The Kingdom of Ice

The Kingdom of Ice was originally an incomplete seven-part serialized comic story. It was first published in the Marvel Comics magazine Pizzazz #10–16 from July 1978 to January 1979. There were six pages (two parts) remaining to be published when Pizzazz was canceled. After Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly reprinted the first chapters in issues #57–59, the final parts of the story, titled Pursuit!, saw print in April 1979 in issue #60. When it was finally released in the US as part of Marvel Illustrated Books Star Wars 1 in 1981, the final chapter was retitled War on Ice!.

As a whole the story is alternatively collectively known as War on Ice, the title of the final segment of the story published in Marvel Illustrated Books Star Wars 1.

Plot summary
Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, R2-D2 and C-3PO have come to the ice world of Akuria II. As they approach the planet they are attacked by a group of TIE Fighters. Luke and Leia's ship is shot and it crash lands on the planet and suddenly the TIE Fighters are shot and destroyed.

Akurians arrive at the crash site and fight with Luke and Leia. The War Sled piloted by Colonel Odan arrives to provide aid and picks up Luke and Leia, but leaves behind the droids.

The droids are taken to a fortress by the Akurians, while Luke argues with Odan about going back to get them. In the fortress the droids are taken to is the real Odan, who was attacked by imperials and had his War Sled taken over. Odan explains that they were tricked and that the TIE Fighters were remote controlled. He notes that they need to be saved or they will be executed by the imperials.

The Odan imposter is trying to get details of the rebellion from Luke and Leia when Luke distracts the false Odan. He goes to the bridge of the ship and Luke shows Leia scorch marks all over the place, implying that a battle was fought here recently. After they make the discovery of what really happened, they are captured by the imperials and the false Odan reveals himself to be an imperial commander. Meanwhile Odan and the droids are trying to get a small ship operational again. R2-D2 replaces a broken T-3 unit in the ship and they get flying.The imperial commander leaves Luke on the War Sled and sends it hurtling towards the Geyser Sea to its destruction.

An imperial officer tries to get information out of Leia by telling her they will save Luke if she talks. Leia refuses and the ships keeps speeding away. Odan intercepts the ship, boards, unties Luke and then escape from the War Sled all before it crashes. As the ship smashes into a cliff, Luke, Odan and their group land and try to find safety in the wind storm.

R2-D2 suggests heating the ground and creating a trench to lay in to be safe from the wind, but as they heat the ground a hole opens up and they all fall into it. The hole is the tunnel of an Ice Worm who are supposed to be nearly extinct. As they travel down the tunnel towards the imperials, an Ice Worm starts to follow them.

R2-D2 senses that they are below the imperials, and also that a very large creature is coming towards them. Luke, Odan and Fafnir shoot at the Ice Worm and then hit it with the exaust of their Snow Flyers, causing it to change direction and burrow upwards into the imperials.

The worm is killed by the imperials, but not before it takes out many of them. The imperial commander and Leia fly away. Luke and Odan pursue them when Leia kicks the controls and sends the missiles the ship was shooting away from Luke. Luke gets close and boards the ship, shooting off the canopy. The ship comes to a stop and the commander is captured. He explains that the rest of the imperials have been notified of the situation. Luke has the imperial commander take them directly to their base on the planet. They destroy the gate and many Akurians start to attack the base. The cannons were set to shoot at aerial targets, so they are not prepared for the ground attack. Luke gets into a TIE fighter and flies off and destroys the fortress. After the battle Odan pledges that he and his group of rebels will join the alliance.

Individual Issues
Kingdom Of Ice!, Part 1 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 57) Kingdom Of Ice!, Part 2 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 58) Kingdom Of Ice!, Part 3 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 59) '''Kingdom Of Ice!, Part 4 - War on Ice! (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 60)'''
 * The Kingdom of Ice! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 10)
 * The Snow Demons! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 11)
 * Treachery! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 12)
 * Death Trap! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 13)
 * Snow Fury! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 14)
 * The Ice Worm Cometh! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 15)
 * Showdown! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 16)
 * Pursuit! (by Archie Goodwin in Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 60)

Collections

 * Omnibus: Wild Space Volume 1