Star Wars Writer Sets the Stage for Doctor Aphra’s Post-Return of the Jedi Series (Exclusive)

The galaxy’s most infamous archaeologist is back. One of the breakout stars of Marvel’s run of Star Wars comics set during the Original Trilogy was Doctor Aphra. An original character created during Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca’s Darth Vader run 10 years ago, Doctor Aphra became so popular that she eventually headlined her own solo series. Marvel recently relaunched its Star Wars line of comics, and Doctor Aphra will once again put her unique skills to the test in a new book that takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi and the Battle of Jakku.

ComicBook spoke to writer Cherish Chen (Radiant Red) about Star Wars: Doctor Aphra – Chaos Agent, her new series with artist Gabriel Guzman. We asked Chen about Doctor Aphra’s status quo when the book begins, the secret mission she’s undertaking with Luke Skywalker, the artifact Aphra is hunting for, new and returning Star Wars characters, and what it’s like getting to be the second Star Wars series to launch in Marvel’s new era of storytelling. We can also exclusively reveal interior pages from Star Wars: Doctor Aphra – Chaos Agent #1.

ComicBook: What is Doctor Aphra’s status quo when we find her in the first issue? Is she enjoying life under the New Republic?

Cherish Chen: Aphra’s status in Issue #1 is very, shall we say, typical of her character — she’s still the Aphra we know and love, sometimes against our better judgment — but I think fans may be surprised by the unexpected consequences she’s had to deal with in the aftermath of the Empire falling apart. “Enjoyable” is not how I would describe things at the moment for the good doctor.

From what we know of the series, Doctor Aphra joins Luke Skywalker as they go in search of a mysterious artifact. Why is Luke so interested in finding it?

Readers are going to see the effect of this artifact very quickly in Issue #1. What I can say is that it is an amalgamation of the old and the new, and you’ll see quickly that it’s quite dangerous. Its power is mysterious, even to Luke, and that’s why he’s so invested in getting it, understanding it, and keeping it safe.

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What type of threats and bad guys will fans get to meet? And what about any returning characters from previous runs of Doctor Aphra?

Oh, so many threats, so many bad guys across the first arc. We’ve whipped together some truly wild characters that I’m personally very excited to introduce. There are also a lot of new or previously less explored environments Aphra will be visiting, which has been very fun. And yes of course, we’re going to see many familiar faces from both the bigger Star Wars galaxy and those from Aphra’s former affiliations. We’re pouring a lot of our efforts into keeping Aphra connected to the familiar aspects fans will hopefully be excited to see while also expanding the realm of possibilities within this truly vast galaxy.

Working on the side of the New Republic offers some fresh storytelling opportunities. Does the “Chaos Agent” part of the comic’s title mean Aphra will still wind up in some sticky situations?

This era we’re working in is a very, very different heat. As mentioned earlier, some things never change for a messy disaster fiend like Aphra but the context she’s operating under now is less mobile than when she worked under the Empire. I’d say “Chaos Agent” is a very intentional title choice that infers Aphra’s new reality and that the sticky situations are only compounding for her.

Getting to be the second Star Wars ongoing series to debut after the franchise relaunch is no small feat. What are you most excited for fans to experience in your opening story arc?

I’m excited for fans to experience more of what makes Aphra so great — intense adventure, unexpected twists, ridiculous amounts of fun, all jam-packed into this clever, emotional, morally fascinating gremlin of a character — but now within the context of this newly defined post-Jakku era of Star Wars. It’s an exciting time to be working within because there is an incredible amount of room to explore. The first issue delivers a lot of the spirit of what we’re trying to do across this first chunk of stories so I hope readers find it exhilarating and fun. We’re definitely taking Aphra into new territory with this series!

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra – Chaos Agent #1 goes on sale June 18th. Let us know your thoughts on the series and the first look in the comments below!