The entire 42-issue run of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters unfolded in the time between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, allowing the events of the series to occasionally cross over with other comic events unfolding in the galaxy far, far away. Today’s release of Bounty Hunters #42, which marks the end of the series, also revealed a connection that the protagonists of the series had with the original trilogy of Star Wars films, which included the tease that a longtime fan-favorite character played a role in the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #42 is on shelves now.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #42
Beilert Valance debuted in the pages of Star Wars comics back in 1978, with his exploits being relegated to the non-canonical Legends corner of the franchise. Valance was brought into the official canon with Bounty Hunters, which solidified his connection to Han Solo in their earlier years, with the events of Bounty Hunters often running parallel to other major events without much overlap. The final issue, though, changes all that.
The issue sees Valance heading to Jabba’s Palace, as he reportedly has a score to settle with both the gangster and with Boba Fett. Jabba doesn’t fall for the trap and instead manages to pit Valance against a massive droid, which tests the bounty hunter’s limits of combat. Valance ends up not being alone, as the other bounty hunters featured in the series come to aid Valance and he is able to topple the mechanical threat.
This battle ends up not only allowing Valance to showcase his fighting skills to prove to Jabba and Boba Fett why they should stay out of his way, but we also learn that Valance neutralized the droid to make it easier for Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Chewbacca to infiltrate the palace to rescue Han Solo.
This connection might not be a game-changing reveal for the original Star Wars trilogy, as our heroes faced a number of obstacles when it came to the Jabba’s Palace rescue, with this scene further establishing Valance’s moral code for a scoundrel like Solo. With this being the last issue of the series, largely setting the stage for how the series’ protagonists venture forward, for those readers who might not have been satisfied enough with this resolution, this sendoff allowed Valance to cement himself in the history of the saga.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #42 is on shelves now.
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