Darth Vader #24 Review

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In Darth Vader #24, Darth Vader looks within to defeat Cylo from without.

This article contains spoilers for Darth Vader #24

Darth Vader #24

Writer: Kieron Gillen | Artist: Salvador Larroca | Colorist: Edgar Delgado | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artists: Larroca & Delgado

Vader Powerless?

Darth Vader #24 begins as Darth Vader kneels powerless before Dr. Cylo. In a display of arrogance, Cylo casually rests his hand upon Vader’s helmet. In a previous issue, Cylo used a device to “deactivate” Vader’s mechanical parts. This left Vader immobile and seemingly at Cylo’s mercy. However, Cylo underestimated the power of the Sith.

Vader Introspective

As Cylo gloats and declares to his forces Vader’s submission, the Dark Lord looks within. Whether Vader experiences a force vision or a dream remains unclear. However, he sees his past, or rather an alternate version of his past in which he confronts three people: his old mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, himself as Anakin Skywalker, and the love his life Padme. Each confrontation severs Vader from his past in a unique way.

Obi-Wan’s “Mercy”

 Revenge of the Sith demonstrated exactly how Anakin became Vader. Anakin’s defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan left him nearly limbless and vulnerable at the shores of a river of lava. This scene composes the first part of Vader’s vision. Instead of declaring his hatred for Obi-Wan, Anakin calls Obi-Wan out for perceived hypocrisy. Ob-Wan professes to have loved Anakin as a brother. Vader refutes this. If Obi-Wan had loved him, Anakin claims he would have killed him on Mustafar, and not allowed him to become a monster.

In response, the Obi-Wan of this vision acquiesces to Anakin’s challenge and tosses him into the river of lava. However, Anakin does not die. Instead, Vader emerges from the flowing magma. In defiance to Obi-Wan’s claim that death only makes him more powerful, Vader responds that he need not imagine power. Vader then proclaims the increasing distance from Obi-Wan increases his power. With that, Vader cuts Obi-Wan down.

This is an interesting reflection on Anakin’s view of Obi-Wan. Before their duel, the pair loved each other like brothers. Anakin’s fear of losing Anakin ultimately drove him to the dark side. Jealousy and envy had something to do with it at as well. However, Anakin’s statement that Obi-Wan would have killed him if he truly loved him speaks volumes. Anakin must really hate what he has become. And yet, he still clings to that life.

Anakin’s Resistance

No sooner has Vader disposed of Obi-Wan than Anakin confronts him. Vader’s past challenges his present. Anakin protests Vader killing Obi-Wan. At this time in the continuity, Vader already killed Obi-Wan aboard the Death Star. Is Anakin protesting that? Vader and Anakin duel with Vader seizing the victory. Mirroring Anakin’s original fate, Vader sends his past self into the lava stream.

As Vader marches away, Anakin yells, “I hate you!” over and over. In the context of this vision, this speaks volumes. Anakin always hated himself for what he has become. I had always presumed he hated himself on some level over the grief he felt for killing Padme. However, some of that grief appears reserved for Obi-Wan. Perhaps his screams of hatred to Obi-Wan during Revenge of the Sith resulted from the forced realization that Obi-Wan was right.

One other part of this showdown remains. Anakin asked Vader how he could do this. Vader responds that Anakin was a child, and Vader was well accustomed to killing children. Chilling to say the least. It is also telling. By destroying his former self, Vader dismisses Anakin as a foolish child. Perhaps he is trying to convince himself that he is on a wiser path.

Padme’s Temptation

Vader’s vision contains one last hurdle. As Vader struggles to free himself, he hears a familiar voice beckoning him to stay. It is Padme. She tempts him stay and leave the world behind. Then, Padme asks him to abandon his course. Vader refuses. Furthermore, he refuses violently. His vision places him on the operating table where his cybernetic components were fitted to Anakin’s body during Revenge of the Sith. As Padme pleads with him, he begins using the force to choke her. This is darkly poetic considering the last time Anakin saw Padme alive, he had been force choking her. However, this time Vader finishes the job. Padme was a tether to Vader’s former life as Anakin. He severed it. Consequently, the only thing left in the galaxy that can bring him back to the light is his son Luke.

Vader’s Revenge

Having abolished his last links to his past life as Anakin, Vader summons the dark side of the Force. He uses his power to overcome Cylo’s treachery. Cylo looks on in shock as Vader rises, summons his lightsaber, and cuts him down. Vader responds to his protests that “this is impossible” with “nothing is impossible for the Force.” After dispatching Cylo, Vader then reactivates his suit with the Force. Despite his victory, a new Cylo clone activates on Cylo’s whale fleet and prepares to flee.

Unfinished Business

With Cylo destroyed, Vader restores power to the Executor. He then informs Palpatine that one piece of business remains. Presumably, Vader intends to track down Cylo’s whale fleet and destroy him once and for all. The Emperor urges Vader to return because they have much to discuss.

Dr. Aphra then surprises the Emperor by barging into his audience chamber. Aphra seemingly overcomes the Emperor’s objections by stating she has things he needs to know as the issue ends. Perhaps she plans to trade some of Vader’s secrets for protection. Unfortunately, the answer must wait until issue twenty-five.

Conclusion

As the penultimate issue to the series, issue twenty-four eliminated most of Vader’s ties to his former life. One of the earlier themes of this series concerned Vader education as a Sith. He sought to move beyond his failure to protect the Death Star and regain the Emperor’s trust. He has accomplished this mission. Padme has featured in many of his flashbacks throughout the series. In the past, those flashbacks were sympathetic. Those days are gone. Vader permanently dismissed Padme as an influence by force choking her in his vision. The Vader that remains is devoted to the dark side. This was an excellent and moving issue.

Darth Vader #24 Favorite Panel

Gillen’s story was impressive. Vader’s confrontations with his former self, Obi-Wan, and Padme were striking and genius. Any number of panels from those sequences could have served as this issue’s favorite. However, I chose something else. When Vader finally manages to overcome Cylo’s treachery, the old doctor is beside himself. Cylo has been arrogant in his belief that his technology is superior to the Force. Technology versus the Force has been an ongoing theme of this series. Cylo believed his creations would be capable of supplanting Vader and the Emperor atop the Imperial hierarchy. Vader ended that discussion once and for all. Before he did so, Cylo looked on in disbelief as Vader revived himself. His reaction shot is one of the best in the entire series, and it serves as my favorite panel for Darth Vader #24.