Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #1Star Warshas set up the perfect foundation forLuke Skywalker’sfuture Jedi academy. Located on the world of Ossus,The Book of Boba Fettsaw Luke building his school to train new Jedi during the New Republic. While it was eventually destroyed by Kylo Ren ahead ofThe Force Awakens,newStar Warscomics are setting the stage for the academy’s origins thanks to a key new ally for Luke in the era’s earliest days.
Currently, Marvel Comics has moved its flagshipStar Warsseries from the period betweenEmpire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedito the New Republic Era after theBattle of Jakku. Likewise, a new tie-in series has just been launched by Cherish Chen and Gabriel Guzman.EntitledDoctor Aphra -Chaos Agent, the new series stars the classic rogue archaeologist as she once again crosses paths with Luke Skywalker himself.
Having first debuted in Marvel’s first canonicalStar Warsera and its connectedDarth Vaderseries in 2015,Doctor Aphra has come a long way from when she was working for the Sith Lord.Now, Luke Skywalker is offering Doctor Aphra a chance to become something more, which could very well prove very beneficial for his future Jedi academy.
Luke Skywalker and Doctor Aphra Are Joining Forces During The New Republic
Giving The Rogue Archaeologist A New Purpose
In this first issue, Luke Skywalker reunites with Doctor Aphra in the custody of the New Republic’s Department of Artifacts and Archival Goods Retrieval, also known as the Daggers.Having been placed in their custody after a failed attempt to steal yet another artifact in the hopes of a big score, Aphra and Luke are paired on a mission to retrieve a gauntlet that’s rumored to be capable of harnessing the Force itself. It’s also revealed that Luke provided some key character testimony on Aphra’s behalf due to their previous encounters, ensuring that she wasn’t just thrown in a cell.
For all of her rough edges, Luke has always seen the best in Aphra, always believing she’s capable of much more. Case in point, Aphra ends up surprising herself when Luke convinces her not to cut and run (when she easily could have by the issue’s end). Likewise, she’s even more surprised when Luke convinces Director Gray to give Aphra a job with the Daggers, giving him a new purpose and to become a part of something bigger than herself. As such, this could lead to an exciting role for Aphra and the future ofLuke’s Jedi academy on Ossus.
I Think Aphra Will Be Able To Help Luke Start His Jedi Academy
Helping Recover Key Jedi Relics and Artifacts
If their past misadventures and this latest mission are any indication, I do think we can expect Luke Skywalker and Aphra to be working more than ever before. Not only do they have some very fun dynamics and chemistry, but Aphra’s knowledge as an archaeologist should prove invaluable to Luke’s goals for the Jedi. After all, we know that Luke was determined during theNew Republic Erato find as many Jedi texts and relics as he could, hoping to pattern his Jedi academy after the Jedi Order that once was.
To her credit, the last issue of the rogue doctor’s lastStar Warsseries sawAphra discovering an ancient Jedi outpost and ancient texts. That’s exactly the kind of thing Luke is looking for during this period.Much likeThe Force Awakens’Lor San Tekka, I thinkStar Warshas perfectly set the stage for Doctor Aphra to become a key ally in Luke Skywalker’s efforts to bring back the Jedi, though we’ll have to see what the rest of this new series brings with future issues.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #1is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
Doctor Aphra
An archaeologist who trained at the University of Bar’leth, Doctor Aphra has always tended to put her own interests first. She’s particularly interested in retrieving valuable relics related to ancient (and forbidden) Force traditions, and this has often brought her to the attention of Darth Vader and even Palpatine himself. Aphra is an unlikely ally for the Rebel Alliance, but she’s clearly on a path of redemption, one that could potentially lead to uncovering ancient Jedi secrets.
