Review: Charles Soule Delivers the Epic Conclusion to Qiras Story in Marvels Hidden Empire #5

The grand finale has finally come. It’s been a long journey through this trilogy of comic arcs spearheaded by the great Charles Soule, but with Hidden Empire #5, we have an epic conclusion.



Throughout the trilogy, I’ve had my fair share of concerns over the end game with Qi’ra. From the moment I first watched Solo: A Star Wars Story, she’s been one of my favorite characters. She has had an epic journey from a scrum rat on the streets of Corellia to the leader of a Hidden Empire against Emperor Palpatine. The concern was she would end up as a fatality and footnote in the already well-fleshed-out stories of main male antagonists like Vader and Palpatine. Yes, I have held faith in the great Charles Soule, who rightly deserves the benefit of the doubt, but the worried little voice in my head would not go away. So as you can imagine, I tore into this final issue of Hidden Empire with some ferocious rigor, and I am excited to dive into it!



Hidden Empire #5 cover art by Paula Siquieira and Rachelle Rosenberg.



Spoilers ahead...



Hidden Empire #5 begins in about as epic fashion as possible. Vader and Palpatine have led a boarding party aboard the Amaxine station to confront whatever the Fermata Cage has in store for them. First, however, they must deal with the Crimson Dawn ground forces. Palpatine couldn’t help but acknowledge how part of him missed wreaking havoc with his lightsaber, and being the enforcer he’s forced Vader to be. It’s true. His primary function can’t be to personally go and settle every dispute and conflict within his Empire. He relies on fear, cunning, and the scope of nearly unlimited power at his disposal, which, yes, includes sending Vader in his stead.



The two cut down foe after foe in a sea of swirling red sabers and blue lighting. The Fermata Cage is nearly open, and the two can sense its immense aura of dark side energy emanating from it. It’s almost intoxicating to the two Sith lords.



Vader and Palpatine fighting the Dawn troops.



While the two are making their way toward the Fermata Cage, the Archivist tries to make her way out. She has fulfilled her duty and is now trying to find the best option to escape. Of course, the last place anyone wants to be is between two Sith lords and a powerful dark side object.



Qi’ra assures her that help is on the way. At first, I assumed this would be the Knights of Ren. She was in contact with them in the previous issue, and they seemed to be heading toward the fray. Instead, I was surprised to see none other than Dr. Aphra show up. For those unfamiliar, Aphra’s body is currently inhabited by the Spark Eternal. The Spark Eternal is a powerful spirit-like artificial intelligence created by the Ascendant. The Ascendant sought to use technology to replicate the effects of the Force.



If you are familiar with Aphra, you will know she has some history with Lord Vader. Wielding the Null Blade ( another Ascendent creation with the capability to temporarily neutralize the effects of a lightsaber), she engages Vader in a duel while Palpatine goes further to investigate the growing presence emanating from the Fermata Cage.



Vader and Aphra fight.



After a chilling duel, Vader uses the Force in a way that separated the Spark Eternal from Aphra’s body. The two’s conversation takes on a much different tune as she enters survival mode. She ultimately goads Vader into going off after his Master, but it was a massive amount of fun to see her brief cameo in this final arc.



Finally, they come face to face with the Fermata Cage. I was so curious as to what would happen next. The Cage turns out to be a ploy. It was not connected directly to the Force, but a carefully laid trap. A trap laid perfectly for Vader and Palpatine. The two are trapped in time after the Archivist engages the device. A grey, cocoon-like shell envelopes the two of them. Check out the image below, as it’s one of my favorites.



Vader and Palpatine trapped in time.



The grey cocoon trapping them inside while a sea of red swirls around them makes for a marvelous page. One can only imagine the words being while the trap is sprung. Qi’ra is ready to celebrate her victory. In moments, they would permanently seal the cage, effectively time-locking the Sith. The next step would be to drop the cage off in the middle of a star to end them once and for all. All of this would have been fine, but the idiots had to arrive.



Yes, by the idiots, I mean the Knights of Ren. They are so inept they believe that if they saved the Sith from this little pickle they got themselves in, they might curry favor with the Emperor moving forward. Somehow, this one act would make the evilest man in the galaxy forget about the fact they robbed his #1 enforcer and have aided in the attempts to effectively kill him. I’m not sure they thought that through effectively.



Nonetheless, they blast away at the station and free them. The effect this has on Qi’ra is galactic-sized. She knew this was the last chance. The weight of everything comes crashing down at once. She sends a final message to her remaining forces to flee for their lives before it’s too late. Our last image of her is of her ship trying to make a final escape.



Qi'ra's anguish sets in.



The Knights of Ren landed on the Amaxine Station in time for their rude awakening. They learn a valuable lesson. Palpatine is merciless. With a ferocious display of force lighting, he subdues the entire group with minimal effort needed. His parting words to them were about their future as his servants.



Knights of Ren feeling the wrath of Palpatine.



With the Dawn fleet destroyed and Qi’ra whereabouts unknown, we finally get some answers to important questions. The first of which is why is the young girl Cadeliah so important. After not hearing from Qi’ra for several days, she plays the message on the disc she left for her. In the message we see the true heart and spirit of Qi’ra come out. Her only reason for taking Cadeliah was to give her the choices she never had. Cadeliah mirrors Qi’ra in so many ways. She’s forced into a life she hasn’t chosen for herself. Being trapped in a life with no options has left Qi’ra being forced to be someone she didn't want to be. She doesn’t want this for Cadeliah.



In the disc, she also left enough credits and resources to make for herself, whatever life she wants. For Cadeliah, she gives a choice in who she wants to be and how she wants to live. This freedom, something Qi’ra never had but always coveted, is now hers. Here we see the true heart and spirit of Qi’ra that I adore. She has played her hand about as well as she could. This cunning, fierce leader of the most powerful crime syndicate in the galaxy is also kind and caring and still have the tenderness she once had in her early years. Being forced to suppress it for many years didn’t erase it from her entirely. Now, she just finally had the chance to show it again.



Qi'ra sends a final message to Cadeliah.



Some of the greatest excitement came in the next reveal. For a while, we have all been wondering who the cloaked individuals are talking with the Archivist and hearing Qi’ra’s story. We finally learn it’s none other Than Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and his sister Jedi Leia Organa.



Luke and Leia.



Before we get into their conversation, can we just take a moment to admire the image above? JEDI LEIA! There's so little Jedi Leia content that this image is a massive win for the archives. Her brown robes hung down but not covering the beautiful lightsaber dangling from her hip. I love how Luke still dons his darker robes, and his lightsaber is also on display. The two of them together will always conjure certain feelings in my heart. Jedi Leia, in particular, is an image I will cherish most.



The dialogue between the two was perfect. Through their conversation, we learn that while Qi’ra may have felt her plan to destroy the Sith failed, it didn’t. It may not have happened according to her design, but the effects were the same. Two of her agent brought the Rebellion the news of the second Death Star’s construction. Her syndicate war also distracted Palpatine so much that it gave the Rebel fleet time to regroup and grow in size.



Leia’s spirit comes out as she expresses her desire for Qi’ra to have come to them. The archivist believes Qi’ra to be long dead, and Leia deeply wishes Qi’ra was alive to have seen them win.



Little did she know that in a cantina in an unknown location, one Qi’ra sat quietly, alone in a corner, as news of the Empire’s defeat was being broadcasted. Our last image of her is the somber look of someone who has given everything to her cause while still struggling to find the heart to believe it was worth it.



Qi'ra sits in solitude.



The little voice in my head is talking to me no more! Qi’ra did not become a footnote in the rise of Palpatine and Vader. Her role in all of this insured victory for the Rebellion, and further cemented her place as an iconic character in this universe. While I would’ve enjoyed having a bit more of Qi’ra herself in this last issue of Hidden Empire, I understand why Soule went the route he did.



Some of the conflict involving the Knights of Ren felt somewhat contrived, but when working with characters as well fleshed out as Palpatine and Vader, sometimes it has to be. Their direct involvement enhances her importance. Her survival enhances her legacy. I couldn’t be happier she is still alive. It was always going to be a tragic ending, but there is some beauty in the tragedy presented by Hidden Empire. Qi’ra ultimately achieved what she set out to do, and her final acts with the power she still wielded gave a young girl the future she always wanted for herself. It’s poetic.



While this chapter of Qi’ra’s journey is closing, I hope it isn’t the last we see of her. I’m sure there are still plenty of stories to tell. This journey was worth the twists and turns it took us on. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Until next time… AWAIT THE DAWN!


<p style='text-align: center;']Rating: 10/10</p>


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