Tuesday, October 11, 2016

First Appearance

First Appearance Eneb Ray

Both the ongoing Star Wars and Darth Vader titles had annuals released in December 2015.  The original Marvel series had 3 Annuals with stories that did not tie into the main series.  These new annuals are important to the ongoing series, and in the case of Star Wars Annual #1, a character is introduced that will be the main antagonist in the Rebel Jail arc in Star Wars #16 - 19.

Eneb Ray is a human Rebel spy embedded into the Imperial bureaucracy on Coruscant.  He goes by Tharius Demo, an Imperial tax collector, which gives him access to information that he passes on to the Rebellion.  In Star Wars Annual #1, Princess Leia gives Eneb a mission to free anti-Imperial Senators being held prisoners at the Arrth-Eno Prison Complex on Coruscant.  He infiltrates the prison and learns from the captors that Emperor Palpatine is coming to the prison to interrogate the Senators prior to their execution.  As Eneb is preparing to contact Leia about the opportunity, he runs into another Rebel spy, Coleet, who helps him secure the transmission.  Leia agrees this is a good opportunity and goes along with Eneb's plan to assassinate the Emperor.  Leia has contacted the other Rebel agents on Coruscant who, along with Ene,b attack Palpatine and his guards.  Eneb kills who he thinks is the Emperor only to discover he was a decoy and the real Emperor had planned the entire charade.  The Arrth-Eno Prison Complex is destroyed with the Senators and Rebel agents including Coleet, while Eneb escapes.  In addition to eradicating the Rebel agents from Coruscant, the Emperor uses the destruction of the prison as propaganda against the Rebellion and Eneb Ray flees Coruscant.

Eneb Ray is shown in front of a looming Emperor Palpatine on the standard cover.

Star Wars Annual #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2015)
1st appearance of Eneb Ray
Star Wars Annual #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2015)
1st appearance of Eneb Ray
When we see Eneb Ray again in the Rebel Jail story, he is a changed person and his face is disfigured.  In the Annual, when he kills the impostor and confronts the real Emperor, he is attacked with force lightning.  He is not show disfigured after the attack, although he does imply in Star Wars #19 his condition is a result of the assault:

Princess Leia: Eneb, what ...
Eneb Ray: So you do remember me?
Princess Leia: You were one of us.  The best spy we ever put in the field.  After Coruscant, we looked all over for you.  We though you must have died with the others.
Eneb Ray: Oh, his touch will definitely kill me.  It's just going to take its time.
Princess Leia: Whose touch?  Eneb, what's happened to you?  You need to come home and let us help --

Eneb Ray survives Star Wars #19 and it is only a matter of time until we catch up with his latest exploits.

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