Darth Vader is the key to the Star Wars galaxy's most dangerous new villain's plan for interstellar domination in Marvel's Dark Droids crossover event, as the viral artificial intelligence known as the Scourge seeks to access the ultimate power, the Force, by taking control of Vader, the Sith Lord known for being "more machine than man."

Marvel's solicitation for Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 – written by Charles Soule, with art by Luke Ross, color by Alex Sinclair – declares, "For the evil intelligence taking over droids across the galaxy, there is no greater prize than THE FORCE." If able to infect Vader, the Scourge would not only control an immeasurably strong Force user, it could imbue its legions of droid thralls with the Sith's power.

Subheading 1

The Scourge is a new and sinister threat to the Star Wars galaxy, one that threatens to undo the very fabric of galactic civilization. Life in much of the galaxy is highly dependent on droids, and other forms of technology – the Scourge is a sentient computer virus, able to infect the system of other machines, rewriting their programming so that they become an extension of the Scourge. The spread of this malevolent virus through the droid population of the galaxy is an unimaginable, existential threat to all space-faring, technologically advanced civilizations. Advance materials for Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 indicates that this new enemy also threatens the Force itself.

Subheading 2

Recently, in the pages of Darth Vader #36 – by the creative team of Grek Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Joe Caramanga, and Federico Blee – Darth Vader foiled an attempt on his life by a group of vengeful droids. By the end of the issue, Vader has reprogrammed the entire army of attacking droids to serve him. Unfortunately, this seeming victory comes just as the threat of the Scourge is making itself known. More than taking over his flagship Executor, the Scourge's principal goal seems to be usurping control of Vader himself. Achieving this would put the Scourge in an immediate position to challenge Emperor Palpatine for control of the galaxy.

Darth Vader at the head of an innumerable army of droids is an imposing enough idea to consider, but the truly frightening potential of the Scourge lies in the possibility that just as it spreads its consciousness between droids, it could use its droid puppets as conduits for Vader's Force powers. Enabling the Scourge-controlled droids to use the Force would dissolve long-upheld boundaries between biological and mechanical life in the Star Wars galaxy. The possibility of this is a testament to the bold new era of Star Wars storytelling taking shape in Marvel's Star Wars comics, with the Scourge Dark Droids representing a fresh new take on the franchise.

Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 will be available October 11, 2023 from Marvel Comics.