002: Tantive IV—Still Pursued by Imperial ship: Devastator!
c.1981 | age 12 or 13 I honestly had no idea where the name ‘Devastator’ had come from when I began this site in 2009. But I re-read the novelisation and there it was! I suppose it’s better than Pinafore.
It’s gas. The rebel captain implores the Imperials to cease fire and says “I repeat!” As if that’s a sentence that makes some sort of sense. To me, in c.1980 it obviously didn’t mean anything. It was simply something that people said in bad films, TV shows and comics: a cliché.
“Yes?” (The Devastator might answer)
“Yes, what?” (The Tantive 4)
“You said ‘I repeat‘.” (Devastator)
“So?” (Tantive 4)
“Well, I repeat what?” (Devastator)
“You mean, what was it I was going to repeat?” (Tantive)
“YES!” (Devastator)
“Ooh. You know it’s really funny, but I can’t remember now” (T)
“Ha ha ha. I bet it’ll just come back to you out of the blue”(D)
“I know – ha ha – when I least expect it.” (T)
“You know, when this is over we should do coffee mornings” (D)
A Nice Surprise!
Just a couple of days ago [July 2014] – I received this notification. Very nice!
Though, they do seem to be following just about EVERYONE at the moment!
Comments below please! I love ’em.
Panel 1:
We see Princess Leia's ship, the Tantive 4 come in from the top of this first comic panel. It's being fired upon. ZAKEE! ZARK!
A speech balloon - floating in space - announces, "This is the Devastator halt or we fire!" (the name Devastator must have come from the Star Wars Radio Drama)
One shot bursts right beside the Tantive IV's 'head'.
Panel 2
Now the Imperial Star Destroyer ship, Devastator, comes down into shot - in emulation of the film itself: 'The lumbering giant Imperial Star Destroyer does not heed the smaller ship's captain's pleas -- and fires!' A jagged, shouty speech balloon from the Imperials shouts, "You are in a restricted area!"
We see the planet Tatooine below in all of its fiery red and yellow glory. It looks a lot more interesting from up here.
The Tantive's captain replies, "Devastator you must cease fire, we must not be delayed" and "We are a consular ship on a diplomatic mission, I repeat!"
...and actually repeats nothing. Another huge, wide oval explosion bursts from the Tantive 4.
LOL! Too bad you commentary isn’t part of the actual comic itself! That would be something else! Again interesting pseudo Corellian Corvette. I like!
Hiya Rod! Congrats on being the first poster. I think you just launched it!
Yep – I really didn’t have much of an idea what the things looked like. I can assure you, the first issue of the Marvel comic was no help!
Yeah, I just saw the first few issues of the Marvel Comic the other day courtesy of Twitter’s Admiral Daala. Interesting is probably the best word for it.
Ha ha. Oh the memories though. Sat up in bed with a little lamp on, in the winter luxuriating in all their exciting, otherwordly but American strangeness. Did you see the ‘Future Shock’ type story in issue#3 (I think) called ‘THREADS’? Profoundly creepy – and moving too.
Waah! I remember that Threads story – it terrified me!! I was too scared to even look at the comic for weeks after reading that! And when I did pluck up the courage to go back to it, I would always only read the Star Wars strip and then close it really quickly before I could see anything else traumatising!
Hiya Carrie! Yep – I still get chills – getting them now just thinking of it. Those poor kids.
Did you ever transcribe your Star Wars sequel? See it here readers: http://carrie1138.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/star-wars-the-script-1980/