A recording from Qi’ra reveals that she left all of Crimson Dawn’s remaining credits to the child Cadeliah and leaves her with the freedom to choose what she wants to do with the future. As someone brought into the world of criminal syndicates from a young age, Qi’ra felt like she was trapped in this world and never had the choice to escape. Through the knowledge and resources she’s passed onto Cadeliah, she is giving the child the choice and freedom that Qi’ra herself never had. Nothing has been confirmed, of course, yet stranger things have happened in a galaxy far, far away… And the Darth Vader does what any Ancient One-With-The-Force would do. He pushed the spirit out of her. Rather literally.

You’ll find in bold the official issues considered part of this crossover. This is a work in progress.Dreaming of a freer galaxy, LADY QI'RA and her organization, CRIMSON DAWN, have waged a secret war against the Empire. Qi'ra activated Then in Avengers: Endgame to deal with a rambunctious Hulk, by bringing the Bruce Banner out of him for a better one-on-one chart about multiverses and time travel.

Star Wars: Hidden Empire, a five-issue miniseries starting in November 2022, will be the third and final installment in writer Charles Soule’s unofficial Qi’ra trilogy. The series, illustrated by Steven Cummings, will find Qi’ra and the Emperor on a collision course. “This is my hidden empire,” she defiantly declares in Crimson Reign#5, in a tease of what’s to come.

Star Wars: Hidden Empire Reading Order

Some of the greatest excitement came in the next reveal. For a while, we have all been wondering who the cloaked individuals are talking with the Archivist and hearing Qi’ra’s story. We finally learn it’s none other Than Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and his sister Jedi Leia Organa. Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine confront and massacre Qi’ra’s Crimson Dawn forces on the station while the Archivist prepares to trap the Sith Lords in the Fermata Cage, an ancient dark side weapon that can freeze people and places in time. The little voice in my head is talking to me no more! Qi’ra did not become a footnote in the rise of Palpatine and Vader. Her role in all of this insured victory for the Rebellion, and further cemented her place as an iconic character in this universe. While I would’ve enjoyed having a bit more of Qi’ra herself in this last issue of Hidden Empire, I understand why Soule went the route he did. Before we get into their conversation, can we just take a moment to admire the image above? JEDI LEIA! There’s so little Jedi Leia content that this image is a massive win for the archives. Her brown robes hung down but not covering the beautiful lightsaber dangling from her hip. I love how Luke still dons his darker robes, and his lightsaber is also on display. The two of them together will always conjure certain feelings in my heart. Jedi Leia, in particular, is an image I will cherish most.

Overall, Hidden Empire #5 is a deeply satisfying conclusion to Qi’ra’s story about her war against the Sith. Hopefully her survival means that more Qi’ra stories in this era and beyond are on their way. Meanwhile, the hooded figures who have been listening to the Archivist’s recording of this story in Crimson Reign and Hidden Empire are revealed to be Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Qi’ra plays her hand, setting the Vermillion against the Star Destroyers that surround it. Soon after, the Emperor then likens her life to Maul’s as “not quite good enough” despite all the potential she may have shown. Qi’ra then moves to prove him wrong. All of the various threads and characters from these comics–Qi’ra, the Archivist, the hooded figures listening to the story, Palaptine and Vader, the Fermata Cage, the Knights of Ren, Cadeliah, etc.–all come together in cohesive and rewarding fashion.

It is worth noting that two of the biggest moments in Hidden Empire #5 will feel like they come out of left field for those who have only been reading or following the main Qi’ra comics. Everything with Doctor Aphra and the Spark Eternal and the detail about the Crimson Dawn agents discovering the second Death Star’s construction occurred in other comic series. These developments might leave some readers confused instead of serving as fulfilling payoff. The final panels show that Leia was wrong about Qi’ra not living to see the Empire and the Sith’s defeat. Sitting alone and with her face concealed by a hood, Qi’ra is seen in a cantina as the patrons celebrate and praise the Rebel Alliance for freeing the galaxy, not knowing the role that Qi’ra played in their newfound freedom. Is Hidden Empire #5 a satisfying end to Qi’ra’s story? Spider-Man, X-Men, Avengers, and all of Marvel's April 2023 comics and covers revealed on Newsarama (archived from the original on January 19, 2023)