— Ch. 1 · Origins And Development —
Dark Empire.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy first developed the Dark Empire story for Marvel Comics in the late 1980s. Their previous work on The Light and Darkness War caught the attention of Lucasfilm executives. After difficult negotiations with Marvel, Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to produce the series. Veitch pitched a radical idea to franchise creator George Lucas involving a character wearing Darth Vader's armor. Lucas rejected that specific concept but approved the return of Emperor Palpatine using a clone body. Editorial contact throughout the development process was Lucy Autrey Wilson rather than Lucas directly. Wilson later stated in 2022 that she allowed Veitch creative freedom without asking Lucas about every detail. The initial six-issue limited series began publication bimonthly in 1991 and concluded in 1992. A second six-issue series followed from 1994 to 1995 before the final two-part conclusion arrived in 1995.
Resurrection Of The Emperor
Six years after Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker enters a massive Force storm near Coruscant. He allows himself to be devoured by the energy disturbance while holding off Imperial attacks alone. Luke awakens aboard an old Imperial prison ship heading toward the Deep Core planet Byss. Inside a chamber he finds Emperor Palpatine alive within a fresh clone body. The Emperor explains his survival strategy involves transferring his spirit into successive cloned vessels. Luke sees the futility of trying to kill him again since another body awaits ready. Sensing the horror unfolding on Mon Calamari where World Devastators attack Admiral Ackbar's homeworld, Luke surrenders. He becomes the Emperor's new apprentice to stop the destruction of the Rebel fleet. Han Solo and Leia Organa travel to Nar Shaddaa to rescue their friend. They reunite with smugglers Shug Ninx and Salla Zend to secure passage past Imperial security. Boba Fett survives the sarlacc pit and hunts them down across the moon. The group breaks out of Byss but leaves Luke behind once more as they escape with the Jedi Holocron artifact.