In last month’s debut issue of Marvel’s current miniseries crossover event Star Wars: Hidden Empire, readers discovered that Crimson Dawn crime boss (and Han Solo’s ex-girlfriend) Lady Qi’ra was planning to resurrect an ancient Sith to combat Emperor Palpatine and his apprentice. Then over in the Star Wars: Revelations one-shot two weeks ago, we learned who that Sith Lord was exactly: Darth Momin, the same being who designed Vader’s castle on Mustafar.
Now, in Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2– out today– the enigmatic character known as the Archivist continues her tale of Crimson Dawn’s ultimate downfall as it goes up against the Empire.
Hidden Empire #2’s flashbacks to the period set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi begin with Qi’ra and Crimson Dawn regrouping after the destruction of their flagship the Vermillion at the hands of the Emperor. Qi’ra has enlisted the assistance of bounty hunter Chanath Cha and her crew in delivering her back to Crimson Dawn’s fleet at a location called Dawnfall Base, which is surreptitiously tucked away behind a waterfall on an unnamed planet. Elsewhere, the Archivist and Kho Phon Farrus attempt to activate the Fermata Cage– an ancient piece of Sith technology said to be capable of retrieving beings who are suspended outside of time. Aboard the Super Star Destroyer Executor, Darth Vader senses the Fermata Cage when the switch is thrown (as do other Force-users around the galaxy such as Luke Skywalker and Yoda), and Palpatine orders him to track down the artifact and eliminate the threat. We also check in on Cadeliah– their heir to two warring crime syndicates, as seen in the Star Wars: Bounty Hunters comic– who Qi’ra tells still has an important role to play in all this.
When Vader arrives at the location where the Fermata Cage is being kept, the Archivist and Kho Phon Farrus must scramble to their own defense, but luckily Chanath Cha and crew show up at the last moment to get between them. The issue ends with the Sith Lord about to battle the bounty hunters, and the cover for next month’s installment indicates as much, as well. I enjoyed this new chapter well enough, but I do kind of wish writer Charles Soule (still one of my current favorite Star Wars contributors) would stop stalling and get that Fermata Cage working already. With only three issues left to go in this miniseries, there just isn’t enough time to get that sweet Vader vs. Momin action that’s been teased repeatedly in these pages. Still, Soule is keeping things entertaining, and I’m definitely enjoying watching Farrus and the Archivist tool around with ancient tech. Plus, the art by Steven Cummings is so attractive and immersive that I can’t help but get lost in this world that they’ve created together. I’m guessing the next issue will likely be an action-heavy one, but what I’m most excited for is to find out the direction in which this narrative is headed next.
Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2 is available now wherever comic books are sold.