Warning! Potential spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic #2 by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito!
Luke Skywalker had it pretty rough when confronting Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi. He was tempted by the Dark Side and fought the man who he had just learned was his father – not to mention the fact Palpatine tortured him relentlessly by unleashing an endless wave of Force lightning upon his writhing body. But the worst moment took place when he succumbed to anger, causing an explosion of uncontrollable fury he brought down upon Darth Vader that culminated in an extraneous volley of blows that were completely unwarranted.
Vader had already relented to his son’s rage-filled assault by falling back on a side railing and was at his complete mercy. Utterly defenseless, all he could do was hold onto the railing for support as his son hacked away at his father’s lightsaber, a blade Vader wasn’t even using to defend himself. Vader just held it to the side while Luke focused all of his anger into beating it mercilessly as though it were his enemy. And then it happened. He severed his father’s metallic hand just like Vader had done to him.
This form of rage – that causes one to unnecessarily assault a defenseless opponent – takes hold of a Jedi centuries earlier in Marvel’s latest comic, High Republic – Star Wars: The High Republic #2, written by Cavan Scott with art by Ario Anindito. The afflicted Jedi Master, known as Sskeer, is already haunted by current and past phantom menaces, the former of which caused him to react in fear the issue before. Now, Sskeer is clearly affected by the latter specter as he and his fellow Jedi at arms arrive on a ship whose crew was brutally slaughtered. As he surveys the carnage, memories of past trauma permeate Sskeer’s mind, putting him further on edge than before.
Then an adversary he can’t sense descends upon Sskeer from above, causing him to quickly look up and cleave his foe in two. Sskeer obviously recognizes his assailant (or, what’s left of him) because he immediately begins to mutilate the already deceased opponent by chopping away at his remains while vocalizing his disbelief. His loss of control undoubtedly mirrors Luke’s own failing centuries later. What’s worse, Sskeer has an audience that is obviously disturbed by this sudden outburst, unlike Palpatine. Sskeer’s Padawan, Keeve Trennis, who’s traumatized the most, even attempts to question his methods, to which another colleague responds by saying that the man wouldn’t be dead if there had been a way to disarm him. Of course, this isn’t true, as Sskeer’s earlier agitated state made quite evident.
In fact, when later reporting to Marshall Kriss, Sskeer ends up demonizing his opponent, a failing Kriss quickly points out. The fact that he should have known better than to indulge in such proclivities proves his altered state that makes him more susceptible to anger. Like Luke, Sskeer is succumbing to emotions that can lead to the Dark Side. Luke Skywalker was able to overcome these temptations. Can Sskeer?
