What can I say, I'm a Vader fanatic. If there was story from the mid to late 90s to 2000 centering on the Dark Lord I went all Larfleeze with it. MINE! MINE! MINE!
I got much ahead of me as I scan Shadows of the Empire. But before I do, this was above it and Crimson Empire in my Star Wars pile. I was going to wait after Shadows, but noticed it was an actual normal size issue just the usual page count for a regular comic thus only seven scans of it. It's Purge, a one shot made just after Episode III. It's the last "current" Vader stories I have at the moment. After all this develving into the Dark Lord, I'm all but curious of the current crop of Star Wars comics and if any feature Lord Vader.
I have read Dark Times, I do recall somewhere I have some issue with Vader and some Cyborg Moff who wants the Empire for himself. But I only have an issue of that alas. Plus I breezed through that crossover they had in all their Star Wars titles and took a look at the Vader one. It was interesting. But I didn't pop for it. Now back onto what Purge is about.
The actual story has what we all wanted to see in Episode III, Vader hunting some Jedi in full gear in a quest to find Obi-Wan. In fact it's what we start off, Vader interogating some poor Jedi who doesn't even know and thus he accidently kills her in a fit of rage.
As Palpatine warns him after watching the move, this might be cause of Vader's own undoing for wanting revenge upon Kenobi. That their enemies might use this against Vader. Sure enough, Palpatine's words are proven true as Vader's given a Imperial spy report that spots Kenobi at a secret Jedi Meeting at Kessel. Cockingly, Vader goes in alone with no Stormtrooper escort. What follows is seven well prepared Jedi Knights and one Jedi Master against him. Well ok not totally well prepared as two Jedi (one knight and master) are only told a minute before Vader show's up. Still how does Vader fare with eight on one?
Vader then yields stating he is defeated. Koffi Arana will have none of it and demands one of the remaining Jedi, Bultar Swan, who has a working lightsaber to give it to him so he may slay Vader. Bultar says no, Arana takes and activates the saber stabbing her in the stomach.
The three remaining Jedi work together and actually bring Vader to his knees. With Vader on the ropes again, the Jedi Master Choi then decides that Arana was right. Vader is too dangerous a foe to live. Yet, before he or any of the remaining Jedi can deliver the kill stroke the 501st Stormtroopers arrive onto the scene blasting the heck out of the remaining Jedi.
The two knights fall to blaster fire, while Choi almost launches a counter attack on the 501st. I say almost because Vader uses the force to halt his jump opening him to blaster fire. Even blasted to heck, Choi tries one last move to kill Vader tossing his saber at the Sith Lord. The move only cracks open a small area near his mask and Vader lives. Asking how the 501st found him, they where ordered to bring him back to Palpatine, NOW.
So there you have Purge. Where preptime is used against the Dark Lord and almost succeeds, if not for Stormtroopers. I'm almost surprised Vader himself didn't order them to appear on the scene after a certain time period. But then I remember this Vader is still new on the scene and hasn't fully crafted his cunning mind just yet.
Also some added treats for those wanting the full size picture of my preview to this post:
and for sheer epic fun, Darth Vader vs. the Energizer Bunny: