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in: Real-world media, 2024 releases, Incomplete Appearances, Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) issues

Darth Vader (2020) 43

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Darth Vader 43 is the forty-third issue of the 2020 canon comic book series Star Wars: Darth Vader. The issue was written by Greg Pak, illustrated by Adam Gorham and Federico Blee, and published by Marvel Comics on February 14, 2024.

Publisher's summary[]

WHO DARES COMMIT TREASON AGAINST THE EMPIRE?! Seemingly disparate threads from years of storytelling come together as DARTH VADER uncovers the master plan of the SCHISM IMPERIAL! The UMBARAN nurtures her conspirators! KITSTER and WALD return – along with the death machinery of GOVERNOR TAUNTAZA! But when a group of betrayers come together, how long will it be until they betray each other?

Opening crawl[]

THE ROOT OF TREASON 
As Lieutenant Commander Enric Pryde and
other Imperials continue their duties across
the galaxy, Imperial Administrator Sly Moore
has secretly been putting together a group of
defectors to stand against the Empire.

Her crew already consists of Admiral
Corleque and Governor Tauntaza, but she has
now begun to convince Vader and his new
team of corrupted rebel cyborgs to join
her….

Plot summary[]

A month before Imperial Administrator Sly Moore extended an offer to Darth Vader to join her breakaway group the Schism Imperial, a group of imprisoned Imperial officers arrive at the ISB Office of Internal Review on Imperial capital planet Coruscant. After being greeted by an RA-7 protocol droid, the group, which consists of Admiral Corleque, Agent Fabarian, Governor Tauntaza of Gabredor III, and Council Member Xanto, enter a meeting room headed by then Sub-Administrator Moore. Each of them are read their charges, and each explain the influence Darth Vader had in necessitating their actions. Essentially, for all except Xanto, their current situations were brought about by administrative misunderstandings in lieu of Vader's involvement. Xanto, on the other hand, does not implicate Vader, and simply feels that his accusations of embezzlement should be nullified due to long-standing tradition of giving embezzled funds to the Imperial Court.

Despite the defenses of the accused, the charges stand for each of them. Fabarian decries the injustice they face due to the rampant corruption and chaos within the Empire, to which Moore asks if any of them would be willing to appeal their cases directly to the Emperor. Xanto steps forward, interested in that option. To those who stayed behind, Moore highlights their lack of faith in the Emperor, their understanding of the realities of the Imperial system. She has a large shock of electricity kill Xanto before inducting the others into the Schism Imperial and releasing their binders.

Moore directs each of them to return to their lives as normal, accepting their demotions and waiting to be called upon. Former Governor Tauntaza, for instance, loses her position and is forced to do welding work in specialized armor. The officers overseeing her work discuss how hard her troubles have been with such an unceremonious demotion, particularly knowing she tangled with Vader and her days are likely numbered.

Before long, Vader arrives with his group of corrupted cyborgs, the M.A.R. Corps Rebels who Vader infected with droid brains to force them to be loyal to him. Vader has his cyborgs fight Tauntaza in her armor, which makes her a formidable opponent. During the fight, she damages Masakint's implant. Vader soon joins the fight, using his lightsaber to cleave the arms off of her armor and using the Force to pull her out of the suit. Tauntaza feels her moments are numbered.

Just then, Sly Moore approaches and informs Tauntaza of Vader's alignment with the Schism. Vader explains he fought her so that she would never dream of crossing him. Tauntaza does not give up her taunting, and manages to survive incurring his ire once again.

Masakint, now free from the influence of the droid brain tries to fight against Vader, but he uses the Force to tighten her implant once more, and the droid processor regains control of the cyborg Rebel.

Somewhere in the Outer Rim, a Rebel General oversees the reconstruction of a death machine, which was formerly an Imperial weapon on Garbredor III. The machine could drain and store organic life energy and convert it into power. A scientist informs the general that the main system is operational, but not the transport systems. With the main system in place, the scientist and other team members, including Kitster Banai and Wald, announce they are now at the end of their agreed-upon term of service. The general attempts to convince them to stay on longer, but given the sheer power of the machine they were unwilling to stay on any longer, even if the planet they are on was uninhabited.

Outside, an explosion rocks the facility, and the general prepares for an Imperial attack. He orders that if Imperials breach the chamber, to kill the team of workers to prevent their knowledge from falling back into Imperial hands. As the general plans to exit, he opens the door only to be face-to-face with Vader, who stabs him through the chest. His cyborgs dispatch the Rebel troopers. The scientist and team believe Vader is there to help destroy the system and free them, but the Dark Lord instead orders them to activate the machine and takes Kitster into a Force choke to compel the doctor to comply. For backup, Tauntaza encourages the doctor to not enter any failsafes which may foil Vader's plan.

They activate the machine, wiping out many kilometers of life, including many Rebels. Vader releases Kitster from his grasp, and orders them all to continue their work. Confused, Kitster shouts that Vader freed them from Tauntaza and promised to bring order. Vader rebuts by reminding the man that order comes from power, as he holds up a rod of fuel produced by the machine.

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Characters Organisms Droid models Events Locations
Organizations and titles Sentient species Vehicles and vessels Weapons and technology Miscellanea

Characters

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  • Bird (Mentioned only)

Droid models

Events

Locations

Organizations and titles

Sentient species

Vehicles and vessels

Weapons and technology

Miscellanea

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #43 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
  2. ↑ The events of Darth Vader (2020) 43 take place after the Escape from Cloud City and before the Rescue of Han Solo, which are dated to 3 ABY and 4 ABY, respectively, by Star Wars: Galactic Atlas.

External links[]

Dark Heart of the Sith: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5
Into the Fire: 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11
War of the Bounty Hunters: 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17
Crimson Reign: 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22
23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27 · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32
Unbound Force: 33 · 34
Target Aphra: 35 · 36
Dark Droids: 37 · 38 · 39 · 40 · 41
42 · 43 · 44 · 45
The Razing of Exegol: 46 · 47
48 · 49 · 50
Trade paperbacks
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10
Related media
Darth Vader (2015) · Darth Vader (2017)
In Service to the Empire · Revelations (2022) · Tool of the Empire
The Curse · Phantom Menace Special
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