'Star Wars' to Fill in Obi-Wan's Missing Years

One of the great unanswered questions in Star Wars lore is what happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi between his defeat of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and rescue of the latter’s twins, Luke and Leia, in Revenge of the Sith and his encounter with the adult Luke Skywalker on Tatooine decades later as depicted in A New Hope.

Now, Marvel is going to fill in the blanks in the upcoming Star Wars No. 7 comic book. The popular comic series, set after Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to Darth Vader and the subsequent destruction of the first Death Star, finds Luke back on Tatooine exploring the hut of his mentor. There, Luke discovers Obi-Wan’s journals, which reveal “the secret history of Ben Kenobi” — i.e., how the superstar Jedi became a desert hermit.

Marvel has revealed scant details ahead of the issue, which will be available later this month, beyond the following blurb and some newly released preview pages:

Now, experience Kenobi’s harrowing accounts of days long gone by! It is a time when injustice reigned on Tattooine. As villainous scum runs rampant over the blistering sands, only a Jedi Master stands any hope of liberating the planet from the grasp of gangs, thieves and thugs. But would Ben risk everything to do what was right? Even if it meant revealing himself to those searching for his whereabouts?

While the character has briefly surfaced in the animated TV series Star Wars Rebels, which takes place between Episodes III and IV, this will be the most complete official accounting of Obi-Wan’s post-Sith adventures since Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney. About 10 years ago, there was a 10-book YA novel series titled The Last of the Jedi, which covered similar ground. In that series, a brooding Obi-Wan went into hiding on Tatooine to be close to young Skywalker; the master eventually finds a new Padawan to train while assembling a band of surviving Jedi and dodging Imperial forces.

Those “expanded universe” stories, however, are no longer considered part of Star Wars canon. Going forward, whatever happens in the Marvel comic, as well as Rebels, will have the Lucasfilm seal of approval.

Here is a look at the variant covers for the upcoming Star Wars No. 7.