Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Aphra #17!
In a new preview for Marvel Comics' Doctor Aphra, the Star Wars galaxy introduces a new weapon that could potentially rival lightsabers. Wielded by the Jedi Knights and Sith Lords who respectively harness the light and dark sides of the Force, the lightsaber is a weapon "for a more civilized age," serving as one of the most powerful handheld weapons in the galaxy far, far away. However, the recent preview for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #17 features an ancient relic that could possibly render a lightsaber powerless.
In previous issues of Doctor Aphra, the titular rogue archaeologist and Sana Starros found themselves in the crosshairs of Crimson Dawn during the War of the Bounty Hunters event, where they came across a powerful dark side artifact known as a thought dowser created by a cult known as the Ascendant. While the Ascendant were wiped out by the Jedi and Sith for attempting to replicate dark side abilities without Force-sensitivity, their dangerous relics remain for archaeologists such as Aphra to find. However, Aphra isn't the only archaeologist in the galaxy.
In the new preview for Doctor Aphra #17 from writer Alyssa Wong and artist Minkyu Jung, Aphra and Sana come face to face with an old rival of Aphra's named Kho Phon Farrus, a disturbed archaeologist seemingly obsessed with the Force and the cult artifacts created by the Ascendant. While she apparently has a thought dowser of her own capable of manipulating minds, the preview reveals that she also has another Ascendant weapon known as the Whip of Sorrows, capable of feeding on energy and rendering Sana's blaster powerless. As such, it's possible it could depower lightsabers as well. Enjoy the preview pages and synopsis for the upcoming issue:
EVOCATIONS! DOCTOR APHRA and SANA STARROS stumble upon a STRANGE RITUAL…And STRANGER ENEMY! Will they fall victim to a practitioner of an ANCIENT CULT?
While it's certainly exciting to see Aphra getting her own rival, Farrus looks to be particularly unhinged in her attempts to start a dark side cult ritual using severed arms. Furthermore, the Whip of Sorrows seems to be a particularly powerful weapon that Aphra should absolutely liberate from her rival. Aphra's already considered to be Star Wars' version of Indiana Jones, and a space whip would complete the picture perfectly.
It will be interesting to see if any more relics of the Ascendant cult will be discovered by Aphra and Sana. The two artifacts that have been seen so far are very powerful, and there's no telling what the Thought Dowser could do if Farrus completes her ritual. While lightsaber will always be an iconic part of Star Wars, matching them with this new Ascendant weapon opens up even more possibilities for creating powerful characters who don't necessarily wield the Force. The full Doctor Aphra #17 releases on January 5, officially bringing the Whip of Sorrows to Star Wars canon, where it will hopefully be used against a lightsaber before long.