Every cinematic villain needs a dark and seedy lair in which they can mull over their evil master plan – and Darth Vader is no different.
The notorious Star Wars legend typically spends his days and nights ruminating within the blackened, obsidian walls of his castle on Mustafar, a far-flung molten planet replete with a waterfall made up of lava.
Writer Charles Soule and illustrator Giuseppe Camuncoli have been delving deep into the dark history of Mustafar as part of their ongoing Darth Vader comic series, and the latest issue (entitled: Dark Lord of the Sith 22: Fortress Vader, Part IV) hints at Vader’s darkest secret.
But first, here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of The Express:
Vader has requested that his master grant him a planet to do with what he will — and he has chosen Mustafar, a world ripe with dark side energies…and the site of his greatest defeat. Palpatine has charged Chief Imperial Architect Alva Brenne to build Vader’s fortress there and gifted his apprentice with the Mask of Lord Momin, a mysterious dark side artifact. But Brenne has failed to capture Vader’s vision for the fortress. And Momin’s mask has revealed its power — by murdering Brenne, possessing her assistant and offering up its own designs for Fortress Vader…
Which brings us to what’s actually inside the castle. We know Anakin Skywalker became obsessed with Padme during his descent into madness, so it’s been claimed that the young proto-Vader actually brought her body to Mustafar as part of a (failed) resurrection attempt.
Could we see mysterious subplot weave its way into Episode IX? Who knows, but there has been speculation over Kylo Ren’s character arc along with his possible journey to the fiery plains of Mustafar…
Next up for Lucasfilm’s space opera is the release of Star Wars: Episode IX next Christmas. Other noteworthy Star Wars projects percolating in development include The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau’s live-action TV show about a roguish bounty hunter, along with those mooted spinoffs for Obi-Wan and the most famous Mandalorian of all, Boba Fett.