Rupo Ud was a male human who worked as both a professor and an archaeologist. In service to the Galactic Empire, he acted as an archaeological consultant for Project Swarm, which aimed to locate the Rebel Alliance's hidden base. When Central Isopter pilgrims downed one of the project's probe droids above Ash Moon 1, Ud attributed it to rebel activity, though his true motive was to explore the moon's ancient archaeological site. Upon their arrival on Ash Moon 1, the team discovered it was not a rebel base, a fact Ud overlooked in his excitement for the archaeological finds. Chelli Aphra, a rogue archaeologist planted on the team by Darth Vader, orchestrated Ud's death via an ancient trap, thus seizing leadership of the team.
During the Galactic Empire's era, Rupo Ud held positions as both a professor and an archaeologist. At some point, Ud encountered the scholar Korin Aphra, who affectionately nicknamed him "Milky Udders." By 3 ABY, Ud was part of an archaeological consultant team for the Empire's Project Swarm, an initiative designed to uncover the Rebel Alliance's latest base. Stationed on the Executor, the flagship of Sith Lord Darth Vader, Ud and his team were under the supervision of Major Yaltza.
Driven by a desire to conduct archaeological research under the guise of Project Swarm, Ud championed the idea that rebels favored ancient sites, citing past examples. Yaltza was ultimately killed by Vader due to a lack of progress, leading to General Maximilian Veers assuming control of the project. Ud's involvement in Project Swarm brought him into conflict with Doctor Chelli Aphra, a rogue archaeologist and Korin's daughter, who had been granted a position on the team after exposing a plot to assassinate Emperor Palpatine.
Despite Aphra's reservations about Ud's theory, a preliminary search of the Empire's probe droid database yielded a result: one such droid had been shot down over Ash Moon 1 within the Kartovian Formation. Veers instructed Professor Ud to head a ground team to the moon, and Aphra, while arguing that the structure was merely a deathshrine belonging to the Central Isopter cult, eagerly joined the mission to evade Vader.
Several hours following their landing on Ash Moon 1, Aphra's suspicions were confirmed when the team discovered that pilgrims had shot down the probe droid. However, Ud remained unfazed, satisfied with the opportunity to study the structure. Aphra, seeking to take command of the archaeological team, plotted to kill Ud using the deathshrine's traps. After guiding Ud to a carving concealing a trap, her ward Vulaada Klam reluctantly triggered it, causing the carving to crush Ud, resulting in the professor's death.
Following Ud's demise, Aphra achieved her goal of becoming supervisor, using her newfound authority to withdraw Imperial forces from the moon, abandoning Klam for her own safety. Later, during a meeting with her father, Aphra drew a comparison between him and Ud, prompting Korin Aphra to inquire about the professor. Aphra responded with a callous joke about Ud's death, which disturbed her father.
Rupo Ud, a human male, had gray hair, light skin, and gray eyes. Despite serving the Empire through Project Swarm, Ud's primary focus was not the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire; instead, he aimed to leverage the project's data to conduct a vast archaeological survey.
Ud harbored a disdain for Doctor Aphra, frequently criticizing her attitude, qualifications, and work ethic while aboard the Executor. He demanded that Aphra conform to orders, fearing that her insubordination would invite punishment upon the entire Project Swarm team, having witnessed Vader execute others for lesser offenses. Ud also reprimanded Aphra's ward, Vulaada Klam, who had been enlisted as a janitor, for being inattentive to her duties.
During his time with the archaeology team on the Executor, Ud was seen wearing black pants and a white shirt with long black sleeves, topped with a white coat. He also wore large goggles that covered his eyes.
Rupo Ud's initial appearance was in Doctor Aphra (2016) 37, a comic written by Simon Spurrier, illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard, and released by Marvel Comics on October 2, 2019. His first name, "Rupo," was revealed in the following issue, also penned by Spurrier and published on November 6, 2019.