Marvel’sStar Warscomics are set to introduce a nearly-forgotten character into canon, one who was originally designed as part of a Kenner Toys action figure line from the 1980s. The debut of Atha Prime inStar Wars: Jedi Knightswill be a treat for the most hardcore fans of the franchise, bringing a badass character design to life after forty years of waiting.
As announced by Marvel Comics,Star Wars: Jedi Knights– written by Marc Guggenheim, with art by Madibek Musabekov – will introduce Atha Prime, a character “inspired by unused Return of the Jedi concept art.”
While the character was initially intended to serve as a replacement antagonist for Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, for a line of toys that never came to fruition,now Atha Prime will make an impact on contemporaryStar Warsin a new, untold story from the Prequel Era.
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Kenner’s original pitch to Lucasfilm for Atha Prime positioned him as the first post-Return of the Jediantagonist in franchise history, as they originally carried the responsibility of developing the nascent Expanded Universe in the wake of the conclusion of the Original Trilogy. Part of the toy company’s ambitious plan for the character even included making him the mastermind behind the Clone Wars – back when the conflict was still one ofStar Warscanon’s greatest mysteries, nearly 20 years before the Prequels answered fans' questions.
This is still a major milestone for the character, and the franchise, as Atha Prime’s design is plucked from obscurity and given a prominent place in Disney’sStar Warscanon.
Now, Atha Prime will be introduced as part of a Prequel-era adventure, inStar Wars: Jedi Knights. According to the advanced tidbits shared by Marvel about the character’s role in the series,the book “will introduce the character as a mysterious planet’s tyrannical ruler who boldly opposes the Republic and the Jedi Order.“While his role in franchise lore might not be as grandiose as Kenner originally intended, this is still a major milestone for the character, and the franchise, asAtha Prime’s design is plucked from obscurityand given a prominent place in Disney’sStar Warscanon.
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AsStar WarsEditor Mark Paniccia noted:
While developing the series, [author] Marc [Guggenheim] discovered this deep cut – the antagonist from Kenner’s unrealizedThe Epic Continuestoy line. We saw the original design and were immediately sold. What a cool character to bring into canon and what a perfect book to do it in!
Creative decisions like this are exactly whatmakesStar Warscanon a treatfor fans, and an exciting tapestry for creators to weave their own threads into. The concept art for Atha Prime has been floating around for forty years now, even though “The Epic Continues” toy series never made it to shelves. DiehardStar Warsfans have speculated when and how the character might finallyappear in continuity in aStar Warsstorythe entire time, and now it is finally happening.
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The plan to bring Atha Prime into canon has been building for some time at Marvel; the appearance of a mystery character on one of the variant covers forStar Wars: Legacy of Vader#1 prompted speculation about a number of different identities, and while Atha Prime is among the most surprising, he is also among the most intriguing. Now that Atha Prime is finally canon,the designers of this unproduced 1980sStar Warstoy should be thrilled that their design still managed to endure and eventually find popularity.
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.
