Shattered Empire 1

Shattered Empire 1 is the first issue of the comic book miniseries Star Wars: Shattered Empire, published by Marvel Comics. The issue was written by Greg Rucka, penciled by Marco Checchetto, and published on September 9, 2015. The story is set during and immediately after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

Publisher's summary[]

For the first time in the new Star Wars canon, journey with us into the time after the end of Return of the Jedi! Writer Greg Rucka (PUNISHER, WOLVERINE, Gotham Central) and artist Marco Checchetto (AVENGERS WORLD, PUNISHER) take us past the destruction of the second Death Star into the chaos of a Shattered Empire.^[1]

Plot summary[]

SHATTERED EMPIRE
Part I

It is the final moments of the BATTLE OF
ENDOR. Amidst the stars about the Forest
Moon, Rebel forces have engaged the evil
Galactic Empire in a desperate, final
confrontation, hoping to end the tyrannical
rule of Emperor Palpatine and bring peace
to a wearied and battered galaxy.

But the Rebel Fleet has fallen into a trap.
The second DEATH STAR is fully operational,
and on Endor's moon, the energy shield
protecting it still stands. What was to be a
moment of triumph now teeters on the brink
of disaster.

Now, rebel pilots have engaged Imperial
forces in furious dogfights, frantically
trying to protect the Rebellion's capital
ships, and to buy enough time to rescue
victory from the jaws of defeat....

In the final moments of the Battle of Endor, Green Squadron escorts Gold Leader during the attack on the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station's main reactor. Green Four (Shara Bey) intercepts a Lambda-class shuttle escaping from the Death Star, nearly shooting down Luke Skywalker before confirming his identity.

With the battle station destroyed, Bey and the other surviving pilots return to the Rebel fleet, and are then shuttled to Endor, where the Rebellion is celebrating its victory with the native Ewoks. Bey seeks out and finds her husband, Kes Dameron, and they spend the night together in a hut before Dameron is called out to another mission to destroy an Imperial holdout on the far side of the moon.

Bey volunteers as the mission's pilot, and as Dameron and the Pathfinders unit start their attack, he mentions that he was thinking they should find a nice planet and build a house. Bey questions his timing of such a proposal in the midst of a battle, and worries as the strike team is inside the base for a long time.

As they emerge, Han Solo announces that the computers in the outpost contain a lot of data and communications, including details of many Imperial plans, and that "It's not over yet."

Development[]

The Marvel comic miniseries Star Wars: Shattered Empire was first announced on March 10, 2015 as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series of novels, comics, and other books leading up to the December 18, 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens.^[3] Shattered Empire was announced as the title of the comic series on March 13, 2015. The announcement was made on StarWars.com and included the first issue's cover, featuring the main original trilogy characters from the final scene of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.^[4]

In celebration of Star Wars Day on May 4, 2016, Marvel re-released Shattered Empire 1 as part of its "True Believers" budget reprint program, which reprints popular comic titles for the suggested retail price of $1.^[5]

Media[]

Editions[]

UPC 759606081998; September 9, 2015; Marvel Comics^[1]
- 00111; Regular; Phil Noto
- 00121; Retailer incentive A; Marco Checchetto
- 00131; Blank
- 00141; Retailer incentive B
- 00151; Retailer incentive C; Lucasfilm Ltd.
- 00161; Yesteryear Comics; Mike Mayhew
- 00181; Comic Pop; Mike Deodato, Jr.
- 00191; Disposable Heroes; Julian Totino Tedesco
- 00116; GameStop; Paul Renaud
- 00117; Third Eye Comics; Francesco Francavilla
- 00118; Books-A-Million; Terry Dodson
- 00119; Books-A-Million sketch; Terry Dodson
- 00120; Long Beach Comic Con; Phil Noto
- 00122; Diamond Comics A; Phil Noto
- 00123; Diamond Comics B; Pasqual Ferry
- 00124; Hastings
UPC 759606085040; May 4, 2016; Marvel Comics^[6]
- 00111; True Believers; Phil Noto