"The Genesis of a Death Star" is a comic book spanning twelve pages, found within Star Wars Tales 4, and penned by Kevin Rubio. It can also be found in Star Wars Tales Volume 1.
Wilhuff Tarkin, accompanied by Tol Sivron and Bevel Lemelisk, present their proposal for the Death Star to Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. The shortcomings of the design are comically pointed out, such as the ease with which the tractor beams can be disabled, attributed to the limited intelligence of typical stormtroopers. Additionally, the absence of support beams on the bridges is noted as a cost-saving measure. The Emperor also calls attention to the exhaust port's excessive size, initially around fifteen meters, leading to its reduction to the canonical two meters—the smallest dimension considered safe—along with the addition of numerous turbolasers and ion cannons within the trench to minimize the possibility of a pilot successfully executing the necessary shot.
The sketch's title bears resemblance to the 1937 film A Star is Born, which has seen three remakes, in 1954, 1976, and 2018 (released sixteen years following the comic's debut).
Bevel Lemelisk's visual representation in this comic deviates from his depiction in all other sources. This alteration was a deliberate decision by the comic's creator, though the reason remains unknown. The presence of a certain Mon Calamari should also be acknowledged.
As the Maw Installation team approaches the Imperial Palace aboard their Lambda-class shuttle, one can also spot the original Starship Enterprise, a Bob's Big Boy, BGY-11 "Big Guy" robot, the Millennium Falcon (or rather, a YT-1300 type spacecraft), and the "Yellow Submarine".
The Imperial emblems decorating the Palace take the form of Mickey Mouse ears. Moreover, when Darth Vader offers Moff Tarkin coffee, he presents it with a milk carton featuring a cow illustration. The hologram that Lemelisk mistakenly displays, claiming it belongs to his daughter, showcases Yogi Bear.
Proposed names for the first Death Star include "Planet Killer" (potentially referencing The Doomsday Machine), "Death From Above" (possibly alluding to Apocalypse Now or Ivan Drago's moniker in Rocky IV), and Titanic.