Crimson Jack, the first significant pirate introduced in the Star Wars franchise, made his debut shortly after the events of A New Hope. He quickly became a formidable adversary to Han Solo and his Rebel companions. Initially appearing in Marvel’s classic Star Wars comics, which were some of the earliest non-film properties of the franchise, Jack’s character added depth to the lore surrounding Star Wars during the gaps between the original trilogy films.
The original Marvel comics are now part of the Star Wars Legends continuity, which was once the official canon of the franchise. Since the establishment of the modern canon in 2014, many elements from the Legends timeline have been adapted into new stories, with Crimson Jack being one of the characters to find a new life in this updated narrative.
In his first story arc, Crimson Jack is depicted as a ruthless pirate leader with a longstanding rivalry with Han Solo. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, he ambushes the Millennium Falcon using his flagship’s tractor beam. Jack and his crew rob Solo and Chewbacca of their reward from the Rebel Alliance, further entangling them in debt to Jabba the Hutt. His flagship, an Imperial Star Destroyer that he commandeered, has a rich backstory of its own.
In the Legends continuity, the Rebel Alliance secured the Death Star plans during the Battle of Toprawa. Amid this chaos, a damaged Star Destroyer was left drifting in deep space, leading to Jack and his crew discovering it and claiming it for themselves, thus augmenting their fleet with TIE Fighters and TIE Bombers.
The rivalry between Crimson Jack and Han Solo was intensified by their encounters post-A New Hope. Instead of killing Solo and Chewbacca after robbing them, Jack chose to let them go but attached a tracker to the Millennium Falcon, plotting future heists. Their encounters culminated in a thrilling adventure where Solo tricked Jack into a perilous situation on the aquatic planet Drexel, claiming hidden treasures awaited him there.
Despite the animosity, Jack exhibited a disdain for Wookiees and exclusively hired humans for his crew, which suggests his belief in a ‘High Human Culture.’ Eventually, a significant confrontation led to Jack’s defeat, ending their rivalry when Han Solo outgunned him in a blaster duel.
Recently, a new version of Crimson Jack has emerged in the modern Star Wars canon, appearing in the 2022 comic series Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy by Ethan Sacks and Will Sliney. This incarnation retains his identity as a pirate leader, having survived the events of the original trilogy and remained active during the sequel era. In this series, he attacks the Halcyon in pursuit of a Resistance spy, showcasing his continued relevance in the Star Wars narrative.
As the Star Wars franchise continues to expand with new films and series, fans eagerly anticipate more stories involving iconic characters like Crimson Jack and their adventures in the galaxy far, far away.
