Star Wars is in the process of rebuilding its official canon after Disney made the decision to detonate thirty-five years of accumulated backstory last year. Thanks to a handful of new novels, The Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows, and the movies themselves, parts of the universe are already in place, but as partners such as book publisher Del Rey and comics powerhouse Marvel scramble to fill in the gaps before Episode VII's launch, there are still plenty of opportunities to drop proton torpedo-sized story bombs on Star Wars fans.
We need to talk about Han Solo
And the biggest one of these so far has just hit. For those yet to read the latest issue of Marvel's ongoing Star Wars line of comics, consider this a spoiler warning. For others, there's something you need to know about Han Solo. He may be a smuggler, a scoundrel, and stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder, but Solo is also — according to issue six of Marvel's comic — a married man. The latest comic unveils one Sana Solo, a female human character first introduced as a mysterious masked figure searching for Han in Tatooine's Mos Eisley cantina.
Han's not actively cheating on Sana with Leia — Marvel's Star Wars takes place between Episodes IV and V before he and the Princess make it official — but it seems a little strange that he wouldn't mention a significant other at any point during multiple movie appearances. Perhaps he and Sana could be broken up by the time The Empire decides to Strike Back, or perhaps the ceremony was completed outside of Imperial jurisdiction, or perhaps amoral criminal Han Solo just didn't want to mention his wife as he tried to hit on new people.
However it plays out, this is by far the biggest change to an established Star Wars character yet, and to have it happen to one as pivotal and ever-present as Han Solo feels particularly surprising. To me, it's like finding out that one of your parents has a secret family that they've not been telling you about. I'll be able to cope with the change in time, but I just need some space. If you need me, I'll be in the secret compartments under the Millennium Falcon's floor.
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