What Is The Blackwing Virus In 'Star Wars'?
Image Source: Otosection
Star Wars is a grandiose space opera that covers the emotional gambit from fun to serious but you always seem to know that you are in the science fiction world. An aspect of the Star Wars universe we have yet to see is appropriate as we enter the spooky season, horror. Sure, we have seen horror aspects within the universe such as the recent LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales but that was more played for laughs and with a more kid spin. However, there is an opportunity to go more extreme in the horror thanks to a Legends storyline involving zombies. So, gather around the campfire and as Darth Sidious says to Anakin, I wonder if you have ever heard of the tale of Project Blackwing?
It should be noted that this story is classified as Legends lore so it is not officially recognized as official Canon. Nonetheless, 4700 years before the events of Episode 4, there was a Sith lord named Darth Drear. He attempted to develop a biological agent which would grant immortality to those exposed. But as expected like in any good zombie movie, the experiments went haywire and Darth Drear instead created undead monsters where those infected appear to rise from the dead and have an insatiable taste for flesh. The project didn’t go well with Drear ultimately succumbing to the virus himself and the virus outbreak appearing to have been stopped.
RELATED:
Move forward about 1000 years or so during the time of the Old Republic and another Sith Lord, Darth Scabrous decided to give it another try. However, like his predecessor, the virus again made people undead and affected not only Scabrous himself but took out an entire Sith Academy on Odacer-Faustin and eventually the entire planet which included Sith Acolytes and even Sith Masters. The planet was eradicated with only Sith holocrons kept to document what happened and it was apparently lost in time.
Image Source: Credits And Canon
Then during the years leading up to Episode IV, Darth Vader attempted to start the project under the new name Project Blackwing aka Project I71A. As expected, this ended in disaster with the disease being released on the Imperial Star Destroyer Vector infecting the entire crew, minus a couple of survivors. This version of the disease was not only a mix of chemicals but a force-sensitive flower called the Murakami orchid was the catalyst for the serum and actually made the disease more deadly. It became self-aware and therefore easier to spread. People could be infected but could also control their actions. Stories from the Vector included zombies controlling the helm and even guiding escape pods in the hopes of travelling far and wide spreading the disease. But the infection has a short shelf life where those infected do eventually die.
About a year after this incident and what turns out to be the final mention of Project Blackwing occurs on Dathomir. The planet was home to a research and prison facility where the virus was released through an accident and, except for some small camps, the entire planet became infected. The virus not only affected humanoids but also alien species like the natives of Dathomir and even a Rancor which was used as a test subject. While the planet and the Empire eventually eradicated the planet and the zombie horde, samples of the virus did leave the planet but again no further mention appears. While no known cure for the virus has ever been noted, most say that eventually, those infected will die over time but of course, blaster shots to the head, lightsaber cuts, and other typical zombie defense will kill those infected a little faster if time is of the essence.
Based even on this brief background, there is a lot of horror involved in the story and certainly something that would make sci-fi/horror fans happy for a few years to come. We need this to be brought forward into Canon and a new series needs to happen. With The Walking Dead wrapping up and the zombie genre apparently in the low of the horror cycle, this could be the best way to raise the dead in this genre.
READ NEXT:
