So I was re-reading Star Wars (2015) #74, and I still can’t believe how intense that whole mission with Chewie and Vader got. Yes, this was canon, and yes, Chewbacca actually went one-on-one with Darth Vader – and held his own for a while.
It Started With A Simple Plan… Sort Of
Chewbacca and C-3PO were sent on this mission right before the Rebels moved to Hoth. The idea was to turn a lifeless moon into a trap. They’d plant detonators deep inside the core, send out a signal to bait Imperial ships, then blow up the entire moon – taking out any Star Destroyers nearby.
Chewie and 3PO got the job done and placed all the charges. But just as they were finishing up, they realized the moon wasn’t empty. Turns out, an electric rock species was living inside it, completely undetectable by normal scans. They were alive, sentient, and had no clue what was about to happen.
Once Chewie and 3PO figured that out, they dropped the plan. No way they were going to wipe out a whole species. So they started running around the moon trying to shut down all the bombs.
Vader Finds Out, And Things Escalate
While they were doing that, the Falcon got spotted by the Empire. Word got back to Vader, who thought the Wookiee on board might be the same one from the Death Star. He didn’t waste any time. He sent his ship straight to the moon. His goal wasn’t just to capture Chewie – it was to use him as bait to draw Luke in, just like he later did with Han on Cloud City.
When Vader arrived, he immediately extended his influence through the Force. The rock creatures resisted, but he overpowered them and even ordered one to strike down his own officer. In the chaos, Chewie and 3PO barely escaped, managing to deactivate only about half the detonators.
C-3PO panicked when they realized the rest of the bombs were unreachable. But then a juvenile rock being reassured him: they would take care of Vader.
The beings generated a massive surge of energy, sending an electrical wave through the moon itself. The wave shorted out detonators, disabled droids, and even knocked Luke’s incoming X-wing powerless, causing it to crash nearby.
Vader staggered under the surge, but his suit held. He was still standing — just in time for Chewbacca to make his move.
Chewbacca vs. Darth Vader
Chewie came crashing in, hurling a boulder straight onto Vader. For a moment, it looked like he had the upper hand. He wrestled Vader’s lightsaber away and tried to choke him out with his massive arms.
But Vader wasn’t going down easy. He used the Force to grab Chewie by the throat, lifting him despite the Wookiee’s strength. Chewie fought back, broke free, and even managed to dodge a lightsaber strike. Then, in one of the craziest moments ever, Chewbacca straight-up tossed Vader into a pit of lava.
And Vader? Of course he wasn’t finished. He used the Force to catch himself mid-fall, parted the lava with his will, and hurled molten rock back at Chewbacca. The heat seared Chewie, but he kept fighting.
Luke, Han, and Leia Enter the Fray
Luke had crash-landed nearby and rushed to help, but the dread of Vader’s presence overwhelmed him. He tried to intervene by dropping a boulder on Vader — but it backfired. Vader turned and started Force-choking Luke from a distance.
Chewie had to grab Luke and retreat just as Han and Leia arrived in their ship. All four of them regrouped and unloaded blaster fire on Vader. Damaged suit or not, he still deflected every bolt and hurled the energy back at them with terrifying ease.
Eventually, Vader made it to an Imperial shuttle and recharged his failing systems. The surge restored his armor, Luke’s X-wing, and even C-3PO. The Rebels finally had a narrow chance to escape.
And Then the Moon Woke Up
Just when it couldn’t get any crazier, the largest of the rock creatures — literally the size of the moon — stirred awake. It ripped into the Imperial fleet, tearing ships apart with raw power.
Realizing the battle was lost, Vader withdrew to his Super Star Destroyer. He tried one last gambit, using the Force to drag Luke’s X-wing into his hangar. But before he could succeed, the Star Destroyer jumped to hyperspace, pulling him away from the fight.
The Rebels escaped. Chewie lived. And after all that chaos, the team regrouped and began planning their new base on Hoth.
