If you saw the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, you may have wondered why C-3PO’s arm is red. The movie was officially released to the public in the US on December 18, 2015. C-3PO #1 a one-shot ( a single issue in the series) comic book, was originally set to be released around the same time as the movie. However, the comic was delayed multiple times until Marvel got approval from J.J. Abrams, director of The Force Awakens.

The story told in the comic is as follows. Right before the events of The Force Awakens, Admiral Ackbar was taken hostage. A team attempts the rescue mission, but the ship crash lands and all life aboard the ship is lost except for the droids. The droids need to make it to a beacon. The beacon will tell the droids the location of Admiral Ackbar.

All of a sudden, these unnamed animal-like beings attack the droids. They try to fend them off, but there are too many of them. All of the droids are completely destroyed except for C-3PO and Omri. C-3PO’S arm is ripped off.

Omri and C-3PO escape the beasts and journey to the beacon, but it starts to rain. Acid rain falls from the sky. Omri sacrifices himself for the beacon and for the mission. The paint wears away from the acid rain of Omri’s arm, which reveals a red colored primer underneath. C-3PO is eventually rescued because a rebel pilot receives feedback from the beacon. Omri’s red arm is used to repair and replace C-3PO’s missing arm. Omri’s arm is used to serve as a reminder of the friends that C-3PO had made and lost. Omri, who was a prisoner on board the ship, decided that saving a new friend was more important than whose side of a war one is on.

The comic had a very serious tone, unlike the usual ones that make fun of C-3PO.