to speak with the bounty hunter. Lando says that neither Fett nor the Rebels are there. Vader, using the admission as a reason to declare Cloud City as a secret Rebel base, utterly destroys it.

En route to Dagobah, Han comforts Leia on what he assumes is the events of the past few days catching up with her (actually the subconscious disruption in the Force with the destruction of Cloud City). Once arriving on the planet, they are met by Yoda, who plainly tells the group that it is Leia, not Han, is to be trained as a Jedi. With great reluctance, Han departs Dagobah to deal with his deathmark, while Leia remains to be trained.

Many months pass, and Leia continues to grow strong in the Force, while Vader continues to search for his son, casually dismissing any rumor that he was killed during the Battle of Hoth. And on Tatooine, Han arrives to pay off Jabba the Hutt, using the serives of an aged Vilmarh Grahrk. Instead of helping them, however, ""Uncle Villie" betrays Han and the others, who are taken to Jabba's Palace.

The next day, Han and Chewbacca are brought before Jabba and, despite Han's best efforts to convince the Hutt otherwise, are sentenced to death by a pair of Nexu. With everyone's attention diverted, Artoo secretly frees Han and Chewie, who escape while the Nexu - likewise freed from their imprisonment - tear the palace apart.

Arriving the next day, Darth Vader demands that Jabba turn over Han and Chewie. Jabba says that they escaped, but Vader finds something of more interest: the droid he built as Anakin Skywalker. Taking him back to Executor, he reveals himself as the droid's Maker, and learns from him the location of "Skywalker": Dagobah.

On Dagobah, Leia senses the presence of a lightsaber crystal nearby. Yoda sends her off to retrieve them, saying that she will soon become a Jedi. Shortly after she leaves, Vader arrives and demands that Yoda turn over Luke to him. The two then engage in a battle of minds that sees Vader get hurt from the spirits of Jedi he knew during his time as Anakin Skywalker, specifially Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu.

Leia retrieves the crystals and, upon inserting them into her lightsaber, has a vision of Yoda in danger. She rushes back, but is too late, for Vader has delivered a death blow to the old Jedi master. Leia and Vader engage in a duel, a duel that is brought to a sudden and violent end by a blaster shot from Han.

With both Yoda and Vader dead, and Leia now a Jedi Knight, she, Han and Chewbacca now prepare themselves to bring everlasting peace to the galaxy...

Issues

 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 1
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 2
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 3
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 4

Collections

 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back