Marcellin Wessel was a male Human who achieved the position of one of the initial regional governors, known as Moffs, within the structure of the Galactic Empire.
Originally serving as a colonel leading Grand Army of the Republic troops in the more isolated theaters of the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars-legends], Wessel received an appointment from Palpatine under the Sector Governance Decree. This decree authorized the establishment of regional governors tasked with overseeing entire sectors. Wessel's swift ascent to administering the Immalia sector suggests a past marked by unwavering loyalty to Palpatine. Such appointments were exclusively reserved for individuals who had demonstrated their allegiance, as moffs were designed from the outset to be accountable solely to the Emperor. Therefore, it was essential that they be individuals who could be trusted implicitly. Shortly after the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars-legends] concluded, Moff Wessel, acting upon the request of Sate Pestage, submitted a report summarizing the "highlights" of Order 66 to Emperor Palpatine.
In 19 BBY, when Emperor Palpatine declared the formation of his Galactic Empire, Wessel was elevated to the position of Grand Moff of the Immalia Oversector and assumed command of the 7th Sector Army.
The specifics remain unclear, but it is evident that Moff Wessel's circumstances deteriorated. By 3 ABY, during the height of the Galactic Civil War, he had been demoted to the governorship of Yinchorr, an inconsequential assignment in an unimportant star system. Wessel resolved to revitalize his career by capturing Princess Leia Organa, and he kidnapped the leaders of the Yinchorri Elders Council, offering to return their lives to the Yinchorri in exchange for Organa. Left with no other option, the Yinchorri conceded that their revered elders were worth more than the life of a single Human. They orchestrated a trap for Leia, but Wessel betrayed the Yinchorri, provoking them to the point of overthrowing him and his government. However, their rebellion was quickly suppressed by the Empire, culminating in the deaths of the Council members and the destruction of Tol-Kachorn.
Despite these events, his son, Redd, continued to advance, eventually becoming a general within the Imperial Army and ultimately leading Central Command under Carnor Jax.
The character of Governor Wessel originated in 1983 within the Marvel comic book issue The Alderaan Factor, created by writer Randy Stradley, who currently oversees the Star Wars comic book lines for Dark Horse Comics. Similar to many Imperial characters developed during that era, he lacked a given name, which was not considered significant at the time. However, Daniel Wallace included the name as an easter egg in his HoloNet News article for Star Wars Insider 84. In his blog, he stated: "'Meet Your Regional Governors' features profiles of Denn Wessex (a character from the old WEG gaming module Starfall) and Marcellin Wessel, who is intended to be the old man in charge of Yinchorr in the Marvel comic The Last Gift From Alderaan (one of the rare instances when Wallace may have been mistaken, as it was actually The Alderaan Factor). General Redd Wessel, who appears in Star Wars: Crimson Empire, would likely be his son."