Extinction

Extinction is a 2-part comic, totaling 32 pages, written by Ron Marz. It was featured in Star Wars Tales #1 and #2 and collected in Star Wars Tales Volume 1. The art was by Claudio Castellini, letters by Michael Taylor, colors by Guy Major and the editor was Peet Janes. It takes place in 1 BBY.

Plot summary


Darth Vader arrives on Coruscant and enters the Emperor's chambers. Palpatine tells his apprentice that Mara Jade has found another Jedi. Mara explains that a man trying to escape Imperial custody on Kuat gave her information about a hidden Jedi. A Jedi known only as the Dark Woman, who has been hiding on the fifth planet in the Cophrigin system. Vader demands that he be the one to kill her, while Mara does the same. Palpatine declares that Vader shall be the one to carry out the mission.

Vader lands on Cophrigin's fifth planet in his Lambda-class shuttle and seeks out the Dark Woman. He engages her in a vicious lightsaber duel, lasting several minutes. In the end, Vader knocks a tree down with the Force, landing on top of the Dark Woman, incapacitating her. Vader goes over to her upper body, sticking out from beneath the tree, and stabs his lightsaber down, but the Dark Woman disappears, in much the same way Obi-Wan Kenobi will a year later. She appears as a Force ghost and tells Vader to let go of the dark side and return to being Anakin Skywalker. Vader refuses to do so, slashing his lightsaber through the Dark Woman's transparent form. She disappears, and Vader slowly walks back to his shuttle, successful in his mission.

Behind the scenes
The dialogue was altered between the two-part version found in Star Wars Tales 1 and Star Wars Tales 2 and the version in Star Wars Tales Volume 1, which combined the two parts. The changed dialogue is found when the Dark Woman's Force ghost appears before Vader.

In the original version, her dialogue reads: "Anakin&hellip;I see within you the power to release yourself from the dark side." "NO! I seek no release! Anakin no longer exists!"

- Darth Vader argues with An'ya Kuro's ghost

In the altered version, her dialogue reads: "Do you now see? Your might is nothing compared to mine. Remember, Skywalker, even a faint light shines brightest when it is surrounded by darkness."

- An'ya Kuro's ghost to Darth Vader

No official explanation has been provided for the reason why the dialogue was changed.

Appearances
Darth Vader und die Dunkle Frau Zagłada