Description

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith                  Trade Paperback
Story: George Lucas
Writer: Miles Lane
Artist: Doug Wheatley
Colorist: Chris Chuckry
Letterer: Michael David Thomas
Editors: Randy Stradley & Jeremy Barlow
Cover by: Tsuneo Sanda

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise centered on a film series created by George Lucas. The film series began with Star Wars, released on May 25, 1977. This was followed by two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back, released on May 21, 1980, and Return of the Jedi, released on May 25, 1983. Then more than two decades after the release of the original film, the series continued with a prequel trilogy; consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, released on May 19, 1999; Episode II: Attack of the Clones, released on May 16, 2002; Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, released on May 19, 2005; and  finally the epic saga concluded with Star Wars: The Force Awakens released on December 18, 2015;  Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released on December 18, 2017. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, released on December 18, 2017. And Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released on December 20, 2019.

Dark Horse Comics continues the saga with the Official Comics Adaptation of the Greatest Space Fantasy of all. Faithfully recapturing that initial excitement of attending the first showing of the film, Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the third thrilling chapter in the greatest space fantasy ever, in a way that truly returns us to memories of great anticipation that we had when we stood in line waiting to see the 3rd prequel movie for the first time!

Now… a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere. In a stunning move, the fiendish droid leader, General Grievous, has swept into the Republic capital and kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate. As the Separatist Droid Army attempts to flee the besieged capital with their valuable hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a desperate mission to rescue the captive Chancellor….

Story/Spoilers
During a space battle over Coruscant between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from Separatist commander General Grievous. The Jedi fight through the Separatist armada. In the process, Obi-Wan’s interceptor is damaged by buzz droids and his astromech, R4-P17, is destroyed. Anakin attempts to shoot the droids off, though succeeds only in blasting apart the wing of his former Master’s vessel. Obi-Wan tells Anakin to hold his fire as he’s not helping. Anakin agrees it was a bad idea. Obi-Wan tells Anakin to go on and rescue the Chancellor, but Anakin says he won’t leave without Obi-Wan. Anakin uses one of his fighter wings to knock some of the buzz droids off Obi-Wan’s fighter, but one manages to crawl onto Anakin’s ship although it is quickly disabled by R2-D2. As they approach The Confederacy’s cyborg military leader, General Grievous’s flagship, Obi-Wan reminds Anakin their shields are still up and so Anakin breaks formation and attacks a shield generator, knocking out the shields on the docking bay of the ship and the two Jedi crash land. Anakin and Obi-Wan make their way through the flagship, fighting through an army of droids. Meanwhile, R2-D2 aids them from the hangar bay while simultaneously incinerating a pair of super battle droids, using fuel and his thrusters. The Jedi reach the top, finding the captive Chancellor Palpatine. They are confronted by Count Dooku himself, and an intense lightsaber duel ensues. The Jedi throw the Count off guard, by converting from basic attacks to more skilled tactics. During the battle, Obi-Wan is rendered unconscious when Dooku uses the Force to hold him in mid-air by the throat before hurling him against a railing. Anakin continues the battle, and is repeatedly taunted by Dooku. Using his anger, Anakin taps into the dark side of the force, and gets the better of the duel. He severs both of Dooku’s hands, rendering incapable of defending himself, and then holds him at blade point with both his own lightsaber and Dooku’s weapon. Palpatine encourages Anakin to kill Dooku. At first, Anakin refuses but Palpatine firmly insists: completely unaware of Palpatine’s true intentions, Anakin brutally decapitates the helpless Dooku at Palpatine’s urging. An explosion occurs deep in the ship, brought on by the attack of the Jedi Star cruiser, causing the Invisible Hand to begin an uncontrolled descent into Coruscant. Despite Palpatine’s persuasions that he should leave the unconscious Obi-Wan, Anakin carries him on his back, and maneuvers through the ship with the Chancellor. Obi-Wan later regains consciousness. After Grievous has the bridge crew regain control of his flagship by firing the emergency booster engines, he makes certain the two Jedi and their ward are captured. Having fallen foul of a ray shield trap, the three are brought to the bridge under custody, but R2 successfully creates a distraction, allowing the Jedi to retrieve their lightsabers and break free. Grievous then sends a pair of his powerful IG-100 MagnaGuard droids after the Jedi. Obi-Wan quickly beheads the first MagnaGuard with his blade, but the droid continues the fight, forcing Obi-Wan to slice the droid warrior apart before it deactivates. Anakin finishes off the second Magna guard and destroys the battle droids attempting to drag Palpatine from the bridge. The Jedi close in on Grievous, though the wily General smashes a window with his fallen guard’s electrostaff, and is swept outside. Using a tow cable, Grievous latches himself to the ship and heads for the escape pods. Launching all other escape capsules, Grievous speeds for the safety of a Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleship. Once again, the flagship begins to descend in a free-fall into Coruscant, but Anakin takes the controls and pilots the ship into a hard landing, aided by emergency firespeeders, on one of Coruscant’s industrial landing platforms. On Coruscant, Anakin is praised for his heroics. He meets secretly with Padmé Amidala, and they share a kiss in the shadows of the Senate office building, keeping their love secret. She reveals to him that she is pregnant with their child. Elsewhere, Grievous, now both the political and military leader of the Separatists, arrives on Utapau, where Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Techno Union head of state and Emir Wat Tambor and others on the Separatist Council remain in hiding. The General is contacted by Darth Sidious, who gives him instructions to move the Separatist leaders to a volcanic planet, Mustafar. He also explains that the war is almost over. Grievous is uncertain about this, given Count Dooku’s death. Sidious assures him that Darth Tyranus’s death and loss was necessary, for he would soon have a new apprentice: one far younger and more powerful.

Initially excited, Anakin begins to have premonitions of Padmé dying in childbirth. Later, on Coruscant, Anakin awakens in a panic, covered in sweat. He reveals to Padmé that he has been dreaming about her dying in childbirth, and believing that he can’t live without her, vows not to let this dream come true. Chancellor Palpatine requests Anakin’s presence, and they meet in the Chancellor’s office. The Senate has granted the Chancellor further emergency powers, giving him direct control of the Jedi Council. Palpatine confides in Anakin his fear, distrust, and contempt of the Masters. He appoints Anakin to be his personal representative on the Council. The High Council begrudgingly accepts Anakin’s appointment, but does not grant him the rank of Master. Anakin reacts angrily at this perceived slight. Ignoring his outburst, the Council goes on to discuss matters concerning the war. It is decided that Anakin will be assigned to protect the Chancellor, and Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Anakin is angry and disappointed. Obi-Wan later tells Anakin that the Council wants Anakin to report on all the Chancellor’s dealings, essentially spying on him. Anakin is confused and upset, feeling torn between two friends and loyalties… further diminishing his faith in the Jedi. Obi-Wan himself is unhappy with the situation. At the Galaxies Opera House in the Uscru District, Anakin joins Palpatine in watching the Mon Calamari Ballet performing Squid Lake. Palpatine tells Anakin Clone Intelligence has located General Grievous hiding in the Utapau system. Anakin is delighted by this news, as Grievous’s capture will accelerate the war’s end. Palpatine remarks that he’d question the competence of the Jedi Council if Anakin was not sent on the mission. Inviting Anakin to join him, Palpatine dismisses his aides: once they are gone, Palpatine seduces Anakin to the dark side. He also tells Anakin that the Jedi Order wishes to overthrow the Republic and that if he has suspected it, Anakin must surely have sensed it. Anakin confirms that the Jedi don’t trust him, a fact that Palpatine expands to include the Senate, the Republic and democracy as a whole. Anakin tells Palpatine that his trust in the Jedi has been shaken and Palpatine deduces Anakin’s distaste for the Council’s mission to spy on the Chancellor. Palpatine takes Anakin back to some of the early political lessons Palpatine tried to teach him, about how all those who gain power are afraid to lose it and that includes the Jedi. Anakin tries to defend the Jedi by saying they use their powers for good, but Palpatine argues good is only a point of view, noting that in almost every conceivable manner, including a quest for greater power, the Sith and the Jedi are exactly alike. Anakin disagrees, remarking that the Sith depend on passion for strength, thinking only of themselves, whereas the Jedi are selfless, thinking only of others. After a brief pause in their conversation, Palpatine makes a remark about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise. Palpatine describes Darth Plagueis as a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. Not only this, but having such power and knowledge of the dark side, Plageuis could use this ability to save people he cared about from death, a statement which gets Anakin’s attention (which was Palpatine’s desire) and Palpatine describes the dark side of the Force as a pathway to many abilities considered by some to be unnatural. When Anakin asks what happened to Darth Plagueis, Palpatine concludes that Plagueis became so powerful that all he feared was losing his power which he eventually did. Unfortunately for Plagueis, he taught his apprentice, who happened to be Darth Sidious, all he knew: after he had, his apprentice killed him in his sleep. (The Sith apprentice in the story, as implied by the film and explicitly stated in various Star Wars Legends sources, is Palpatine himself.) Palpatine notes the irony of how Plagueis could keep others from dying, but not himself. When Anakin asks if it is possible to learn the power to stop death, Palpatine simply replies, “Not from a Jedi,” further alienating Anakin from the Jedi Order. Mace Windu tells Obi-Wan that General Grievous has been located on the planet Utapau and that he needs to prepare to go. Anakin walks Obi-Wan to his star destroyer before he leaves. Anakin still believes he’d be needed on Utapau, and while Obi-Wan agrees, he also notes it might just be a wild Bantha chase. Anakin stops Obi-Wan and tells him that he knows he’s disappointed Obi-Wan and that he’s not been acting very grateful for the training he received. Anakin tells him he’s just been so frustrated with the Council lately, but that he does apologize. Obi-Wan calls Anakin strong and wise and tells Anakin he’s very proud of him and while Obi-Wan trained him since Anakin was a boy, he calls Anakin a far greater Jedi than Obi-Wan could hope to be. But Obi-Wan encourages Anakin to be patient and that it won’t be long before the Council makes Anakin a Jedi Master. The two bid each other farewell and Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau. …Little do they know that this is the last time they will see or speak to each other as fellow Jedi and friends. Obi-Wan arrives in Pau City on Utapau, and begins his search for General Grievous, riding a varactyl named Boga. He finds Grievous on the Tenth Level. The two engage in single combat. Grievous’s arms split in half, allowing him to use four lightsabers at once. Obi-Wan quickly cuts off the lower halves of the General’s hands, helping to even out the odds a little. Obi-Wan drops his lightsaber. Grievous then draws his blaster, though it is knocked from his hand by Obi-Wan, now wielding the electrostaff. He knocks Grievous down, and a brawl ensues, during which Kenobi tears open the General’s chest plates, revealing his living organs. Enraged, Grievous repeatedly hits Obi-Wan and then picks up the helpless Jedi and throws him over the edge. Obi-Wan barely manages to hang on and momentarily dangles for dear life. As Grievous moves in for the kill, Obi-Wan uses the Force to retrieve the General’s blaster and fires at Grievous’s exposed organs. He hits, and they burst into flames. With his eyes flaming, Grievous falls to the floor, dead. Back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he has knowledge of the Dark side of the Force.

After their conversation shifts to Palpatine’s knowledge of the Force, and Palpatine reveals that he is Darth Sidious. Anakin ignites his lightsaber and threatens to kill Palpatine, but then decides to expose him to the Jedi Council. He is still concerned with saving his wife, and believes only Palpatine’s knowledge, learned from the late Darth Plagueis, will ensure this. Anakin returns to the Jedi Temple and approaches Windu who tells Anakin that they have just been informed that Obi-Wan has destroyed General Grievous and so they are going to go to the Senate to ensure that Chancellor Palpatine gives back his emergency powers. However, Anakin reveals that Palpatine is a Sith Lord and is not likely to give up his powers, a statement which shocks Mace and stops him dead in his tracks. Anakin confirms what he just said and says he believes Palpatine is the one they have been looking for. When Mace asks how Anakin knows this, he tells Mace that Palpatine knows the ways of the Force and has been trained to use the dark side and that he is absolutely sure. Mace says their worst fears have now been realized and that if the Jedi Order is to survive, they must move quickly. Anakin warns Windu that Palpatine is very powerful and they’ll need his help to arrest Palpatine, but Windu urges him to stay out of it as he senses much fear in Anakin and it could cloud his judgment. Masters Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin head to Palpatine’s office. Sitting in the Council Chambers, remembering Palpatine’s promise of stopping death and the dreams of Padmé dying in childbirth, Anakin ruminates over his decision: in his mind, he hears Palpatine’s voice saying that if the Jedi kill him, any chance of saving Padmé will be lost. Finally, he leaves and rushes after the four Jedi. Mace Windu and the three other Jedi Masters arrive at Chancellor Palpatine’s office. Windu declares Palpatine is under arrest, and the Masters ignite their lightsabers. Palpatine pulls a lightsaber from his sleeve, and hurls himself at the Jedi with a screeching warcry. Agen Kolar is first to die, run through the chest. Almost immediately after, Palpatine turns and slices Saesee Tiin’s torso, and a few seconds later, with more effort from Sidious, Kit Fisto is slain, killed by a slash across the gut. Only Mace Windu remains, alone against the Dark Lord. Palpatine and Mace continue the fight, dueling fiercely. At first, Palpatine easily has the upper hand, but Windu gradually gains ground, slowly driving the Sith Lord out of the Chancellor’s antechamber and into the office proper. Anakin arrives at the scene just as Windu disarms Palpatine, both combatants balancing on the edge of the large window shattered during the duel. As Mace holds Palpatine at blade point, the Sith Lord unleashes a torrent of Force lightning. However, Mace deflects it with his blade, casting much of the energy back into Palpatine’s body. Palpatine becomes hideously deformed; his face becomes unusually pale and sagged, his teeth become yellow and rotten, his fingernails become long and dirty, and his eyes turn burning yellow with blood-red rims. He then ends his assault, claiming he is too weak to fight on. As Mace is deciding to kill Palpatine, Anakin approaches and claims Palpatine must stand trial: Windu disregards this, stating Palpatine is too dangerous to be left alive. Anakin is finally forced to choose between the Jedi Order or Padmé. As Mace is about to deliver the killing blow, Anakin makes his choice, intervenes and cuts off Mace’s sword arm. Palpatine, cackling with glee, blasts the shocked Mace out of the window, sending him plunging to his death hundreds of stories below. Anakin is horrified by his actions, yet he knows now there is no turning back. He pledges allegiance to Palpatine, in return for the Dark Lord’s power to stop death, in the hope of saving his beloved wife. Palpatine takes Anakin as his Sith apprentice, bestowing upon him the Sith name Darth Vader. Palpatine then gives Vader his first assignment: to launch an assault on the Jedi Temple. Palpatine broadcasts a command to the many clone trooper commanders spread throughout the galaxy: to execute Order 66, an action that is effectively set into motion. Across the galaxy, clone troopers turn against their Jedi Generals. As Clone troopers kill their Jedi commanders Yoda feels everyone who is dying. Tarfful and Chewbacca help Yoda escape the planet. Elsewhere, Senator Bail Organa arrives at the flaming Temple to witness the slaughter of a young Padawan by a squad of troopers. He flees the scene and departs Coruscant hoping to help any surviving Jedi. Following the attack on the Jedi Temple, Vader returns to Padmé at the Senate Apartment Complex, from where the smoke rising from the wrecked Temple can be seen. He tells her the Jedi have tried to take over the Republic, and there are traitors in the Senate. He asks for her loyalty to the Chancellor, then tells her that he will go to the Mustafar system, where the remaining Separatists have gathered, to end the war. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda survive Order 66, and are picked up by Senator Organa, having evaded pursuit. The Jedi decide to return to Coruscant to recalibrate the Jedi beacon calling for all Jedi to return to Coruscant, knowing that it’s really a trap set by Palpatine. Instead, Kenobi hopes to warn any surviving Jedi to stay away from the Temple. On Mustafar, Vader kills the remaining Separatist leaders hiding on the volcanic planet as Viceroy Gunray pleads for his life. Vader strikes!

The Senate holds a special session where Palpatine tells them of the “plot of the Jedi to overthrow the Senate,” but that it was foiled. Amidst thunderous applause, he informs the Senate that the surviving Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. He then states that “in order to insure the security and continued stability the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire”, which Palpatine describes as creating a safe and secure society. As the majority of the Senate screams their approval, Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa, who are shocked at the result, simply look around and Padmé can only remark “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” In the meantime, Obi-Wan and Yoda go to the Jedi Temple, slaying clone troopers and walking in disbelief through the carnage. They recalibrate the Temple’s signal to warn all Jedi to keep away from the Temple. At the Temple’s control center, Obi-Wan looks into the security recordings. In disbelief, he watches Vader’s slaughter of the Jedi. Yoda says they have no choice but to destroy the Sith; including Vader. Obi-Wan states that Anakin is like his brother and that he cannot kill him. Yoda tells Obi-Wan that Anakin has been “consumed” by Vader, and that he must visit the New Emperor. Obi-Wan, seeking information on Anakin’s whereabouts, arrives at Padmé’s apartment. He meets Padmé and tells her that Anakin has turned to the dark side and killed the younglings in the Jedi Temple. Despite her anguish, Padmé will not reveal where her husband has gone. Obi-Wan leaves, though not before expressing his regret to Padmé, who he deduces is carrying Anakin’s child. Later, Padmé leaves Coruscant in her star skiff, departing for Mustafar to find her husband, and the truth. Unknown to her, Obi-Wan secretly stows away aboard the ship just before it takes off. In the Chancellor’s holding office within the Senate Building, Yoda confronts Darth Sidious. They engage in an intense battle using their lightsabers and Force abilities. The star skiff lands on Mustafar, and Padmé is greeted by a smiling Vader. Padmé reveals her conversation with Obi-Wan; he tells her it is only lies, though he doesn’t deny the accusations. Padmé begs him to run away with her to raise their child in peace. Vader, mad with power, counters by telling Padmé that he has brought peace to the Republic. He then states his intention to overthrow Palpatine so the two of them can rule the galaxy together. Padmé, realizing how much Anakin has changed, backs away in horror and tearfully begs him to stop. As she pleads, Vader sees his former master Obi-Wan emerge from the star skiff. He then accuses Padmé of lying about her love for him and that she brought his former master to kill him. Confused and enraged, he Force chokes his wife: Obi-Wan orders him to let her go, which Vader subsequently does only after he has throttled Padmé into unconsciousness. Vader accuses Obi-Wan of turning her against him but Obi-Wan retorts that Vader has done that himself through his anger, greed, and lust for power. Vader states that he had brought peace, justice, and freedom to his “new empire” and offers Obi-Wan a reprieve so long as he stands aside; however, Obi-Wan maintains his loyalty to democracy. Snarling that those not with him are his enemies, Vader draws his lightsaber; with no other choice and prepares to battle Obi-Wan. Back at the Grand Convocation Chamber, the heart of the Senate. the battle rages on between Darth Sidious and Yoda. Sidious then blasts Yoda with Force Lightning sending Yoda falling to the senate floor. With Bail Organa’s help, Yoda flees the Senate Building, intending to go into exile. The epic duel between Obi-Wan and Vader leads them through the Separatist stronghold on Mustafar. The duel continues as the entire facility is bombarded by lava, and both combatants ride down a lava river atop a collection arm severed from the main structure. Though on the defensive throughout the fight, Obi-Wan eventually gains the high ground by leaping to the safety of a black sand bank, and in doing so, the upper-hand, but Vader, enraged and bloodthirsty, recklessly leaps up to meet his old Master. In the blink of an eye, Obi-Wan performs a lightning-fast maneuver, severing Vader’s left arm and both of his legs at the knees. Vader tumbles down the embankment and rolls to a stop at the edge of the river of lava. As Obi-Wan watches in despair, Vader, now only being kept alive by his hate, tries in vain to pull his crippled, smoking body up the embankment with his remaining mechanical hand. Obi-Wan is overcome with disgust and sadness at the pitiful fate of “The Chosen One”, and is reduced nearly to tears. He angrily shouts that Anakin has failed in his life and destiny, and has hurt all those who loved him, including Obi-Wan himself. Vader, now completely helpless and consumed by his dark-side emotions, can only scream in pain and powerless rage, cursing his former friend and Master. Anakin screams, “I Hate You!” Darth Sidious arrives at Mustafar with a group of shock troopers and finds Vader badly burnt and mutilated, but still alive. He rescues Darth Vader from the edge of death. On the isolated asteroid Polis Massa, Yoda meditates and hears the spirit voice of Qui-Gon Jinn. The voice tells him that there is a way to merge with the Force and retain consciousness after death. In order to learn this power, Yoda declares himself an apprentice to the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan attempting to save Padmé, gets her emergency medical treatment by the facility’s droids. She is dying, having lost the will to live. The medical droids work to save her babies—she has twins, much to the surprise of Bail Organa, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. A boy and a girl are born. In her last few dying breaths, Padmé gives them the names “Luke” and “Leia.” With Padmé’s final breath, she maintains that there is still good in Anakin. She dies still believing in the man she loved, before his violent acts against the Jedi Order and the Separatist Council. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa sit at a conference table. They agree to keep Padmé appearing pregnant, thus faking the children’s deaths. For their own safety, Luke and Leia will be split up in hopes that the Sith would not sense their presence. Leia will be adopted by Bail Organa and Luke would be sent to his father’s step family on Tatooine. Obi-Wan and Yoda will watch and wait until the time is ready for the Skywalker children to do their part. Yoda tells Obi-Wan to study the technique Qui-Gon learned to achieve immortality. Bail Organa leaves R2-D2 and C-3PO in the care of Captain Antilles. Darth Vader is rebuilt on Coruscant. He is dressed in black armor with a face mask. Vader begins asking about Padmé. The Emperor, seeking to cut Vader’s last tie to his old life and permanently cement the Dark Side in his heart, lies to Vader, telling him that he killed his wife. His last shred of hope and love now gone and his mind broken by the realization he himself killed the person he wanted to save, Vader cries “Nooo!”, and unleashes a powerful involuntary Force scream of rage, shame, and grief, shattering the droids and equipment. Yoda goes into exile on the planet Dagobah. On the bridge of a Star Destroyer, Vader, the Emperor, and Governor Tarkin oversee the construction of the first Death Star, a moon-sized battle station. On Alderaan, the infant Leia is brought by Bail Organa to his wife, Queen Breha. On Tatooine, Obi-Wan brings Luke Skywalker to his new family: his uncle, Owen, and his aunt, Beru. Owen and Beru, holding the infant Luke, look out to the horizon and watch the setting of Tatooine’s twin suns.

Trade Paperback collects: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) Issues #1-4.  Dark Horse Comics

Trade Paperback is bagged & double boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Edition
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: April 2005
Format: FC, 96 pages, TPB, 10.25 x 6.75
ISBN-10: 1593073097
ISBN-13: 9781593073091

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperback is New & Unread.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Wars collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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