Darth Vader (2020) #38
EXECUTOR EXTIRPATUS
Slowly regaining control over the Force with the help of the ancient Zaly Shield, Darth Vader passed the tests Emperor Palpatine and Grand Vizier Mas Amedda threw at him.
Then, Mas Amedda requested that Vader and his newly assembled team take on the mysteriously malfunctioning droids aboard the ”Executor”.
But Mas Amedda’s faith in Vader is lacking. Fearing the ship totally lost to the droids, he ordered the ”Executor” destroyed….
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Raffaele Ienco
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Federico Blee
Cover artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Release Date: September 13, 2023
The Dark Droids storyline continues in issue #38 of Darth Vader as the dark lord battles an endless army of droids while his loyal droids Zed and Ought-Six work to disable the droids that have swamped the Executor. The comm buzzes and it’s Admiral Piett, who informs Vader that a fleet of Star destroyers have dropped out of hyperspace in attack formation, and with their comms disabled beyond the ship they have no way to contact them. Vader is unmoved as he continues to fight with the Zaly Shield, and we see Piett order power to the shields and to brace for impact, but a fortunate quirk of fate sees the commander of the lead ISD Admiral Corleque pause. He’s there to destroy the ship, and in turn Vader, but out of respect to his former commander Piett he opts to hold. He plans to rescue Piett, and then Vader can die, and so he sends rescue ships. Communications down, they use a flag system to warn them away and to beware their droids, but as the flag bearers are taken down by droid attackers the incoming ships decide to ‘clean up the mess’ with their own droids, who are quickly subverted by the roaming mouse droids who are deploying the scourge from droid to droid.
We cut to Vader who has downed every droid attacking him, but still they come, first trying to infect him and then sending four KX Security droids to attack as Zed and his fellow droids activate the failsafe and all droids aboard the Executor fall down. Communications restored, Corleque and Piett speak, Corleque surprised that Vader has survived the encounter. However, the scourge has now transferred to his ship, and Corleque accepts his fate as the Executor and the remaining destroyers turn their cannons on his ship and destroy it to wipe out the scourge, despite the thousands of loyal Imperial souls aboard.
We watch as Vader reurns to his castle on Mustafar, the remains of his loyal droids bundled together as he walks down the steps to speak with the Eye of Webbish Bog. Vader needs power, and as the Eye asks of he is Jedi or Sith, Vader tries to take that power. The Eye laughs – he doesn’t have what Vader needs but asks if Vader knows the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise. Then, Palpatine was the apprentice who killed his master in his sleep; who is the apprentice now? Vader is heading for Coruscant, and as they prepare to leave we see Zed walk down to the lost Techno-Union factory where an enourmous octuptarra tri-droid stirs – Zed has been compromised by the scourge.
Another fascinating issue, bringing us the harsh realities of Imperial command and the determination of both the scourge and of Vader, who will not stop at anything to regain the power and control he requires. Greg Pak really has this series in the pocket at the moment, and partnered with a top tier artistic team this series really is firing on all cylinders. Not that previous series have impeded too much on the respective four core titles, but this Dark Droids series and its crossovers are building and developing the threat in a patient, measured way and it’s making these crossover episodes really sing. Great work.
