The ‘Star Wars’ Comic Reveals a Major Secret About Han Solo and Blows the New Canon Wide Open

For lapsed Star Wars fans who have finally begun to forgive this series for its many transgressions, the new canon has been a blessing. Sure, some longtime fans were angry that years worth of novels and comics and video games were wiped away so Disney and Lucasfilm could rebuild this saga from the ground up, but this decision has resulted in a creative renaissance. Marvel’s new Star Wars comics, for example, are nothing short of exceptional and thanks to the new clean slate, the writers and artists involved are pretty much allowed to do whatever the hell they want...

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STAR WARS COMICS AND CANON.

...Like reveal that Han Solo had a wife named Sana and that he was married during the events of the original Star Wars.

That sound you hear is a thousand fanboys screaming and tearing out great fistfuls of their hair.

The big reveal came in Star Wars #6, written by Jason Aaron and pencilled by John Cassaday, and it was bound to be a controversial decision before we learned that Han’s wife is black. This feels like a very pointed decision: it brings some much-needed diversity to the Star Wars saga, which takes place in a galaxy with startlingly few non-white characters ... and it’s also going to drive the racist nerds totally bonkers. Now, bigoted movie fans and bigoted comic fans can cry together as popular culture leaves them in the dust.

Here’s the page that introduces us to Sana Solo, who appears to have a lot in common with her roguish, tough-as-nails spouse:

This reveal comes from the very end of the issue, so we literally don’t know anything of note about Sana beyond the fact that she’s apparently not on the best terms with her husband. We can make a few educated assumptions, though.This series takes places between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, so it is strongly implied that Han was married during events of the first movie. Since all of the new external Star Wars media goes through the Lucasfilm story group and is considered canon, this is a pretty big shake-up. It also colors the future relationship between Han and Leia in an interesting new light. No wonder she’s more annoyed by him than ever during The Empire Strikes Back.

Chances are strong that we’ll see the Solos file their divorce papers in the pages of the comic, freeing Han up to pursue his relationship with Leia. Still, choices like this are making the old corners of the Star Wars universe feel fresh and vital, even as we head into the future with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Choices that freshen up our favorite characters and introduce diversity into our favorite geeky properties are always welcome.