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Aphra Arrives

Doctor Aphra and

the world of possibilities

Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Vader: Book I, Issue III

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Salvador Larroca

In May 2015, Kieron Gillen’s Marvel Comics series Star Wars: Darth Vader had already begun to take the Dark Lord of the Sith on his own personal journey to discover the truth about the young Force-sensitive Rebel that blew up the Death Star. He was doing this on his own, hidden from the watchful gaze of his master, Emperor Palpatine, so he immediately formed alliances with some shady characters, old and new. Boba Fett was on board, as was disgraced Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan. However, in issue three, a seemingly innocuous meeting with a morally ambiguous archeologist launched the journey of a new fan favorite. Doctor Aphra had arrived.

Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra may have been introduced as a supporting character but her arrival left an impression. She was undeniably whip-smart and full of youthful energy and defiance. Vader had arrived to save her from some trouble, but Aphra was still cracking jokes with the Dark Lord. Taking him into a fresh, new line of conversation. It was as if Vader had met Ahsoka all over again, but the edges of this partnership were going to be darker. She was nervously respectful of Vader, a self-confessed fan even, but she wasn’t afraid to let her personality shine through. There was something more to what creator Kieron Gillen originally envisioned as an anti-Indiana Jones for Star Wars. Her appeal was initially unexplainable. Aphra just had, you know, that “it” quality to her.

Her adventures continued in the pages of the Vader series, but her fan base grew (as did that of her killer droid companions Triple Zero and Beetee-One). The walls of someone else’s story could no longer contain her and in December 2016 Marvel launched a Doctor Aphra centered comic line. It was no surprise why. As we learned more about Aphra, we learned more about her importance to this new Star Wars landscape and the fans that cherished her.

Though born twenty-four years before the Battle of Yavin on a peaceful planet that was on the outside of the Clone Wars strife in the Star Wars galaxy, her character design was what we Earth-bound folks call Asian and having had a past relationship with the equally unique Sana Starros, and later embattled Imperial officer Magna Tolvan, Aphra was also one of the first prominent LGBTQ characters in Star Wars. Representation in Star Wars had reached out and taken a front seat during the build-up to The Force Awakens, and Doctor Aphra had fought her way to the table. No one could make her leave.

The comic book series in which she leads has proven to be a wild, sometimes whacky, and unapologetically different kind of a Star Wars story. Thanks to her archeologist skillset, we’ve gotten to dive into some ancient histories and mysteries. Thanks to her conflicted moral center (she’s got no love for the Empire, but also no real love for the Rebels), we’ve gotten to go to some darker Star Wars underworlds and occasionally see a cute Tooka Cat or two used as a bomb. Thanks to her vibrantly stubborn independent streak, we’ve gotten to explore different kinds of family histories and romantic relationships. Star Wars romances are by nature sweeping and epic whereas Aphra’s are in flux and intriguingly more combustible. All this means is that the adventures of Doctor Aphra often run in their own lanes. There is a weird 1970’s sci-fi vibe amongst the backdrop of the more traditional Star Wars stories.

And it’s hard to turn away.

Doctor Aphra arrived in Star Wars on the move, in danger, and full of wisecracks. She hasn’t stopped running and she’s so much more. Fan fervor led to the creation of her action figures and she is often the number-one character people want to see jump off the page and onto the screen. Her stories are unique, new, and, yes, challenging, but at the center of it all, more than any specific moment, shines this wonderful character that represents so much to so many. Above all, Doctor Aphra represents possibilities.