10 Best Star Wars Storylines From Marvel Comics

By Jeff Schuman /

7. The Last Jedi (Issue #49)

Writer: Mike W. Barr Art: Walt Simonson & Tom Palmer Luke, Leia, and the droids rescue one Prince Denid, whose ship crashed on a jungle world some time ago. Denid needs to return to his home-world Velmor to be installed as its ruler before his brother Anod, an Imperial sympathizer, can take his place. Luke and Leia agree to transport Denid€™s party which includes an alien named Jedidiah, a one-time Jedi apprentice who is suffering from what amounts to Alzheimer€™s disease. In order to elude the Imperial commander on Velmor, a woman named Traal, Luke assumes the identity of a bounty hunter and Leia poses as Denid€™s fiancé Loren, who was killed in the crash years before. While they do arrive in time and Denid assumes the throne, Anod and Traal have plans to eliminate the new king and his rescuers. Leia and Denid are wounded in the attack, and Luke is nearly killed before the aged Jedidiah, in a final moment of clarity and heroism, sacrifices his life to defeat Traal and save them all. There€™s a lot of fun to be had in seeing Luke play the €œHan Solo€ part and Leia getting to act more regally then we€™re accustomed to, but this story is really brought to life by Jedidiah. While it€™s true that Yoda did seem a little €œswamp-happy€ when Luke first meets him in Empire, the idea of a Jedi growing old and losing himself is one that we don€™t ever think of when it comes to the Jedi order. Here it grounds the story with a simplicity of spirit that is hard to turn away from, no matter how emotional it gets. The final panels of Luke igniting his lightsaber in salute as he jettisons Jedidiah€™s body into space are a perfect ending to a near flawless story.