Warning: contains a preview of Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle #5!
The Star Wars Halloween miniseries, Ghosts of Vader's Castle is about to culminate in a shocking finale as the Dark Lord himself rises from the grave! The first four issues of the series are fun, yet chilling, stories featuring silly characters thrown into a terrifying situation. But a recent preview of the fifth and final issue leaves fans wondering whether Vader could truly have returned.
The series began with some haunting panels of a Sith acolyte in Vader's Castle chanting that Vader would return, and gazing into a vision of the story's protagonists, Lina, Crater, and Hudd. Shortly thereafter, Milo, Lina's brother, is assaulted by their droid Crater and carried off in a starship. Lina is continually afflicted by nightmares of Vader, leading her to search for her lost brother in Vader's Castle on Mustafar. While searching for allies to assist her in her search, she was mysteriously led to several individuals who also happened to be suffering from recurring nightmares.
During their trip, Lina's nightmares worsened continually, until shortly before arriving she was chased around her ship by a chilling specter of Anakin Skywalker. The ghost began as a very creepy young Ani, then transformed into a grown Anakin, and finally, she was face to face with Darth Vader, with one major difference. The person in the suit was not Anakin Skywalker, but her missing brother Milo. While this could carry a variety of meanings in the context of a dream, fans then saw a very real Darth Vader watching the group from afar. Now, a preview of the issue from StarWars.com confirms the identity of this new Vader, in Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle #5 from writer Cavan Scott and artist Francesco Francavilla.
Thankfully, the preview reveals that Vader has not returned, and that it was in fact Crater, forced to wear a costume. It's a relief that Vader isn't back among the living, but Milo is still in need of rescue, and it remains a possibility that Vader could be resurrected not in his redeemed form as Anakin, but at his worst. Since the Sith's inception, immortality and reanimation through Force Alchemy have been a major tenet of their doctrine. The Skywalker Saga culminates in such a concept, with Sidious bringing himself back from the dead. Even the Jedi utilize similar practices, becoming one with the Force as they leave their mortal bodies as Force ghosts. Sith ghosts, however, are distinctly different, and the intent here is not to achieve harmony with the Force, but to return to the living world.
Although they may be a rather juvenile band of heroes, Lina, Crater, and Hudd (along with their new friend Jaxxon) have faced Vader before, in Tales of Vader's Castle. If anyone other than Luke Skywalker himself is up to the task of banishing Vader once again, it's this determined band of renegades. Of course, their primarily goal remains Milo's rescue, but that task could very well end up saving the galaxy when Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle #5 arrives October 20.
Source: StarWars.com