UPDATE – 6/3/2015. We now know who the mystery woman is! Marvel editor Jordan D. White was right when he said fans would be surprised by her reveal.
SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS #6 BELOW!
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So it looks like Disney/Lucasfilm is continuing the tradition of taking a little of this and a little of that from the defunct Star Wars Expanded Universe to create new characters that feel familiar. While Han Solo may have never married Salla Zend, Sana Solo is off to a good start as her spiritual successor.
Original Article:
Over the weekend, bookworms gathered in Manhattan for BookCon 2015. Marvel was among the many panels trotting out new information about their upcoming novels and comic books. Attendees got a look at the upcoming Lando Calrissian comic and the Aftermath trilogy got an official title (The Aftermath Trilogy).
But perhaps the most tantalizing detail was the wide reveal of the cover for STAR WARS #9, currently slated for this August, along with the publisher”s summary:
Luke”s lightsaber has been stolen and he must retrieve it! Meanwhile, the Imperials are closing in on Han and Leia…set upon them by a mysterious woman from Han”s past!
During the panel, Marvel Editor Jordan D. White said, “I think a lot of people are going to be surprised about who that is.” A statement like that is basically a gauntlet thrown down at fans, daring them to guess who it might be.
There are clues already showing up in Jason Aaron”s STAR WARS. The mystery lady has been in search of Han Solo for a while, and seems to know his haunts. She”s also handy with a blaster, has a knack for modifying machinery, and has a prickly take-no-prisoners attitude.
You know who that sounds like? Salla Zend, Han Solo”s ex-girlfriend. A smuggler out of Nar Shaddaa, Zend shares many similarities with the mystery woman currently giving chase to Solo and Princess Leia (unbeknownst to them) in STAR WARS. Marvel has stressed in the past how important the Expanded Universe is despite being dismantled. Perhaps this August, a wayward child of the EU will come home to roost. If so, I believe Salla Zend would be arguably the biggest EU character to make the jump to the new canon.
Now we just need Mara Jade, right? Please?