STAR WARS #44 (1981) — KEY ISSUE — DARTH VADER REVEALS HE IS LUKE SKYWALKER'S FATHER
Welcome to Jack N The Box Comics!
Up for sale is a highly collectible copy of Star Wars #44, published by Marvel Comics with a February 1981 cover date. This landmark Original Trilogy issue depicts one of the most famous moments in the history of Star Wars:
Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that he is Luke's father.
The issue is also the final chapter of Marvel's six-part adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back, bringing the legendary Cloud City confrontation between Luke and Vader to its devastating conclusion.
For collectors, #44 combines an iconic moment in Star Wars history with the conclusion of one of Marvel's classic Original Trilogy adaptations.
Star Wars #44 features:
• Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke Skywalker's father
• Climactic Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader lightsaber duel
• Luke loses his hand during the confrontation
• Vader attempts to persuade Luke to join him
• Luke refuses the Dark Side
• Conclusion of Marvel's six-part The Empire Strikes Back adaptation
• Cloud City finale
• Han Solo remains frozen in carbonite
• Lando Calrissian joins Leia and Chewbacca in their escape
• Millennium Falcon rescue of Luke
• Archie Goodwin adaptation
• Al Williamson artwork
• Carlos Garzon inks
• Classic Original Trilogy Marvel Comics
Few scenes have had a greater impact on the mythology of Star Wars than the revelation depicted inside this issue.
Luke Skywalker has gone to Cloud City despite Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi warning him that he is not ready.
His friends are in danger.
Luke believes he has to help them.
But the entire situation has been engineered by Darth Vader.
Vader wants Luke.
And when Luke finally confronts him, the difference between the young Jedi student and the Dark Lord of the Sith becomes painfully clear.
Luke has courage.
He has begun learning the ways of the Force.
He has trained with Yoda.
But he is not ready for Darth Vader.
The lightsaber battle between Luke and Vader becomes one of the defining confrontations of the Original Trilogy.
Luke enters the fight believing he is facing the man who betrayed and murdered his father.
Vader knows something Luke does not.
That knowledge gives every moment of their confrontation a meaning Luke cannot yet understand.
Vader isn't simply trying to kill another Rebel.
He wants Luke alive.
He wants Luke to understand who he is.
And ultimately:
He wants Luke to join him.
The duel reaches its brutal conclusion when Darth Vader cuts off Luke Skywalker's hand.
Luke is injured.
Exhausted.
Cornered.
His lightsaber is gone.
Vader has completely demonstrated the difference between Luke's developing abilities and the power of an experienced Dark Side warrior.
Then Vader tells Luke something far more devastating than any physical injury.
Luke has spent years believing his father was a Jedi Knight who had been betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan Kenobi told him Vader had destroyed his father.
Luke has carried that belief throughout his journey.
Vader destroys it.
The enemy standing in front of Luke isn't the man who murdered his father.
Darth Vader is his father.
It is the revelation that completely changes Luke's understanding of his own history.
Today, the relationship between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is part of popular culture.
Even many people who have never watched the entire Original Trilogy know the connection.
But when The Empire Strikes Back reached theaters in 1980, the revelation was shocking.
The original Star Wars had given audiences no reason to expect it.
Darth Vader had been presented as the fallen Jedi who betrayed and murdered Luke's father.
Now everything changed.
Marvel's adaptation brought that same extraordinary moment onto the comic-book page.
That is the event collectors find inside Star Wars #44.
The revelation isn't simply about family.
Vader has a purpose for telling Luke.
He wants his son to join him.
Together, Vader believes they can become powerful enough to rule the galaxy.
For Luke, the offer is horrifying.
The man he has been fighting is his father.
The Dark Side is part of his family history.
And Vader is offering Luke the opportunity to follow the same path.
Luke has to make a choice.
Luke chooses not to join Vader.
That decision is fundamental to understanding the character.
He is physically defeated.
His hand is gone.
He has just learned that almost everything he believed about his father was wrong.
Vader is offering him power and survival.
Luke still refuses.
Rather than accept Vader's offer and turn to the Dark Side, Luke allows himself to fall into the depths beneath Cloud City.
He would rather risk death than become what Vader wants him to be.
The revelation in #44 changes the nature of Star Wars.
Before this moment, Darth Vader is Luke's enemy.
Afterward:
He is Luke's father.
That relationship becomes the emotional foundation for much of what follows.
Luke can no longer look at Vader simply as a monster who must be destroyed.
There is now a personal connection between them.
And eventually Luke will begin asking a question almost nobody else believes is worth asking:
Is there anything left of the man his father once was?
That question becomes essential to the conclusion of the Original Trilogy.
The redemption of Darth Vader doesn't happen here.
But the revelation makes that future storyline possible.
Luke now knows Vader is his father.
Eventually, Luke will refuse to believe that Anakin Skywalker has been completely destroyed.
That belief will bring Luke before Vader and the Emperor again.
And ultimately it will help lead to one of the defining acts of the entire Star Wars saga.
So while #44 adapts the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, the consequences of what happens here extend directly into Return of the Jedi.
Luke survives his fall beneath Cloud City, but he is stranded and desperately needs help.
He reaches out through the Force.
And Princess Leia hears him.
At this point, neither Luke nor Leia understands the full significance of their connection.
That revelation still lies ahead.
But looking back with knowledge of the complete Original Trilogy gives the moment another layer of meaning.
The Force is connecting two characters whose true relationship has not yet been revealed.
Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 return aboard the Millennium Falcon and rescue Luke.
The heroes escape Cloud City, but this is not a triumphant ending like the destruction of the Death Star.
The Empire has won much of this round.
Han Solo is gone.
Luke is badly injured.
Vader's revelation has shattered Luke's understanding of his past.
And the Rebels remain under enormous pressure.
Another major unresolved storyline is Han Solo.
Han has been frozen in carbonite and taken by bounty hunter Boba Fett.
The heroes don't know exactly what his fate will be.
That creates one of the major cliffhangers leading toward Return of the Jedi.
The ending of The Empire Strikes Back is deliberately incomplete.
The heroes survive.
But they have not won.
Lando Calrissian also completes an important character turn during this portion of the story.
Initially forced into cooperating with Darth Vader in an attempt to protect Cloud City, Lando realizes Vader has no intention of honoring their agreement.
Lando ultimately helps Leia, Chewbacca, and the others escape.
By the end of the story, he has moved from reluctant collaborator to active ally.
His next objective is clear:
Find Han Solo.
Star Wars #44 is the sixth and final installment of Marvel's adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back.
The adaptation runs:
Star Wars #39–44
That gives #44 another clear collector distinction:
It is the final issue of Marvel's Empire Strikes Back adaptation.
Much like Star Wars #6 concluded Marvel's adaptation of the original film, #44 closes the comic-book version of the second movie.
For Original Trilogy collectors, #39–44 forms a natural six-issue set.
Across those books readers get:
The Battle of Hoth.
Rogue Squadron.
Luke's journey to Dagobah.
Yoda.
Jedi training.
The bounty hunters.
Boba Fett.
Cloud City.
Han Solo frozen in carbonite.
Luke vs. Vader.
And finally:
The revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father.
That makes the six-issue sequence one of the strongest stretches of movie-adaptation material in the original Marvel series.
Within that sequence, #44 has the advantage of containing the climax.
This is where the major storylines converge.
Luke finally confronts Vader.
Vader reveals the truth.
Luke refuses him.
The heroes escape.
Han remains missing.
And the movie ends with the future uncertain.
It is difficult to ask for a more recognizable Star Wars moment inside a vintage Marvel comic.
The adaptation was written by legendary comics writer and editor Archie Goodwin.
Goodwin was one of the defining creative voices of Marvel's original Star Wars series.
He had already spent years writing original Star Wars adventures before adapting The Empire Strikes Back.
That experience gave him a strong understanding of the characters and the pacing necessary to translate the film into comic-book form.
The artwork comes from legendary science-fiction artist Al Williamson.
Williamson's work is one of the great attractions of Marvel's Empire Strikes Back adaptation.
His detailed, elegant artwork was exceptionally well suited to Star Wars.
Spaceships.
Alien worlds.
Technology.
Actors' likenesses.
Lightsaber battles.
Williamson could translate the cinematic universe onto the printed page while maintaining the feel of classic adventure comics.
Carlos Garzon provides the inks.
The Williamson/Garzon team produced some of the most admired Star Wars comic artwork of the Original Trilogy era.
Garzon's finishes complement Williamson's detailed pencils and help give the Cloud City sequences their distinctive polished appearance.
Adaptation: Archie Goodwin
Pencils: Al Williamson
Inks: Carlos Garzon
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Letters: Rick Veitch
The issue brings the classic Goodwin / Williamson / Garzon Empire Strikes Back adaptation to its conclusion.
There are many Star Wars comics containing major characters.
Far fewer contain one of the defining moments of the entire franchise.
That is what separates #44 from an ordinary adaptation issue.
A collector opening this comic finds the printed version of the scene that permanently changed the relationship between:
Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Before this scene:
Hero and villain.
After this scene:
Son and father.
Everything changes.
The twist also transformed Darth Vader as a character.
The original film presents Vader primarily as a terrifying Imperial enforcer.
The Empire Strikes Back reveals something much more complicated.
Vader has a personal connection to Luke.
He has ambitions beyond simply serving the Emperor.
He wants his son beside him.
That development eventually opens the door to exploring Vader as more than an unstoppable villain.
Behind the mask is Luke's father.
And eventually audiences will learn that the man inside was once:
Anakin Skywalker.
The consequences of Vader's revelation extend far beyond The Empire Strikes Back.
It affects:
Luke's understanding of himself.
Luke's relationship with Obi-Wan.
Luke's attitude toward Vader.
The eventual redemption of Anakin Skywalker.
The confrontation with Emperor Palpatine.
And the conclusion of the Original Trilogy.
Later Star Wars stories would continue exploring the consequences of this family history across generations.
The moment depicted in #44 sits directly at the center of that mythology.
Star Wars #44 carries a February 1981 cover date, placing it squarely within the early Original Trilogy era.
That matters.
This wasn't a comic produced decades later recreating a famous nostalgic scene.
It was Marvel's contemporary adaptation of a movie that had only just entered Star Wars history.
The franchise was still unfolding.
Return of the Jedi did not yet exist.
Audiences still had unanswered questions.
Han Solo's fate was uncertain.
And readers had years to wait before discovering how the story would end.
Star Wars #44 offers several strong reasons for collectors to take notice:
• Darth Vader reveals he is Luke Skywalker's father
• One of the defining moments in Star Wars history
• Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader lightsaber duel
• Luke loses his hand
• Vader asks Luke to join him
• Luke refuses the Dark Side
• Cloud City climax
• Conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back adaptation
• Final issue of the #39–44 movie-adaptation sequence
• Han Solo remains frozen in carbonite
• Princess Leia appearance
• Lando Calrissian appearance
• Chewbacca appearance
• C-3PO and R2-D2 appearances
• Millennium Falcon rescue of Luke
• Archie Goodwin adaptation
• Al Williamson artwork
• Carlos Garzon inks
• February 1981 cover date
• Classic Original Trilogy Marvel Comics
For a collector looking for recognizable story significance rather than an obscure technical key, #44 has an enormous advantage:
You don't need to explain why the scene matters to a Star Wars fan.
The moment is legendary.
Comic grading is subjective, so please examine the high-resolution scans carefully and determine your own opinion of the book's condition before purchasing.
Exact Comic Shown — You will receive the exact comic pictured in this listing.
High-Resolution Scans and Photos — Examine the actual comic carefully before purchasing.
Collector-Grade Care — Comics are handled and packaged with collectors in mind.
Secure Packaging — Your comic will be carefully protected during shipment.
Combined Shipping Available — Purchasing multiple comics? We are happy to combine shipping whenever possible.
30-Day FREE Returns — Buy with confidence.
Fast, Friendly Service — We take pride in accurate listings, secure shipping, and responsive customer service.
Star Wars #44 is a standout issue from Marvel's original Star Wars run, depicting the unforgettable moment when Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke Skywalker's father and bringing Marvel's six-part adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back to its conclusion.
With the climactic Luke vs. Vader lightsaber duel, Luke's refusal to join the Dark Side, the Cloud City escape, and classic Archie Goodwin / Al Williamson / Carlos Garzon storytelling, this issue captures one of the most consequential moments in the entire Original Trilogy.
For a serious Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Empire Strikes Back, Original Trilogy, or vintage Marvel Star Wars collection, Star Wars #44 is an issue with an instantly recognizable reason to belong.