Vader's talking head in a box; anyone remember this comic?

[Spartan]

I recall reading a SW comic sometime ago, where in Vader aquired the still living head of a young woman that could tell the future.

Does anyone recall the whole story, or the publisher and issue number?

Keeping a human head alive and viable long term seems like some pretty advanced medical tech.[/b]

[Sonnenburg]

Invented by Ron Popeil, right?

[Spartan]

I don'e remember the writer. But Palpatine wanted her, and Vader ends up killing her because he was afraid Palpatine would find out about his plan to overthrow him with Luke. If I remember it right she gives Vader a vision of himself as Emperor.

[Spartan]

The story was kinda like the "Monkey's Paw". Either old Dark Horse or Marvel run.

[The Nomad]

Keeping a human head alive and viable long term seems like some pretty advanced medical tech.

Well, we already know they have the tech to feed and dispose of the metabolic wastes of clones in their vats. It's not a big stretch to imagine they could manage the various nutrient and gaseous exchanges required to maintain a head alive. Though the biggest problem might be the arficial hormones like insulin (the brain cells themselves are unaffected by insulin as the brain gets first dibs on glucose, but not the various other tissues), or corticoids which regulate base metabolism. Otherwise it's nothing new.

[Spartan]

I guess so. The only other thing special about it is that despite the loss of her entire body; see still had precognition vastly more powerful than: Sidious, Vader, and assumebly the prohets of the darkside.

If Vader was greatly weakened by the loss of his four limbs. One can just imagine how powerful she was be for the loss of her entire body. Actually, thay cut off her head to preserve her powers, as she was dying.

[FTeik]

IIRC, there was no technology involved. Just some BS about a very decentralized nervous-system.

Golden Age of the Sith shows another head still alive on a platter. A Dark Lord called Seamus, who lost his head in a fight against Marko Ragnos for control of the Old Sith-Empire.

[nasor]

I don'e remember the writer. But Palpatine wanted her, and Vader ends up killing her because he was afraid Palpatine would find out about his plan to overthrow him with Luke. If I remember it right she gives Vader a vision of himself as Emperor.

How could Palpatine honestly not expect Vader to try to overthrow him one day?

[Cao Cao]

Sounds like Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire by Dark Horse.

The head in question was of a woman from a green skinned alien race exterminated by the Empire who could be hacked to pieces and still remain alive.
She injected a virus to kill herself, but they cut off her head to preserve her and her powers.

Most of the comic is standard Fett-wank, with the glorified delivery boy going toe-to-toe with Vader himself.. and even claiming he could've killed Vader but he didn't want the wrath of the entire Empire on him for it.

On the visions, Vader is shown one where the Emperor has him dragged off in chains to be executed, and another where he kills the Emperor and succeeds him (no mention of Luke in this).

[nightmare]

If Vader was greatly weakened by the loss of his four limbs. One can just imagine how powerful she was be for the loss of her entire body.

I still call idiocy on that notion. We start out with logic and find that if body mass had something to do with how powerful a force user is, Beldorion the Hutt should have much larger force potential than Yoda. Sith Lords should eat like Sumos in order to increase their obesity and hence, force power.

Secondly by canon. Vader beat Ben Kenobi, while Anakin Skywalker lost to Obi-Wan. Cirumstances be damned, that's what happened. Or how about force spirits with no body at all?

Whatever weakness Vader got, it wasn't from getting some limbs chopped off. Psychological damage I can buy.

[Cao Cao]

I still call idiocy on that notion. We start out with logic and find that if body mass had something to do with how powerful a force user is, Beldorion the Hutt should have much larger force potential than Yoda. Sith Lords should eat like Sumos in order to increase their obesity and hence, force power.

Suddenly I have this image in my mind of a morbidly obese Sith Lord called Darth Gordo.

Whatever weakness Vader got, it wasn't from getting some limbs chopped off. Psychological damage I can buy.

Early on, certainly. It can't be very pleasant to get your legs hacked off, burned alive then encased in a metal suit where you're in agony all the time.
But he obviously overcame this by ANH and was a supremely strong force.
In fact, you can say that Luke defeating him in RotJ was more psychological than physical.

[Anguirus]

Most of the comic is standard Fett-wank, with the glorified delivery boy going toe-to-toe with Vader himself.. and even claiming he could've killed Vader but he didn't want the wrath of the entire Empire on him for it.

Oh, I read the climax of this comic in he bookstore. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Whenever Vader has line-of-sight on Fett he owns him with TK, but they're in a tricky spot and IIRC Fett gets away by blasting Vader off a short cliff.

But, it's been awhile, so details are fuzzy. I remember that Vader did fine, and whatever Fett bragged later, he wasn't in a position to take him out. And Fett only continues breathing because Vader decides not to send ships after him, figuring he's more useful alive.

[Darth Fanboy]

Invented by Ron Popeil, right?

Bwahahaha! That would be "teh best infomercial evar".

[Spartan]

nightmare wrote:

I still call idiocy on that notion. We start out with logic and find that if body mass had something to do with how powerful a force user is, Beldorion the Hutt should have much larger force potential than Yoda. Sith Lords should eat like Sumos in order to increase their obesity and hence, force power.

Oh, I whole heartedly agree with you that its stupid.

Secondly by canon. Vader beat Ben Kenobi, while Anakin Skywalker lost to Obi-Wan. Cirumstances be damned, that's what happened. Or how about force spirits with no body at all?

Maybe, but when have we ever seen a Jedi force ghost do anything other than glow blue? Now, Sith specters are indeed more than capable of killing you; but even they are nowhere near as deadly as the person was in life.

Whatever weakness Vader got, it wasn't from getting some limbs chopped off. Psychological damage I can buy.

Yeah, Dark Lord pretty much says that as well, but GL' vision disagrees. Ofcourse using SOD we can just ignore him.

[Darth Fanboy]

Yeah, Dark Lord pretty much says that as well, but GL' vision disagrees. Ofcourse using SOD we can just ignore him.

Unfortunately there's a couple of lines in Betrayal that contradict even that, fortunately Pubilus came up with an excellent explanation for that bit of misery.

[Spartan]

Darth Fanboy wrote:

Unfortunately there's a couple of lines in Betrayal that contradict even that, fortunately Pubilus came up with an excellent explanation for that bit of misery.

Really, what do they say in Betrayal?

[000]

Lumiya says Vader could never become a Sith Master because of his injuries. She's clearly lying to Jacen, though, since she also says that she's prevented by her injuries from becoming truly Sith, when at that point she's been the reigning Sith Lord (Lady) for the better part of thirty years.

[Cao Cao]

Lumiya says Vader could never become a Sith Master because of his injuries. She's clearly lying to Jacen, though, since she also says that she's prevented by her injuries from becoming truly Sith, when at that point she's been the reigning Sith Lord (Lady) for the better part of thirty years.

Sounds like a load of pig swill.
If anything, Vader's injuries allowed him to be the Sith Lord he became.. I believe that, as the cocky and overconfident Anakin Skywalker, he would've immediately challenged Palpatine for power.. and lost. Hard.

[nightmare]

Maybe, but when have we ever seen a Jedi force ghost do anything other than glow blue? Now, Sith specters are indeed more than capable of killing you; but even they are nowhere near as deadly as the person was in life.

A few more things. Ben Kenobi was able to talk to Luke at Yavin IV without actually showing up, while Ben died aboard the DS at Alderaan. He also managed to fly to Dantooine and Endor somehow, plus standing on the ground and sitting down.

Granted, a force spirit is less powerful than the live person. The difference when talking about Vader's injuries is one of magnitude. He also still has a body, and the mass of it should have no bearing on anything. What's left of him is probably still larger than Yoda. What's more to the point, a force spirit would have no midichlorians at all.

I think the whole idea is a some kind of TPM brain bug. Your arm is chopped off? Okay, so you have less midichlorians in you... so you are less powerful in the force, etc now, etc. No one would have suggested something like this from watching the OT. Blah. A body with smaller mass also have less cells in it, ergo the Yoda argument again.

Mind, midichlorians were molded after mitochondria, which are present in every cell though in different amounts depending on the type... and you can get more of them if you work out. That's all outside SoD of course.

[Noble Ire]

I still say the most logical explanation is that midiclorian concentrations matter in individual cells, and that level is present thoughout the body. Thus, losing an arm wouldn't matter, since its not the cumulative count from all body cells.

Then again, I prefer the idea that midiclorians don't effect force power at all, but rather are indicators of the level of force ability a person possess, a biological meter if you will.

[Spartan]

nightmare wrote:

A few more things. Ben Kenobi was able to talk to Luke at Yavin IV without actually showing up, while Ben died aboard the DS at Alderaan. He also managed to fly to Dantooine and Endor somehow, plus standing on the ground and sitting down.

Well in the SW:Galaxy expansion the trials of Obi-wan. Ben has other jedi pupils besides Luke, that he splitting his ghosting time with. Oh...and he wastes stormies with a spectral...lightsabre!!! Gagh!...

[nightmare]

nightmare wrote:

A few more things. Ben Kenobi was able to talk to Luke at Yavin IV without actually showing up, while Ben died aboard the DS at Alderaan. He also managed to fly to Dantooine and Endor somehow, plus standing on the ground and sitting down.

Well in the SW:Galaxy expansion the trials of Obi-wan. Ben has other jedi pupils besides Luke, that he splitting his ghosting time with. Oh...and he wastes stormies with a spectral...lightsabre!!! Gagh!...

When it comes to the online game where you can't even kill a butterfly with a blaster rifle, canonicity is unusually low, thank the Creator. Although some of their invented ships and stuff has made it into canon.

[Spartan]

You, know Qui-Gon Jinn would have made a far better choice.

[Mark S]

"Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter."

[nightmare]

You, know Qui-Gon Jinn would have made a far better choice.

For what, an example of what force spirits can do?