Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire

Boba Fett vs. IG-88

The fall of the base on Hoth signaled dangerous times for the Rebellion. In an attempt to gain information about recent assassination attempts on Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa and Chewbacca followed a lead to the Imperial Base in Coruscant. There they hoped to confront Prince Xizor, Underlord of the Black Sun, who was rumored to have information regarding these attempts. Imperial City was not a safe place for wanted Rebel Alliance figures such as Chewbacca and Leia, so to avoid arrest the two disguised themselves as intergalactically known bounty hunters. Chewbacca dyed large patches of black in his hair and adopted the weaponry of Snoova, a well-known Wookiee bounty hunter. To further authenticate the disguise, he reluctantly shaved the fur on his head to a short crew cut.

While on Coruscant, Chewbacca discovered that the charismatic Xizor was responsible for the attempts on Skywalker's life. After a narrow escape from the labyrinth of Black Sun's hideout, Chewie was able to contact Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian and inform them that Leia was being held prisoner on Coruscant by Xizor. The band knew then that they had only one option: go to Coruscant and rescue Leia.

In all the galaxy there are few who can fly and shoot like Dash Rendar. Many years ago, as a cadet at the Imperial Acadmey, he continually impressed his superiors with the ability to push vessels beyond their usual limits, executing maneuvers his ships were never meant to perform. He held great promise as a future Imperial officer until a freight vessel piloted by his brother malfunctioned and crashed on Coruscant, destroying a private museum that housed many of the Emperor's treasures. Though the mishap was not the pilot's fault, the Emperor banished Rendar's family and had Dash expelled from the academy. Given his bold disregard for regulation and arrogant confidence, it is doubtful that Dash would have fit in well within the ranks of the Empire anyway. He never hesitates to boast of his skills as an expert pilot and gunner. After his dismissal from the academy, he began a career as a thief and gambler, but soon discovered that his exceptional flying skills were a great asset in the smuggling business. He quickly became very successful, making his services expensive but guaranteed for the right price.

Rendar flew a snowspeeder as a mercenary during the Battle of Hoth, and Princess Leia later hired him to protect Luke Skywalker from the dark Prince Xizor's ruthless bounty hunters. He played a significant role in the effort to overcome Xizor by destroying numerous Black Sun starships with his state of the art Outrider starfighter. With Rendar at the helm, the vessel is one of the quickest and most fearsome fighting machines in the galaxy.

There are few who can shoot, fly, and brag like Dash Rendar. As one of the most effective mercenaries and smugglers in the galaxy, he needs a craft large enough to hold a sizable cargo, but with the speed and agility of a starfighter. The Outrider is such a ship. Its design is inspired by a Corellian freighter much like the famed Millennium Falcon, with a few different specifications. For one, the Outrider is more compact and a little quicker in sub-lightspeeds. It also has a beefed-up hyperdrive and powerful twin shield generators housed in the forward main hulls. Rotating dual laser cannons are mounted on the top and bottom turrets, but its most notable feature is its conversion to battle mode. This is a state-of-the-art defense system in which the main hull separates from port to stern with a rotating swing-arm mechanism that provides the ship with an almost unlimited field of fire. In this mode the ship's rotating axis, the Outrider may appear to be flying out of control when in fact, it is efficiently avoiding enemy fire and destroying enemy craft at an unbelievable rate. Many have compared the Outrider's "blast-cluster" attacks to a hurricane, since it appears to be moving in every direction at once before snapping out of battle-mode and into lightspeed for an easy exit. With Dash Rendar in her cockpit, the Outrider is a devastating fighter and one of the most challenging targets in the galaxy.

Boba Fett vs. IG-88

Luke Skywalker in Imperial Guard Disguise
HEIGHT:    1.72 Meters
STATUS:    Jedi in Training
CLASSIFICATION:    Human
AFFILIATION:    Rebel Alliance
WEAPON OF CHOICE:    Lightsaber

Accessories: battle staff, removable gown, lightsaber, removable cape

While a grim Luke Skywalker reels from Darth Vader's revelation on the cloud city of Bespin, the tattered remnants of the Rebel fleet desperately seek sanctuary and time to muster new allies. Their forces are weak, and that has not escaped the notice of Emperor Palpatine -- ultimate victory lies within his grasp. All it will take is another blow to crush this Rebel Alliance, one more straw to break their backs. A blow, Palpatine reasons, that could be struck by the vast, criminal underworld that lurks within the Shadows of the Empire . . .

Prince Xizor controls the largest merchant fleet in the galaxy -- that makes him a valuable asset to the Empire and to the Emperor. And that makes him Darth Vader's hated enemy. As Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca head to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo, they get caught in the crossfire of the galaxy's deadliest rivalry . . . in the Shadows of the Empire.

They outnumber him and outgun him. By all rights, Luke Skywalker should be one dead Jedi-in-training, the target of a surprise attack by Jabba's swoop gang. But he's not . . . and even he isn't certain of the reason!

What would it take for you to step into the den of a rancor? What treasure would tempt you to stare death in the face? Aboard Boba Fett's ship is a carbonite-encased Han Solo. Jabba's willing to pay plenty for Solo, making him a tempting treasure for every bounty hunter in the galaxy. But tempting enough to board the Slave I? Apparently, somebody thinks so!

The bounty on Skywalker's head is good cold or warm, dead or alive. A live bounty will always bring a bigger reward than a dead one, but when the target leaves you no choice you take what you can get.

Leia has been captured by Prince Xizor, underlord of the galaxy's most ruthless criminal organization, and Han Solo has been encased in carbonite by Darth Vader, a package Boba Fett intends to deliver to Jabba the Hutt. As the Rebels approach their most deperate hour, it appears as though their long battle may be at an end. But looks can be deceiving in the Shadows of the Empire!

It was the biggest event in the Star Wars mythos since the release of the films, now all six issues are available in one deluxe, hardcover package! Featuring an original plate by Hugh Fleming signed by creators John Wagner, Kilian Plunkett, and P. Craig Russell! Fill in the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi with this outstanding Star Wars collectible!

Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker -- alive. Prince Xizor, the largest trader in the galaxy, wants Skywalker dead. And Skywalker, along with Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids, have a goal of their own: rescue Han Solo. But Solo has been encased in carbonite and taken by the most notorious mercenary in the galaxy, Boba Fett, who intends to deliver him to Jabba the Hutt. It's a clash of good against evil, of right against wrong, and it comes to a head in the Shadows of the Empire . . . Featuring all your favorite characters from the Star Wars motion picture trilogy and a score of new ones, Shadows of the Empire is everything a Star Wars fan could hope for.