While constructing his castle on Mustafar, Darth Vader forges a secret alliance with an ancient Sith mentor. Their relationship spans only a few issues, however, the Sith architect has a great impact on Vader. Darth Vader and his master Sidious have some dark objectives, but none so twisted as the designs of Vader's secret mentor. Indeed, few Sith approach the sadistic villainy of Lord Momin.
The secrets of Lord Momin are revealed in Darth Vader (2017) #22 by Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini, and David Curiel. As a boy, Momin exhibits all of the classic signs of psychopathy. His hobbies include mutilating animals and terrifying people. He quickly develops a sick passion for art that horrifies its viewers, and his projects get him locked in prison. His darkness, however, could not be chained. A Sith master hears his story and sets him free to train him. After killing his master in true Sith fashion, he undertakes an art project. The plot involves killing an entire city and freezing them in time as they cry out in terror. However, the Jedi arrive and destroy him. Although long dead, traces of the Sith's life force remain locked within his helmet. Those who don the evil artifact are possessed by the Sith's spirit so long as they are wearing it. This helmet finds its way into the hands of Darth Sidious, who gives it to Darth Vader to help him build his fortress on Mustafar.
Once on Mustafar, Vader's secret mentor takes over the castle project. Vader mounts the helmet on his subjects, allowing Momin to work freely. The master promises that if Vader helps him construct a doorway into the Force, he can use it to resurrect Padmé. Unsurprisingly, Vader takes the bait, and Momin betrays him. Vader manages to kill Momin, but not before the Sith assures him that his efforts to save Padmé will be unsuccessful. He is correct, and in spite of Vader's best efforts, Padmé remains dead. Throughout this process, Momin takes advantage of Vader exactly as Palpatine does. Despite some differences between his two mentors, they share several fundamental beliefs that explain the Sith understanding of the Force.
Sith and Jedi alike understand that the Force may grant incredible power but cannot truly be controlled. Momin exhibits this belief when he tells Vader that despite his extraordinary abilities, he wouldn't be able to bring back Padmé because it was not the will of the Dark Side. Sidious demonstrates a similar philosophy in Darth Vader: Into the Fire when he tells Vader to forget Padmé and embrace his destiny. Vader, however, does not grasp this mature understanding of the Force. He kills Momin and marches into the Force portal saying, "My destiny is my own." This may be true, but Vader seems to equate his power to choose with a limitless power to control the world. This childish belief that marks him as an apprentice becomes the source of all of his grief. Momin invites him to give up and serve the Dark, but Vader refuses. This demonstrates that Vader was not loyal to the Dark Side but merely lost in his grief.
Darth Momin, although a terrifying psychopath, was a valuable mentor. Darth Vader needed to see beyond what Palpatine had taught him, and Momin provides that experience. In fact, as Vader reports his mission to Palpatine, his master asks if he learned any valuable lessons. Darth Vader simply replies, "Yes."
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3lz6xT6
0 Comments