Ewoks (2024) 3

Ewoks 3 is the third issue of the 2024 canon comic book limited series Star Wars: Ewoks. The issue was written by Steve Orlando, illustrated by Álvaro López, Laura Braga and Antonio Fabela, and published by Marvel Comics on December 18, 2024.

Publisher's summary[]

THE IMPERIALS CONTINUE THEIR INVASION OF ENDOR!.With WICKET captured and forced to guide the IMPERIAL scouting party through Endor, the other Ewoks must form a party of their own to get him back! Warrior MEEDRO and the mysterious RED GHOST may be the only hope for the young Ewok. What horrors await both teams at the site of the Imperial weapons cache?

Opening crawl[]

DEADLY DEPTHS!

Long, long ago, deep in an enchanted forest on the distant moon of Endor, an evil group of outsiders set
up their strange machines, bringing a war from the outside galaxy. Another group of outsiders, seeking
only peace for the galaxy, fought them off and restored the natives' village to its once-serene nature. But
even after the heroes leave and new threats loom, the forest moon will always be protected by….

After the fall of the Empire, it is a time of peace and rebuilding on the
forest moon of Endor. But following the invasion of their home by what
the Ewoks call "cruel ones," the native villagers of Bright Tree Village
are at odds--are all outsiders bad? Or, as young Wicket proposes, is it
a balance of openness and cautiousness that is the true way forward?

As the group of Imperials, led by officer Tern Koyatta, made their way
through Endor in search of a weapons cache, they revealed their true
machinations to the Ewoks and forcefully enlisted Wicket to guide
them on their excursion….

Plot summary[]

The Ewok prisoner Wicket Wystri Warrick reluctantly leads Imperial General Tern Koyatta's team through the forests of Endor in search of an abandoned Imperial weapons cache. Still recovering from his recent stun, Wicket strikes up conversation with the bodiless RA-7 protocol droid E-X77. Though Wicket can speak Basic, he and the droid speak in Ewokese for the sake of candor. The droid confesses to the Ewok that he and his Dowutin companion, Koll Orvenk, regret the situation that Koyatta has put Wicket in. Wicket asks the duo why they are working for a cruel one, but both find their thoughts complicated.

Before long, the caravan arrive at the Endless Lake, where once the great Endless Lake Village stood, before it was flooded by Orcon, ruler of the Underwater Kingdom. Wicket tells his captors that there is no safe way to cross the lake, but the safest way is to ride raichlings. Koyatta is unwilling to deviate from their course to acquire any raichlings and orders the others to find a wreckage they can use as a makeshift boat.

Back at Bright Tree Village, the Ewoks debate what they should do about Wicket's capture and how they could have handled their confrontation with the outsiders better. Asha Fahn, a daughter of Chief Chirpa, and Meedro both think the village needs to mount a rescue mission for Wicket. Chirpa agrees, and asks the two if they can work together to save the young warrior. Asha and Meedro set off on a bordok through the forest.

Floating on the Endless Lake, Wicket warns Koyatta that their improvised boat is a bad idea. The bounty hunter Zuckuss also has a bad feeling. The general remains confident and dismisses the warnings. He is in quite a rush to get to the weapons. At this, Khu Fornot, a former scout trooper, bemoans being another expendable body in Imperial service. He is suddenly plucked from his seat by baby devil serpents and pulled into the water. Koyatta orders Zuckuss and 4-LOM to fire at the serpents, killing them, but Fornot remains submerged. Wicket wisely realizes the danger is not over. King Orcon bursts out of the water riding the Queen Serpent. He knocks the land walkers into the water. Zuckuss keeps Koyatta afloat while 4-LOM and Orvenk grab purchase on rocks and fight back at the Queen Serpent. The resistance drives back Orcon and the serpent. Without their boat, the fearsome king leaves the land walkers stranded and at the mercy of the water's fauna. In their dramatic exit, the Serpent Queen knocks Orvenk back into the water, sending both his axe and E-X77 flying away.

Orvenk recovers at the shore. His only concern is finding his droid friend. Wicket emerges from the water having saved the talking robotic head. Orvenk is very grateful Wicket chose to save E-X77 instead of the axe. 4-LOM manages to save Fornot, and Zuckuss and Koyatta float to the shore. The neurotic general remains steadfast, hoping to reach the cache by sundown.

At the opposite end of the Endless Lake, Meedro ponders the best way to cross the dangerous waters. Asha, however, has a plan in mind. She lets out a deafening call, which is answered by her condor dragon friend. Meedro is shocked the other Ewok could tame the dangerous creature, but soon both climb atop its back and set off into the skies to cross the lake. As they fly, Meedro compliments Asha for her many feats, including her connection to the forest. Asha shares respect for Meedro's bravery.

Koyatta's party continue their march through the forest. Wicket and E-X77 resume their conversation, and the Ewok highlights the awful leadership style of the general. Eventually, 4-LOM grows tired of the chattering and admonishes Wicket for overstepping. Koyatta calms the droid down. The general senses they are close to the cache, but Fornot is skeptical, suspecting the general is just another rich clown who paid his way into his rank. This sparks an argument between the scout trooper and Zuckuss which is overheard by Koyatta. The general reveals to them all that they have arrived. To his shock, however, the gargantuan door to the cave has been opened. As they wonder what could have opened the cache, they hear a menacing roar. The men draw their weapons, but Wicket begs them to run away. Upon Koyatta's pleas for answers, Wicket tells him it is the Great Devourer, the Gorax. The massive creature emerges from the cave ready to attack.