WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Jedi Knights #2TheStar Warsuniverse, both Legends and canon, has its fair share of villains hellbent on ruling the galaxy with an iron fist. One such villain, Atha Prime, was created with high expectations, but never quite made it past the development phase, only existing as an action figure until now.
InStar Wars: Jedi Knights#2, written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Madibek Musabekov,Atha Prime finally makes his canonical debut,quickly establishing himself as a formidable adversary to the Republic.
Originally, Alta Prime was developed with the intention of being the next “big bad” after Darth Vader and the Emperor in a post-Return of the Jedistoryline.However, after the release ofReturn of the Jediin 1983, the notion of an Expanded Universe (EU, now known as Legends continuity) was non-existent,thus leavingAlta Prime as a relic of the pastwith no comic or live-action future.
What’s Behind That Mask? We Finally Know The Answer!
And It’s Not Pretty
Guggenheim changed Atha Prime’s fate, finally bringing the 39-year-old untapped potential ofa forgotten action figure intoStar Warscanon inJedi Knights#2.With a large, golden mask, Atha Prime towers over the other Jedi, especially Yoda. While engaged in an epic fight with Atha Prime and after getting injured,Yoda slashes Atha Prime’s armor with his lightsaber, revealing a purple-hued grotesque monster,slightly reminiscent of the Marvel villain Thanos, with solid white eyes. But the most grotesque part is Atha Prime’s gaping fanged maw, making him appear more beast than sentient creature.
“A Mini Star Wars Movie”: How the Franchise’s New Era Plans to Expand Its Jedi Knights Lore
Marvel Comics' upcoming “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” series will tell individual stories about different Jedi from throughout the franchise’s eras.
Atha Prime’s real form is as terrifying as his strategic mind and plans to bring the Republic to its knees. AsJedi Knightsis set directly before the prequel films, it is an era of relative peace in the galaxy.However, Atha Prime clearly has other plans, as the comic reveals that he scientifically engineered viscous monsters called Xerxi.Yoda and his accompanying Jedi, Vertna Mooncrest, discover a swarm of Xerxi, as well as test tube-like containers growing more of the creatures. Yoda and Mooncrest engage the Xerxi and soon find that they have nearly impenetrable hides, with their underbelly being the only vulnerability.
Atha Prime Has Big Plans For Galaxy-Wide Chaos
Star Wars: Jedi Knights, Written By Marc Guggenheim With Art By Madibek Musabekov
Atha Prime’s long-anticipated appearance inStar Warscanon was well worth the wait, as Guggenheim immediately establishes how powerful and dangerous the villain can be. Though the Jedi destroy the Xerxi that were in Atha Prime’s facility, records reveal that the creatures are capable of self-replicating, thus creating a swarm of extremely difficult monsters to defeat.While Atha Prime escapes as the Jedi destroy his creations, his ship is loaded with more test tubes of growing Xerxi.The prospect of more of these creatures being unleashed and swarming the galaxy is a battle that even the Jedi will struggle to combat.
Atha Prime’s long-anticipated appearance inStar Warscanon was well worth the wait, as Guggenheim immediately establishes how powerful and dangerous the villain can be.
Atha Prime’s existence poses a threat unlike anything else that has been seen leading up to the prequel films.Though Legends continuityaddresses some political squabbles that turned into military campaigns, as well as a few outlying enemies such as pirates that are quickly dealt with by the Jedi or political maneuvers, an overarching villain with a grand plan like Atha Prime will be a new hurdle for this particular group of pre-Phantom MenaceJedi to handle.If Atha Prime’s physical appearance alone is any indicator of the horrors ahead, the Jedi will have their work cut out for them.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
