The latest Darth Vader comic book series from Marvel has seen the Sith Lord on the hunt for more information about his son Luke Skywalker, specifically looking to track down and punish anyone who kept his existence a secret from him. Over the first two issues, this led him to form an unlikely alliance with Sabé, the former handmaiden and double of his late wife, Padmé Amidala. And in the newly released Darth Vader #3, things take an unexpected turn.
In the issue, from Grek Pak, Raffaele Ienco and Neeraj Menon, Vader and Sabé land on Naboo in order to decrypt some security recordings that apparently provide answers on Padmé’s death. Immediately upon arrival in the Naberri Lake Retreat, however, Vader is ambushed by a team ready to take him out. Captains Typho and Tonra were former members of the Naboo Security Force and they shoot the villain on sight.
Vader’s natural reaction is to kill them for their actions, but Sabé is able to convince him to spare the soldiers as they share the answers they seek. The group then makes their way to an underwater base where the recordings are said to be hidden. When viewed, though, the recordings don’t feature Padmé at all but Sabé, swearing revenge on the man who murdered her queen. Yes, Vader has fallen for her trap hook, line and sinker.
Tonra presses a button, the ground shakes and, on the thrilling final page of the issue, a giant serpentine creature is shown inches away from swallowing the base in one gulp. Just to add some irony to the already dire situation, the group cries: “And for Anakin!” Unaware that the one they believe is the perpetrator of Padmé and Anakin’s deaths is actually Anakin Skywalker himself.
Not many people can fool Vader like this, but Padmé was always his weak spot, in life and in death. We’ll have to wait until next month though to find out how Darth Vader gets out of this one.
Published: Jul 29, 2020 10:14 am