Throughout the entirety of the Star Wars mythos, R2-D2 has been the greatest companion to every protagonist across the three main eras of the franchise–but despite that, it seems as though Artoo is about to turn against the greatest of all his allies: Luke Skywalker.
R2-D2 made his first appearance in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and actually proved to be an integral part of the storyline. In the film, Princess Leia uses Artoo to record a message that was to be delivered to Obi-Wan Kenobi–a message that requested Obi-Wan’s assistance in the affairs of the Rebellion. Afterwards, R2-D2 became Luke’s main droid companion and the two of them went on countless missions together during the time in which the original trilogy was set. Right from the start and throughout the franchise, it was clear that R2-D2 was an incredibly useful member of the Rebel Alliance–and the prequels and sequels only solidify how great of an ally Artoo really is. Now, however, it seems as though Artoo’s previously spotless record of heroism and companionship will be replaced with gut-wrenching betrayal.
In Star Wars: Revelations #1–written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Paul Fry, Salvador Larroca, Emma Kubert, and Justin Mason–Darth Vader is speaking with the Eye of Webbish Bog about the potential future of the galaxy. The Eye of Webbish Bog is a creature who’s mastered the art of traversing the spiritual landscape of the Force, and this issue shows him assisting Vader through that landscape to better prepare him for the future. At this time in the Star Wars universe, there is artificial intelligence called the Spark Eternal that is slowly infecting machines and adding them to its hive mind. The Spark Eternal was created long ago by a Dark Side cult, and it has recently reared its ugly head within the pages of Doctor Aphra. Now, as Vader can attest, it seems as though the Spark Eternal has become a threat to the entire galaxy–including R2-D2.
The Spark Eternal Will Infect R2-D2 in the Future, & Darth Vader Saw It
In one glimpse into the future, R2-D2 is standing among the other droids infected and taken over by the Spark Eternal–including 0-0-0 and BT-1–which means that it is potentially destined to happen. While the future is ever-changing, the fact that this possibility showed up in Vader’s visions at all tells readers that it is all-too possible, and likely even probable. The main source of the Spark Eternal is currently residing inside the technologically-enhanced body of Doctor Aphra, and it is on a mission to take over every droid in the galaxy to overthrow the Empire as well as take down anyone else who might get in the way–including the Rebel Alliance.
If R2-D2 does get taken over by the Spark Eternal, then that would be a huge win for the A.I.–and the reason for that is the same reason why Artoo is such a great ally to the Rebellion: R2-D2 is privy to all Rebel secrets. While Artoo’s involvement in even the most top secret missions–including the mission to blow up the Death Star–worked out in the Rebellion’s favor given Artoo’s reliability and effectiveness, it would be their undoing if the Spark got ahold of him. Hopefully this vision is false and none of it will come to pass, but if what Darth Vader saw in this Star Wars issue is to be believed, then R2-D2 is about to turn on Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance.
