Warning: spoilers ahead for Star Wars Adventures: Weapon of a Jedi #2!
IDW's recent Star Wars Adventures: Weapon of a Jedi #2 reveals how Luke Skywalker learned to wield the Force in two ways that would prove to be essential later on in The Empire Strikes Back. Adapting the 2015 prose novel The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by writer Jason Fry, Alec Worley and Ruairi Coleman's Star Wars Adventures: Weapon of a Jedi #2 stays true to the original tale in recounting Luke's unseen history.
Luke doesn't just gain these abilities in any old place. He does so at the ruins of Eedit, a Jedi temple on the jungle planet of Devaron. Before arriving at Devaron, Luke keeps having dreams of its ruins. They have such a profound impact on him that when a Rebel mission brings Luke in close proximity to the planet, the young Padawan immediately realizes it's from his dreams and is determined to train there.
Upon his arrival at the ruins, Luke has to master Force telekinesis almost immediately if he wants to even start his training, due to a switch located on a high pillar. Since it's highly improbable that Jedi on Devaron were giants and could just flick the switch the normal way, Luke realizes that the switch is located high above the ground so Padawans would have no choice but to wield the Force. Most of his attempts fail, however. It isn't until he remembers Ben telling him that he needs to feel the Force in everything around him that he succeeds. Doing this allows Luke to feel the Force in every microscopic form of life around the lever, so when he guides those life forms around the level downwards, he achieves his goal.
Mastering this ability immediately introduces Luke to the next training exercise, as pulling the lever opens a secret compartment filled with training droids like the one he used on the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope. Unfortunately for Luke, he has forgotten what Ben taught him about not trusting his eyes because of how they can deceive him, so instead he trains with his eyes open. Before he finally recalls what he needs to do, Luke is only able to keep himself from getting shot for less than seven minutes. But once he remembers, Luke closes his eyes and is able fend off the blasts from three training droids for more than three straight hours.
Although mastering these skills comes in handy when danger inevitably arrives on Devaron soon afterward, Luke also learns some valuable lessons, which later prevent him from succumbing to the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi. For example, Luke practices letting go of his anger when it inevitably boils up every time he fails during his training. He rationalizes that fear leads to anger, which lets the Dark Side in. Luke also realizes that he shouldn't guide the Force, the Force should guide him. This directly conflicts with what the Sith believe, as they strive to control and contort the Force to serve them. So while Luke Skywalker does master two flashy new abilities on Devaron ahead of The Empire Strikes Back, he also exercises certain methods and practices that are proprietary to Jedi teachings, helping the Star Wars hero resist Emperor Palpatine's attempts at corrupting him and leading to his eventual victory in the original trilogy and beyond.
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