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I remember that as well. I _THINK_ it was from the novelization of RotJ, and if not one of the early EU books.

There was an interview with Hamill where he explained that the backstory given to him by Lucas for ANH was "I was told that my father, Obi-wan, and Vader all fought over a lava pit. Vader killed my father and then Obi-wan defeated him and threw him into the lava. The Emperor's shuttle landed, and Obi-wan ran away into the forest, never to be seen again" (paraphrased). I don't know if you saw that (or if it came out) prior to ROTS, but it's possible.

There's also this article from Bantha Tracks back in 1978 that included the "lava pit". Either of them ring a bell?

Yes, the novelization of one of the movies had lava as the cause. I think it was ROTJ as well, though I am not sure. I definitely know that I read it in one of the novels.

I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that it was also mentioned in Shadows of the Empire. IIRC Vader is in his meditation chamber healing his lungs by focusing his hate on Kenobi and what happened between them.

The reference is in the RotJ novelization. Quite explicitly too - Anakin's thoughts as he dies whilst Luke is crying over him, though Obi-Wan might have mentioned it whilst talking to Luke on Dagobah, too. I'd have to check when I get home.

yeah I don't know where it came from either but I very clearly remember when I was a kid at summer camp one of my camp consular was a huge star wars fan. He told us that Anakin was pushed into a volcano. I also remember him saying that all the storm troopers where clones because they repeated what Obi Wan was saying when he using the Jedi Mind trick.... Looking back perhaps he didn't know what he was talking about. Of course this was way back before the prequels.

I read that piece about the volcano on the old PnP roleplaying books, and that was the only mention I recall before the prequels.

There is also the McQuarie painting of Luke as Vader's prisoner confronting Palpatine in his thrown room, which was over lava from ROTJ pre production. That may also have something to do with it.

It was the ROTJ novelization. IIRC, it was explicitly mentioned when Ghost Obi-Wan speaks to Luke on Dagobah, after Yoda's passing, in an extended conversation scene which might have been taken from the unedited original screenplay.

But, every time I watched the movie, this scene wasn't there! Turns out, it was on my dad's tape, but cut out of virtually every other version of the movie.

It was in the director's cut, not the theatrical cut. The director's cut was the predominant version released on VHS and DVD, AFAIK. The Blu-Ray set of the TOS movies are all theatrical cuts, though.

It may have been one of the old DK visual guides/dictionaries; I believe I had one that talked about Darth Vader having been seriously burned by lava, and needing the suit because of it. Didn't have any visuals to the effect, though.

I can't find my complete trilogy at the moment but I have the old paper back. So....

RotJ paperback page 175 wrote: And this memory brought a wave of other memories with it. Memories of brotherhood, and home. His dear wife. The freedom of deep space. Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan, his friend...and how that friendship had turned. Turned, he knew not how-but got injected, nonetheless, with some uncaring virulence that festered, until...hold. These were memories he wanted none of, not now. Memories of molten lava, crawling up his back...no.

This is all part of the scene where Luke helped him take his mask off upon the Death Star and Luke saw the face of Anakin Skywalker. Also, something I didn't remember, in the scene was it being said explicitly that Vader's mask had been on him for two decades, so the prequels were pretty faithful with that, nothing about when he turned, but his suit is 20 years old.

To further it;

RotJ paper back page 64 wrote: "You should not think of that machine as your father." It was the teacher speaking again. "When I saw what had become of him, I tried to dissuade him, to draw him back from the dark side. We fought...your father fell into a molten pit. when your father clawed his way out of that fiery pool, the change had been burned into him forever-he was Darth Vader, without a trace of Anakin Skywalker."

This was Ghost Ben talking to Luke on Dagoba. Seems that the idea of Anakin falling into lava was firmly entrenched as of the novelization of RotJ. So don't feel bad you thought of it before RotS.

Did you ever read the Injuries of Darth Vader section over at the Star Wars Technical Commentaries? I'm pretty sure Saxton mentions some quotes from the novelization of RotJ, and maybe some other sources, about lava? I'm pretty sure it predates all the prequels save TPM, maybe even that too.

Wing Commander MAD wrote:Did you ever read the Injuries of Darth Vader section over at the Star Wars Technical Commentaries? I'm pretty sure Saxton mentions some quotes from the novelization of RotJ, and maybe some other sources, about lava? I'm pretty sure it predates all the prequels save TPM, maybe even that too.

lol, I quoted the ROTJ novelization. Lava, or molten something predates TPM.

I know that I heard a mention of it in an old children's book describing the Empire. From what was posted of the RotJ novelization, it looks like they lifted it whole-sale from there.