The Starkiller crisis represents a galactic-scale emergency that began with the initial firing of Starkiller Base by the First Order. This secret superweapon had been constructed from the planet Ilum. The First Order initiated the crisis by wiping out the New Republic through the annihilation of the Hosnian system. Subsequently, Starkiller Base transformed into a battlefront as the Resistance mounted a last-ditch offensive targeting the superweapon.