WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader #10, by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Neeraj Menon, and Joe Caramanga, on sale now.
In Marvel's Star Wars: Darth Vader comics, the Sith general has been forced to rebuild himself from scrap after Emperor Palpatine decided to break his body down on Mustafar for thinking of Luke Skywalker. As a result, Vader has fought an army, including the assassin, Ochi of Bestoon, but he's as resilient and ruthless as ever, even managing to face the Eye of the Webbish Bog in the planet's famous lava pits.
However, Vader's challenges don't end with escaping the volcanic planet. Now, Vader has to head to Exegol, according to the Wayfinder he receives, to learn about Palpatine's secrets. And in Star Wars: Darth Vader #11, his disobedience continues as he breaks Palpatine's rules by using the Force to kill a space god and unearth more intel on the Sith planet.
Vader's being chased by an Imperial fleet after flying off Mustafar and is left with no choice but to duck into a mystical galactic field where the giant kaiju-like Summa-Verminoth is. This creature looks like something from the mind of H.P. Lovecraft, coming off like a cross between Marvel's Shuma-Gorath with a bit of Cthulhu mixed in. However, the true power of this creature lies not in its visage, but it's formidable mental powers.
It gives Vader nightmares, but he's able to power through and land his ship, with Ochi as his prisoner. But the Summa-Verminoth doesn't like anyone escaping its grip, and it descends to the planet floor for a meal. While Vader recently used the Force to kill a giant sea monster in this series, this creature seems set to test Vader's Force powers beyond anything he's ever known. Despite Ochi's pleas to run, Vader admits he does not fear death and doesn't consider running an option for someone of his caliber.
The sentiment speaks to his pride and ego, which he had as Anakin, but it also speaks to the fearless warrior he's become under Palpatine. He even puts his own spin on Yoda's words, admitting fear leads to anger, anger to hate, and rather than suffering, hate leads to power.
This is the mentality he adopts to harness the power of the Dark Side in full. Whether or not Vader's really afraid, the adrenaline and his will to survive this behemoth allow him to use the Force to choke out the beast. It's a remarkable, intimidating display from the broken soldier and serves as an apt reminder of the truly awesome amount of power that lies in Anakin Skywalker's fingertips.
Notably, he's driven by the rage held towards Palpatine, not just for this punishment, but for keeping so much from him. And as the creature drops, Vader makes it clear he doesn't care for Palpatine's rules and limitations that he shouldn't use the Force, and right now, he's making so that the Emperor will come to fear him.