Ship was an organic, sentient spacecraft that dwelled in the solitude of the intergalactic void. Once one of the sole survivors of a destructive extragalactic war, the mecho-organic vessel and its pilot fled into the void after a plague bomb wiped out all life in their galaxy. Through eons ceaselessly traveling through the starless night, the pilot and the vessel amalgamated into one consciousness, and began to lose touch with its memories and its sanity as it occupied itself with endless games. In 0 ABY, Ship encountered Rebel leaders Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, who had accidentally ended up in the void due to a hyperdrive malfunction. Ship returned the two Rebels to their galaxy, and after destroying a pursuing Imperial Star Destroyer, it left to resume its travels through the void.
The entity known as "Ship" was once two distinct beings, a pilot and a mecho-organic vessel, who participated in a destructive war in a distant galaxy. The vessel was one of many such organic-based craft used in the war, until it emerged from the conflict's climactic battle as its side's only survivor. The ship's crew traveled home, only to realize once they returned that the enemy had detonated a plague bomb on their world, killing the entire population. The last of their kind, the crew hurried back to the ship—but the plague was airborne, could penetrate their armor, and only the pilot reached the craft alive. Finding that the plague could spread from planet to planet, the pilot realized that the only possible salvation lay beyond their galaxy, and set off into the intergalactic void. Over time, the ship and its pilot essentially fused into one entity, with the rider's consciousness linking to the vessel's self-perpetuating organic systems. This new being referred to itself simply as "Ship," and during its endless voyage through the night, entertained itself with games as it slowly slipped towards madness. Eventually, Ship's travels brought it near a new galaxy teeming with life.
Ship obliterates an Imperial Star Destroyer with anti-matter pods.
During its travels through the void, Ship had an encounter with Zeta Magnus, a brutal Arkanian mutant who would later become a wanted Republic terrorist and self-proclaimed Magister of Skye. But Ship's most meaningful contact with denizens of the galaxy came in 0 ABY, when it ran across a damaged Rebel spice tanker that had ended up in the intergalactic void after suffering damage to its hyperdrive during a hyperspace jump. Ship brought the damaged vessel into its cargo bay, but soon realized that there were two entities onboard: Rebel leaders Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. At first thinking that they were only parts of one of its games, Ship had a droid engage Skywalker in combat, only for the young Human to destroy the machine with his lightsaber. Skywalker's victory wasn't part of the program—stunned, Ship realized that the only explanation was that the two Humans were, in fact, real. Immediately assuming that they were enemies, Ship attempted to space the Rebels out of the airlock, but softened when its saw the genuine care the two had for one another, which stirred long-distant memories of its old life.
Ship closed its airlock and invited the two Rebels up to the bridge, where it revealed its backstory and bonded with the two Humans. During their conversation, Ship passed within the boundaries of the Humans' galaxy, where they were confronted by an Imperial Star Destroyer that had previously pursued Skywalker and Organa. When the cruiser launched an attack wing of TIE fighters, Ship responded by totally obliterating the Imperial ships with anti-matter pods, ending the threat. With the Imperials gone, Ship revealed to the Rebels that it had repaired their ship, and released them back into the galaxy. Fearing that the war infesting new galaxy reminded it too much of its old one, Ship decided not to stay, continuing to seek its peace in the void between the stars.
Ship's pilot, with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.
Joined together, the amalgamated "Ship" began to slip into madness during its long and lonely journey through the void, an empty dirge only interrupted by its encounter with Organa and Skywalker. By that time, Ship had almost forgotten its old life and emotions—consumed by its endless games, it could conceive of little else. Its realization that Skywalker and Organa were real was met with horror and hysteria, as Ship instantly assumed that the two were enemies looking to steal the vessel. However, the Rebels' display of caring reignited old memories and feelings within Ship, allowing it to regain a hold on reality. Although Ship developed an understanding with Skywalker and Organa during their brief time together, it ultimately realized that the void had become its true home, and that any sort of happiness it would find, it would find out there.
The entity known as "Ship" first appeared in Star Wars (1977) 38, written by Archie Goodwin and released in 1980. In its appearance in the Marvel Star Wars comic arc, Ship was illustrated by Michael Golden.