Darth Vader (2020) #49
RULE OF TWO
Sly Moore’s Schism Imperial, a covert group within the Empire determined to overthrow the Emperor, has continued to grow. Darth Vader has now led the group on missions from the Outer Rim to Tython, all building toward a final assault on the Emperor’s regime.
However, Sly Moore betrayed Vader and used his own droid-controlling devices against him in an attempt to take his position at Emperor Palpatine’s side.
Now she’s left Vader to his fate at the hands of the vengeful M.A.R. Corps, who have just recently regained control of their cybernetic bodies….
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Raffaele Ienco
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Federico Blee
Cover artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: August 14 2024
We ended the 48th issue with M.A.R. Corps turning up to face Vader, Zed and Pryde, and as we launch into the penultimate issue of the 2020 run of Darth Vader we’re back on Endovaria Seven as the Corp start tearing into the incapacitated sith lord, implanting a droid control brain into him as he once did to them. Pryde gloats that nothing they do could hurt Vader, but they inform him that when Vader tortured them, he felt pain when they did. The Corp tell Vader their names (where we learn that Chamdaka is the brother of Moroff, the towering white Gigoran from Rogue One). Through his pain Vader tells them their names don’t matter – the only name that matters is Skywalker.
We cut to the south pole of Caranthanax B where Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Sabé and Warba stand in the snow. Warba’s droid is fixing the scowned ship with R2 and wonders whether Vader could influence Luke, something Skywalker doesn’t want to be around to find out, and they look through macrobinoculars to see an Imperial vessel touch down. Sabé fears it’s Vader, but Luke doesn’t sense him. We see the ship is commanded by Fabarian, and watch as numerous droids march out, finding Sabé’s J-Type and opening fire upon it. We see the vessel erupt into flames as Luke notices, and explode as he arrives at the droids and Fabarians location. Suddenly, a huge blast – the kyber weapon, which decimates a number of droids as Luke saves Fabarian, much to the Imperials surprise.
On board the hovering vessel above we see Sly Moore and Tauntaza, the mech-armoured woman clearly injured as Moore orders her to fire again, just as she realises that Vader knows where they are. Luke must die, and they fire againas Fabarian and Luke flee from the blast as we get a huge twist in the plot. The Skywallker Vader is referring to is Luke, and he tells the M.A.R. Corp that in order to save the Rebel hero, they’ll need Vader’s help. They resist, but Zed explains how Luke has certain abilities that could prove useful, and reminds them that in a rare moment the goals of Vader and the rebels is shared, meaning that once he breaks free – and he soon will – they may be spared, and save Luke’s life.
On Caranthanax we see that the blast took Fabarians leg below the knee, and watch as Moore orders Tauntaza to get out of the suit, allowing Sly to take out Luke. Tauntaza points out that the Schism Imperial was really about Moore’s ambitions, but then we see the terrible Death Machine – a weapon that can drain the life from planets – land on the ground (along with Kitster and Wald), ready to be commanded by Moore. She steps into the mech suit of Tauntaza and makes contact with Luke via Fabarians comlink, hinting at an alliance as she begins to discuss the rule of two, explaining how she once beieved that equation always included the Emperor, but what if the rule of two meant Moore and Luke? The schism and the Rebellion, united to topple the Empire. Sabé and Warba believe it’s a trap, but Luke makes a bold choice. He stands before Moore in the mech suit, the kyber weapon in her hand and we watch as first he asks if the Force sensitive Moore can really watch a world die – she will do what she must she says – and then see him step forward as Moore fires her weapon at him, and the blast is only stopped by an arriving Vader who puts up a Force shield around his son, dissipating the blast. We end the issue as a stunned Luke looks up, saying only one word – “Vader“.
Well, we’re one issue away from the end of the 2020 volume of Darth Vader, and things couldn’t be better set for a memorable conclusion. Luke and Vader (depleted they both might be) on the same world, Sabé is present, M.A.R. Corp are here, and Sly Moore – a character who has survived from the depths of the Clone Wars era to today – is our big threat, along with a classic Star Wars planet killer….and Kitster. It’s been a superb run, full of twists and turns and smart call backs, so little remains other than to say hats off to the creative team and the Lucasfilm story group for allowing this thread to flourish so spectacularly and we’ll see you here for the finale.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Pak, Greg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/18/2024 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
