Warning: SPOILERS for Star Wars Age of Resistance Special #1
There are plenty of unforgettable moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but it's hard for any of them to beat Admiral Holdo's lightspeed-battering-ram attack on Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship. Now, fans can see for themselves where Admiral Holdo got the idea for her breathtaking, and history-making sacrifice.
The last-ditch attack being dubbed 'The Holdo Maneuver' is a fitting tribute to the Resistance leader, no matter how Star Wars fans may feel about her part in the new trilogy, or the film as a whole. Indeed, even those who criticized parts of Last Jedi are likely to concede that Holdo (Laura Dern) is responsible for one of the most jaw-dropping moments in Star Wars history. Outnumbered, outgunned, and out of options, Holdo aims her ship directly at the First Order's colossal Megaclass Star Dreadnought Supremacy, and punches it--slicing it in half and decimating the trailing fleet.
As has now been revealed by Star Wars comic storytellers, it wasn't the first time that Amilyn Holdo made the attack--or at least one similar, but equally informed by her killer instincts. We'll leave it to the fans to decide if the new origins of 'The Holdo Maneuver' make the Last Jedi moment even better.
The secret chapter of Amilyn Holdo's life is told in the newly released Star Wars: Age of Resistance Special, collecting several short, canonical stories starring some of the new trilogy's fan-favorite characters. And as a longtime ally and friend of Leia Organa, it's fitting that Holdo's story should begin... well, the same way Leia's did in the original Star Wars.
The key difference is that when Leia's spaceship was intercepted and tractor-beamed by an Imperial Star Destroyer, they knew she was secretly an operative for the Rebel Alliance, pretending to be a simple diplomat. In the case of Amilyn Holdo, the short story suggests she has yet to rise from a pro-Alliance politician to the upper echelons of the Resistance, at least officially. But traveling aboard a ship smuggling weapons for the Rebels justifies the Imperial warship that opens fire, sending the ship's crew (and Holdo) into action.
Proclaiming herself to be the most senior officer on the ship, and therefore its new commander, Holdo immediately ensures that she won't be snatched and boarded like her friend Leia in the opening scene of A New Hope. Ordering her crew to turn TOWARDS the Star Destroyer shuttle bay they're being retracted into, the ship unleashes laser fire directly into it. Catching the Stormtroopers on board completely unaware--with good reason, since they'll soon have to pay dearly for such an attack--Holdo is only beginning her brutal, decisive strategy.
While the first shot reveals damage to the shuttle bay and the crew, Holdo's plan isn't yet clear. One could even argue that the easiest reading of the action--unplanned, rash, and short-sighted--only adds another layer to the way Poe Dameron assumes the same from her leadership style in Last Jedi. But then, she had an entire plan despite choosing not to explain it to those serving under her. The same is true in this instance, as well, as Holdo witnesses the successful blasts inside of the shuttle bay... and orders her crew to launch yet another volley on the same trajectory. The crew follow her orders, and send a new, devastating shot through to the Star Destroyer's hull... on the opposite side from Holdo's ship.
From there Holdo orders them to do what will someday become her most defining military maneuver, and the one that claims her life along with countless of her enemies. Plow straight through them. As unlikely as the move may seem, surprise is on Holdo's side, as her ship flies directly into the shuttle bay, through the path of destruction blasted clear, and directly out the other side of the Star Destroyer. One quick jump to hyperspeed and the Rebels are free (while the Imperials probably still wonder what has even happened). Fans can debate the logistics of laser power, hull construction, and tractor beam physics, but the story from G. Willow Wilson, Elsa Charretier, and Nick Filardi speaks directly to the character in its starring role. Demonstrating that Amilyn Holdo would rather face straight into a showdown than run from one, if the odds were right, is a simple enough read given her actions in Last Jedi.
But in a larger sense, Holdo's response to a lack of options helps contextualize her actions in the Star Wars film. There is an option, of course, but it's one that takes even General Hux of the First Order completely by surprise. Now fans know he wasn't the first commander to tangle with Amilyn Holdo, and find out how much her surprises can sting. For those interested in reading this and the other stories contained inside the Age of Resistance Special, read on for the full solicitation details below:
- Star Wars: Age Of Resistance Special (2019) #1
- Written by: Chris Eliopoulos, Tom Taylor, G. Willow Wilson
- Art by: Matteo Buffagni, Elsa Charretier, Javier Pina
- Cover by: Phil Noto
- A ONE-SHOT SPECIAL FEATURING YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM THE NEW STAR WARS TRILOGY! Star Wars fans first met Resistance leader and confidante of Leia Organa VICE ADMIRAL AMILYN HOLDO at the end of her story in 2017’s The Last Jedi—now, witness her triumphant beginning! This July, Hugo Award-winning writer G. Willow Wilson (MS. MARVEL) explores a pivotal conflict in Holdo’s early career that will start the young woman down the path to heroic infamy for the rebellion! With her ship at the mercy of a dangerous enemy, it’s up to Holdo to outsmart their foe and win the confidence of her compatriots in the process. With art by Elsa Charratier!
Star Wars: Age Of Resistance Special #1 is available now from your local comic book shop, or direct from Marvel Comics.
