Charlotte Zenfis
In the latest issue of Star Wars: Darth Vader #38, the iconic Sith Lord faces a new and unexpected threat from a group of possessed droids called the Scourge. While Vader unleashes his wrath upon the droids, he doesn’t fully understand the extent of the danger they pose. The Scourge targets Vader because his unique intersection between man and machine allows them to potentially tap into the Force through him. This opens up new possibilities for capturing Sith or Jedi and turning them into programmable cybernetic Force users.
Darth Vader is undoubtedly one of the most iconic villains in the Star Wars franchise. However, this hasn’t shielded him from being targeted by enemies of all kinds. The Scourge is a new nemesis that Vader is unaware of, and even if he manages to escape their clutches, the encounter will cast a dark shadow over the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
The reason the Scourge attacks Vader is not exclusive to him, although he is the prime example of a cybernetic being with a direct connection to the Force. This connection traces back to Anakin Skywalker’s origins. Anakin, once a young slave, was found by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Despite his exceptional Force sensitivity, concerns were raised about Anakin’s fate due to his age. As predicted, Anakin eventually succumbed to the Dark Side, resulting in a fateful battle with Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Left for dead, Anakin was transformed into Darth Vader using advanced cybernetics, which surprisingly increased his connection to the Force.
Darth Vader’s heightened Force sensitivity after his transformation makes him the perfect target for the Scourge. As an artificial intelligence, the Scourge has failed to transfer itself into any organic beings. Its goal is to tap into the Force, which no droid has officially achieved. Vader, however, exists at the intersection of man and machine, and his cybernetics haven’t impeded his connection to the Force. The Scourge aims to infiltrate Vader’s mind, tap into the Force, and consume its power for itself.
Vader being the Scourge’s prime target doesn’t mean that there aren’t other viable paths for the malicious AI to attain a connection to the Force. Luke Skywalker, like his father, is partly cybernetic due to his prosthetic hand, yet it hasn’t affected his ability to connect with the Force. This challenges previous understandings of the Force and presents an opportunity for the Scourge to continue its onslaught in a new way. The AI could transform another Force-sensitive being into a controlled cyborg using its army of droids.
While the immediate capture of another Sith or Jedi may not occur in the near future, the precedent set by Dark Droids offers the Scourge or any other artificial entity a clear direction to pursue. This opens up the possibility of crafting easily programmable cybernetic Force users in future storylines. Should the Scourge return or be replaced, it can build upon the foundation established by Dark Droids and strive to claim the power of the Force for itself.
Overall, Star Wars: Darth Vader #38 introduces a formidable new threat to the Sith Lord. The Scourge’s mission to tap into the Force through Vader’s cybernetic connection paves the way for future storylines that explore the intersection between man, machine, and the Force. Darth Vader’s encounter with the Scourge not only presents immediate dangers but also sets a dark precedent that could have far-reaching consequences for the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
