The latest story starring during the Clone Wars, linking the squad directly to the top of the Jedi High Council by establishing that they took orders directly from Mace Windu himself, recontextualizing what fans know about the team.

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents (2025) #1 – written by Michael Moreci, with art by Reese Hannigan – taks place one year into the Clone Wars, and finds the Bad Batch, the team comprised of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair, hunting for a list of the Republic's Ghost Agents, spies that feed Separatist information to the Republic, which was stolen.

What is surprising, though, is that the mission comes from Mace Windu, second in command of the Jedi High Council, meaning the Bad Batch may be more important than fans originally thought.

The Bad Batch Are Now Officially Tied To Famous Jedi Mace Windu In The Star Wars Expanded Universe

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents (2025) #1 – Written By Michael Moreci; Art By Reese Hannigan; Ink By Elisabetta D'Amico; Color By Michael Atiyeh; Lettering By Tyler Smith & Bobby Bradford

Clone Force 99, better known as the Bad Batch, was an elite clone commando squad, which operated under the Special Operations Brigade in the Republic during the Clone Wars. The Bad Batch originally included four of clones with desirable mutations that altered their physical appearance, voice, and gave each one of them a special ability. Sergeant Hunter is the leader with enhanced senses, Wrecker is the muscle, tech is the brains, and Crosshair is the marksman. Fans will be excited to know their latest comic book appearance adds dramatic details to the team's role in Star Wars lore.

The Bad Batch preferred to work alone, believing that other clones, or "regs", would only slow them down. Clone Force 99 didn't report to anyone in particular, just completed each mission they were given, and were known to have a one hundred percent success rate, though they did often work with Commander Cody, whom they were fond of. The Bad Batch also took missions from Jedi, as they were recruited by Caleb Dume right before Order 66; they also report to Mace Windu, reminiscent of how other Jedi report back to the Jedi Council after a mission.

The Bad Batch's Connection To Mace Windu Is Another Example Of Their Prominence In Star Wars Canon

Their Role In The Franchise Continues To Grow

The Bad Batch are not like other clones; not only physically, but how they operate in the field. Since they are a special forces squad, they operate under Clone Sergeant Hunter rather than a Jedi General, then a clone commander or captain under them. The Bad Batch operate more like Jedi themselves, receiving their missions from the council, and the council trusting them to use their own discretion on how to complete the mission most effectively. The Bad Batch's missions are just as important as Jedi missions too, they're just kept more secret.

Asajj Ventress is set to appear in at least issue four of The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents, and she is most likely the thief of the Republic's Ghost Agent list. If the Bad Batch has to go face to face against Ventress, their missions are about to get just as dangerous as Jedi missions too. Though it's unlikely they directly interact with Ventress, as they don't recognize her in The Bad Batch season three, this still makes for a thrilling untold chapter in the history of these beloved Star Wars troops.

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 is available now from Dark Horse Comics.