Saturday, December 7, 2024

Retro Marvel

Star Wars (1977) #77

Star Wars #77 is part of the search for the Rebel pilot Tay Vanis arc which began in Star Wars #73 and concludes in Star Wars #80.  Chanteuse of the Stars .. is a humorous story which sees Luke bedeviled by Zeltrons, Leia singing, and Lahsbees raging.

Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 return to the Rebel base on Arbra from their failed mission to Iskalon.  Rebel command debriefs the heroes on a top-secret Imperial transmissions they intercepted that says Han Solo also uncovered the same vital information at Tay Vanis and Yom Argo.  With leads on both Tay and Han's whereabouts, the heroes divide into two groups.  Leia, Luke, Plif, and a contingent of Hoojibs follow the Tay lead while Lando, Chewbacca, and C-3PO pursue Han.

Leia, Luke, and the Hoojibs take the Millennium Falcon to the Kabray space station.  Kabray station is a location for embassies and is run by an Imperial governor.  On the station, Plif helps Luke and Leia, disguised as delegates, talk their way past Imperial guards to enter a banquet hall.  The room is full of a myriad of alien ambassadors, including some aliens from recent Star Wars comics, namely the Zeltrons, Stenaxes, and Lahsbees.  Leia and Luke split up to search for a message from Tay with Luke entering the location with private breakout rooms and Leia searching the employee area.  Leia is in the kitchen when she is confronted by the lead cook who she convinces she is there to check the food for her master, "the great Plif of the Hoojibs of Arbra."  As she is searching the cabinets in the kitchen, someone else enters and poisons a soup.  Meanwhile, Luke and Plif find the message from Tay in a private room.  Before he leaves the room another group enters, forcing Luke to hide.  Concealed, he overhears the group has the poison soup and plan to kill the governor.  As he leaves the private rooms, he is surrounded by a trio of female Zeltrons.

Leia has finished searching the employee quarters when she overhears a group looking for a female.  She ducks into a dressing room and puts on a wig when they enter and tells her it is time for her act.  Earlier, the lead act backed out of performing for the governor but the group mistakes Leia for the headliner.  In the banquet hall, Luke is sitting with the trio of Zeltrons when Leia appears on stage.  She starts singing as the waiting staff begin serving the food.  Luke goes to save the governor when a Lahsbee, over stimulated by Leia's singing, turns into a large Huhk.  A Huhk is a mindless savage which Lahsbees turn into when they reach puberty.  As the Huhk rages, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall, Luke takes the opportunity to knock the poisoned soup out of the waiter's hand.  Plif suggests Leia begins singing again to sooth the Huhk.

This is a surprisingly fun tale following the serious and downbeat Iskalon story.  Luke was the object of affection from the Zeltron Dani last shown in Star Wars #73.  Zeltrons are overtly sexual and Luke, having lived a sheltered childhood, is clearly uncomfortable with their openness and attention.  Having three Zeltrons throw themselves at Luke is absurd and used to good effect.  Leia singing is also funny and is clearly a nod to Leia singing in the Star Wars Holiday Special.  Finally, the Lahsbees and Huhks are a reference to Marvel's Bruce Banner and Hulk characters.  The mild mannered Lahsbees are Bruce Banner while the mindless Huhks are clearly the Hulk.  They even share similar sounding names!  Like the angry Hulk, Huhks can be tamed momentarily, but unlike the Hulk, they do not revert to their docile form so it is unclear from the story's end exactly how that dilemma is solved.

The cover for Star Wars #77 shows Luke Skywalker holding his lightsaber as he is attacked by the Huhk.  Luke never wields his saber in the story, a choice that would have undoubtably revealed his and Leia's ruse.  When confronted by the Huhk in the story, Luke instead hides behind a pair of Stormtroopers.

Star Wars #77a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)
Star Wars #77b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)
The use of the Kabray station for embassies and the gathering of delegations is interesting.  Since the Senate was dissolved and the Empire was increasingly using fear to rule the galaxy, it seems this relic from pre-Empire days wouldn't really have a purpose in the Empire era.

No comments:

Post a Comment