Thursday, December 31, 2015

Chewbacca comic book mini-series answers nearly 40 year old question about original Star Wars movie


Marvel wrapped up the first year of its new run of original Star Wars comics by answering a question that has been on fans' minds ever since the original movie debuted in 1977.  In the closing sequence of the film why didn't Chewbacca get a medal along with his buddies Luke Skywalker and Han Solo?


Come on even George Lucas got a medal!


Well in the concluding edition of a recent five issue Chewbacca themed comic book mini-series story arc from Marvel that hit store shelves on December 30, 2015 that nagging question has finally been answered. This story by writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto involves Chewie heading back to his home world of Kashyyyk shortly after the events that transpired in A New Hope, but his transportation has some technical difficulties in route that leads to him crash landing on an Imperial occupied planet Andelm IV.  He then becomes embroiled in an adventure to help a teenage girl named Zarro save her friends and family from being enslaved in a gangster's mining racket that provides military supplies to the Empire.  In CHEWBACCA #5 this duo ultimately saves the day and as Zarro remarks in her goodbye to the Wookiee as he prepares to head home that she wished she had some acknowledgment or recognition for her heroic actions that saved the planet's inhabitants from a life of slavery.  In his Wookiee howls, growls and barks, Chewbacca communicates that displaying medals goes against the warrior nature of his species. He then hands Zarro a gift he pulls from his spaceship just before he departs for Kashyyyk...his medal, like the one seen worn by Luke and Han at the end of Star Wars, that he also was given following the ceremony celebrating the destruction of the Death Star.



So there you have it!  A new bit of Star Wars canon was just added to the saga acknowledging that Chewbacca was respected for his contributions in rescuing Princess Leia and destroying the Death Star but because Wookiees have a cultural aversion to being presented with medals he was provided with his privately at the conclusion of the ceremony.  So for all those fans who were distressed that the Wookiee had been dissed by his human counterparts don't be dismayed because it appears according to Chewbacca that medals are for sissies not real warriors so he really didn't want one in the first place.  So in a touching conclusion to Marvel's Chewbacca comic book mini-series a courageous teenage girl gets to enjoy and cherish a Medal of Bravery that will always remind her of a very special Wookiee who befriended her. 

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great read for Star Wars fans. I admit, I enjoy watching them but I'm not a true die hard like so many people are. I'm glad that Chewie got his due reward though. :)

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  2. Hmm interesting. Chewbacca is very modest, then! I don't really read comic books but I did enjoy the newest Star Wars movie at the theater recently.

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  3. So interesting. I didn't realize the Chewbacca wasn't given a medal, but I love how they pulled the story altogether.

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  4. Mystery solved. ;) I bet I know a lot of kids who would really enjoy that story.

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  5. Seems interesting for Star Wars die hard. Not a big fan but I think this comic book is a must read/have.

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  6. This is so cool, I had no idea they extended his story like that! They totally should have included some sort of reward for Chewbacca in the movie, I even noticed that when I was younger that he had been left out!

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  7. Sounds like a fun read! Anything with Chewy in it is definitely going to be on my list of to read items!

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