A dark new threat is coming to the Galaxy Far, Far Away, but longtime Star Wars fans will know he's been around for a very long time. Inspired by unused Return of the Jedi concept art, Atha Prime was planned to be the main villain for an unreleased Kenner toy line in the '80s, one that was intended to continue the success of Star Wars action figures following the release of the Original Trilogy.
Now, decades later, Atha Prime will officially debut in Marvel's upcoming Star Wars: Jedi Knights comic book series.
Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Marc Guggenheim and rising star artist Madibek Musabekov are set to introduce the character as a mysterious planet's tyrannical ruler who boldly opposes the Republic and the Jedi Order.
Befitting his legacy, Atha is spotlighted on John Tyler Christopher's Action Figure Variant Cover for Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1 and will also be featured on Ramon Rosanas’Foil Variant Cover.
"While developing the series, Marc discovered this deep cut - the antagonist from Kenner’s unrealized The Epic Continues toy line," Editor Mark Paniccia explains. "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."
Hitting stands on March 5, Star Wars: Jedi Knights takes place before The Phantom Menace and stars legendary Prequel Trilogy icons like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and more. Each issue follows a different Jedi duo on pivotal missions throughout the Galaxy, with an overarching threat binding them together. Who is the mysterious new villain targeting Qui-Gon Jinn for death, and how will it force the Jedi Order to evolve for a new age?
"I love the idea that the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the Galaxy," Guggenheim tells Polygon. "But there are surprisingly few examples of that out there - mainly because the Jedi get sucked into the Clone Wars. I’m as much of a fan of the Clone Wars as the next guy, but I really craved seeing the Jedi doing their thing on a non-war footing."
"That’s the great appeal of this new Jedi Knights series: We really get a chance to see what the Jedi did before the Clone Wars and their eventual fall."
Check out John Tyler Christopher and Ramon Rosanas' covers along with Madibek Musabekov's design sheet, for Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1 below.
STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS #1
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by MADIBEK MUSABEKOV
Cover by RAHZZAH
Action Figure Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Foil Variant Cover by RAMON ROSANAS
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