Warning: spoilers ahead for Darth Vader #18!
In a new preview for Marvel Comics' Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith notes the key difference between himself and his master Emperor Palpatine. In the wake of the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event, Emperor Palpatine ordered Vader to make an example of the Hutt Clans who were manipulated by Crimson Dawn to attack the Empire itself. While Vader obeys his master, it's clear that he despises his recent decisions, seeing himself as the more balanced Sith Lord.
In previous issues of Darth Vader, which takes place after The Empire Strikes Back, the Dark Lord has been having some serious tensions with his master. After being mercilessly punished for his failures and being shown his master's true power on Exegol when he tried to yet again overthrow him, Vader has recently fallen back under the yoke of Emperor Palpatine (for now.) However, that doesn't mean the Sith Lord has ceased hating his master by any means.
In the new preview for Darth Vader #18, Vader sees himself as a bringer of order while his master "has brought only chaos." After punishing Vader and having him kill the majority of the Hutt syndicate leaders in the aftermath of the War of the Bounty Hunters, Vader believes Palpatine is making the wrong choices by making his most loyal suffer. In response, the Dark Lord is now determined more than ever to bring order to the galaxy starting with the eradication of the reborn Crimson Dawn, the organization which influenced the Hutt Clans and was recently revealed to have secret agents embedded within the highest levels of the Empire itself. Enjoy the preview pages and synopsis for the upcoming issue by Greg Pak, Leonard Kirk, Alex Sinclair, Joe Caramagna.
RED REVENGE! LADY QI'RA not only insulted the EMPIRE but challenged it, too. In the end DARTH VADER showed her criminal organization the Empire is not to be toyed with. But now fearful whispers echo in every corner of the Empire - Darth Vader is on the hunt, searching for anyone with any connection to the criminal organization known as Crimson Dawn. How deep has Crimson Dawn infiltrated and is it worth the wrath of Vader?
Aside from a brief duel Darth Vader had with Crimson Dawn's leader Lady Qi'ra (which ended with her escape), the Dark Lord didn't have much interaction with Crimson Dawn during the War of the Bounty Hunters. Instead, Vader had decided to go after his son Luke before the Emperor forced him to abandon his hunt to punish the Hutts. Now, Palpatine has ordered Vader to exterminate the Dawn. While Vader obeys, he very much carries the perspective that he's correcting the disarray and corruption his master has allowed to permeate the Empire. It's a fascinating reminder that power isn't Darth Vader's only goal, and that as twisted as he's become, he is propelled by a guiding morality.
Again, it's doubtful Vader will make a move against his master until his redemption and desire to save Luke in Return of the Jedi. He's suffered and seen too much of what his master is capable of. That being said, Vader's thoughts are (relatively speaking) still his own. His hatred combined with the belief that he's the sole Sith who brings order while the Emperor only brings chaos is likely a large factor of what's fueling his power in the dark side of the Force during this era of the Star Wars timeline, and fans can see that power put to use when Darth Vader #18 releases December 1.