Han Solo

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After escaping from Imperial forces in the Hoth system, Han Solo and Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, landed the damaged Millennium Falcon on Bespin's Cloud City for repairs. The four put their trust in the city's administrator, Lando Calrissian, unaware of the dangers awaiting them. A dashing ex-gambler and long time acquaintance of Solo's, Calrissian had grudgingly made an agreement with Darth Vader to betray Solo and his friends. In return, the band would be set free once their capture had lured Luke Skywalker into Vader's grasp. The Dark Lord had no intention of keeping any promises: on his order a carbonite freezing chamber was modified for use on humans, especially Luke Skywalker, to render him helpless for safe delivery to the Emperor. To test the chamber, Solo was frozen and then turned over to the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett. for delivery to the crimelord Jabba the Hutt. He became the favorite decoration in Jabba's Palace on Tatooine, until a daring rescue attempt led by Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia freed Han and returned him to the enduring cause of the Rebel Alliance.

The carbon freezing process was used to store and preserve Tibanna gas extracted by Cloud City from Bespin's atmosphere. The gas was mixed with molten carbon and flash-frozen for transport to far-off trading centers. Solo's experience proved that a human can be successfully frozen in carbonite, remaining alive but "suspended" in time. Upon release from this deep-freeze, a human would experience extreme weakness and temporary loss of sight.