Our coverage continues of the Marvel Star Wars comics published between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi! In this episode, Pat Sampson joins The Irredeemable Shag to dive into Marvel STAR WARS #51 (September 1981), written by David Michelinie with art by Walt Simonson and Tom Palmer. The Empire has unleashed a terrifying new superweapon, THE TARKIN! Can our Star Warriors save the galaxy? Meanwhile, can Darth Vader survive the revenge of his own officers? Finally, we wrap up with YOUR listener feedback from the previous episode!
- 00:00:30 – Introductions
- 00:12:20 – Guest’s origin with Star Wars comics
- 00:19:45 – Guest’s favorite Star Wars expanded universe character
- 00:23:10 – Star Wars #51 cover discussion
- 00:27:10 – Star Wars #51 interior discussion
- 01:21:00 – The Golden Plif Award
- 01:27:20 – Your listener feedback from the last episode
- 01:45:50 – Sign off
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Another fine episode folks. One of the great things about this podcast is, it has encouraged me to go back and re-read these issues, and see them in a new light, picking up on things I didn’t notice or never really thought about. For instance, in this issue, why were Luke, Leia, Chewie and the droids picked for this mission? Yes, yes, I know, they survived the original Death Star.
So what? I mean think about it. What about their capture and escape from the Death Star gives them an adventure over trained spies or saboteurs? Sure they escorted the Death Star plans being held inside R2-D2, but they didn’t initially steal those plans. They didn’t gather any worthwhile information or intel while aboard the Death Star. Even if this story had been about a second Death Star, There must have been better trained, better equipped, and more experienced rebel agents to send on this mission. The real reason they were chosen was because, they are THE characters the fans wanted to read about. Had this story been written in the 90s or later, we probably would have gotten a new team of original rebel heroes.
As for naming the new super weapon The Tarkin, if I hadn’t owned The Star Wars Storybook, that had pictures and brief bios of the main cast on the first page, I never would have known it was named for Peter Cushing’s character all those years ago. They would have had to name it, That Old Guy Who Ordered Everone Around On The Death Star.
When comes to Star Wars books I skip around .
I read splinters of the minds eye and then the after that truce at (can’t remember how spell the last word ). I’m sure shag know the book it’s takes place like the next after return of Jedi .
Also also shag here’s
A
Little game for you if want to play
Here a example
Scott hall aka razor Ramon would be smuggler
In Star Wars universe.
All give every one four random wrestlers and
They can decide what there job would be in Star Wars universe bonus points for figuring out where in time line there and there
Alignment inside, but like whose line is it anyways the points don’t matter.
Kerry von Erich : aka the Texas tornado
James sugar bear Harris aka Kamala
Scott stiener aka big papa pump
I didn’t add in there finishing holds
As would bin to easy if did
Hint look up Kerry’s hold in world class championship wrestling not his finisher as Texas tornado they are different.
Here’s a easy one for
Shag
The macho man Randy savage
Finishing move elbow drop form the top rope .
Where and when would put him Star Wars universe shag and what he be .
Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, you have seen the macho man he was bone saw in Spider-Man
I finally listened to all of the NPR Star Wars shows earlier this! They rules (even Jedi) and I wholeheartedly endorse covering those on the podcast!
Shout out to Shag and Pat for a great podcast. To answer pat’s question, I originally read most of the “Legend” novels by publication date, since i was buying them as they came out. I’m now working on completing those books (only 8 more to go!) and then I plan to read them all in chronological order for a different experience. I found myself empathizing with Shag’s video game struggles. I wanted so badly to be good at them, to lose myself for hours on end in a galaxy far, far, away, but alas – they are not my forte either. The only video game I ever excelled at was Ribbit King on the GameCube – much to the consternation of my family. We all loved playing that one together but I was the one to beat.
While I didn’t go rushing to any WEG handbooks, I too nerded out a bit when the AT-ST opened fire on the Luke’s X-Wing. My brain start wondering what the recycle rate was on a Walker’s cannons curious at the number of shots it would take to break the starfighter’s defense shields. I can’t imagine it would have taken much longer and Shag’s research seemed to agree. Then I apparently left my logical brain behind because I didn’t even question General Rieekan’s choice of our heroes to assault the Tarkin. But you two were right, it would have made much more sense for only one of them to go (I nominate R2-D2) partnered instead with a couple trained rebel commandos to destroy the superweapon. And speaking of superweapons and Star Wars books…wasn’t Kevin J Anderson’s 1995 Darksaber novel almost exactly this, except it was the Hutts building the Death Star’s superlaser? Makes one wonder if KJA also grew up reading Marvel Star Wars comics.
Until next time!
Another great episode and really enjoyable comic.
I think this cover was the first time we saw the AT-ST in action. In the movie it just walks by in one or two shots.
The first two radio dramas are firmly within the show’s Empire to Jedi theme because they were initially released in early ‘81 and early ‘83.
You would be committing podcast malpractice to not include them in this era.