In both the Marvel Comics adaptation and the novelization of Episode IV by Alan Dean Foster (writing as Lucas) Vader does something a little odd. He reaches out with the force to make a cup float to him. This is during the Death Star scene where Vader chokes Admiral Motti.
The novel simply states: A huge metal-clad hand gestured slightly, and one of the filled cups on the table drifted responsibly into it.
This can be found right before the line “Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways…” which is actually spoken by General Tagge in the book (not Motti). In fact, he’s also the one who gets choked by Vader. The comic version is similar but the dialogue is closer to the film version.
In an interview I did with Alan Dean Foster, I asked him about this scene and here’s how the questions went:
T: This is obscure, but do you remember a scene where in the conference room on the Death Star, Vader chokes Admiral Motti (In your novel it’s Tagge) and before he does it, he floats a cup over to himself using the Force. Was it in the script?
ADF: As I recall, the floating cup was my invention. A way of illustrating Vader’s casual mastery of the Force.
T: What would he have done with it? Maybe a little mechanical straw would come out? 🙂 I guess what I’m asking is – was it just done for effect?
ADF: I didn’t think that far ahead. At the time, nobody knew whether Vader’s mask was fixed, whether he could breathe without it, or even if he was human (as opposed to being an alien, or a droid).
Matthew Yenkala, an expert on all things Marvel, wrote in with some clarification:
The novel came out around the same time that the Marvel series was commissioned–late 1976. Shortly thereafter Thomas & Chaykin were shown a rough cut that included both the Biggs scenes and the Jabba scene–hence their presence in the comic. (Ironic that after the movie came out some readers wrote in and complained about Marvel “tampering” with the story by “adding” these “unauthentic” elements!) T&C were also given the script and the novel. Therefore the novel WAS present in their source material and consciousness.
Here is what is specifically said on the topic in the “STAR WORDS” letters page of Marvel issue #4, after a reader, generally praising the comic, comments on the lack of exposition in the comic compared to the novel (this was before the movie came out):
“You hit upon one of Roy & Howie’s greatest problems….Even spreading the adaptation over 100 pages, there was much that had to be left out. Only thing is, we think you’ll find when you see the movie that the comic book is closer to the spirit of the film itself than to that of the paperback, from which Roy took only a few phrases. He and Howie based the comic almost entirely on the film script, and many of the things you missed from the book aren’t in the movie either….Movies and comics, unlike straight prose, are VISUAL media, no matter how much dialogue they may contain, and they will always tell you less than a book–though making up for that loss, hopefully, by showing in pictures what books can only suggest. All three media have their own uses, their own problems, their own special virtues–and we encourage one and all to compare movie, paperback and comic book after they’ve perused all three.”
So there you have it; obviously one of these “few passages” is the cup scene (another would be the “Luke had heard of Wookiees….” line in the cantina scene).
It is worth noting that Marvel issue #1 contains a VERY enjoyable and enlightening pair of essays about the genesis of STAR WARS and Marvel’s involvement. One of them is the same as the promo piece in the colour section of the original paperback, but the other has not reappeared anywhere that I know of–though I am sure someone has transcribed it online.
Interestingly, this material puts the lie to a lot of other myths that have cropped up about the Marvel series, including the notions that Lucas had “little input” in the Marvel series and that “Marvel didn’t care about continuity.”
As it turns out, this scene with the cup is in both the Janusary 1, 1976 and March 15, 1976 versions of the script. In the January version there is even a second bit in which Vader uses the force to crush the cup. This part is not included in the March 15 revision.
Here’s an excerpt from the January 1, 1976 script:
MOTTI
It won’t be long before the Death Star
is completely operational, then we will
easily be able to destroy a planet or
an entire system … possibly even a sun.
No doubt there is a plan being built up
against us, but it cannot prevail. If we
were to destroy every planet that is even
suspected of being sympathetic to the
Alliance
TARKIN
The senate would not support the emperor.
A move like that would only aid the
rebellion.
TAGGE
Governor, the senate wouldn’t dare oppose
us. Now that we can take such definitive
action to enforce our will we need no
longer worry about legalities.
MOTTI
The Death Star is now the ultimate
power in the universe
Vader stirs slightly and a cup mysteriously floats into
his hand.
VADER
Don’t become too proud of your pretty
machines … for The Force of Others
is still the ultimate power in the
universe.
MOTTI
Don’t try to fear us with your sorcerer’s
ways. Even with your religious hocuspocus
you were unable to retrieve the
stolen data .. or find the hidden rebel
base .. you’re ways ahh …
Suddenly Motti chokes and starts to turn blue.
VADER
Your lack of faith is disturbing.
TARKIN
Enough of this, release him! These
arguments are pointless. Lord Vader we
still expect you to find the hidden
rebel base before this station becomes
operational. It is the Emperor’s will
… you were sent here to enforce it.
VADER
As the Emperor wills it, so it shall be.
You will have the location of the rebel
fortress and I will have the stolen data
destroyed.
He raises his hand and crumples the metal cup before him
without touching it.
