Vader Mourns Wife Padmé In Preview For Upcoming 'Darth Vader' Comic Book Issue

It's no secret that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is one of the most celebrated movie villains ever.

We have seen him as the ruthless face of the Empire in the original Star Wars trilogy, the conflicted young padawan who falls from grace in the prequel trilogy, and even the daring military leader in the hit TV show The Clone Wars. While a complex, dynamic character in his own right, it is no secret that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader would not be the character he is without his wife, Padmé Amidala. We see the rise and fall of their relationship in the prequel trilogy and in The Clone Wars, but Padmé's presence is mysteriously absent from the original Star Wars trilogy.

The new Darth Vader comic line, Darth Vader (2020) by Greg Pak, seeks to fill in the gaps, bringing Darth Vader face to face with the trauma of his past and the loss of his wife. The newest comics follow Darth Vader in the aftermath of The Empire Strikes Back as he seeks revenge on those who kept his son from him.

The previously-released issue of Darth Vader brought him to Padmé's tomb, and now, in Marvel's Darth Vader #5, he comes face to face with the grave of the woman he once loved. StarWars.com released an exclusive preview.

The cover art, previewed above, hints at Darth Vader's internal turmoil and harkens back to his identity as Anakin Skywalker.

The synopsis of the issue says that Vader went to Naboo "in search of answers" and to "discover the truth" about Padmé's fate:

"For Darth Vader, it has all led to this.

The Sith Lord, obsessed with discovering the truth about the fate of Padmé Amidala and exacting revenge on those who hid Luke Skywalker from him, has come to Naboo in search of answers. There, he finds the tomb of his wife from a life long gone — as well as her loyal handmaidens. In StarWars.com’s first look at Marvel’s Darth Vader #5, Vader finally stands before Padmé’s final resting place…"

In the exclusive preview, StarWars.com also released four panels from the upcoming comic.

In the first panel, Vader tries to destroy the remains before being stopped by one of the queen's handmaidens, Sabé.

Then, we see Vader reflect on both his best and worst memories of Padmé.

Next, he finds an implant, the origins of which we can only guess he might investigate.

And finally, we see the handmaidens attempting to thwart Vader's plan, but the Sith Lord appears unfazed.

The comic, with cover art by In-Hyuk Lee, illustrated by Raffaele Ienco, and written by Greg Pak, is available for pre-order now and will be released on Wednesday, September 16.

This comic is just one example of how expanded material within the Star Wars universe is being utilized to add depth and perspective to characters we know and love. Judging by the previews presented above, it looks like this comic will give us a look at the conflict Vader feels throughout the original trilogy, as well as a glimpse at the light that still exists within him, setting up his eventual redemption at the end of the films. This just goes to show that, while some characters may never appear in the movies again, there are always new ways for us to learn more about them and see them presented in other media.

If you want to see how the conflict between Vader and Amidala's forces pans out, be sure to check out Marvel's Darth Vader #5 when it releases on Wednesday. And if you would like to catch up on the first few issues before reading this one, the first few issues of Darth Vader (2020) can be purchased digitally on Marvel.com.

Written By Alex Cherry

Syndicated From Culture Slate