While lightsabers are the preferred weapon of both the Jedi and the Sith, there is one substance in the galaxy that renders the plasma-blade useless–and the latest Star Wars story has set the stage to equip a major villain with this defensive upgrade.
The substance-in-question that can deactivate a lightsaber upon contact is called cortosis ore. Cortosis is a metal that has the unique property of making practically any energy attack dissipate upon contact–which makes it immune to blaster fire as well as lightsaber attacks. Cortosis was used prominently during the Clone Wars by the Separatists forces against the Jedi, but since then it hasn’t been utilized quite as often. In the current state of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars series, however, one particular weapon that contained cortosis alloy has been put on full display and is currently being wielded by an incredibly dangerous force. The weapon is the Null Blade, and the one wielding it is the Aphra-possessed Spark Eternal–though their part in this story is only the beginning of the potential horrors awaiting the galaxy.
In Star Wars: Revelations by Marc Guggenheim, Justin Mason, Pere Perez, Paul Fry, and Salvador Larroca, Darth Vader is speaking with the Eye of Webbish Bog who is showing Vader a number of potential futures based on the most recent developments across the galaxy. One thing the powerful Dark Side welder wanted to warn Vader about in particular was the threat of a droid named Ajax Sigma. Long ago, Ajax inspired a droid revolution, but it was quickly put to an end by the Jedi Order just as Ajax, themself, was seemingly struck down forever by the blade of a lightsaber. However, while his body was destroyed, Ajax’s consciousness survived in the form of a palm-sized drive that was recently implanted into an all-new robot body created by Ajax’s droid acolytes. This, as the Spark Eternal (which is an artificial intelligence, of sorts, that was created to mimic the powers of the Dark Side) has possessed the cybernetically-enhanced Doctor Aphra and is wielding the Null Blade–a weapon that contains cortosis, which is a substance that has all but been forgotten within Star Wars canon, until now.
Star Wars’ Reintroduction of Cortosis Means a Potential Upgrade for Ajax Sigma
Just because the Spark Eternal is using a cortosis weapon doesn’t necessarily mean Ajax Sigma will get their hands on it, but the fact that this substance is being reintroduced into Star Wars lore right as a number of separate enemies are diverging on both the Empire and the Rebellion simply seems too coincidental to not be deliberate. This issue shows Ajax Sigma getting an all-new droid body, all while it has been established that the Spark Eternal has a cortosis weapon. If cortosis is something that will be used by one major villain, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that it will be used by another, especially now that the Spark Eternal has made the substance once again familiar to fans.
Basically, cortosis has just been brought back to the forefront of fans’ attention just in time for a new droid villain (who is aware of how deadly lightsabers are and knows how to combat them) to wage war against the Jedi and the Sith. Coincidence? Maybe–but maybe not. While this prediction is purely speculative with no guarantee of actually coming to pass whatsoever, it was never meant to be definitive, as it is a mere observation that Star Wars could be setting the stage to make a major villain, Ajax Sigma, immune to lightsabers–which, based on the supposed coincidences in this story, seems incredibly likely.