Warning! Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars #50 ahead!
The final issue of Marvel’sStar Warscomic series pays tribute to the unsung heroes of the Galactic Civil War, asLuke Skywalkerreveals to a young Ben Solothe surprising group who wield power which extends beyond that of even the Jedi in certain ways: the galaxy’s record clerks.
Star Wars#50 – written by Charles Soule, with art by Madibek Musabekov – contains a tense scene in which a Rebel operation to kill Palpatine, and Lando’s life, hang in the balance, with it all coming down to the will of a single Imperial clerk.
As amusing as it might sound, the scene, and Luke’s explanation that “record clerks have power [he and Ben] could never dream of,” serves as a reminder to fans of the many nameless heroes that exist in the margins of theStar Warssaga’s main action.
Luke Skywalker Admits That The Galaxy’s Record Clerks Have Power Even The Most Powerful Jedi Envy
Star Wars#50 – Written By Charles Soule, Art By Madibek Musabekov; Color By Rachelle Rosenberg; Lettering By Clayton Cowles
“Record clerks have powers you and I could never dream of,” Luke tells Ben Solo inStar Wars#50. The series finale ofMarvel’sStar Warsongoinguses an early moment from Ben’s Jedi training as a framing device for the series' climactic Original Trilogy-era tale, set just prior toReturn of the Jedi. The issue is packed with action, a potent moral dilemma, andexciting additions toStar Warscanon– but perhaps its most triumphant moment involves a one-off character, who makes a pivotal decision for the future of the galaxy.
Often, these minor acts of heroism are lost in the grand spectacle of theStar Warssaga, making it incredibly effective for this moment to play such a central role in the final issue of the series.
The plot ofStar Wars#50 involves Luke and the other heroes of the Rebellion using an ancient superweapon known as the “Grim Rose” in an attempt to kill Palpatine. The crux of their plan involves obtaining a sample of the Emperor’s DNA – which they ultimately acquire thanks to a clerk with long-dormant Rebel sympathies. The frame story allows Luke to elaborate on the importance of this moment, as part of a lesson he attempts to impart to Ben. As Luke explains:
We didn’t just beat the Empire with blasters and lightsabers, Ben. There are many ways to fight. It’s about the decision. The choice…
In this way,Star Wars#50 honors the countless unnamed, unheralded heroes of the galaxy.
Often, these minor acts of heroism are lost in thegrand spectacle of theStar Warssaga, making it incredibly effective for this moment to play such a central role in the final issue of the series. Though the plot against Palpatine in the issue fails,the fact that it comes as close as it does to taking out the Emperor even before he made it to Endor can be solely attributed to a single Imperial clerk, who said, as Luke puts it “enough is enough.”
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The moment itself between Lando and the heroic clerk fromStar Wars#50 is worth unpacking in more detail, not just for its thematic significance, but for its dramatic potency as well. In the scene, Lando dons an Imperial uniform, in order to infiltrate a record-keeping facility on Naboo – a planet that, as the issue explains, remains reverently loyal to its former senator, Sheev Palpatine, the reigning Emperor of the galaxy. Unfortunately for Lando, the clerk whom he attempts to wrangle Palpatine’s DNA deposit from recognizes his ruse from a mile away.
This scene fromStar Wars#50 resolves in triumph, rather than tragedy, only by virtue of the fact that the clerk is sympathic to the cause of removing Palpatine from power.
The clerk slyly lays a trap for Lando, referring to him as “lieutenant,” despite the fact that he is wearing a captain’s insignia.When she clues Calrissian inthat she’s on to his masquerade, what results is a moment of sublime tension, played out across several wordless panels. Horrified realization dawns on Lando’s face, as the clerk looks back at him, almost restraining a smirk; Lando reaches for his blaster, while the clerk’s finger hovers over an alarm trigger on the bottom of her desk.
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This scene fromStar Wars#50 resolves in triumph, rather than tragedy, only by virtue of the fact that the clerk is sympathic to the cause of removing Palpatine from power. In this way,Marvel’sStar Warsalso highlights that no planet, or group of people, is universally committed to one cause or another.Though Naboo is firmly Imperialistic, this individual clerk is a crypto-Rebel– thankfully for Lando, and for the Rebel Alliance as a whole. Overall, the acquisition of Palpatine’s DNA absolutely the high point ofStar Wars#50.
The Naboo Record Clerk’s Heroism Started Long Before Her Scene With Lando
Star Wars#50 – Available Now From Marvel Comics
What is important to note about this character fromStar Wars#50 is that while her scene with Lando affords her a climactic moment, her heroism actually extends back to the earliest days of the Empire.
Once the tension of Lando’s exchange with the record clerk on Naboo resolves itself in his favor, it also delivers a comedic beat; Calrissian goes from being ready to shoot his way out of the place to flirting with the woman across the desk in an instant. The clerk demurely informs Lando that she is “very happily married,” before growing serious once more and telling the disguised Rebel in her midst to “remove [the] stain"of Palpatine from the galaxy.
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What is important to note about this character fromStar Wars#50 is that while her scene with Lando affords her a climactic moment, her heroism actually extends back to the earliest days of the Empire.She is revealed to have secretly stashed away Palpatine’s DNA, which was supposed to be destroyed– giving the Rebels the chance to pull off the “Grim Rose” plot at the heart of the issue, which in turn precipitates their final victory at Endor shortly after.
The Clerk From “Star Wars #50” Signifies The True Nature Of Strength In The Franchise
Power Does Not Equal Might
“Everyone is strong in their own way,” Luke concludes his lesson about the clerk to Ben Solo, over a final image of the character – still at her desk, just as she always has, but having made a major impact on the struggle for supremacy between good and evil in the galaxy. Given that fans know Ben’s Jedi training will end in despair in its own, with the son of Han and Leia rejecting Luke and seeking the carnal,short-term power of the Dark Side, this moment has a particular weight that makes it all the more relevant.
As Luke Skywalker explains in the final issue of Marvel’sStar Warsongoing series, the quiet heroism of the universe’s ordinary citizens is as important to the series as the actions of its most recognizable characters.
With this moment, writer Charles Soule and Marvel Comics took the opportunity to remind readers that true strength is not a matter of wielding unlimited power, or being able to dominate one’s enemies. It rests in the decisions made by individuals at every level of society, on every planet in the galaxy. Just as Luke Skywalker had to make the choice to leave Tattooine and become a Rebel,the clerk inStar Wars#50 recognizes the importance of her actions and does what she believes is right.
As epic asStar Warscan be, fans should value the occasional reminder that the exploits of the franchise’s main characters are exceptional; that is, blowing up Death Stars and toppling galactic tyrannies are exceptions to the everyday lives of the innumerable beings that live in theStar Warsgalaxy. Yet asLuke Skywalkerexplains in the final issue of Marvel’sStar Warsongoing series, the quiet heroism of the universe’s ordinary citizens is as important to the series as the actions of its most recognizable characters.
Star Wars (2020)
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
