The Darth Vader comic has been an ongoing source of info on Anakin’s journey between the events of the Star Wars Prequel and Original Trilogies, while also fueling the odd theory on the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX, and much of the villain’s arc has revolved around the character’s continuing efforts to bring back his late wife Padmé Amidala. Now, in the 25th issue, the saga brings us this long-awaited reunion, and given all we know about Vader’s later years, it’ll probably come as no surprise to learn that the meeting doesn’t go too well.
So far, the comic has explained that Anakin chose Mustafar as the site for his castle since he considered this to be an ideal location to try to bring back Padmé. It’s here that he manages to create a portal to the afterlife, and after journeying through this strange world, he finally encounters the love of his life. Amidala’s ghost, however, doesn’t seem too pleased to see him, claiming that Anakin Skywalker is already dead before throwing herself off the balcony. As she falls, she chokes herself in a moment echoing the scene where Anakin chokes her in Revenge of the Sith.
The implication of this comic book saga is that the Vader of the Original Trilogy didn’t replace the Anakin of the Prequel Trilogy all at once. Rather, the character initially regarded his turn to the dark side as a means to the end, but once Padmé rejected him from the afterlife, he no longer had the same excuse for trying to conquer the galaxy, completing his transformation into the dark lord we know today.
This is just one of many recent examples of the comics granting narrative-altering context to the earlier passages in the Star Wars saga, and with the new movies unlikely to revisit these chapters anytime soon, prequel fans may appreciate the fresh perspective that this tie-in material has to offer.