Space pirates Crimson Jack and Jolli first appeared in issue 7 to deprive Han Solo and Chewbacca of the hard won reward money they had received at the end of Star Wars. Jack and Jolli returned in the so-called Waterworld saga of issues 11-15, by Archie Goodwin and Carmine Infantino. The concluding tale of that arc, "Star Duel" is perhaps one of the finest Star Wars comics ever.
All of Crimson Jack's and Jolli's appearances can be found in "Doomworld", volume 1 of Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Dark Horse Comics' trade paperback series reprinting the entire Marvel run.
Crimson Jack and Jolli
From the Apocrypha of Voren Na'al
In the days following the advent of the Rebel Alliance, the Empire focused its considerable might on crushing the growing insurgency. This myopic vision, typical of the Empire, allowed a climate in which crime and piracy flourished.
No one took better advantage of this Imperial indifference than the notorious space pirate known as Crimson Jack.
Little of Crimson Jack's origins are known, but he burst on the scene during the darkest days of the Empire and soon gained a fearsome reputation while raiding spice caravans along the Outer Rim. With a loyal and fierce crew and a well-armed Corellian Gunboat at his disposal, Jack also attracted the attention and backing of Jabba the Hutt who later would fund Jack's greatest endeavor.
More is known of Jack's first officer, the woman called Jolli. Born in an outlaw stronghold on a frontier world, Jolli was abandoned by her father and watched helplessly when her mother was killed by Imperial bombing. Wounded and angry, Jolli set out to become as good as any man and successfully took advantage of every opportunity to prove it. She quickly earned a place among Crimson Jack's cutthroat gang of space pirates. Sadly, she would only find peace in the last moments of her life.
Crimson Jack prided himself on his ability to be in the right place at the right time, and never was this better shown than shortly after the Rebellion's first victory against the Galactic Empire.
The Victory Class Star Destroyer Greatshout survived the Battle of Turkana only to have its reactors fail and to drift into the path of Crimson Jack. Jack's pirates quickly defeated the Star Destroyer's remaining resistance, and Crimson Jack claimed the vessel for himself. With the support of Jabba the Hutt who provided funding in exchange for a share of the profits, Jack set about repairing the ship and raising the substantial crew needed to fly it. At the helm of such a warship, Crimson Jack knew he could become the most feared space pirate in the galaxy.
One of Crimson Jack's first successes came immediately after the destruction of the first Death Star. When his newly outfitted Star Destroyer captured the Millennium Falcon near the Aduba system, Jack eagerly deprived Han Solo and Chewbacca of the reward money they had just earned from the Rebellion. Crimson Jack released the Falcon and resumed raiding along the Outer Rim.
Crimson Jack's luck, however, would soon run out. Princess Leia Organa lured Jack to the Drexel system with false promises of a secret treasury hidden by the Rebellion there. Jack arrived at Drexel only to discover that the waterworld was home to renegade space wreckers from the Korteen Asteroid Belt. The wreckers used a sonic jammer to disrupt the drives of the Star Destroyer and strand it in the system.
But that was the least of Crimson Jack's worries. Aided by Chewbacca, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, Han Solo thwarted Jack's attempts at escape and revenge. The final insult came from the betrayal of Jolli who had fallen in love with the roguish Han Solo. She killed Jack's crew and sacrificed herself to destroy his ship.
Finally, when it came down to just Crimson Jack and Han Solo, it was Solo who was faster. Thus ended the legend of the space pirate Crimson Jack.
Crimson Jack
Type: Space Pirate
Height: 1.8 meters
Species: Near Human
Sex: Male
DEX 3D PER 4D
Blaster 6D+2 Bargain 5D+2
Brawling Parry 5D Command 7D
Dodge 6D Search 5D
Melee Combat 4D Sneak 5D
Melee Parry 4D
KNO 3D+1 STR 3D
Alien Species 4D Brawling 5D
Business 5D Stamina 5D
Cultures 4D+1
Intimidation 6D+1
Law Enforcement 5D
Streetwise 6D+1
Survival 5D+1
Tactics 5D+1
Value 5D+1
MEC 2D+2 TEC 2D
Astrogation 4D+2 Capital Ship Repair 5D
Cap. Ship Gunnery 5D Demolition 5D
Cap. Ship Pilot 6D+2 First Aid 4D
Cap. Ship Shields 4D Security 5D
Communications 3D+2 Space Transports Repair 4D
Sensors 5D Starship Weapon Repair 4D
Space Transports 5D+2
Starfighter Pilot 5D
Starship Gunnery 5D
Starship Shields 3D+2
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 4
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster, Victory Class Star Destroyer.
Description: Crimson Jack is a broad man with pinkish skin and a full red
beard. His favored clothing is a black leather jerkin.
A Quote: "Ah, Jolli, when will you learn that a man can always be killed
later... but a lost opportunity is very difficult to revive?"
Jolli
Type: Man-Hating Outlaw
Height: 1.6 meters
Species: Human
Sex: Female
DEX 4D PER 2D
Blaster 6D Command 4D
Brawling Parry 5D
Dodge 5D
KNO 3D STR 3D+1
Streetwise 4D Brawling 5D+1
MEC 3D+2 TEC 2D
Starfighter Pilot 5D+2 Blaster Repair 4D
Starship Gunnery 5D+2 Demolition 4D
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 1
Move: 10
Equipment: Two blasters, fashionable green beret.
Description: Jolli is a shapely and attractive young woman whose skimpy
outfits distract from the dual blaster pistols at her waist.
A Quote: "Is it Han Solo you don't like, Jolli... or Corellians in general?"
"It's men, lady... the whole blasted breed! A smooth talkin' handsome
one is no better than any other... and maybe worse!"
Crimson Jack and Jolli were created by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin.