Star Wars Teases How Major Solo Villain Might Have Influenced Return of the Jedi

Ever since Marvel Comics began releasing its Star Wars series back in 2015, various storylines have allowed it to fill in gaps on key components of the original trilogy of films, with the current narrative continuing to hint at revelatory information. With the current storyline unfolding between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, it's exploring how Luke, Leia, and Lando attempted to rescue Han Solo frozen in carbonite from Boba Fett, a point in time in which Star Wars fans had little information about. In Star Wars #18, fans were given a tease that an unexpected figure could have helped with the Rebels' rescue efforts.

WARNING: Minor spoilers below for Star Wars #18

Earlier this year, the "War of the Bounty Hunters" event that brought together a number of different Star Wars comics explored the return of Solo: A Star Wars Story's Qi'ra as the head of the Crimson Dawn. Part of her overall plan was to capture Solo frozen in carbonite and use this as leverage to manipulate other organizations and even the Galactic Empire, as well as hoping that Solo could be retrieved by those closest to him. 

While Qi'ra might not have been able to save Solo from Boba Fett, she did meet with Leia aboard the Millennium Falcon to admit her intentions, noting that, while she cared about Han, it wasn't in the same way as his relationship with Leia. She also noted that, in the midst of all the schemes she was working on, she was offering the assistance of Crimson Dawn who could help the Rebels pull off the daunting task of stealing Solo from Jabba the Hutt.

The scene in question is an encounter fans have been theorizing about since we realized how deeply Han cared for Qi'ra back in 2018 when Solo was released, with this issue delivering all of the charm, wit, and chemistry we would expect the two figures to have with one another. As has been clear since Qi'ra returned earlier this year, we don't entirely know how deep the Crimson Dawn has immersed itself within the Empire and other organizations, so it's still unknown how, or even if, they play a part in Leia and Lando infiltrating Jabba's Palace.

Whatever the future might hold, this tease will surely draw the attention of Star Wars fans and keep them invested in how this current storyline pays off.

Star Wars #18 is on shelves now.

What did you think of this tease? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!