Darth Vader established himself as one of popular culture's premier villains not just through his sheer presence, menace and power but through providing one of the greatest twists in cinematic history: "No, I am your father." The revelation about Luke Skywalker's dark paternity came as a shock to fans decades ago in The Empire Strikes Back, but what many may never have considered was just how much of a shock it was to Vader himself. Darth Vader #6 conveyed the crucial moment, and there couldn't be a cooler messenger to deliver the news than Boba Fett.
The moment occurs following the events of A New Hope, when Vader undergoes an investigation to identify the Force-sensitive pilot responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. Boba Fett proves to be a natural fit for such a task, with the relationship between the Sith Lord and the bounty hunter gestured at vaguely in the events of Empire Strikes Back yet to come. This proves to be one of the past assignments forming Boba and Vader's history together, and as the comic unfolds readers prepare for a climactic showdown between the bounty hunter and Luke.
Only for Luke to clumsily make his way out of the life-or-death encounter while blind and with the assistance of R2D2. Undercutting Boba's reputation as the Galaxy's best bounty hunter are his almost buffoonish attempts at apprehending the Jedi in training, as he starts off strong with a flashbang that robs Luke of his ability to see but seems to amplify Boba's apparent weakness against blind opponents. When Boba returns to Vader it's with his tail between his legs and news of the pilot's name, but such news proves startling enough to the Dark Side master.
"Skywalker." It's all Vader needs to hear before he dismisses Boba Fett, turning to face the glass viewing panel out of his starship to gaze at the stars in remembrance. Vader's memories take him back to Padme Amidala informing him that she was pregnant and his new master Palpatine telling him that Padme died as a result of his rage. That same rage bubbles up within Vader as he remembers it, forming one of Star Wars' most powerfully emotional moments. The glass begins to crack.
Vader's barely-contained anger upon the revelation that he had a son who survived his lost love's death threatens to rip a hole into the vacuum of space, and in the comic's closing moments he faces a hologram of Palpatine to address the dark figure and for a moment it seems like he will turn on Palpatine there and then. Palpatine senses his rage and asks if Vader knows his place, to which Vader bows and offers his assurance that he does.
When the hologram leaves, Vader turns back to viewing the stars only for the cracks in the glass to grow and he makes a promise to himself to once again reunite with his son. Part of what proves so striking about the moment is how well it informs the events yet to come. Although Vader seems content at the time to serve Palpatine and to bring his son to the Dark Side, fans can recognize the seeds within the moment that will blossom into Vader betraying Palpatine and returning to his son's side after restoring balance to the Force yet again.
It's a powerful moment, and it's one that Boba Fett fits into neatly. Boba setting the stage for the scene works so perfectly, and yet it feels so right for the true emotion to only come out when Vader is left alone. His mask continence often proves impenetrable to an audience's effort to read his emotions, and yet all you need in the comic are the flashbacks and the growing fractures in the glass before him.