Vader vs Godzilla
The arrival of the new Godzilla movie brings the age old question everyone has asked at least once (maybe), could Darth Vader beat Godzilla?
While Godzilla has appeared in the pages of DC Comics and recently gone up against the Justice League, there is little likelihood of Godzilla meeting Darth Vader. A shame for us, but less so for Godzilla and Vader. You get the impression they would not become friends. More than likely, they would fight.
Unfortunately for us, that fight is very unlikely. In the first instance, Darth Vader lives in a galaxy far far away and Godzilla lives in a contemporary setting in the Milk Way.
While Godzilla’s world does not contain any force sensitive Sith lords, the Star Wars galaxy is a little more varied. That’s not to suggest Godzilla or any of his relatives exist in Vader’s galaxy, but Vader’s galaxy does have some creatures similar (not the same, but similar) to Godzilla.
Vader encounters such a creature in the pages of his very own comic book.
It all happens just after the end of Empire Strikes Back.
Vader encountered Luke Skywalker and confided in him that they are related. Luke did not take the news too well and Vader takes a journey across his galaxy to find out what happened to Padme Amidala.
Vader visits a few of the prequel trilogy hotspots. He swings by Padme’s apartment on Coruscant and, of course, ends up back in Naboo. The place hasn’t changed much. Just a little more deserted and currently inhabited by a secret organisation known as the Amidalans.
A significant number of Naboo natives have sworn themselves to avenging the murder of Padme. And to a slightly lesser extent the murder of Anakin Skywalker. I don’t want to be casting dispersions on anyone else’s mission in life, but it feels like in a galaxy overrun by the Empire and under the terrible rule of the Emperor, there might be other considerations than avenging a death that happened over twenty years ago. But hey, it’s their journey.
Vader’s interactions with the Amidalans lead him to a Gungan shrine where they claim to have information about Padme’s death.
It turns out the Amidalans are actually deceiving Vader and luring him into a trap. They might be obsessed but they aren’t stupid. They know they can’t take the Sith lord, but they think Naboo might be able to help.
In the first instance they attract the attention of a huge Colo Claw Fish. The creature attacks their sub and crushes it with its massive jaw.
Vader’s uses his lightsaber to dissuade the beast and then uses a force push to turn it into the path of another Colo Claw Fish. The two creatures fight and Vader escapes.
When they arrive at the shrine , the Amidalans reveal their plan to kill Vader and they call a gigantic Sando Aqua monster.
The Amidalans use a homing device not unlike the one used in the Godzilla TV show. You know the one, it featured the ever-lovable Godzooky. Or should that be never-lovable Godzooky? What’s your opinion on the diminutive flying version of Godzilla?
Vader’s droid informs him that the Sando Aqua monster is the apex predator on Naboo and there is no evidence that the creature has ever been defeated. The droid delivers the official strategy laid down by the Empire: “run away”.
Would Vader have run away from this Godzilla sized creature? We will never know because he isn’t given the chance. The Amidalans are cunning. They don’t attack Vader, they help the Sando Aqua monster attack and eat Vader. Ouch!
Vader has his own squad of death troops willing to lay down their lives for Vader. And they get really close to doing just that. The Sando Aqua monster takes down their spaceship and comes close to stepping on them when the creature falls.
Vader didn’t just get eaten. He uses his lightsaber and cut up into the skull of the creature until he did enough damage to kill the beast.
How likely is this? It’s difficult to say. Boba Fett managed to get eaten by the Sarlacc Pit and survive.
We might never get the Vader vs Godzilla deathmatch, but in Vader’s comic book, Vader comes out on top. Maybe the outcome would be different if Godzilla ever goes up against cyborg with the laser sword in the pages of his own comic (let me know if you’ve read one, I would love to read it).
See for yourself Vader face off against the apex predator of Naboo in the shape of a Godzilla looking creature in the pages of the Darth Vader Volume 1 Dark Heart of the Sith trade paperback by Greg Pak (this is a paid affiliate link and as an Amazon Associate I will earn a small income from qualifying purchases, but won’t cost you any more).