Manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems,[1] Obsidian 7 was the designation of a TIE/LN starfighter serving the Imperial Navy's Obsidian Squadron[2] by 3 ABY.[4] Modified for upper atmosphere pursuits[5] and maneuvers, Obsidian 7 was operated by a TIE pilot nicknamed "Winged Gundark" for[2] an impressive number of career kills[6] in high-altitude battles[2] by 3 ABY.[4]
During that year, the Galactic Empire took over the planet Bespin, with the intent to capture the YT-1300 light freighter Millennium Falcon. When the Millennium Falcon subsequently escaped from Bespin's Cloud City,[4] Obsidian 7 was among the TIE fighters that pursued the freighter into space.[5] However, the squadron was unsuccessful in its pursuit, with the Millennium Falcon evading Imperial capture. Obsidian 7 was armed with a pair of L-s1 laser cannons.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
The Obsidian 7 name was coined by Decipher, Inc.'s 1997 Cloud City Limited expansion set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game,[2] with the image being a rotated version of a TIE fighter previously pictured in 1996's Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded.[7] It was later mentioned in 1998's Star Wars: Behind the Magic, where it was further linked to one of the TIE fighters seen in the 1980 original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[5] Before the film's May 21, 1980 release,[8] Obsidian 7 first appeared simultaneously in The Empire Strikes Back Storybook[9] and the film's novelization,[10] both released April 12 of the same year.[11][12]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back novelization (First appearance, simultaneous with The Empire Strikes Back Storybook)
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back junior novelization
- Classic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back book
- The Empire Strikes Back radio drama
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Cine-Manga
- The Empire Strikes Back Storybook
- The Empire Strikes Back Annual
- Star Wars (1977) 44
Sources[]
- The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited (Card: Atmospheric Assault) (backup link) (Picture only)
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited (Card: Obsidian 7) (backup link) (First identified as Obsidian 7)
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited (Card: TIE Sentry Ships) (backup link) (Picture only)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: The Illustrated Screenplay
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- TIE Fighter: A Pocket Manual (Picture only)
- Star Wars Trading Card Game — The Empire Strikes Back (Card: TIE Pursuit Squad) (backup link) (Picture only)
- Star Wars Trading Card Game — Return of the Jedi (Card: Occupied Bespin) (backup link) (Picture only)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II ("Obsidian Squadron")
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 TIE fighter in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link) states that all TIE/LN starfighters were manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited (Card: Obsidian 7) (backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 402 ("Obsidian Squadron")
- ↑ Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- ↑ This Week! in Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Turns 40, Queen's Peril Gets a Voice, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- ↑ The Empire Strikes Back Storybook
- ↑ Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization
- ↑ The Empire Strikes Back Storybook on Amazon.com (backup link) (US hardcover)
- ↑ Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, Updated and Expanded Edition