Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars #5
Luke Skywalker's attempt to find answers as he pursues the Force is in full swing, as a mysterious robed figure has been giving him visions of his future. In the latest issue of Star Wars by Marvel Comics, the person hiding in the shadows has been revealed... and it's a face Star Wars fans might be familiar with.
Luke first encountered the mysterious figure on Cloud City, who used the force to urge him to "follow your destiny." As Luke searches for his lost lightsaber in the new issue, the force takes him to the planet Serelia, where he senses the presence of the woman from his visions. When he arrives, he's greeted by a robed figure, as one would expect. But when he suddenly finds himself trapped in a cage with water slowly filling up below him, he is forced to reveal his strength in the Force. At which point, Verla, the woman from his visions decides to reveal herself.
Verla is known to Star Wars comic fans already, having been found and trained by the Jedi Ferren Barr, one of the survivors of Order 66. She first appeared in Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli's Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic as a former Jedi trainee under Ferren Barr (last seen trying to hide off-world as Vader killed her master). In Darth Vader #5 by Soule and Jesus Saiz, she tells Luke about the hunters and Order 66, the day "most of the Jedi died," including "Full Knights, Padawans, and Younglings." She also tells him about the Inquisitorius, the Jedi hunters who served under Darth Vader. In the process, explaining the larger Star Wars question of how Luke learned about Order 66.
Verla seems keen on helping Luke, until she senses that he's hiding something. That's when she uses the Force to see that Darth Vader is actually Luke's father. Given the trauma she's been through, Verla immediately decides to flood the cell and let Luke drown.
Luke is put in an unfortunate situation, as he just wants to learn more about his past and understand his future with the Jedi. However, Verla has lived through the worst massacre in Star Wars history and once she learns that Luke is the son of Darth Vader, she doesn't pull punches in trying to kill him. While they're on the same side, Verla is understandably frightened by learning Luke's parentage. The question remains, can the two move on from the messy encounter and what more will Verla teach Luke?