Wankle

Wankle was a Human male Imperial naval officer serving the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. Commanding an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, he was stationed near the planet Sullust in the Outer Rim Territories and was responsible for conducting cargo inspections on vessels entering and exiting the system. Sometime during the Galactic Civil War, Wankle's Star Destroyer intercepted the Nyubba-class cargo barge driver Chubby Gundark, which was owned by the SoroSuub Corporation and commanded by Sullustan Captain Bungo Bung. Wankle ordered the freighter to be inspected, and the Chubby Gundark was taken aboard the Star Destroyer. Wankle personally supervised the inspection, and the stormtrooper leading the search reported that the vessel was carrying forty cases of Biscuit Baron's Bantha Breakfast Biscuit. After inquiring if there was blue sauce to go with them and receiving a positive reply, Wankle ordered thirty-nine of the cases to be confiscated so that his men could enjoy a special meal. When Captain Bung's droid, 42-RST, inquired about Wankle's actions, he bluntly told her that he could do what he wanted, and they were lucky that he was leaving them anything. When his men had taken the cargo off the Chubby Gundark, he allowed the vessel to be on its way.

Two weeks later, Wankle's Star Destroyer intercepted the Chubby Gundark again near Sullust. The vessel was returning from a run to the Outer Rim planet Gastrula, where Bung and RST-42 had been conducting a booming trade in Bantha Breakfast Biscuits with the native Gastrulans. The Chubby Gundark was again inspected by Captain Wankle. However, this time, Captain Bung handed over the single crate of Bantha Breakfast Biscuits that he was carrying without argument, although he did apologize for having no blue sauce to accompany it. Wankle was unaware that the crate of biscuits had been contaminated—the preservatives in the foodstuff had mixed with the stale air in the Chubby Gundarks hold. The resulting combination would eventually produce a Giant Amorphous Bantha Breakfast Biscuit, a ravenous creature that would eat anything in its path.

Wankle had black hair, and wore the uniform of an Imperial naval officer. A no-nonsense Imperial officer, Wankle used his position to intimidate individuals less powerful that he was, and displayed offensive behavior to non-Humans by calling them names, such as referring to the Sullustan Bungo Bung as "mouseman." Despite this, he had a genuine concern for the crew under his command, going so far as to procure a special meal for them.

Wankle was created by Jim Anderson for the story Bungo n' Rusti Get Carry-Out that appeared in the Star Wars Adventure Journal 11 in 1996. The story was both written and illustrated by Anderson. Originally, Anderson had planned to write a series of comic adventures starring Bungo and Rusti, but since Dark Horse Comics was the sole comic licensee the idea had to be abandoned. Dark Horse overlooked the publication of Bungo n' Rusti Get Carry-Out since they believed it to be a one-shot story. However, the character has also appeared in the unlicensed Bungo n' Rusti Join the Rebellion?!! Part I and II by Anderson that can be found on TheForce.net. In material Anderson released on TheForce.Net, he revealed that Wankle's Star Destroyer was named the Excessive, and that his ship was attacked by a Giant Amorphous Bantha Breakfast Biscuit that evolved from the crate of Bantha Breakfast Biscuits he confiscated from Captain Bung. Wankle lost his ship in the incident, as well as his nose, which was replaced by a prosthesis. He was subsequently assigned to command the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Upheaval with the mission of tracking down the Sullustan smuggler Nien Nunb.