Star Wars Wednesday: C-3PO: The Phantom Limb

C-3PO: The Phantom Limb

          Fun Fact: C-3PO plays a role in The Force Awakens! You probably didn’t recognize him because of the red arm.

          But the question remains: how the heck did he get that red arm? It’s never explained in the movie, and by the end he’s got a golden one back. There’s clearly a story behind it, so what’s going on there?

          That is the question Marvel set out to answer with their first ever one-shot comic: C-3PO: The Phantom Limb. Written by James Robinson and illustrated by Tony Harris, for months this single comic was a complete enigma. Originally intended to be released around the same time as Force Awakens in December 2015, the issue suffered several delays and setbacks before finally launching in April 2016.

          The issue begins with C-3PO leading a mission with a ragtag team of protocol droids. They’ve been sent on a mission to gain information on the whereabouts of the captured Admiral Ackbar, managing to capture a First Order protocol droid in the process. But of course things go awry, and the droids are left stranded on an ominous planet.

          The first thing you’ll notice about this comic is how unique and awesome the artwork looks. While I’m not familiar with Tony Harris’s past work, the style he uses here is really unusual for Star Wars. It’s hard to describe exactly how it looks, but it’s got a grungy kind of feel, like something you’d see out of a motorcycle cartoon than a sci-fi epic.

          The comic also has a lot of discussion on the merits of artificial intelligence. The First Order droid, O-MR1, brings up the subject of how, as droids, they are programmed to one simple function and must bend to the will of humans. He’s not a fan of how the humans can wipe their memories at will, essentially restarting them from scratch, forcing them to change from one side to the other at the drop of a hat. As A.I. and robots with near-human intelligence are becoming more and more plausible, some of the stuff this comic brings up are actually pretty thought provoking for both the human and robot sides.

          As the story progresses the droid squad is reduced to just C-3PO and O-MR1, and 3PO loses his arm to a tentacle monster as well. We also learn the origins of the red arm, but that’s a surprise that needs to be seen for yourself.

This comic is fairly easy to read, being available in numerous places online, and is also included in the Star Wars: Shattered Empire collection (more on that miniseries another time). Aside from maybe the first Darth Vader comic, C-3PO: The Phantom Limb is the best thing Marvel has put out ever since they got the Star Wars license back. The art is beautiful, the story is incredibly thought-provoking, and the origin of the red arm is extremely satisfying. Give it a read if you haven’t.