Summary

• Darth Vader's epic rebellion against Emperor Palpatine is coming to a climactic end with a huge clash on Exegol.
• Vader's attack reveals an army of Stormtroopers, Sith Eternal, and monstrous creatures like the Summa-verminoth.
• The battle will not only have major implications for the Star Wars universe, but also potentially close a major plot hole.

As the final battle in Star Wars is revealing the gigantic army of Exegol. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Marvel's current era of Star Wars comics is coming to an end with a gigantic clash between the two original trilogy Sith, with each gathering never-before-seen resources to settle the matter of Vader's increasing defiance over the past few years of stories.

In a first look preview shared by Darth Vader is wielding his new Zaly Shield, which allows him to focus his Force powers into a concentrated blast. However, he'll need that power upgrade, as he'll be facing an army of Stormtroopers, Sith Eternal and Summa-verminoth, even before he gets the chance to fight his master.

Since finding out that his children survived, Darth Vader has been rebelling against Palpatine, gathering new weapons and servants to help him overthrow his master. Having discovered Palpatine's projects on Exegol, Vader has chosen that as the point of maximum vulnerability, invading the planet in the hopes of drawing out and supplanting Palpatine. It's worth noting that at this point in the Star Wars timeline, Vader is still fully dedicated to the Dark Side - while he wants to defeat Palpatine, it's with the aim of corrupting Luke and becoming his Sith master.

Darth Vader's attack on Exegol can close a major franchise plot hole.

Darth Vader's Assault on Exegol Unveils Palpatine's Hidden Army

The Home of Palpatine's Experiments Has Some Terrifying Surprises

Previously in the series, Vader discovered Exegol and planned to attack Palpatine's installations there, but was temporarily won over by a show of power by his master. Now, Vader is once again fighting to overcome Palpatine, and he's aiming where it hurts. As fans saw in the sequel trilogy, Exegol is the home of Palpatine's darkest adherents and the site of his most disturbing experiments. His cultist servants used the planet to clone Palpatine back to life while also constructing a gigantic fleet of ships. However, Palpatine also used Exegol for biological experimentation and weapons testing, developing monstrosities including gigantic crab monsters and the tame Summa-verminoth - gigantic space squid which are capable of debilitating psychic attacks.

On his last visit to Exegol, Darth Vader was able to tame a Summa-verminoth and turn it against Emperor Palpatine, however that was when he was able to focus all his power on the task. Now, the preview of Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 reveals an entire battalion of Summa-verminoth riders drawn from the Sith Eternal - the adepts that Palpatine told Vader were being trained to replace him if he ever fell. Vader's attack on Exegol will close out Marvel's current Star Wars era, and could also close a major franchise plothole. In current canon, Vader knew about Exegol's existence after he defeated Palpatine, so why didn't he warn Luke of the danger that still existed? If Vader believed Palpatine's operations on the planet destroyed in this battle, that question will be answered.

The issue will also include a short story imagining a timeline where Darth Vader attempts to corrupt Leia to the Dark Side, including the iconic hero getting her own Sith armor.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 Ends Marvel's Current Star Wars Era

Vader's Journey Has Followed His Painful Quest to Defeat Palpatine

Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 will also apparently see Anakin Skywalker's childhood friends Kitster and Wald meet up with the rest of their former friend circle, as well as the return of Sith assassin and Vader's onetime sidekick Ochi of Bestoon. The issue will also include a short story imagining a timeline where Darth Vader attempts to corrupt Leia to the Dark Side, including the iconic hero getting her own Sith armor.

While fans know that Palpatine will ultimately overcome Vader in this battle, the specifics are sure to have major implications for the Star Wars universe, and the fight itself is shaping up to be the ultimate feat of power on Darth Vader's behalf - as the end of an era arrives, the army of Exegol are making sure it goes with a bang.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 is coming September 18 from Marvel Comics.

Source: David Brooke, AIPT