Star Wars: Empire Ascendant Offers Surprising Connection to Sequel Trilogy

There's likely never been a better time to be a Star Wars fan, as we no longer have to rely solely [...]

There's likely never been a better time to be a Star Wars fan, as we no longer have to rely solely on movies for new content, as we can learn more about our favorites characters in TV shows, novels, video games, and comic books. The sprawling nature of the galaxy far, far away means that stories that seemingly are isolated in nature could surprise us by tying together various corners of the franchise, making for an even more cohesive narrative. In the recent comic Star Wars: Empire Ascendant, fans were given an unexpected piece of information about Poe Dameron, who audiences first met in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Star Wars: Empire Ascendant

In the anthology comic from Marvel, fans are given an experience chronicling how Poe Dameron's parents helped build the Rebel Alliance's Echo Base on Hoth prior to the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Written by Charles Soule with art by Luke Ross, the story "An Echo of Victory" chronicles two Rebels, Shara and Kes, excavating Hoth in hopes of establishing the Echo Base, utilizing unconventional technology to cut through walls of ice. Sadly, due to the unpredictable nature of their equipment results in a cave-in, resulting in the pair facing certain doom. No matter what direction they were to point the laser in hopes of clearing a path towards escape, they would complicate the integrity of the Echo Base, with their situation seeming dire.

star wars empire ascendant poe dameron 2
(Photo: Marvel Comics)

What makes the Rebellion so strong is the devotion of each Rebel to taking down the Galactic Empire at all costs, which means none of them are ever alone. As the pair face certain doom, committing to sacrificing themselves for the prosperity of the Echo Base, they both start recording a message to their son, named "Poe," expressing how they understood the decisions they were making for the good of the galaxy.

Luckily, a lightsaber cuts through the ice, as Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca appear to offer the duo assistance, as Han Solo and Leia Organa express that they were willing to compromise components of the new base to rescue the Rebels. As Han refers to Kes as "Dameron," we get confirmation that the young child they saw in their hologram recording was a young Poe Dameron, years before he ever joined the Resistance.

star wars empire ascendant poe dameron 3
(Photo: Marvel Comics)

The events of Empire Ascendant might not have lasting ramifications on the overall sequel trilogy, but knowing that Poe Dameron's parents could have potentially appeared in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back enriches both the events of that film and Poe Dameron's backstory.

Star Wars: Empire Ascendant is on sale now.

Did you appreciate this connection to the sequel character? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

0comments