The Dark Lord of the Sith and Right Hand to the Emperor known only as Darth Vader is one of pop culture’s greatest villains of all time. Thanks to Marvel Comics, more and more dimensions to the Dark Lord are being discovered with every new issue – and thankfully Marvel’s Darth Vader is getting another comic relaunch this coming February.

This will be the third relaunch featuring Darth Vader as a titular protagonist from Marvel Comics. The first run (2015) from Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca took place after the events of A New Hope with the stories being told concurrently with the main Star Wars comics run, running for 25 issues. The second run (2017) from Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli also went for 25 issues. However, it deviated from the main Star Wars story with its events taking place after the events of Revenge of the Sith, detailing the early days of Anakin’s transformation. That included Vader creating his lightsaber and the origin of Vader’s Castle on Mustafar, where ‘Darth Vader’ had truly been born.

The upcoming third relaunch looks like it will be returning to the concurrent storytelling with Marvel’s Star Wars, with both runs having their events set after Empire Strikes Back. The relaunch will be coming from Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco. While it’s unclear whether or not this third run will tap out at 25 issues like its predecessors, the nature of its setting is sure to provide plenty of new ground to explore for Lord Vader.

Star Wars fans will remember that at the end of Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader makes his iconic reveal to Luke Skywalker that he is his father. Luke refuses to join him and rule at his side, instead choosing to leap into the chasm below on Cloud City.

What does Vader do after that rejection? Does he go after the Rebels with a renewed fury, or hold back for a time? Will he try again to sway his son to the dark side? Does Vader’s relationship with the Emperor change due to his failure to turn or destroy Luke? These are just a handful a scenarios that would be really exciting to have have explored. Wherever Vader’s story goes between Empire and Return of the Jedi, it should prove to be plenty engaging and entertaining for Star Wars fans. Find the solicitation for Darth Vader #1, coming February 2020, below:

  • Darth Vader #1 Written By: Greg Pak Covers By: Raffaele Ienco, Inhyuk Lee “JOIN ME, AND TOGETHER, WE CAN RULE THE GALAXY AS FATHER AND SON!” THE TRAGEDY OF DARTH VADER CONTINUES! In the shattering climax of The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader infamously reveals his true relationship to Luke Skywalker and invites his son to rule the galaxy at his side. But Luke refuses – plunging into the abyss beneath Cloud City rather than turn to the Dark Side. We all remember Luke’s utter horror in this life-altering moment. But what about Vader? In this new epic chapter in the Darth Vader saga, the dark lord grapples with Luke’s unthinkable refusal and embarks on a bloody mission of rage-filled revenge against everything and everyone who had a hand in hiding and corrupting his only son. But even as he uncovers the secrets of Luke’s origins, Vader must face shocking new challenges from his own dark past.

Darth Vader #1 comes to your local comic shop February of 2020.

More: Star Wars 9 Theory: Rey & Kylo Destroy Vader’s Mask To Defeat Palpatine