Bounty Hunters 23 is the twenty-third issue of the canon comic book series Star Wars: Bounty Hunters. The issue was written by Ethan Sacks, illustrated by Natacha Bustos and Arif Prianto, and published by Marvel Comics on June 1, 2022.
Publisher's summary[]
"A CLEAR AND PRESENT DENGAR" The most underestimated bounty hunter in the galaxy in his greatest adventure yet! DENGAR makes his move – and the Underworld will be forever changed. Meanwhile, time is running out for T'ONGA and her crew to break VUKORAH… Will a young girl pay for their failure with her life?
Opening crawl[]
| A CLEAR AND PRESENT DENGAR |
|---|
Plot summary[]
The story opens with a flashback to a swoop race in the industrial sector of Crescent City on Corellia. The bounty hunter Dengar is competing against a young Han Solo. During the final lap, Solo maneuvers aggressively, forcing Dengar’s swoop to jam its steering column and crash. As Solo celebrates with Qi'ra, planning to use the winnings to buy a ship, a humiliated Dengar watches from the wreckage, swearing he will not tolerate being disrespected.
In the present day, Dengar arrives at the Convors Perch restaurant in the wealthy district of Milvayne. He is there to meet Lord Khamdek, the leader of the Mourner's Wail crime syndicate. Khamdek’s guards search Dengar and find him unarmed before allowing him to join the syndicate leader’s table. Khamdek is hostile, noting that Dengar killed several of his enforcers to get his attention, and demands to know the location of his granddaughter, Cadeliah.
Dengar remains unfazed by Khamdek's insults and a physical slap from one of the guards. He insists on enjoying an expensive meal on Khamdek’s tab before discussing business. While eating, Dengar reveals that Crimson Dawn has Cadeliah. He explains that as the heir to both the Unbroken Clan and Mourner's Wail, the girl has become a high-value asset, especially since an "accident" left Vukorah in charge of the Unbroken Clan. Dengar subtly threatens Khamdek, suggesting that if he were to meet a similar accident, Cadeliah would no longer be just an heir, but the leader.
Khamdek laughs off the threat, calling Dengar a "joke" and a gambling addict living off cheap bounties. However, Dengar reveals he is a servant of Crimson Dawn, which has agents embedded everywhere - including the restaurant staff. On Dengar's signal, a waiter serves a platter containing hidden blasters. Dengar uses poisonous spikes from his meal to strike Khamdek, then guns down the guards with the smuggled blasters. As chaos erupts, Dengar liberates a caged convor bird from the restaurant before making his escape through a window. He is picked up by his partner, Manaroo, in a waiting speeder.
The Edgehawk[]
Simultaneously, aboard the Edgehawk in the Mid Rim, T'onga and her crew are interrogating the captured Vukorah. T'onga attempts to beat the location of Cadeliah out of her, but Vukorah remains defiant. Vukorah mocks T'onga, claiming she lacks the "killer instinct" because she pulls her punches. She also points out that the love between T'onga and Losha makes them vulnerable.
The interrogation is interrupted by news of the hit on Lord Khamdek. T'onga realizes that with Khamdek dead, they have lost their source of funding to keep the crew together. Desperate, she reaches out to a bounty broker named Syphacc. Syphacc informs her that one of his hunters survived a visit to Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermillion, and can lead them there for a price.
Reunion on Milvayne[]
Back on Milvayne, Dengar arrives at a landing platform to meet with T'onga's team. Bossk is present and expresses deep distrust of Dengar, recalling seeing him with Valance on an ice planet before the latter was captured by the Vermillion. Despite the tension and Bossk's warnings, Dengar approaches the group with his trademark smirk, warning Bossk that it is never a good idea to underestimate him.
Media[]
Cover gallery[]
Collected in[]
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
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Organisms
Droid models
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Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
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Sources[]
A Tale from Obi-Wan's Youngling Days and More from Marvel's May 2022 Star Wars Comics – Exclusive Preview on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020) #23 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Bounty Hunters 23 takes place after the Escape from Cloud City, which is dated to 3 ABY by Star Wars: Timelines. Additionally, Sliro Barsha dies during the events of Star Wars Outlaws, which Visit a Galaxy Far, Far Away with our Star Wars liveblog direct from San Diego Comic-Con 2024! on Popverse (backup link archived on August 5, 2024) dates to 3 ABY. As he is alive during Crimson Reign 5, and the events of Bounty Hunters 23 precede the comic, it must also take place during that year.
External links[]
- Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020) #23 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- Bounty Hunters 23 on the Aurebesh Wiki
