This post contains a preview for Darth Vader #27
In a new preview for Marvel Comics' Return of the Jedi).
Previously in Darth Vader from writer Greg Pak and artist Rafaele Ienco, the Dark Lord has been tasked by the Emperor to hunt down and smoke out the number of Crimson Dawn agents and spies embedded within multiple levels of the Imperial hierarchy. As such, Governor Taunataza has found herself in Vader's crosshairs due to her connections to the Dawn. However, she's also been oppressing refugees from Tatooine who used to be slaves just like Anakin Skywalker once was. This is no coincidence seeing as how Vader's newest ally Sabé knows the truth about the Dark Lord's past, having been Pé Amidala's primary handmaid and decoy who discovered a recording of her queen's final moments. Wanting to believe that there's still good in Vader just as Pé did, Sabé orchestrated the encounter between the refugees and Darth Vader, hoping to bring forth the man the Sith Lord once was.
However, Darth Vader has remained resolute in his mission to destroy the governor by any means, even with the various experimental weapons Tauntaza has been wielding such as a mobile fortress capable of creating inclement weather by breaking down organic life. Due to the large parts of him that are cybernetic, the Dark Lord can get closer than anyone in the new preview for Darth Vader #27. However, even Vader is eventually stopped just ahead of the war machine as his scarred organs begin to fail. As such, Vader sends an astromech droid containing his lightsaber to attack the fortress, mirroring a similar ploy he used as Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars and was employed years later by his son Luke during Return of the Jedi. Here are the preview pages and the synopsis for the issue:
- DARTH VADER #27
- THE QUEEN'S HEART
- The alliance between Darth Vader and Sabé has always seemed destined for disaster. After all, how long can the Dark Lord of the Sith and the idealistic handmaiden of Pé Amidala find common ground? So as Vader and Sabé enter the final battle against a corrupt Imperial governor, something’s going to break. Will it be Vader’s cold resolve or Sabé’s true heart? And how long until Ochi of Bestoon finally makes his move?
Both Anakin and Luke used R2-D2 as a Trojan horse to hide their lightsabers until they were ready for the droid to launch them into their hands, saluting the droid which was the signal to fire the weapons out from the top of his domed head. As such, Vader employs a very similar tactic in this new preview, though this time he uses the Force to brutally spear the saber through the entire station itself.
While it's unlikely that Governor Tauntaza is fully out for the count, Vader certainly put a damper on her plans thanks to the darkly improved Skywalker trick. Likewise, the synopsis for this new Star Wars comic also teases the end of Sabé and Darth Vader's alliance (which was never going to last for long). Darth Vader #27 releases on September 21st.
