A lone A-Wing pilot, spiraling out of control, decides to crash his spacecraft directly into the bridge of the Executor. This is an important scene in Return of the Jedi, starring a throwaway character. His final suicidal act is enough to bring the flagship of the Empire crashing down in a colossal explosion, helping secure victory for the Rebel Alliance.
Arvel Crynyd, a.k.a. Green Leader, is a minor character who makes a huge impact. But we never get to learn more about this pilot, who gets maybe five seconds of screen time. Now, one Star Wars fan fascinated by the scene has given Crynyd's sacrifice even more of an emotional punch by crafting a tragic and beautifully drawn comic backstory.
We get to see his love interest, who also appears to be a pilot in the Rebel Alliance. We get to see the terror and sadness on Crynyd's face as he realizes his love is gone — and then the calm expression of one who has accepted his fate.
It's a powerful and touching short story from creator Daniel Warren Johnson, who says that Crynyd crashing his A-Wing has always been his favorite scene in Star Wars.
"For some reason, this A wing pilot MOVED me," Johnson wrote on his blog. "Everything about this part of Return of the Jedi made me want to DRAW and CREATE. This is a fan fiction comic I made in April, just because I love this scene and I love comics. I was originally going to only have this story in print with me at shows, but I want as many people to see it as possible. There's a big part of me in these eleven pages, I hope you can see it."
Be sure to watch the scene from the film first. Then you can read Johnson's comic here. Even though it's just a fan creation and not official canon, the comic still manages to give the scene an all-new meaning.
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