Star Wars 42: The Empire Strikes Back: To Be a Jedi

'Marvel Star Wars 42: The Empire Strikes Back: To Be a Jedi' is the forty-second issue in the Marvel Star Wars series of comics.


 * "There is a grave disturbance in the Force. We have a new enemy who could bring about our destruction...the son of Skywalker."
 * — Emperor Palpatine

Plot
Luke Skywalker watches as his recently landed X-wing fighter begins to slowly sink into the swamps of Dagobah. He endeavors to set up camp until he meets a diminutive green gnome who unceremoniously begins rifling through his belongings. The gnome learns that Luke is looking for a Jedi Master named Yoda and volunteers to take him to him. They return to the gnome’s dwelling and Luke begins to act impatient. It is revealed that the gnome is in fact, master Yoda. Yoda feels that Luke is too old and reckless to learn the ways of the Jedi, but the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi encourages Yoda to train him. Yoda begins putting Luke through an extensive training period of physical and mental exorcises. He pushes him to expand his knowledge and use of the Force.

While Luke is training on Dagobah, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and C-3P0 continue to outmaneuver Imperial gun ships through a meteor shower. Han angles the Millennium Falcon down towards one of the larger asteroids and swoops into a cave inside one of the craters. He lands the Falcon deep within the recesses of the cave as Imperial TIE bombers drop their payloads onto the outer surface of the asteroid. But they only touch down for a brief moment, until they realize that the “cave” they just entered is in fact a giant space slug. Han gooses the Falcon and they zip out of the mouth of the beast before it can consume them.

Re-entering the battle with the TIE fighters, Han turns the Millennium Falcon around and executes a suicide-run straight for the Avenger. He veers off at the last second and then attaches the ship to the rear of the star destroyer’s deflector shields. Captain Needa of the Avenger is now forced to tell Darth Vader that he lost the Falcon. Meanwhile, Darth Vader has a private communiqué with Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine speaks of a new enemy – Luke Skywalker. Vader suggests that rather than kill Skywalker, they should instead attempt to turn him. Palpatine agrees with the plan and tells Vader to make preparations to capture Skywalker alive.

Vader hires a group of bounty hunters to track down and capture Luke Skywalker. One of the bounty hunters, Boba Fett also has a contract out on Han Solo. Deciding to play both sides of the field, Boba plans on capturing Solo and then using him as bait to capture Skywalker.

Han and the others wait for the Imperial fleet to make their regularly scheduled garbage dump before entering lightspeed. As they do so, Han detaches the Falcon from the side of the Avenger and floats unobtrusively away with the rest of the garbage. However, Boba Fett has seen this type of trick before and begins following Solo in his own ship, Slave I.

With the Empire safely behind him, Han makes a course heading towards the planet, Bespin. Bespin is the last known hangout of an old friend of his – Lando Calrissian.

Characters

 * 4-LOM
 * Boba Fett
 * Bossk
 * C-3P0
 * Chewbacca
 * Dengar
 * IG-88
 * Lorth Needa
 * Leia Organa
 * Emperor Palpatine
 * R2-D2
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Han Solo
 * Darth Vader
 * Yoda

Locations

 * Anoat system
 * Dagobah
 * Hoth Asteroid Field

Ships / Vehicles

 * Executor
 * Imperial II-class Star Destroyer
 * Millennium Falcon
 * Slave I
 * T-65 X-wing starfighter

Other items

 * DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol
 * Holoprojector
 * Hydrospanner
 * Lightsaber
 * Meditation chamber
 * Remote

Collections

 * Marvel Super Special 16: The Empire Strikes Back


 * The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of The Empire Strikes Back