In 2015's The Force Awakens, audiences were introduced to the conflict between the Resistance, a band of freedom fighters composed of heroes from the original Star Wars trilogy, and the villainous First Order, the tyrannical military power that arose from the ashes of the Galactic Empire. The film climaxed with the heroes storming the First Order's super-weapon, Starkiller Base, and confronting the organization's leaders like Kylo Ren and General Hux, who escaped the base's destruction. Meanwhile, Captain Phasma, the Commander of the First Order's Stormtrooper legions, was believed dead, having been last seen as she was dumped into one of the Starkiller Base's garbage disposals.

RELATED: Star Wars: The Last Jedi May Unmask Captain Phasma

The heroes of the Resistance are going to wish they made sure Phasma was dead, because the fearsome First Order Commander (played by Gwendoline Christie) will return with a vengeance this December in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This September, In Marvel Comics' Captain Phasma series, writer Kelly Thompson and artist Marco Checchetto will show how the character survived the destruction of Starkiller Base, and just how formidable of an opponent she can be. And it all counts; the five-issue story officially bridges the gap between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

CBR spoke with Thompson about telling a story set against the backdrop of the new Star Wars film trilogy, her take on Phasma, the joy of collaborating with Checchetto, and the friends and foes their title character will confront as the series unfolds.

CBR: Kelly, you wrote the second annual for Marvel's Star Wars series, a story featuring Leia Organa, and now you're returning for Captain Phasma, a story that bridges the gap between The Force Awakens and December's The Last Jedi. How does that feel? What's it like to be writing a Star War series set in this time period?

EXCLUSIVE: Art from Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1 by Marco Checchetto and Andres Mossa

Kelly Thompson: I think it’s pretty exciting for a writer no matter what Star Wars you get to contribute to, as it’s one of if not the most famous and beloved canon in fiction across all media. However, writing a story that effectively bridges the gap between two of the biggest films of all time is... well, it’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility. It’s honestly the kind of thing you can’t think about too much when you’re doing it or you’ll totally definitely choke. [Laughs]

What's your sense of Phasma when you pick up with her? What's her state of mind? And which aspects of her character are you interested in exploring? Will we learn more about her past as the series unfolds?

I think it’s safe to say Phasma is peak pissed after the events that landed her in the garbage chute. She’s definitely looking for payback, but she’s a very levelheaded and focused character, and she’s not going to let anger cloud her judgment.

The Phasma novel by Delilah S. Dawson is delving deeply into Phasma’s past, so that’s not something we’re really dealing with here, except in some parallels in the situations she finds herself in and in the sense that Phasma’s past certainly informs who she is today. Reading the novel is in no way required to understand our story, but I definitely think it brings extra layers to the experience.

Is Phasma the type of character that would allow us readers to know more about her? For instance, will we be allowed inside her head for inner monologues? And will we see her without her signature helmet?

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Phasma definitely keeps her own counsel. She’s a laconic character, and much like in the [Darth] Vader comics, we will not be getting a peek inside her thought process. That’s a challenging set of parameters, especially for a character always wearing a helmet, but I think it allowed us to lean into the fact that she is a woman of definitive action.

As for the helmet, I think fans everywhere would be pretty mad if I robbed them of the epic moment of seeing the incredible Gwendoline Christie take off that helmet on film by putting it in the comic first. So don’t expect to see that in our series. Although I should also warn folks that I don’t know for sure when it might happen in the films, just that I’m optimistic we’ll get it eventually!

What can you tell us about the exploits Phasma will embark upon under your watch? Is this mainly the tale of her escape from Starkiller Base, or is there more to it?

EXCLUSIVE: Art from Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1 by Marco Checchetto and Andres Mossa

Issue one all takes place on Starkiller Base following Phasma’s escape from the garbage chute, but the rest of the series takes place on an entirely new planet as Phasma tries to... contain, let’s say, some of the ramifications of events on Starkiller Base. The tone is definitely in the Darth Vader vein, a bit darker and more serious than most comics I’ve written, since Phasma herself is a bit darker and more serious. It was a nice challenge for me and I hope I rose to the occasion!

What kinds of obstacles, adversaries, and supporting players will Phasma encounter over the course of your story?

We’ve got a few cameos from familiar faces, but mostly it’s new characters, including a new First Order Pilot (and a First Order droid!), and a local population and epic monsters that Phasma has to deal with on the planet where most of the story takes place.

One of the exciting things about this project is the fact that you're working with Marco Checchetto, an artist whose work has proven that he's an expert at conveying the action, tone, and emotion of just about any kind of story. What's it like working with Marco? What do you enjoy most about his style?

EXCLUSIVE: Art from Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1 by Marco Checchetto and Andres Mossa

I actually almost had a chance to work with Marco once before, but it didn’t work out, so I was really excited when I learned we were going to be doing this together. Phasma, as we’ve discussed, is wearing a helmet constantly, which could be a challenge for a lesser artist, but Marco is just so good that I feel like the mask ends up working in our favor. [Laughs] Marco is so good at bold, epic moments, so I tried to write as many as I could for him, he definitely delivered. And with Andres Mossa on colors we really do just have the best team.

Finally, can you leave us with some hints and teases about the environments and action set pieces Phasma will navigate over the course of your story?

As I mentioned, the first issue is on familiar ground, set entirely on Starkiller Base, and of course we all know what happens to Starkiller Base, so it’s a ticking time bomb of an issue. The new planet that the rest of the story takes place on has a great look to it – a very tumultuous and unforgiving environment and the local population and monsters to go with it.