R2-D2 Resurrects Luke Skywalker Before Return of the Jedi

After receiving the shock of his life in The Empire Strikes Back, an injured and heartbroken Luke Skywalker eventually rose as the hero of the Star Wars trilogy. But a new chapter in Luke’s story reveals the young Jedi Knight actually died long before Return of the Jedi—until R2-D2 brought him back to life.

This unexpected twist in the life of Luke Skywalker arrives thanks to Marvel’s recently relaunched Star Wars comic series, adding new stories and canon plot beats to the days immediately following The Empire Strikes Back. That timeline offers a chance to close the plot hole of Luke’s missing blue lightsaber, but the mystery is more complicated than fans expected. Instead of finding his father’s blade, Star Wars #5 saw Luke find a Jedi more interested in revenge than helping him recover his family heirloom.

The woman calling to Luke through the Force was the Jedi Padawan Verla, a Force-sensitive recruited and educated by Jedi Purge survivor Ferren Barr. But once she prods Luke’s mind and discovers he is the only known child of Darth Vader, the Imperial enforcer who slaughtered the Jedi and murdered her master, she springs her trap. The official preview of Star Wars #6 picks up mere moments after that surprise cliffhanger, with Luke Skywalker drowning in a cell to pay for his father’s sins. Ordinarily Luke can rely on the Force to provide him with a solution or escape from a deadly trap. But as the preview pages of Star Wars #6 show, there are some deaths that can’t be stopped by the Force… and require a droid, instead. Take a look:

By this point it’s no secret that R2-D2 is deadlier than he looks, but it’s his quick thinking that shines here, incapacitating Verla and shocking a drowned Luke back to the land of the living. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but the sight of Luke Skywalker being drowned on an isolated world before he even ascends to the rank of Jedi Knight is one no fan should miss. It’s also just what’s needed to draw attention away from the cover art of Star Wars #6, depicting Luke wielding a new weapon (linking him even more closely to Rey Skywalker’s own yellow lightsaber, revealed at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). Will Luke use his new lease on life to deny his identity as “Son of Vader”? Will Verla really shift from wanting Luke dead, to training him with a new weapon?

Those questions and more will be explored in the pages and issues to come, but for now, fans will have to wait. Until the full issue arrives on sale, readers can find the full solictation details and plot synopsis for Star Wars #6 below.

• STAR WARS #6
• Release Date: September 16th, 2020
• Written by: Charles Soule
• Art by: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto
• Cover Art by: R.B. Silva, Guru-eFX
• THE PATH TO JEDI WISDOM…OR A DEADLY TRAP OF THE DARK SIDE? THE FORCE led LUKE SKYWALKER to someone who can provide him with great insight into the path to JEDI wisdom… But their meeting will change Skywalker FOREVER. Luke thought his duel against his father, Darth Vader, was the ultimate test. But Luke’s trials have only just begun. The galaxy needs Luke Skywalker. And a Jedi needs a weapon! Meanwhile, Vader continues his search for his long-lost son, and the REBEL ALLIANCE finds itself on the verge of a losing all hope.

Star Wars #6 will be available wherever comic books are sold on September 16th, 2020.

MORE: Star Wars: The High Republic’s New Jedi Debut in First Comic Preview

About The Author

Andrew Dyce
(3247 Articles Published)

Screen Rant Editor Andrew Dyce was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Despite calling the vast nothingness of the Canadian prairies home (or perhaps because of it) film and television have been a passion since birth. As a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a degree in English Literature, Andrew has grown to appreciate the story and writing behind everything from blockbuster comic book movies to schlocky B-movie action.

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