10 Star Wars Comics Moments That Shocked The World

7. Why Vader Obeyed Tarkin - Dark Lord Of The Sith #18

The dynamic shared between Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader in the original Star Wars was always a curious one. Vader, although clearly the most powerful person in the room and the Emperor's righthand man, answered to Tarkin throughout the film, obeying orders right up until Peter Cushing's character perished in the first Death Star's destruction.

Those familiar with The Clone Wars and some other Expanded Universe material will be aware of how Anakin Skywalker always harboured a respect for Tarkin, whose ruthless pragmatism during The Clone Wars made him an indispensable ally to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. That respect would carry over once Skywalker succumbed to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, but that still doesn't explain their relationship in Episode IV. So, what happened?

In yet another Charles Soule comic (look, he gets around, okay?), we see how Tarkin orchestrated a test for Vader before the events of A New Hope to see whether or not the Dark Lord of the Sith could ever be bested in combat. Using all his cunning, Tarkin lures Vader into a false sense of security by Zap Brannigan-ing his men to be killed one after another, until eventually Vader wanders into a lightning field, and is struck down on the spot.

Tarkin declares victory, but not before Vader reaches out with the last of his energy and briefly Force-chokes the Moff. That stalemate is enough to earn the other's mutual respect, cementing the dynamic seen in Episode IV.