THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: STAP REINFORCEMENTS!

The Naboo plains battle between Gungans and Trade Federation intensifies as Battle Droids on STAP vehicles enter the fray in this specially composed ILM photo image- a sequence planned as a storyboard, and likely created as an animatic, that ultimately didn't make cinematic reality for the final cut of EPISODE I. Instead, they would be seen in long shot for one brief moment during the Gungans surrender aftermath.

Early storyboard showing STAPs penetrating the energy shield and attacking the Gungans.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: INVASION ROAD!

Their transport ships landed and cargos disembarked, thousands of Trade Federation Battle Droids and legion air swarming Droid Fighters now travel across the Naboo plains- their destination for invasion and control: the city of Theed!

Of computer-generating believable, dynamic characters: "The challenge, always, is to bring a performance out of those digital characters. For instance, George (Lucas) came up with this great idea of having the droids react like pigeons. They kind of flock together, and they're not too smart - which eventually causes their downfall."

Dennis Muren - The Making of STAR WARS: EPISODE I book - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: DAWN OF THE BATTLE DROID!

Onscreen, the Jedi would soon cut them down like butter, but that exciting first sneak peek of a Battle Droid, seen on a special US subscriber's cover for Star Wars Insider magazine back in 1998, was nonetheless impressive, especially riding its flying Stap vehicle, seen all too briefly on Naboo during the film's opening.

A terrific photoshop composition created by ILM (supervised by Dennis Muren), with background by Russ Kaiser.

CLASSIC ART: STAP ATTACK!

In the skies of Naboo, STAP flying Battle Droids try and fail to shoot down some Gungan riding air beasts, in this gorgeous production painting art for EPISODE I by the ever-talented Doug Chiang circa 1997.

THE CLONE WARS: FLYING PERILS!

Still trying to escape the Citadel prison world, Anakin and Even Piell make a bold aerial STAP assault against enemy forces, in this derring-do scene from the classic Season Three episode Counterattack.