Splinter of the Mind's Eye 4

Splinter of the Mind's Eye #4 represents the concluding installment of Dark Horse Comics's adaptation of the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Its narrative encompasses the latter portion of chapter ten until the book's conclusion.

The planet Mimban, like countless others across the galaxy, is characterized by abundant foliage, excessive mud, and limited resources. However, within one of Mimban's derelict temples lies a potent gem known as the Kaiburr crystal, capable of amplifying and refining an individual's connection to the Force. Luke and Leia are aware of its presence—somewhere—as is Darth Vader. Consequently, Mimban is currently experiencing a level of activity far surpassing that of comparable planets!

Luke barely manages to avoid drowning and secures victory in the duel by employing the Force to render the Coway warrior unconscious. Consequently, the Coway choose to spare the lives of Leia, Halla, Hin, Kee, R2-D2, and C-3PO. However, their celebration is short-lived, as Luke detects Darth Vader's approaching presence. He contributes to the planning of the Coway village's defense against the imminent Imperial assault.

The attack, orchestrated by Vader and Grammel, is successfully repelled. As Vader withdraws, Luke observes that the Dark Lord is advancing towards the Temple of Pomojema, rumored to house the legendary Kaiburr crystal. Luke, Leia, Halla, the Yuzzem, and the droids covertly depart from Mimban's subterranean levels, commandeer an Imperial transport vehicle, and hasten towards the temple.

Upon arriving at the temple before Vader, Luke's leg becomes trapped beneath a substantial block while subduing a massive lizard. As he and Leia struggle to dislodge it, Darth Vader enters the temple. Leia seizes Luke's lightsaber and attempts to shield Luke from the approaching Dark Lord. Leia proves to be no match for Vader, who inflicts a near-fatal injury upon her.

Aided by the nearly deceased Hin, Luke finally extricates himself from the heavy block and catches the lightsaber thrown to him by Leia. Luke engages Vader in a fierce battle, ultimately severing the Dark Lord's right arm, but he is left in a state of exhaustion.

Vader summons his lightsaber to his left hand, seemingly sealing Luke's fate, until Vader stumbles over his severed arm. With a resounding "NOOOOOO!" Vader plunges into a dark abyss.

After retrieving it from the statue of Pomojema, Halla presents Luke with the Kaiburr crystal, which he utilizes to heal both himself and Leia. Luke, Leia, Halla, C-3PO, and R2-D2 board the commandeered crawler and depart the temple for a rendezvous on Circarpous IV.

The comic adaptation of Splinter of the Mind's Eye largely maintained fidelity to the source material. Due to the constraints of the medium and the limited space available for storytelling, certain elements were either modified or omitted. The deviations from the book included:

• In the book, prior to the celebratory banquet for Luke, the Coway warrior acknowledges Luke's triumph with a physical gesture, which Luke reciprocates. [4] In the comic, the warrior demonstrates his respect for Luke during the banquet in the same manner, but Luke's attempt to return the gesture is interrupted by the impending arrival of Darth Vader. [5]

• The novel describes the hijacked swamp crawler as armored and featuring an enclosed compartment for passengers and crew. [6] Conversely, the comic depicts the swamp crawler as open-air and virtually identical to the vehicle used to escape the mine's detention facility. [7]

• The comic adaptation's homage to the book's cover does not depict the Kaiburr crystal near the temple's entrance. [8] This aligns with the book's description of the crystal being located within the chest of the statue of Pomojema, situated on the far side of the temple. [9]

• During their duel in the comic, Vader refers to Leia as a "steel kitten." [10] While this did not occur in the book's duel, the expression alludes to the narrator's description of Leia's tone when she urges Luke to kill her rather than allow Vader to capture her alive. [11]

• In the book, Leia deactivates the lightsaber before throwing it to Luke after his liberation by Hin. [12] In contrast, Leia does not deactivate the lightsaber before throwing it to Luke in the comic. [13]

• The book describes the ball of kinetite generated by Vader as "a ball of pure white energy." [14] In the comic, the ball of kinetite appears as a transparent sphere surrounded by white lightning. [15]