Star Wars (2020) #37
LOBOT LOST
After a harrowing experience in No-Space looking for materials, rebels Leia Organa, Amilyn Holdo, Chewbacca, Lobot, and Lando Calrissian arw glad to be back with the rest of the Alliance.
But something sinister has been unleashed in the galaxy.
First, it comes for the metal. Then it comes for everything else….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Madibek Musabekov
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover artist: Stephen Segovia
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: August 9, 2023
As we enter the era of Dark Droids, so we enter the era of the tie-in issues that will run across the ongoing titles, and here in Star Wars #37 we’re definitely in that circle as we kick off with Lobot lying on his bed aboard Home One, the many wires and cables attached to his head illuminating and moving as he wakes with a start. We stay aboard the Headquarters Frigate and the bridge as Admiral Ackbar asks why their shield batteries have activated. It’s Lobot, and as the ship goes to battle alert we swing to a sleepy Lando Calrissian, who calls in to find out what’s going on. The ship is indeed on alert, but they believe it’s a glitch, so Lando decides to contact Lobot to see if he can help. Grumbling as he goes, he finds Lobot unconsciouss but clearly operating as we cut to Ackbar speaking to the crew. The ship is warming up to attack an unseen enemy, when suddenly the weapons begin to light up, and the realisation hits that the fleet itself is in danger. Lando pleads with Lobot, asking if he’s doing all of this and reminding him that his parts are Imperial – he will be charged, and most likely Lando with him. Calrissian has little choice, and he bashes the implants in as his friend collapses to the floor and control of the ship is restored.
We see Lobot on a med bed as a 2-1B droids asseses his injuries. The Imperial parts he was refitted with have allowed him to be controlled, while also searing away his emotions. The med droid knows Lobot took over the ship, but also explains that the Imperial implants cannot do any further damage, at least not to the ship. Lobot will die if the implants recede and his original personality reasserts itself, and so lando makes a decision. He wipes the 2-1B droids memory and promises Lobot he’ll put things right as we step back into a memory from years ago on Castell, as a far more cognizant Lobot and Lando celebrate a sabacc win, enough to get them from under a pile of debt to Papa Toren. However, Lando has other ideas, a ‘sidestep’ that will mean conning an Imperial Moff and making a take. Lando is incredulous – they have the solution to their problems, but Lando is undeterred and we cut to later, an exploding ship and an escape pod as Lobot tells Lando he’s better than this, that he can do better with his skills, and to now as Lando lowers a blast shield on Lobot to block the signals. Lando feels compromised; he sold the droid that fixed Lobot to Jabba, giving the Hutt the capability to hack rebel transmissions in oder to clear his debts to the Hutt. In short, he needs to be the Lando of old.
He heads to the hangar, passers by congratulating him on his recent work, and asks Threepio where Leia is. The protocol droid is clearly not his usual self, but we switch to Lando telling Leia he’s leaving for a while in the Falcon, which she is less than happy about. She reminds him the ship belongs to Han and how it’s a military asset for the Alliance, and Lando retorts that if she doesn’t trust him by now, maybe it’s time to leave for good. Turns out she does trust him, and we see Lando and Lobot aboard the Falcon heading away from the fleet towards Tatooine, where the droid who fixed Lando will be.
We find said droid in the bad graces of Jabba, his translation of a recent deal scuppered due to his ancient programming, and he finds himself in the droid dungeon of EV-9D9, the very real threat of a total memory wipe looming as we roll out of the issue. It’s fascinating, as the Battle of Endor approaches and resources become a very real priority we can still focus on smaller stories like this, the fate of Lobot entwined with the threat posed by the Dark Droids storyline. It’s well played, tidily crafted and adds a layer of sadness to the relationship between Lando and Lobot while a key moment happens – the moment Leia finally admits that she does trust Lando. Let’s hope that trust is repaid as Lando heads to Tatooine, a location that will soon be galactically important.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Soule, Charles (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 23 Pages - 09/06/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
