991: Phantom Menace

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Phantom Menace

Title text: We could go to the theater across town and see if it's opened THERE yet, but we don't want to lose our place in line.

Explanation

Here we have Cueball and one other unidentified character, who is dressed as Darth Maul. Darth Maul is a Sith apprentice in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The Sith are the group of characters in the Star Wars universe who embrace the dark side of the Force and are the enemies throughout the series. Cueball is holding a toy lightsaber, which is the weapon used by the Jedi and the Sith. Cueball and Darth Maul are standing outside what they think is a theater waiting for the 3D edition of The Phantom Menace, which was released in most countries in February 2012.

However, no one else is waiting with them because the Phantom Menace was one of the worst movies in the Star Wars series. It is much maligned because of the inclusion of a new race, the Gungans, and specifically Jar Jar Binks. Another criticism is how stilted all the performances are from all the human actors.

The comic insinuates that few people will be seeing the 3D release of The Phantom Menace by depicting Cueball and his friend as the only two in line. (Or possibly that they're not at the right place, judging by the broken window and seemingly abandoned area around them.)

Transcript

[Two people -- one in a Darth Maul mask, the other holding a lightsaber, and each holding money in his or her hand -- stand outside a building.]

[They continue to stand there.]

[They continue to stand there.]

[Darth Maul turns to lightsaber guy.]

Darth Maul: Are you sure this place is a theater?

Lightsaber guy: Let's give it one more month.

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Discussion

Episode I is so much maligned that some fans have created their own viewing order:

• IV: A New Hope
• V: The Empire Strikes Back
• II: Attack of the Clones
• III: Revenge of the Sith
• VI: Return of the Jedi

Skipping The Pantom Menace entirely. [1]

lcarsos (talk) 23:26, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

I like to believe that being in line early is a phantom menace.--Shine (talk) 05:37, 2 March 2013 (UTC)