Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Darth Vader #50

One of Star Wars canon was just used against him by his own master, Emperor Palpatine. As seen in the final issue of Marvel's Darth Vader series which had been ongoing since 2020, it's been revealed that the titular Dark Lord of the Sith was at his most powerful just before the events of Return of the Jedi. However, Palpatine proved that all that power meant Vader was also at his most vulnerable.

In Marvel's Darth Vader #50 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco, Vader finally had all the power needed to move against his master. Armed with a kyber electro-staff and a kyberite shield to uniquely channel the Force, Vader's strength was also increased by power sourced from an entire planet's drained life force. As such, Vader lays waste to all the Stormtroopers and Sith Eternal cultists Palpatine sent to bring his apprentice down. However, the entire confrontation between Vader and the Emperor was all part of Palpatine's design, including a key moment in which Vader's master evokes a key line from his past:

Quoting what has become one of Vader's most popular lines since it was first uttered in the comics back in 2015, Palpatine turns Darth Vader's "fear and dead men" line into something far more compromising for the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Darth Vader's Original "Fear and Dead Men" Quote Explained

From Marvel's "Vader Down" Event

When Marvel was still publishing Star Wars comics set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the end of 2015 saw the epic Vader Down crossover event between the flagship Star Wars series and Darth Vader. In it, Luke Skywalker successfully brings down Vader's TIE Advanced, effectively stranding the Dark Lord on the planet of Vrogas Vas with no Imperial . Facing an entire platoon of Rebellion soldiers on his own who tell the Sith Lord that they have him surrounded, Darth Vader counters with one of his darkest and most badass lines: "All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men."

Not only does Vader move through the Rebel forces as if they were nothing, but he nearly killed Leia Organa had it not been for the intervention of Karbin, a cyborg who'd been positioned as a potential replacement for Vader (and arranged the entire Rebel trap in a bid to eliminate Vader and gain Palpatine's favor). While the remaining Rebels and his son ultimately retreat and escape the planet as a result, Vader Down is still one of the Dark Lord's most impressive battles which was perfectly punctuated by this epic line.

Vader's New Weapons Amplified His Powers

As Well As His Hate

Jumping forward to the end of the year between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and Vader's epic line has now been proven to be less empowering than it was on Vrogas Vas. As pointed out by Palpatine, Vader's amplified powers now mean that he feels the fear of the men he's slaughtering to an even greater degree. Not only does he feel their fear and terror, but also the full scope of their emotions, who they were, and who they could have been had Vader not wiped them out.

Palpatine exposes the weakening truth that the one whom Vader hates most of all is Vader himself...

To that end, the cost of all this new power is this overwhelming surge of emotion that is both internal and external. Naturally, the primary emotion that's felt by Vader is hate, though Palpatine breaks his apprentice's false belief that the Emperor is the one Vader hates the most. Instead, Palpatine exposes the weakening truth that the one whom Vader hates most of all is Vader himself.

Palpatine Was Still More Powerful Than Vader In The Dark Side

Using His Hate Against Him

Despite all of his new power, Vader was overwhelmed by his own self-hatred as Palpatine emerged the stronger of the two Sith. Punishing his apprentice with Force lightning, Palpatine confirms that he allowed Vader to gain all of this power exactly so he could learn this dark truth once and for all. Vader was never going to become more powerful than his master (at least where the dark side was concerned).

Kneeling before Palpatine, Vader submits to the Emperor once more, explaining his defeated spirit as seen in Return of the Jedi, as well as proving that the Dark Lord was only ever going to defeat Palpatine from the light. Regardless, the fact that Palpatine was able to turn and twist one of Darth Vader's more powerful lines and moments from the past is a testament to his own greater power in the dark side of the Force. As such, this issue impressively enhances both the past and the future when it comes to Vader's overall Star Wars arc in the comics.

Darth Vader #50 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.