Picture the year 1980. There were no mobile phones, there were no iPods, there were no CDs, there was no Internet. There were barely even personal computers.

Three years earlier, a movie had changed the world. Now, in 1980, the sequel was released, to levels of anticipation never seen before for a film. The Empire Strikes Back.

Picture the crowds of people emerging from the cinemas in 1980. They had just watched one of the most shocking revelations that any audience has ever witnessed. Here's what they were saying about it:

I can't believe it. There's no way Darth Vader could be Luke's father!

No, it can't be true. Vader is lying.

I don't know, what if it is true??

No way! He's got to be lying!

A lot of people simply didn't believe it. Others argued that it was probably true. The thing is: nobody knew. People left that movie shocked, horrified, and not knowing what to believe. And they would not find out the truth for three whole years.

This is one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, and we wanted to do it justice. We wanted not only to provide a deft joke that would leave you chuckling slightly until the next strip. We wanted not only to twist the story of Star Wars that we all know and love into an affectionate parody that a bunch of unknowing tabletop gamers could have produced by accident. We wanted to to let you - many of you who may not have been around at the time - to let you feel what it was like in 1980, watching The Empire Strikes Back as a new release.

That thing you've been feeling since the previous strip? That's what it felt like.

(Oh, and don't worry. We're not going to make you wait three whole years.)

Transcript

{beat, Luke speechless}
{beat}
{beat}
Luke: Huh??
Darth Vader: Your mother.
{beat}
Luke: But... how??
Darth Vader: Well, I loved Anakin very much, and then...