Darth Vader (2017) 1

Summary by the Publisher

The most terrifying antagonist of all time makes his comeback in a brand-new series! After Anakin Skywalker's downfall, succumbing to both the dark side's allure and Obi-Wan Kenobi's strike, he was resurrected, becoming more machine than human. Stripped of everything he once held dear, the former chosen one must embark on his initial journey into a darker existence…as Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith!

Synopsis of the Plot

Fury and Suffering

Within the Grand Republic Medical Facility situated on Coruscant, Darth Vader incessantly utters "No" as recollections of choking Padmé Amidala on Mustafar flood his mind. With a smirk, his new master, Darth Sidious, witnesses Vader unleashing the Force, obliterating medical droids and even propelling the Emperor against the wall. Vader questions Palpatine's inability to revive her as promised, to which Palpatine responds that Vader's rage led him down a different path, rendering even the dark side of the Force incapable of bringing her back. However, Padmé's demise has bestowed upon Vader the gift of pain, which he must either embrace or perish. Vader consents to live, prompting Palpatine to utter "Good," before assaulting his apprentice with bursts of Force lightning. As Vader writhes in torment, Palpatine instructs him to defend himself with his lightsaber. Vader counters that he lost it during his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and that the Jedi took it with him. Palpatine states that the lightsaber belonged to a Jedi, while Vader is a Sith. Acknowledging the traumatic experience Vader has endured, he cautions that any further use of the Force against him will result in him finishing what Kenobi started. He advises Vader to rise and follow him, as he has something to reveal.

Upon the steps of the Jedi Temple, Mas Amedda is conducting a ceremony, destroying the lightsabers of the many Jedi slain and sent into hiding by the Great Jedi Purge, informing the citizens that they will never again fear the Jedi, and that Palpatine has rescued them from their treachery. Observing from above, Palpatine inquires whether Vader knows the reason behind the red color of Sith lightsabers. When Vader admits his ignorance, Palpatine derides the Jedi for concealing knowledge they deemed unsettling, which ultimately led to their downfall. He elaborates that a Sith kyber crystal is identical to any other, except that it has been made to bleed—the living crystal from a Jedi's saber can be converted by pouring one's pain and agony into it, until it turns crimson—the color of rage. In the courtyard below, Amedda places the lightsabers into an incinerator where they begin to melt, then recoils as the kyber crystals explode, blasting a fierce beam of energy and flame into the sky. Vader points out that Palpatine could have provided him with one of the now-destroyed lightsabers to corrupt, even Yoda's. Palpatine responds that a Sith's saber is never given, only taken.

The Territory of the Mid-Rim

Aboard a Theta-class T-2c shuttle, Vader and Palpatine journey to Gattering within the Mid Rim. Upon landing, the Emperor mentions that he had acquired a ship for Vader to use on his lightsaber-making mission, but it appears to have been stolen. He urges Vader to embrace the dark side and allow it to guide him. Vader exits the shuttle and manipulates the controls on his belt to adjust the optical scanners in his visor, revealing tracks indicating where his ship had been dragged across the desert sands.

At their base, two enslavers admire the starship, speculating that even if they cannot crack its encryption, they can sell it for more than a year's worth of slaving. The Aqualish enslaver is struck by a piece of machinery, propelled by Vader's Force powers, as he stands atop the wall and proclaims, "That ship... is mine." The enslavers unleash a barrage of fire as Vader leaps from the wall, deflecting the shots with machinery and shrapnel. A Pau'an enslaver manages to hit Vader's armor and boasts of his success, but Vader uses the bodies of his fallen comrades as shields, then hurls them at the Pau'an. The last remaining survivor pleads to know what Vader desires, to which Vader replies, "From you? Only this," before snapping his neck with the Force.

Production Notes

On April 24, 2019, Marvel Comics re-released Darth Vader 1 as a component of its "True Believers" initiative, with a suggested retail price of $1 USD.

Matters of Continuity

This comic portrays the destruction of Yoda's lightsaber, which, at the time, was interpreted as contradicting the 2016 reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations Star Wars: Complete Locations, which depicts the lightsaber as being stored in a box in Yoda's Hut by the time of the events of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. When questioned about this inconsistency, writer Charles Soule speculated that Yoda might have constructed a new one, possessed multiple lightsabers, or that Darth Sidious fabricated a fake to emphasize a point. Lucasfilm Story Group's Matt Martin later acknowledged their awareness of the discrepancy, but clarified that it wasn't an error as Yoda likely owned several lightsabers throughout his life. The apparent contradiction was later seemingly resolved in the 2022 comic Crimson Reign 3 Crimson Reign 3, which specified that one of Yoda's lightsabers was destroyed during the celebration. This implied second lightsaber was shown earlier in The Book of Boba Fett episode "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger," where it was offered by Luke Skywalker to Grogu.

However, the short story "Masters," subsequently established that Sidious intended to retrieve Yoda's initial lightsaber after his death and display it within the Imperial Palace as a trophy, suggesting that Sidious did not have it destroyed as depicted in Darth Vader (2017) #1. The existence of a second lightsaber in this version of events remains uncertain.

Multimedia

Versions

• UPC 759606086665; June 7 , 2017 ; Marvel Comics [1] 00111; Cover A; Jim Cheung, Matthew Wilson 00121; Cover B; John Tyler Christopher 00131; Cover C; Lucasfilm Ltd. 00141; Cover D; Phil Noto 00151; Cover E; Mark Brooks 00161; Cover F; Adi Granov 00171; Cover G; Skottie Young 00181; Cover H; Blank 00191; Cover I; John Tyler Christopher 00116; Cover J; David López 00117; Cover K; Rod Reis 00118; Cover L; Francesco Mattina 00112; Cover M; Jim Cheung, Matthew Wilson
• UPC 759606094370; April 24, 2019; Marvel Comics; True Believers [3] 00111; Cover N; Jim Cheung, Matthew Wilson

Image Gallery of Covers