Finke had the Rebel Alliance insignia tattooed on his stomach and played the "Victory March" after he and his now ex-wife (not a "Star Wars"-related divorce, he insists) exchanged vows. Even he is savvy enough to ease women into his "hobby." "It's not something I just bust out on the first date," he says.

As for Jennifer Wistock, she knew going into the marriage that her husband, Michael, was crazy about "Star Wars." But she was overwhelmed by the true extent of his fascination after they were married. Michael's mother was apparently all too happy to unload her son's vast "Star Wars" collection. When the boxes began to arrive, it seemed they would never stop.

"There was too much to comprehend. You couldn't even count it. He had cereal boxes, toothbrushes, erasers and thousands of figurines," she said. While she supported her husband's passion for "Star Wars" -- she agreed to let him name their son Harrison and their dog Indiana -- there was a dark side to their 10-year marriage.

The excessive spending on the toys, the road trips to conventions and screenings and coming home to a houseful of men glued to the VCR was too much for Wistock. "I grew to hate it," she said. "We never did anything together anymore. He always had a 'Star Wars' excuse for everything."

When his fandom consumed them financially, Jennifer hit the breaking point. She estimates her husband spent close to $100,000 during their marriage on trips to conventions, merchandise, videos, T-shirts and materials for his "Star Wars" business, Collector's Empire.

At the time, Michael says he couldn't see the impact his "Star Wars" obsession was having on his marriage. He concedes that 1992 to 1995 "were my bad years." If his wife confronted him, he would get defensive. "It was like an assault on my beliefs ... She was convinced that I loved George Lucas more than her, which was not the case. I still love her very much."

These days Wistock says he's a changed man. "When I reflected on the reason why our relationship fell apart, it really put things into perspective ... All she really wanted was more of my time."

The Wistocks' amicable divorce became final a few months ago and Jennifer has relocated to Virginia. While none of the other women interviewed blame their breakups solely on "Star Wars," Jennifer attributes 75 percent of the divorce to her husband's obsession with "Star Wars." The settlement even states that Michael will keep his "Star Wars" collection. But the pain of divorce has put a new sense of perspective on his life. "I have found a balance in my life," Wistock says. "Yes, I'm planning on seeing the film five times on Wednesday, but I'll probably be a little tired after the second time."

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