Warning: contains spoilers for Darth Vader #34!As the Force reacts to a major Sith weapon, Darth Vader is losing control of his abilities in a Star Wars story set in the years before Return of the Jedi. As part of a vengeful plot to undermine the Galactic Empire and kill the two Sith Lords at the top of its hierarchy, the Crimson Dawn leader Qi’ra is altering the Force itself with an ancient Sith artifact. While this storyline, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, has yet to be concluded, a preview for an upcoming issue of Star Wars: Darth Vader shows just how much damage Qi’ra will inflict on Darth Vader’s dreaded abilities.
The description for the upcoming Star Wars: Darth Vader #34, by Greg Pak and Adam Gorham, reveals that Darth Vader will lose control of his dark side powers, leaving his minion Sabé with a monumental choice. While the preview does not specify what is causing this debilitating effect on Vader’s powers, it is most likely Qi’ra’s use of the Fermata Cage, an item with the potential to throw the Force itself into disarray. Enjoy cover art and the issue's summary below, recently shared by League of Comic Geeks.
Darth Vader Is Finally Losing Control
According to the JEDI, fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate. But does hate lead to suffering...or power? As DARTH VADER'S Force abilities spiral out of control, his lieutenant Sabé is caught in the maelstrom – and finally must confront the horrifying consequences of her choice to serve him. Will she choose darkness over light?
The Force permeates all life in the galaxy, and while not every being trains to become a powerful Force-user, everyone has the potential to tap into its power to some degree. The dark side intrinsically damages the natural balance of the energy field, with many labeling it and the abilities it grants those to succumb to it “unnatural.” The Fermata Cage exemplifies this idea, as it causes catastrophic disturbances in the Force when activated, with the primary funtion of permanently trapping people and objects in a prison of still time - a weapon that could even defeat Vader and Palpatine.
Darth Vader's New Power Level Will Have Huge Consequences
Using the crude Knights of Ren to unlock the Fermata Cage, Qi’ra previously gained the attention of Palpatine (and caused a disturbance in the Force that numerous key Force-sensitives felt), but her plans for the device are far from over. With titles across Star Wars' line referencing changes to the Force, it seems the energy field will surge out of control, requiring Luke Skywalker to go on a mission to set it right. In the meantime, however, Darth Vader's powers will seemingly grow more powerful and uncontrollable than ever, and a flash of lightning in the background of one variant cover suggests he may even be able to tap into Palpatine's epic Force Storm abilities.
Darth Vader has been treating Padmé's former handmaiden Sabé as a second chance at a relationship with his wife, attempting to tempt her into embracing the dark side as a tool of order. However, it seems his newly unstable powers will help tip her one way or the other, likely informing Vader's state of mind ahead of his final battle with Luke. Whatever Qi’ra’s plot entails, it will have significant effects on the Star Wars original trilogy’s key Force-users, with Darth Vader himself losing control over his greatest asset before the events of Return of the Jedi.
Source: League of Comic Geeks