After 43 Years, Star Wars Exposes the Full Extent of Lando’s Betrayal of Han Solo

Star Wars is exploring the full extent of Lando Calrissian’s betrayal of Han Solo 43 years after The Empire Strikes Back. Initially, Lando sold Han and his friends out to Darth Vader and the Empire, setting a trap for them which resulted in Han being frozen in carbonite, given to bounty hunter Boba Fett, and delivered to Jabba the Hutt. However, it’s since been revealed that Lando’s full betrayal in the Star Wars canon was worse and goes even further.

Set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Lando has been working to help the Rebellion which has been regrouping after the devastating Battle of Hoth. However, Calrissian has yet to become a true believer in the Rebel cause, mainly due to his preoccupation with helping his cyborg friend Lobot who’s long been his right-hand man. However, Lando’s journey has resulted in the infamous con man having betrayed the Rebellion while also passing on chances for Lando to save Han in his carbonite prison as seen in the new preview for Star Wars #40 from Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov. The preview pages can be viewed below:

Lando’s predicament is laid out pretty succinctly by the ancient droid he recently liberated from Jabba’s Palace, the same droid who forged unbreakable new codes for the Alliance whom Lando had originally sold to Jabba in secret without the Rebels’ knowledge. However, now that he needs the droid to help repair Lobot’s cyborg implants, there’s seemingly no way out for Lando but to come clean to Princess Leia when the full issue is released.

Lando’s Han Betrayal Went Beyond Empire Strikes Back

It Got So Much Worse

If Lando’s underhanded dealings with Jabba after Empire Strikes Back weren’t bad enough, it’s been established that he had a chance to save Han but didn’t want to risk the danger that would have come with it. Likewise, he’s also put the entire Rebellion in jeopardy by essentially selling the codes they desperately needed to evade the Empire. The unique codes were the only way the Alliance was able to reform after being scattered across the galaxy with the Imperial Navy ruthlessly hunting them down following Hoth.

Now, it does seem as though Lando is finally going to come clean. That being said, it probably won’t be a very pretty scene. Leia had just begun to start trusting Lando in this current Star Wars series, meaning that the newly revealed levels of Calrissian’s betrayal will likely hit that much harder (especially with Han Solo’s imprisonment playing a factor).

Is The Start Of Lando’s True Rebel Redemption?

Something that has yet to be seen in this canonical comic series is Calrissian’s victory at the Battle of Taanab which earned Lando his promotion to general as seen in Return of the Jedi. Perhaps coming clean in this upcoming issue will be the start of Lando truly working toward his redemption and the eventual rescue mission to save Han where he infiltrated Jabba’s Palace as a guard. At any rate, it does seem as though Lando has nowhere to go but up now that the full extent of his biggest Star Wars betrayal is likely coming to light with this new issue.

Star Wars #43 will be available from Marvel Comics on November 1st.