A significant character from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace will once again factor into Marvel Comics' current Darth Vader solo series.
Marvel's official solicit for February's Star Wars: Darth Vader #20 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco confirms the return of Sabé, the one-time body double of Queen Padmé Amidala. Darth Vader #20 will also apparently tie into writer Charles Soule and artist Steven Cummings' five-part limited series Star Wars: Crimson Reign, which centers on Qi'ra, the leader of Crimson Dawn.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #20
- GREG PAK (W) • RAFFAELE IENCO (A) • Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
- Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE
- THE QUEEN'S SHADOW RETURNS!
- Darth Vader continues his quest to destroy the agents of Crimson Dawn, abetted by an unlikely crew of heroes and assassins.
- But every twist in the tale gets thrown into question with the shocking return of SABÉ, handmaiden of Padmé Amidala!
- Who's the hero? Who's the villain? And will they choose chaos or order in the age of Crimson Reign?
- 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
- Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2021 Lucasfilm Ltd.
Played by Keira Knightley, Sabé first appeared in The Phantom Menace as one of the handmaidens/bodyguards sworn to serve and protect Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), then-queen of the planet Naboo. Due to the fact that she bears a striking resemblance to the queen, Sabé was also chosen to serve as Padmé's personal decoy. Sabé masquerades as Queen Amidala for much of The Phantom Menace, with Padmé herself posing as a handmaiden.
Of course, in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Padmé went on to secretly marry Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), the man who would become Darth Vader. In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Padmé died while giving birth to twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, having "lost the will to live" following Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. However, thanks to Emperor Palpatine, the newly-christened and guilt-stricken Darth Vader was left to believe that he himself killed Padmé in his anger.
Sabé played a major role earlier on in Marvel's current Darth Vader series, serving as both an ally and an adversary to Vader during his investigation into the true circumstances of Padmé's death. Sabé made her last proper appearance in Pak and Ienco's Darth Vader #5, which released back in September of 2020.
Written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Raffaele Ienco, Star Wars: Darth Vader #20 goes on sale in February 2022 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel Comics