Since the dawn of the galaxy, the Sith have been deeply fascinated by the dark side of the Force, engaging in terrifying rituals to draw closer to its power.
Yet, only a handful of Sith have ever managed to unlock the door to the dark side, stepping into a realm filled with nothing but pain and suffering.
Darth Vader, believing the dark side could save his wife, ventured into this darkness.
Join me as we explore how Darth Vader, despite being allied with the dark side, is still the chosen one.
Darth Vader, the Dark Lord Entering the Dark Side Realm
In the 24th issue of the Star Wars Comics 2017, Darth Vader is rewarded by his master, Darth Sidious, with a planet of his own.
The planet is Mustafar, a volcanic world where Vader can build his fortress and unleash his dark power.
But the planet is not the only gift that Sidious gives to his apprentice.
Palpatine also gives him the mask of Lord Momin, a Sith sculptor who was obsessed with creating the perfect work of art.
The mask contains Momin’s essence and his knowledge of the Force. The mask has the ability to open a portal to the Force, a mysterious dimension where Vader can explore his destiny.
However, Momin has other plans. He uses the mask to possess one of Vader’s loyal servants and takes control of the construction of the fortress.
He modifies the design to suit his own vision and activates the portal without Vader’s knowledge. He then escapes through the portal, hoping to resurrect himself in a new body.
Vader and his troops are attacked by the Mustafarians, the native inhabitants of the planet who resent the Empire’s presence.
Vader fights them off and enters the fortress, where he finds Momin waiting for him. Momin taunts Vader and tells him that he has wasted his potential as a Sith. He challenges Vader to a duel, but Vader easily crushes him with the Force and reclaims the mask.
Vader then decides to open the portal himself and see what lies beyond. He says, “My destiny…”
As he steps through the portal, Vader’s body remains behind and his spirit enters the Force realm.
There, Vader sees visions of his past and future as Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side. He wanders through the realm, where he encounters scenes from his life, such as his childhood on Tatooine, his training under Obi-Wan Kenobi, his romance with Padme Amidala, his betrayal of the Jedi Order, his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, and his servitude to Palpatine.
After wandering around, then the Dark Lord arrived at the mysterious castle, the castle magically changed from a dark fortress into a Jedi temple, a place he knew well from his days as Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight.
Vader was greeted by visions of Jedi Masters from the High Council like Yoda, Yadle, Yarael Poof and Mace Windu. Filled with anger, Vader defeated each of them.
After this, Vader saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, his Jedi Master, and Palpatine, his Sith Lord mentor, battling each other. Palpatine won, but then Vader used his power to defeat Palpatine too.
Vader then made his way to the top of the castle. There, he turned back into Anakin Skywalker and saw Padme, his wife who had passed away. He tried to ask her to join him, but Padme said, “Anakin Skywalker is dead,” before she jumped from the castle and disappeared in a flash of red lightning.
Anakin realized he couldn’t save Padme. Then, he changed back into his spirit form. Suddenly, a blue light shone in the dark realm. A figure with a blue lightsaber appeared from the light and pushed Vader, sending his spirit back into his physical body.
In that dark realm, it was clear Darth Vader had the strength to beat all the Jedi masters by himself. He even defeated Darth Sidious, the master of the dark side, with a powerful burst of red lightning force.
