WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Han Solo & Chewbacca #1, Marvel's latest Star Wars tie-in comic, seemingly reveals the titular scruffy-looking nerf herder's father.
By writer Marc Guggenheim, artist David Messina, colorist Alex Sinclair and letterer VC's Joe Caramagna, Han Solo & Chewbacca #1 looks at the adventures of the two classic heroes during their time working for Jabba the Hutt. Early into the issue, Han and Chewbacca end up partnering with Greedo and plan to steal the ashes of one of Jabba's rivals on the human smuggler's homeworld of Corellia.
While they're there, Han stops by a bar and bumps into an old man. The two have a few drinks together, and Han mentions his father a few times, claiming his dad worked as a shipbuilder for the same company as the old man. At the end of Han Solo & Chewbacca #1, the old man asks his drinking partner what his father's name was, and the smuggler replies, "Ovan." The old man claims that's him, and then embraces Han, calling him his boy. At this time, it's not confirmed if Ovan is actually Han's father, and it's entirely possible that the old man has an ulterior motive.
In current Star Wars canon, there's some question as to just who Han's father was and what happened to him. The Ultimate Star Wars reference book, which is generally considered an authoritative source on the franchise's continuity, indicates Han's father died after abandoning him. However, Jon Kasdan, who co-wrote 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, remarked in a Twitter thread that he thinks Han ran away and that his father is still alive somewhere. Both of these possibilities are different than what happens in the non-canon Star Wars Legends continuity, in which Han's father, Jonash Solo, disappeared when he was a child.
Created by George Lucas, Han first appeared in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope, where he was played by Harrison Ford. Originally a smuggler, Han eventually became a key member of the Rebel Alliance and helped defeat the Empire alongside Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Alden Ehrenreich played a younger version of Han in Solo.
Han Solo & Chewbacca is on sale now from Marvel Comics. The title features a main cover from Alex Maleev and variants from Phil Noto, Adam Hughes and Declan Shalvey. The next issue of the series, Han Solo & Chewbacca #2, goes on sale April 20.
Source: Marvel Comics