Crucible!

Book: Star Wars

Issue No.: 17

Published: August 22, 1978

Title: “Crucible!”

Cover Price: 35¢

Format: Original paper copy

Prequel stories, movies, and TV shows are common these days. The lesser prequels often wallow in what I call “prequel-itis” — they get so preoccupied explaining the backstory of every little thing in the original story/movie/TV show that they forget to tell a compelling story of their own.

The Star Wars universe has plenty of prequels like this, answering burning questions like “what was bounty hunter Boba Fett like as a kid?” and “what was bounty hunter Greedo like as a kid?” and “who gave Han Solo his last name, the last name that makes it clear to everyone that he’s a loner?”

This is a fill-in issue of Marvel’s Star Wars comic book (it features guest artists, was plotted by a guest writer, it’s a one-and-done story, and a cover blurb touts it as a “special issue!”), and it suffers from prequel-itis. I am not a Star Wars historian, but this might be one of the earliest cases of Star Wars prequel-itis. When this issue was published, the Star Wars extended universe was pretty small. Other than Marvel’s Star Wars comics, I think it was just the first movie, the novelization of the movie, and the Splinter of the Mind’s Eye sequel novel. And maybe the Star Wars newspaper strip.

The prequel story told here explains why pre-Star Wars Luke Skywalker would want to shoot womp rats on his home planet of Tatooine (the womp rats damaged moisture farming equipment by chewing on electrical cables) and shows Luke exhibiting some piloting prowess (flying his “skyhopper” — basically a small two-seater jet plane). It also includes Luke’s childhood friend Biggs (who has a small part in Star Wars the movie and a bigger part in early issues of Star Wars the comic book), Luke’s Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, and those pesky Sand People.

Prequel Luke spends a fair amount of time wondering if he’ll every leave the farm on Tatooine and have exciting adventures. Having seen Star Wars, we of course know the answer to that question.

A Star Wars sequel also gets a brief mention in this issue. In the fan-mail column (“Star-Words”), the editors explain that they work closely with Carol Titelman, “the Star Wars Corporation’s Director of Publications,” to make sure that whatever is happening in the Star Wars comic books won’t contradict or invalidate anything planned for the movie that would end up being The Empire Strikes Back. Of course, Empire isn’t mentioned by name. Everything about that movie was super secret in 1978.

I generally dig this series — as a long-time Star Wars fan, I enjoy revisiting the movie’s extended universe when it was so humble. This prequel fill-in story is fine, but I’m looking forward to getting back to the main Star Wars comic book storyline.

Next time — Spidey and the White Tiger fight shady real estate guys!