After decades of anticipation, a nearly-forgotten Star Wars character designed for a canceled toy line is finally making his way into official canon. Marvel Comics is introducing Atha Prime in the upcoming Star Wars: Jedi Knights series, bringing to life a design inspired by unused concept art for Return of the Jedi. Atha Prime was originally intended to be the first post-Return of the Jedi antagonist, even potentially serving as the mastermind behind the Clone Wars, but the Kenner Toys line featuring him never materialized. Now, Atha Prime will debut as a tyrannical ruler in the Star Wars prequel era, embarking on a new adventure that promises to be exciting for both long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise.
Marvel's Star Wars comics are set to introduce a nearly-forgotten character into canon, one who was originally designed as part of a Kenner Toys action figure line from the 1980s. The debut of Atha Prime in Star Wars : Jedi Knights will be a treat for the most hardcore fans of the franchise, bringing a badass character design to life after forty years of waiting.
As announced by Marvel Comics, Star Wars: Jedi Knights – written by Marc Guggenheim, with art by Madibek Musabekov – will introduce Atha Prime, a character inspired by unused Return of the Jedi concept art. While the character was initially intended to serve as a replacement antagonist for Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, for a line of toys that never came to fruition, now Atha Prime will make an impact on contemporary Star Wars in a new, untold story from the Prequel Era. 'Atha Prime,' And Why Is His Upcoming Star Wars Debut A Big Deal For The Franchise, Explained The Villain From The Unrealized 'Epic Continues' Toy Line Kenner's original pitch to Lucasfilm for Atha Prime positioned him as the first post-Return of the Jedi antagonist in franchise history, as they originally carried the responsibility of developing the nascent Expanded Universe in the wake of the conclusion of the Original Trilogy. Part of the toy company's ambitious plan for the character even included making him the mastermind behind the Clone Wars – back when the conflict was still one of Star Wars canon's greatest mysteries, nearly 20 years before the Prequels answered fans' questions. This is still a major milestone for the character, and the franchise, as Atha Prime's design is plucked from obscurity and given a prominent place in Disney's Star Wars canon. Now, Atha Prime will be introduced as part of a Prequel-era adventure, in Star Wars: Jedi Knights. According to the advanced tidbits shared by Marvel about the character's role in the series, the book will introduce the character as a mysterious planet’s tyrannical ruler who boldly opposes the Republic and the Jedi Order.' While his role in franchise lore might not be as grandiose as Kenner originally intended, this is still a major milestone for the character, and the franchise, as Atha Prime's design is plucked from obscurity and given a prominent place in Disney's Star Wars canon. Marvel Has Been Preparing To Introduce Atha Prime For Awhile – Making Good On Decades Of Anticipation Star Wars: Legacy Of Vader #1 – Ramon Rosanas 'Sneak Preview' Variant Cover As Star Wars Editor Mark Paniccia noted: While developing the series, Marc discovered this deep cut – the antagonist from Kenner’s unrealized The Epic Continues toy line. We saw the original design and were immediately sold. What a cool character to bring into canon and what a perfect book to do it in! Creative decisions like this are exactly what makes Star Wars canon a treat for fans, and an exciting tapestry for creators to weave their own threads into. The concept art for Atha Prime has been floating around for forty years now, even though 'The Epic Continues' toy series never made it to shelves. Diehard Star Wars fans have speculated when and how the character might finally appear in continuity in a Star Wars story the entire time, and now it is finally happening. Related Kylo Ren Returns In His Own Star Wars Series, Legacy of Vader, Set Between Last Jedi & Rise of Skywalker Supreme Leader Kylo Ren returns to finish what his grandfather started in a newly announced Star Wars series from Marvel Comics: Legacy of Vader. Posts The plan to bring Atha Prime into canon has been building for some time at Marvel; the appearance of a mystery character on one of the variant covers for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 prompted speculation about a number of different identities, and while Atha Prime is among the most surprising, he is also among the most intriguing. Now that Atha Prime is finally canon, the designers of this unproduced 1980s Star Wars toy should be thrilled that their design still managed to endure and eventually find popularity.
Comics Star Wars STAR WARS MARVEL COMICS ATHA PRIME KENNER TOYS PREQUEL ERA JEDI KNIGHTS RETURN OF THE JEDI EXPANDED UNIVERSE TOY LINE
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