Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (comic)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the graphic novel version of The Force Unleashed videogame, announced in March 2007 issue of Game Informer. Along with the book, it features the canonical storyline of the game.

Publisher's summary
LucasArts' game The Force Unleashed'', is poised to be the Star Wars event of the year. The game-play promises to be stunning, but we think it's the story that will blow you away.

''Revealed here are the origins of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, the deadly missions on which he was sent to track down and destroy Jedi, and the awesome decision he is forced to make that will, literally, change the way you look at the Star Wars saga!

Scripted by the game's author, Haden Blackman, this graphic novel can be enjoyed alone, or as a companion to the amazing new game.

Synopsis


In 2 BBY, The droid PROXY is found on Corellia by Captain Juno Eclipse and senator Bail Organa. He is told to tell the story of the Dark Jedi Starkiller—Darth Vader's apprentice—who would allow the Dark Lord to stand against the Emperor. PROXY was Starkiller's training droid, whose task was to constantly try to kill him. PROXY explains that Starkiller was sent to kill Rahm Kota—a Jedi whose lack of fondness of the clone troopers managed his survival during Order 66—and to loot his lightsaber. Starkiller then met a new pilot of his ship, Juno Eclipse. They found Kota, who attacked an important Imperial TIE Fighter Construction Facility over Nar Shaddaa and the fight ended with Kota being blinded by Starkiller's saber. He was thrown out of a window and fell onto a ship. Starkiller picked up Kota's lightsaber and told Vader that the Jedi Master is dead, though he knew he was not.

The next mission that Vader gave Starkiller was to kill the Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti, a member of the Jedi High Council who was in hiding on Felucia. After he fought his way to the Jedi, Starkiller engaged Shaak Ti herself. At the end of the fight she taunted Starkiller and told him the truth: he was merely Vader's expendable slave. She purposely fell into a pit and conceded her defeat. Starkiller hastily reached for her, but she was already gone. PROXY is unsure whether Starkiller wanted to finish her himself, or because he sensed there was truth in her words. With Shaak Ti's death, Felucia fell into darkness.

When Starkiller reported back, Vader said that the Emperor's fleet has arrived, as Starkiller was followed by spies. As Palpatine walked in, Vader impaled Starkiller, severely wounding him. The Emperor demanded that Vader killed him, because having a secret apprentice was an act of betrayal. Vader pushed Starkiller out of a viewport to his apparent death, but his body was then secretly recovered by a droid.

Six months later, Starkiller woke up in pain on a bed aboard Vader's scientific vessel, the Empirical. Vader explained that his death was just to trick the Emperor into believing that the secret apprentice was no longer a threat and to permit him to form a rebellion against the Empire as a distraction for the Emperor. Vader then transformed into PROXY and it became apparent that PROXY has been sent to destroy any evidence that Starkiller has been there. On the way to the escape pod, Starkiller and PROXY freed Juno Eclipse, who has also been branded a traitor by the Emperor for assisting Vader's apprentice. Aboard the Rogue Shadow, they headed towards Nar Shaddaa to find Rahm Kota in order for Starkiller to become stronger in the Force, and learn things that Vader did not taught him.

After another six months, they found a blind Kota in Cloud City. Starkiller arrived in the cantina and anonymously asked Kota to help him fight the Empire. Suddenly, a squad of Stormtroopers appeared and attacked Starkiller. He killed them all, and officially started his vendetta on the Empire. Afterwards, Starkiller was attacked by a member of the Emperor's Shadow Guard. Starkiller managed to defeat the guard by using the environment around him, trapping the guard within a block of carbonite from a cut pipe. Kota eventually agreed to come with Starkiller.



They then flew to Kashyyyk, the Wookie homeworld. PROXY continues to tell senator Organa that Kota had brought him here to save his daughter—though Starkiller was unaware of this at the time. When he lands, he sees a wooden hut in which he senses darkness. Kota suggests that he does not enter, but Starkiller does so anyway. While he opens the door, the so far unrecognized symbol of the future Rebel Alliance can be seen. When Starkiller enters the room, a hooded man is standing there. He is fighting Vader. Vader draws his lightsaber and is about to kill the hooded figure. The lightsaber suddenly disappears from Vader's hand, to his surprise. A young Starkiller nervously holds it in his hand. The hooded man is Force choked to death, and Vader takes his lightsaber from the young Starkiller. When stormtroopers attempt to kill the young boy for attacking Vader, he defends Starkiller and kills them swiftly. Starkiller watches as his younger self is taken away by Vader, and then his father apologizes to him.

Starkiller leaves the hut, his vision having turned him into a different person, according to PROXY. He is stronger and more intimidating. Carving his way through the Imperial base, he rescues the young senator, revealing that he had come with Kota, whom she believed dead. Starkiller angrily sees her off, and confronts Kota. He is shocked for having to go all the way to save a girl but then learn that Bail Organa had recruited Kota to save his daughter—Princess Leia Organa. Bail is currently on Felucia, trying to hire the work of Shaak Ti.

Bail has been imprisoned by Maris Brood—Shaak Ti's Padawan who had fell to the Dark Side—so that she can use him as 'bargaining chip' if she gets any trouble from Vader in the future. Starkiller soon finds Maris, but is halted by a Bull Rancor. Maris throws her lightsabers towards Starkiller as he jumps over the Rancor. He catches the first and deflects the second, and continues to plunge his two sabers into the back of the Rancor's throat. While he was distracted, Maris hides herself, using the dark side. She then jumps at Starkiller's back with the deflected saber drawn. He hastily turns around and stops her by using Force Lightning. She admits defeat. She gives Starkiller the senator and tells him that since Shaak Ti's death, the planet has led her to the dark side. Despite Bail's warnings, he let her go. They plan to get more senators for their cause. Starkiller goes to meditate, but it is then shown that he is talking to PROXY being Darth Vader. Vader tells Starkiller that he does not want Starkiller to become too fond of his new allies, and that the shipyard above Raxus Prime must be destroyed, as the Empire is building Star Destroyers above it. Juno Eclipse walks in on Starkiller and "Vader" talking and is obviously upset. She argues that he is still his slave, and that he is completely evil. Starkiller says that he only saved Juno because she could fly the ship, but she knows that this is not true. She tells him that he has control over the Rebellion, and that he needs to make up his mind soon.



Starkiller is then on Raxus Prime to destroy the Star Destroyer Factory. To destroy it, he must redirect an Ore Cannon to shoot the shipyard itself. He is getting attacked on all sides, so he attempts to overload the cannon through Force Lightning instead of redirecting it. It works, but a Star Destroyer flies towards Starkiller and fires towards the cannon. Kota tells Starkiller to use the force to make the ship land on the cannon instead. At first, he is skeptical because of the ship's large size, but attempts it anyway. The Star Destroyer lands on the cannon, and the shipyard explodes. PROXY explains that he is shocked that Starkiller survived, but claims that he does not understand the powers of the Force.

The Emperor's enemies then meet on Corellia and form an alliance. Bail agrees to fund the Rebellion; Garm Bel Iblis provides ships and Mon Mothma provides soldiers. Starkiller is to lead the Rebellion. The group is then attacked—Starkiller sees TIE fighters and a Star Destroyer come towards them. Stormtroopers surrounding Vader come into the room. Starkiller is surprised to see Vader, as it was his idea in the first place. The senators are not killed, as the Emperor wants to kill them himself. It then becomes apparent that this was the Emperor's plan all along, and Vader does not intend to kill him with Starkiller. Vader and Starkiller are now outside. Starkiller is Force pushed off the side of a snowy cliff-edge, but is hanging on. In the background, somebody tells Anakin to lay down his weapon. Obi-Wan Kenobi is then shown, his lightsaber drawn. Vader fights him and defeats him with ease. It is then shown that it was one of PROXY's training exercises; one that was shown against Starkiller earlier. PROXY cannot be defeated by a lightsaber, but he is massively damaged. Vader then turns back to the cliff-edge. PROXY's distraction has given Starkiller enough time to escape (or fall to his death).

As PROXY has been narrating the story up to this point, he can no longer continue. Juno then takes over as the narrator. She explains that they found Starkiller by using the ship's sensors. Starkiller is weak, but tells her that Vader has captured all the senators, and that he is going to find him. He then meditates to find out where Vader is, saying that he is using a Jedi trick to see the future. He then says that he sees a huge Space Station under construction, and that they must go to the Outer Rim.



They approach the space station—which was actually the Death Star. Starkiller tells Juno to stay on the ship while he goes to free the Rebels. He tells her that they may not meet again, and this leads to them kissing. He says goodbye and jumps into the heart of the Death Star. Starkiller runs towards where the Emperor, Vader and the senators are, destroying stormtroopers in his way. When Starkiller reaches the Emperor's observation dome, he instantly starts fighting with Vader. Starkiller states that he is no longer Vader's apprentice, as there is nothing left for Vader to teach him. As their bout escalates, Starkiller rips two of Palpatine's massive statues out of the bulkhead and flings them at Vader, crushing the hapless Sith Lord. Though he survives, Vader is massively damaged, with the left side of his helmet bashed off. He then tries to convince Starkiller that this was all just a test, but Starkiller refuses to believe him. Meanwhile, the Emperor is trying to convince Starkiller to kill Vader, and take his place. However, Kota intervenes, stealing Palaptine's lightsaber and killing the guards. He jumps towards the Emperor, and is then hit by a wall of Force Lightning.

Starkiller cries out and faces the Emperor. The Emperor tells him that it was all his plan. It was the Emperor who ordered Vader to kill Starkiller's father, and teach him the powers of the dark side. Vader was never truly his master, and Starkiller was never a secret. Starkiller is about to destroy the Emperor, when he is stopped by Kota. Kota convinces him to let Sidious go, because if Starkiller kills him, he will be just like he was at the start. Starkiller agrees and commands Kota to take the senators to safety. The Emperor then tries to use Force lightning on Kota again, but Starkiller stops him by using the Force against the lightning. The Force battle grows larger as the senators and Kota escape onto Juno's ship. As they fly away, a blue explosion is seen behind them. Kota tells Juno that Starkiller is gone. Vader and the Emperor are standing in a fiery plain, both obviously damaged. Starkiller is then seen dead on the floor.

The Emperor explains that Starkiller's being dead is much more of a threat than his being alive. He has given the Rebellion something to fight for, and his sacrifice will make them stronger. Now back to the present, Bail Organa explains to PROXY how important Starkiller's death was. The senators are seen around a table, and Bail announces that the Rebel Alliance is now born. Leia Organa then rolls out some parchment with the symbol of the Rebellion on it—the logo in Starkiller's old home in Kashyyyk. Juno and Kota are then talking outside. She asks him if he always knew that the apprentice he fought on Nar Shaddaa and Starkiller were one and the same. He says that he knew who he was when Starkiller approached him in the Cloud City cantina, but he saw some light in the dark—Juno Eclipse.

Behind the scenes
Copies of the first printing of the Titan (UK) edition are missing the narrative box saying "...he knew that the Jedi had survived..." during PROXY's tale of Starkiller's fight with Kota at Nar Shaddaa on page 30.

Starkiller only uses the reverse grip on five pages: the front cover, pg 3, pg 14, pg 37, and pg 112.