Vader Down 1

Edit

This article details a subject that is considered canon.

The subject of this article takes place in the Age of Rebellion era.

The subject of this article exists in or is relevant to the real world.

Vader Down 1

Attribution information

Writer

Jason Aaron^[1]

Penciller

Mike Deodato, Jr.^[1]

Inker

Mike Deodato, Jr.

Publication information

Publisher

Marvel Comics^[2]

Publication date

November 18,2015^[3]

UPC

759606083688

Chronological information

Timeline

0 ABY^[4]

Series

Star Wars: Vader Down^[2]

Issue number

1 of 6^[2]

Preceded by

Followed by

Darth Vader 13^[1]

Vader Down 1 is a one-shotcomic that serves as the first issue ofMarvel Comics' crossover eventStar Wars: Vader Down. AfterVader Down 1, the story continues into theStar Wars andStar Wars: Darth Vader comic book series. It was published onNovember 18,2015.

Opening crawl[]

VADER DOWN Part I
It is a period of unrest in the galaxy. The SithLord Darth Vader, enforcer of the GalacticEmpire, has learned that it was Luke Skywalkerwho was the rebel pilot responsible for blowingup the Death Star. Vader is now moredetermined than ever to track down his son andturn him to the dark side.Luke, unaware that Vader is his father, fightsagainst the Empire with the Rebel Alliance. Newto the ways of the Force, Luke has discoveredthe journal of Ben Kenobi and has beguninvestigating any information he can on theForce-using Jedi Knights and their ways.Through the underworld sources of his secretally, Dr. Aphra, Vader has received word ofLuke's location-the former Jedi temple on theplanet VROGAS VAS...

VADER DOWN
Part I

It is a period of unrest in the galaxy. The SithLord Darth Vader, enforcer of the GalacticEmpire, has learned that it was Luke Skywalkerwho was the rebel pilot responsible for blowingup the Death Star. Vader is now moredetermined than ever to track down his son andturn him to the dark side.Luke, unaware that Vader is his father, fightsagainst the Empire with the Rebel Alliance. Newto the ways of the Force, Luke has discoveredthe journal of Ben Kenobi and has beguninvestigating any information he can on theForce-using Jedi Knights and their ways.Through the underworld sources of his secretally, Dr. Aphra, Vader has received word ofLuke's location-the former Jedi temple on theplanet VROGAS VAS...

Plot summary[]

Traveling through hyperspace[]

Having received word fromDr. Aphra thatLuke Skywalker is on the planetVrogas Vas,Darth Vader travels to the planet in hisTIE Advanced x1, which is equipped with ahyperdrive. Vader vows that the boy cannot hide from his destiny or he from him.

Darth Vader asks Aphra if they have any word ofCommander Karbin. Aphra responds that theMon Calamari cyborg was assigned bythe Emperor with finding the pilot who destroyed theDeath Star but that they have no reason to believe that he had come close to identifying Skywalker. Vader vows to deal with Karbin.

Aphra says that the information broker was right and Vader responds the broker no longer has a life to wager. Aphra reassures Vader that her information is right. Vader says that he better find Skywalker just as his TIE Advanced exitshyperspace into the path of three squadrons ofT-65B X-wing starfighters.

Dogfight above Vrogas Vas[]

The rebel commander announces viacomlink that today's drills are canceled. Believing Vader to be a scout, the squadron leader orders his underlings to jam his transmissions. He sendsBlue Squadron to take the lead. Over the intercom, Vader tells Dr Aphra that the rebel fighters were on maneuvers and were not expecting him. He warns Aphra that if this was a trap, she should hope that it kills him.

Dr Aphra responds that she did not lead Vader into a trap. Learning that Vader is facing three squadrons of X-wing fighters, she tells him to get out. Vader replies that her information about Skywalker was correct because he can sense him. When asked to run, Vader responds that the rebel fighters are the ones who should be running.

The Blue Squadron leader thinks that the TIE fighter has more guts than brains and tells his wingmates to shoot him down. However, Vader's TIE Advanced flies at a speed too fast for their laser blasts and wipes out the squadron, taking downBlue Five andBlue Three.

Over the intercom, an X-wing pilot hears that Vader has taken out a whole squadron without a scratch to his TIE Advanced. He thinks that it is a dead man. Dr Aphra tries to contact Vader but Vader is preoccupied with destroying the remaining X-wings. The rebel pilots realize that Vader's TIE Advanced is armed withdeflector shields and attempt to shoot his fighter.

Yellow Squadron launchestorpedoes at Vader's TIE Advanced but he deflects them withthe Force, destroying the entire squadron. Over the intercom, Skywalker, who answers to the squadron designationRed Five, hears his fellowRed Squadron members reacting to the destruction of Yellow Squadron. Skywalker realizes that the Imperial pilot is Darth Vader.

Skywalker's fellow Red Squadron pilots want to surround Vader but he warns them that they cannot stop him like this. Skywalker apologizes toR2-D2 before breaking formation and charging at Vader's TIE Advanced. The two starfighters collide and are seriously damaged. They descend down into Vrogas Vas' atmosphere.

Red Leader informs theRebel Alliance leadership that Vader has been shot down. He calls the Alliance for assistance from available Alliance forces in apprehending Vader. Red Leader regrets that the price of victory was steep with numerous starfighters destroyed, pilots killed andastromech droids floating in space.

Target Vader[]

At theRebel Refueling Base, theAlliance Army and theY-wings ofGray Squadron mobilize to capture Vader. In space,Han Solo andPrincess Leia Organa receive news about Vader's presence on Vrogas Vas. Leia wants to go after Vader in order to capture one of theEmperor's favorite toys. Leia has received word that the rebel garrison has mobilized an entire company and thatGeneral Jan Dodonna has sent a battalion to back them up. Solo is reluctant to get involved until realizing that Skywalker went to Vrogas Vas.

Solo agrees to come along for Luke and tellsChewbacca to prepare theMillennium Falcon for departure. As they set a course for Vrogas Vas,C-3PO says he has a bad feeling about this, something with Solo agrees with.

Aboard theArk Angel, Dr Aphra tellsTriple Zero that she has been monitoring rebel communications and thinks they have to go after Vader. Triple Zero responds that they could murder everyone that they encounter, a sentiment that is shared byBeetee. When Dr Aphra tells them that they will be flying into a nest ofrebel troopers, Triple Zero gloats about torturing and exterminating people indiscriminately.

Back on Vrogas Vas, Gray Squadron finds Vader's wrecked TIE Advanced and theSith Lord. Before they can bomb him, Vader uses the Force to hurl debris at the fighter bombers, destroying them. Meanwhile, Skywalker helps R2-D2 out of their wrecked X-wing. Realizing that Vader has survived the crash, he answers the call of duty and puts his plans of learning to be aJedi aside.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader senses that the planet was once the site of a Jedi temple. He soon encounters the rebel troopers who order him to surrender. Vader finds himself surrounded by a company of rebel soldiers. Ignitinghis lightsaber, Vader responds that he is only surrounded by fear and dead men.

Development[]

In celebration ofStar Wars Day onMay 4,2016, Marvel re-releasedVader Down 1 as part of itsTrue Believers budget reprint program, which reprints popular comic titles for the suggested retail price of $1.^[5]