The writers of an official Star Wars comic book have shocked fans by adding a major new twist to the character of Han Solo, one of the beloved heroes of George Lucas's science-fiction universe.
In the Star Wars movies, Solo, played by Harrison Ford and recently named the fourth greatest movie character of all time by Empire magazine, ended up hitched to Princess Leia. But a new Star Wars comics storyline, set after the events of the original film, A New Hope (1977), and before those of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), has revealed that the smuggler and scoundrel already has a wife.
The latest issue of Marvel's Star Wars comic introduces a character named Sana Solo, who first appears masked and hunting for Han at one of his favourite hangouts, the Mos Eisley cantina on Tatooine.
Marvel and Star Wars have been under the same umbrella since Disney bought the comics firm and Lucas's company Lucasfilm in 2009 and 2012 respectively. Last year, Lucasfilm effectively disavowed any existing Star Wars science fiction set after the events of the original film trilogy. Lucasfilm also announced any new Star Wars material created under Disney's roof would automatically be “canonical”. That means the comic storyline by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday is set in stone.
As Han attempts to impress Leia with his knowledge of wine, Sana emerges from a spaceship and introduces herself: “The name is Sana Solo. I'm his wife... Now who in the hell might you be, lady?”
It is possible the new Mrs Solo is being untruthful, or that Han could be divorced or widowed in forthcoming episodes, allowing him to take up legally with Leia. And if the Princess ever asks what happened between Han and Sana, he could always tell her, “Sweetheart, it was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”
The Independent