As a general rule, they aren't healthy for you, no.the .303 bookworm wrote:Also arent lava fumes poisonous? i doubt he could have resisited them without using the force so to top it all off he was poisoned too
But the exact composition varies enormously from volcano to volcano, with some producing prodigious quantities of asphyxiant (kill you not by poison but by replacing the oxygen you need) or toxic gasses, others producing little of the stuff.
What's that Hawaiian volcano on the big island that's a major tourist attraction? People walk right up to within a meter or two of lava flows with no lasting ill effects. Sure, you can feel the heat, but when scientists need lava samples they just walk up to the edge of a liquid flow, stick a pole in to scoop some up, then plonk it into a coffee can of distilled water to cool it down. No breathing apparatus, minimal safety gear. Yes, one or two have stepped into lava over the years, resulting in burns but no loss of limbs or disabilities that I've heard of (falling entirely in, an immersion, would be a completely different affair, of course)
Volcanos throwing lots of gas tend to have explosive eruptions with pyroclastic flows and frothy lava. Less flatulent volcanos tend to have the "flowing river" sort of lava expulsion. Now, think back to the movie - what was the character of the lava flow? Flowing like water or foaming like a rabid dog? The volcano that almost killed Vader may simply not have been outgassing much
As for reconstructing Vader... clearly, ST tech is up to a much more cosmetically natural appearance, but remember, part of Vader's job is to scare the shit out of people so they'll obey him. A guy in a big, black, armor suit looks intimidating even if he wheezes and clanks when he walks. Remember, the suit didn't have to be black and scary - they could have used the same faux-gold they used on C3PO and given Vader an angelic mask. Except it's hard to be afraid of C3PO, isn't it? He's a little creepy and fruity at times, but you just don't worry about him going homicidal on you, do you?
Equally clearly, there isn't much, if anything, in the way of prejudice towards artificial replacement parts for people in that universe (going by the movies - I've never read the books so if they're different please correct me). No attempt is ever made to make Annakin's original prosthetic hand look more natural, for example, although the technology is certainly up to the task. No one seems particularly freaked out by artifical parts, either - just as no one in our universe has spasms over people who wear glasses.
It may simply be that in ST a mechanical prosthetic is cheaper and quicker to make and "install" than growing a biological replacement, and if it works just as well (maybe, in some instances, even has advantages) there is no incentive to do biological limb restorations.
In Vader's case, I'd go with Palpatine wanting his apprentice to look scary as all hell - and he does. Palpatine uses people. He may not have planned Annakin's dismemberment, but he sure did take advantage of it.
Clearly, the fact Vader has a lot of spare parts is no big secret in the ST universe. Probably that whole "fall into a volcano and live" thing isn't either (would, in fact, add to the scary atmosphere - this mother is so bad even LAVA couldn't kill him!). There are a couple scenes where someone walks in while Vader's in his special chamber, or his helmet is off, and people do talk. They know he's a cripple and mangled and maimed and he still scares the hell out of everyone. Why? Psychologically. It's the suit that makes the man (literally, in this case).
Might just lead to a slower, more excrutiating end...
