Originally, "The Kingdom of Ice" was an unfinished comic narrative presented in seven parts. Its initial appearance was within the pages of Pizzazz magazine, published by Marvel Comics, specifically in issues #10–16 spanning from July of 1978 to January of 1979. The magazine's cancellation occurred with six pages (constituting two parts) of the story still awaiting publication. Subsequently, Marvel UK's Star Wars Weekly featured a reprint of the initial chapters in issues #57–59. Ultimately, the concluding six pages, under the title Pursuit!, were released in April of 1979 within issue #60. Later, when Marvel Illustrated Books' Star Wars presented it in the US in November of 1981, Pursuit! was renamed and reprinted as War on Ice!.
Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, R2-D2, and C-3PO make their way to the frozen world known as Akuria II. As they get closer to the planet, they are ambushed by a squadron of TIE Fighters. The scout ship carrying Luke and Leia sustains damage and crash-lands. However, before the TIE Fighters can eliminate Luke and Leia and destroy their ship, they themselves are eliminated by an unidentified assailant.
Akurians then appear at the crash site and engage Luke and Leia in combat, but are soon repelled by Colonel Odan, who arrives in his War Sled. The two Rebels are brought aboard the vehicle, while the droids are left behind. Luke protests Odan's decision not to retrieve R2-D2 and C-3PO, who, in the meantime, are captured by the Akurians and taken to a snow fortress. There, they encounter the real Odan, who recounts his attack by Imperials who stole his War Sled. Odan reveals that the Imperials deliberately downed their own remote-controlled TIE Fighters to deceive the Rebels into thinking they were being rescued. He cautions the droids that Luke and Leia require rescue before the Imperials execute them.
The imposter Odan is attempting to extract information about the Alliance's strategies from Luke and Leia. Luke delays by claiming that the fake Odan is needed on the bridge. Once alone, Luke and Leia notice scorch marks that have been concealed, leading them to deduce that a recent battle occurred. They begin to distrust the colonel, but are soon captured by the Imperials, and the false Odan reveals himself as an Imperial commander. He believes he can coerce Leia into revealing details about the Alliance's plans. Consequently, he abandons Luke on the War Sled, sending it careening towards the Geyser Sea to its destruction.
After R2-D2 replaces a faulty T-3 unit in a snow flyer, Odan's group saves Luke from the War Sled before it crashes. As the ship collides with a cliff, Luke, Odan, and their group seek safety amidst the windstorm. R2-D2 proposes heating the ground to create a trench for protection from the wind. However, as they heat the ground, a hole forms, causing them to fall into a tunnel belonging to an ice worm, a creature believed to be extinct. As they proceed through the tunnel towards the Imperials, an Ice Worm begins to pursue them. Having reached a point below the Imperials, Luke, Odan, and Fafnir fire upon the Ice Worm and then direct the exhaust from their Snow Flyers at it, causing it to change direction and burrow upwards into the enemy ranks.
The Imperials manage to kill the worm, but not before it eliminates many of them. The Imperial commander escapes with Leia. Aided by Odan, Luke boards the commander's ship and shoots off the canopy. The ship halts, and the commander is apprehended. Luke forces him to transport the Rebels directly to their base on the planet. Once the gate is breached, a multitude of Akurians launch an assault on the base. The cannons, unprepared for a ground assault, prove ineffective against them. Luke enters a TIE fighter and destroys the fortress from within. Following the battle, Odan pledges that he and his Rebel group will join the Alliance.
Kingdom of Ice!, Part 1 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 57)
- The Kingdom of Ice! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 10 )
- The Snow Demons! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 11 )
- Treachery! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 12 )
Kingdom of Ice!, Part 2 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 58)
- Death Trap! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 13 )
- Snow Fury! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 14 )
Kingdom of Ice!, Part 3 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 59)
- The Ice Worm Cometh! (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 15 )
- Showdown (by Archie Goodwin in Pizzazz 16 )
Kingdom of Ice!, Part 4 (Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 60)
- Pursuit! (by Archie Goodwin in Marvel UK Star Wars Weekly 60 )