Lobar Aybock

Born on the Wild Space planet of Shiva IV, Lobar Aybock was a male Calian from the city of K'avor. The backdrop of his upbringing was the volatile and primitive environment of Shiva IV, characterized by ongoing conflict between the Calian Confederacy and the Twelve Tribes of T'Syriél. Many Calians, including Lobar Aybock's father, were involved in continuous battles with the T'Syriél. These conflicts on Shiva IV persisted until approximately 2 ABY, when Aron Peacebringer, the Calian leader, and Kéral Longknife, the Demarch of the Twelve Tribes, signed the Concordat of Peace.

A year later, Imperial General Bentilais san Sk'ar visited Shiva IV, carrying out a mission directed by Emperor Palpatine to establish order in the Outer Rim. The Empire enlisted numerous T'Syriél into their forces and made an example of the Calians by bombing K'avor. Following the bombing of his hometown, Aybock, along with other Calians, was captured by the Imperials, who aimed to integrate members of their warrior race into the Empire's military. After undergoing various tests, the Imperials deemed the Calians unsuitable as stormtroopers. Subsequently, Aybock was handed over to Zygerrian slavers. Eventually, Eedund Cus, a Chevin, secured Aybock's freedom, providing him with training in shockboxing and instructing him in Aurebesh and Basic.

Under the guidance of Eedund Cus, Aybock achieved success as a shockboxer, participating in sixty-four matches across different planets, amassing a record of 58 wins and 6 losses. He enlisted Stitchy, a skilled Gungan and former court physician to Queen Apailana of Naboo, as his medic. Aybock typically preferred accommodations near the shockboxing venues, allowing him to run to the arena before a fight to energize himself, regardless of the weather conditions. During one point in his career, he clashed with Tontruk, an Esoomian, on the resort planet Vycinyth, where he emerged victorious in the second phase. Tontruk's armor shield failed, enabling Aybock to strike with an ion-charged shockmitt, ionizing Tontruk's armor and resulting in an ion-out.

Following the formation of the New Republic around 5 ABY, Aybock entered into an agreement with Torel Vorne, a Reussi, and the Reuss Corporation for the most significant fight of his career. This involved a title match on the planet Reuss VIII in the Portmoak sector against the Barabel shockboxer Tull Raine. Raine, despite a previous loss in an amateur challenge, had maintained an undefeated record in title fights. Vorne's contract included a hidden clause stating that if Aybock died during the fight, his body would become the property of the Reuss Corporation, and thus, Torel Vorne. Prior to the match, Vorne privately auctioned off Aybock's organs, anticipating his death. Each part of Aybock's body was sold, with his lungs intended for the sector's Imperial Moff, Ammar. To further ensure Aybock's death, Vorne arranged for a slicer to deactivate the shielding hub on Aybock's GolanGear armor midway through the shockboxing match.

After learning about the cadaver clause in Aybock's contract from Resik, the bartender at The Broken Tusk where the fight was to be held, Eedund Cus insisted on leaving the planet immediately. On their way out, Cus and Aybock planned to meet up with Stitchy, who was unexpectedly in a crowded speedervan with several other individuals. Aybock and Cus boarded the speedervan, which was occupied by Major Bren Derlin of New Republic Intelligence, among others. Derlin, a veteran of the Rebels since the Battle of Nentan, shared intelligence about Torel Vorne's organ trafficking operation with Aybock and his companions. Derlin and Mygo Skinto, another member of the group, appealed to their sense of justice to help the planet's impoverished locals, known as Rust Rats. Derlin proposed a plan to counter Vorne's slicing efforts by introducing their own slicer, Sergeant Dansra Beezer. This would also allow the New Republic to shut down the Reuss Corporation's operations, which had devastated the planet's inhabitants and environment for two decades. Aybock agreed to assist Derlin, but only if the fight with Raine was fair and Beezer did not provide him with an unfair advantage.

On the day of his match against Raine, Aybock ran to the Dool Arena at the Broken Tusk wearing his Aleemas, a breath mask, and an exposure suit, cheered on by the Rust Rats. He endured nine challenging phases against Tull Raine, uncertain if the New Republic slicer would succeed against Vorne's sabotage. As he neared his limit, Aybock was overcome with the ryastraad—a battle frenzy characteristic of his people—upon hearing the local Reussi chanting his name during the tenth and final phase. Inspired by their support, Aybock delivered a powerful hub-buster that sent Tull flying out of the shockboxing wedge, ending the match. Afterward, Aybock donated his winnings to the Rust Rats to support their relief efforts.

Originally from the Shiva system, Aybock relocated to Chandrila after his capture by the Empire and subsequent enslavement by the Zygerrians. Aybock held Ponderweight Division Shockboxing sashes for both the Mid and Outer Rim. In 6 ABY, following his victory over Tull Raine at the Broken Tusk, Aybock released his autobiography, Fists Of Ion: Memoirs Of A Champion Shockboxer. A year later, zZip Product Concepts Limited endorsed Aybock by naming a luxury speeder, the 42-Aybock Ion, after him. He continued to compete in shockboxing tournaments and was ranked as the top contender in the Pangalactic Championship scheduled for 7 ABY. He retired in 9 ABY with a final record of 72 wins and 8 losses.

Lobar Aybock's upbringing on his homeworld, Shiva IV, was marked by constant conflict and violence between the Calians and T'Syriél. The Empire's bombing of his hometown, his capture, and the degrading assessment that he was unfit to be a stormtrooper before being handed over to Zygerrian slavers all contributed to his worldview. Aybock believed that violence was the only way to confront life's challenges. Unable to retaliate against his tormentors—the T'Syriél, Imperials, and slavers—Aybock channeled his anger into shockboxing. Calians were known for their natural fighting abilities, and Aybock's people had a term—ryastraad—for the extreme violence, or battle madness, that could overcome them, as seen during his fight with Raine.

Despite the opportunity to have Sergeant Dansra Beezer rig the title match on Reuss VIII, Aybock insisted on a fair fight, refusing to gain an unfair advantage. He was willing to risk his life to support Major Derlin's plan to overthrow the Reuss Corporation and aid the Rust Rats, without any guarantee of safety from Beezer's involvement.

Edward M. Erdelac, the author of "What's The Story?", created Lobar Aybock for his Star Wars debut in the Hyperspace-exclusive short story Fists of Ion. The character of Aybock was inspired by Rocky Balboa, and his name is a tuckerization of Sylvester Stallone's character from the 1976 boxing film Rocky. Erdelac drew background information from 1990s Star Wars sources, such as West End Games' Cracken's Rebel Operatives and Wayne Humfleet's description of shockboxing in Heroes & Rogues. He also incorporated motifs from the societal impact of the June 22, 1938 rematch between African American Joe Louis and German Aryan Max Schmeling. In Fists of Ion, Lobar Aybock represents Joe Louis, while the Barabel Tull Raine embodies Max Schmeling.

Although described as a red-skinned Calian in the story, the illustrations mistakenly depict him as a pale-skinned Human.