Luke Skywalker died on Hoth.

No, it didn't happen that way in the movies. But in Star Wars Infinities, a "what if" series from Dark Horse, small variations in the canon plot have great consequences in the future. In this case, Han Solo's tauntaun dies of the cold a little sooner, Han finds Luke a little later and Luke dies of exposure -- but not before passing along a slightly garbled version of the spectral Ben's command to go to Dagobah.

Without Luke's leadership the defense of Hoth from Imperial attack falters early. Losses are heavy, and Han and Leia barely make it off world on the Millennium Falcon. From there, the familiar story continues to unravel, with significant changes occurring along the way in Cloud City, on Dagobah and back on Tatooine. The conclusion is substantially different than the end we know from the George Lucas film.

The Empire Strikes Back is my first exposure to the Infinities line, and I'd like to see more. The subtle changes that can pave the way for major revisions to the story are fascinating to explore -- and the Dark Horse team has done a deft job with this one. Give us more!

- Rambles
written by Tom Knapp
published 21 June 2003