Solo: A Star Wars Story Comic Reveals Why Han Got Kicked Out The Imperial Academy

SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for Marvel Comics' Solo: A Star Wars Story #1 from Robbie Thompson, Will Sliney, Federico Blee and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.

When it was announced Solo: A Star Wars Story would dive into Han Solo's (Alden Ehrenreich) past as an Imperial cadet, many were excited to see just how he'd end up leaving the Empire's training system. Fans wondered if he'd exit of his own accord or if he'd be kicked out.

However, Ron Howard's movie only told half the story, shedding some light as to why Han left his stint with the Empire on Mimban, where he was fighting on the frontlines as a form of punishment for being defiant at the Imperial Academy. The thing is, we never really saw what he did at the Academy to warrant him being disciplined like this and thrown into Mimban's marshlands. That is, until now.

Marvel Comics' adaption of the movie reveals exactly why Han was sent there, basically acting as a deleted scene from Howard's film.

In Solo, after we saw how Han got his name, "Solo," the film skipped straight to his duty on Mimban, leaving the audience to fill in the blank as to his insubordination at the Academy. Now, we're seeing his exploits detailed in full in this comic from Robbie Thompson and Will Sliney, such as fighting with fellow cadets; something that's unsurprising given how much Han loves to mouth off. Another transgression came with him stealing a TIE fighter for kicks, only to crash it. Even as he was deemed by his superiors to be the best pilot they ever saw, he still had a tendency to cheat when it came to impressing in training drills.

One of his multiple offenses was modifying a TIE fighter engine after being given a second chance in the fleet, which got out of control and ended with Han taking out his own fighters by accident as he tried to nab all the glory for stopping Resistance raiders on a run. Basically, Han was a liability and most of his unsanctioned actions resulted in him crashing the Empire's ships, endangering and damaging his fellow cadets and incurring heavy costs for his bosses to deal with. Even when he was helping take down rebels, Han found a way to somehow damage equipment like satellites, space stations and, worse yet, civilians working for Emperor Palpatine.

His superiors weren't sure if he was "brave" or "stupid," as he injured himself half of the time, too. Nonetheless, at a tribunal, they decided his maverick behavior deserved a trip to Mimban -- a cadet's worst nightmare. There, they hoped he'd learn discipline before rejoining them to fly the Imperial flag. Of course, as we witnessed in Howard's flick, this never happened because Han would betray the Empire, partner with Woody Harrelson's Tobias Beckett and leave Mimban for a life of crime with Chewbacca.

It's very interesting to see a younger Han like this, disobeying orders, because he did conform a bit in Star Wars lore when he got older, as seen in the backstory of him joining the rebels as an X-Wing pilot. But in this comic we're given full insight into how he hated authority and why he couldn't fit in with Palpatine's military system. We also get context here for why he was always an outlier later on in Luke and Leia's army, coming and going as he pleased. Simply put, he just wanted to be free.

Well, it's nice to see how rash and hotheaded he was in his formative years, especially because these actions back then fashioned a course to Mimban, Chewie and a life as a smuggler, which eventually led him directly to the Rebel Alliance. Had he not been a royal pain at the Academy, well, we wouldn't have had one of the most important heroes ever in the quest for liberation in a galaxy far, far away.

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Star Wars: What Got Han Solo Kicked Out The Imperial Academy, Revealed