We all know Darth Vader as one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy — but what if I told you we’ve only scratched the surface of what he was truly capable of?
In Darth Vader (2017) issue #24, Vader is rewarded by Emperor Palpatine with a planet of his own — Mustafar. The very place where Anakin Skywalker died and Darth Vader was born. It’s a brutal, volcanic world, but Sidious sees it as the perfect location for his apprentice to channel his pain and power.
Along with the planet, Palpatine gives Vader a strange relic: the mask of Lord Momin, a long-dead Sith sculptor who once tried to create the perfect masterpiece through the Force. But this mask isn’t just a trophy. It contains Momin’s essence and dark knowledge, and more importantly — the ability to open a gateway to another realm within the Force.
Things don’t go as planned.
Momin possesses one of Vader’s attendants through the mask and hijacks the construction of the fortress. He secretly reshapes the tower into his own twisted design — a conduit to breach the Force itself. When the portal is activated, Momin escapes into the Force realm, hoping to resurrect himself.
Vader, after fighting off the native Mustafarians, storms the fortress and confronts Momin. After a quick battle, Vader crushes him with the Force and reclaims the mask. But now, Vader wants to see what’s beyond that gateway for himself.
With one word — “My destiny… is my own” — he steps into the portal.
In the continuation in issue #25, Vader finally opens the gateway and steps through, entering a realm unlike anything he’s ever seen—one shaped by the Force itself.
Vader’s spirit enters the realm while his body stays behind. What he finds inside isn’t just a void — it’s a haunting, shifting landscape filled with memories and visions. He walks through moments from his life as Anakin Skywalker: his childhood on Tatooine, his Jedi training, his love for Padmé, his betrayal of the Jedi Order, the duel with Obi-Wan, and his fall to the dark side.
Eventually, he reaches a strange, shifting castle. As he approaches, it transforms from a Sith fortress into a Jedi Temple — a place tied deeply to Anakin’s past.
Inside, Vader is confronted by Jedi Masters from the High Council: Yoda, Yaddle, Mace Windu, Yarael Poof. One by one, he destroys them, consumed by anger.
Vader continues deeper into the temple and sees a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Palpatine locked in battle. Palpatine wins — but then Vader defeats Palpatine with a strong red Force lightning, overpowering the very symbol of Sith dominance.
At the top of the tower, something unexpected happens. Vader transforms back into Anakin Skywalker and sees Padmé.
She doesn’t embrace him. Instead, she looks at him with sorrow and says, “Anakin Skywalker is dead,” before leaping into a flash of red lightning and vanishing.
In that moment, Anakin realizes the truth: he can’t save her. Not even with all the power in the galaxy.
As his spirit breaks, a blue light suddenly pierces through the darkness. From the glow, a figure appears—holding a blue lightsaber. No words. No fight. Just presence. And in that moment, Vader is pulled back. His journey through the Force ends, and his spirit returns to his body.
The moment Vader regains consciousness and realizes what he’s just experienced, he wastes no time. He reaches down, grabs his lightsaber from the ground, and delivers a critical strike—shattering the ritual site and sealing the portal for good.
