Darth Vader #4 marks the fourth installment of the Marvel comic book series titled Star Wars: Darth Vader. It also represents the fourth of six issues that comprise the inaugural story arc of the series, known as Vader. This comic book, penned by Kieron Gillen and visually brought to life by Salvador Larroca's artwork, saw its release on April 8, 2015.
- What if the Battle Droids sought revenge? [1]
- Vader journeys back to Geonosis with the intention of creating his own army! [1]
- The Dark Lord's rise to power advances! [1]
Dr Aphra provides a briefing on Geonosis to Darth Vader, Triple Zero, and BT-1. She explains her mission, which was assigned by the Droid Gotra: to free droids from a Geonosian queen who possesses a droid factory. However, Dr. Aphra suggests an alternative plan: stealing the factory for themselves. Examining a Geonosian corpse, Dr. Aphra notes that the planet should be quieter due to the sterilization of Geonosis. She expresses curiosity about the weapon used before dispatching Triple Zero and BT-1 to explore beneath the planet's surface.
Dr. Aphra inquires if Lord Vader has ever visited Geonosis, prompting him to recall his kiss with Padmé Amidala. He curtly tells her to cease her probing and warns the rogue archaeologist that he demands only obedience and silence. When Lord Vader questions the droids' ability to map the route, she assures him that it will be intricate but that there is no need to worry about Triple Zero and BT-1. The Sith Lord retorts that he is there to acquire an army and dismisses the two droids as inconsequential.
Triple Zero and BT-1 soon encounter several droid workers designed to resemble Geonosians. After greeting the droids, Triple Zero instructs BT-1 to deploy his flamethrower, resulting in the incineration of the droids. Triple Zero mocks the burning droids in Geonosian, informing them that they are ablaze and deceased. Aphra and Vader soon come across the flaming droids. Dr. Aphra deduces that Gotra's information about the underground factory was accurate. Upon inspecting the droids, she realizes that the Geonosian Queen has created robotic offspring due to her sterilization.
The group of four soon encounters the Geonosian Queen, Karina, who is attached to a massive mechanized egg-laying machine that produces robotic offspring inside her lair. Dr. Aphra questions Vader's wisdom in stealing a robotic womb factory from a "homicidally broody alien queen." Vader affirms his decision and proceeds to use his lightsaber to sever Queen Karina from her robotic womb. When Karina berates the Empire for plundering and exterminating her people, Vader employs the Force to slam her against the hive wall.
Karina commands her droid workers to attack the intruders, but BT-1 retaliates with his flamethrower and blasters. Aphra leaps from a platform and informs Lord Vader that they cannot transport the locator to the roof because the thrusters are missing. However, Lord Vader uses the Force to propel it upwards, impressing Aphra. This action creates a hole in the ceiling. Vader's Naboo Royal Starship soon arrives and deploys giant magnets to lift the Geonosian droids, Triple Zero, and BT-1. Lord Vader and Dr. Aphra climb to safety, leaving the distraught Queen behind. Airborne, Lord Vader assures Dr. Aphra that his ship possesses greater strength than it appears.
Aboard the Ark Angel in space, Dr. Aphra and Triple Zero reprogram and modify Karina's worker droids. When Lord Vader inquires about Triple Zero's intentions, Dr. Aphra explains that he has unconventional theories about droid self-improvement, which led to his consciousness being locked away. Dr. Aphra informs Lord Vader that his droid army will be ready in a few hours and asks if he intends to kill her now that she has completed her task. She expresses a preference for being impaled through the neck with a lightsaber or ejected into space.
Vader remains silent. Dr. Aphra acknowledges her good fortune in surviving and expresses her desire to continue living. She states that she is "happy her blood's doodling in the margins of a story worth telling." Lord Vader responds that she has proven her usefulness and will remain safe as long as he needs her. He warns her against blackmail, threatening to kill her if she does. Dr. Aphra assures Vader of her trustworthiness while acknowledging that she poses a risk. She asserts that he needs to win for a greater cause and reiterates her preference for death by lightsaber.
At that moment, Triple Zero informs his masters that they have been contacted by the Wookiee Krrsantan, who has delivered a valuable bounty for them. The prisoner is revealed to be Cylo, who was transporting illegal alien organ supplies. Krrsantan apprehended him before he could return to his base. Vader demands to know the location of his headquarters, but Cylo remains defiant. Vader wishes to interrogate him but lacks the time and assigns the task to Triple Zero, who expresses interest in the prisoner's grafted flesh and organs from various species.
Later, Triple Zero emerges, having tortured Cylo to death. He informs his masters that the prisoner is named Doctor Cylo IV and that he has obtained the location of his research base and the nature of his commission from the Emperor. Darth Vader orders the disposal of the body. However, Triple Zero has already killed him. Triple Zero informs Lord Vader that the base is an organic structure located in an isolated outer nebula and that it houses Vader's "replacements." Lord Vader commands Triple Zero to set a course for Cylo's base immediately.