In the early years of the Empire when Darth Vader has finally hunted down and slain all remaining Jedi, the newly self-appointed Emperor allows his apprentice to settle down on a planet of his choosing. Darth Vader chooses the lava covered planet of Mustafar and it is there where he meets the ancient Sith Lord Darth Momin. In Darth Vader (2017) #22 by Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini, and David Curiel it shows the two Sith forming an unlikely alliance to craft a door to open the dark side Force Locus. The same place where Darth Vader bled his kyber crystal. But as dark and evil as Darth Vader is he will find Darth Momin to be even darker and more twisted than anything he’s seen before.

Jedi and Sith alike do not speak of Darth Momin. While most Sith seek to destroy and bring ruin, Dark Momin was infatuated with creating art. His art could be more closely compared to the that of Hannibal Lecter than anything else. He possessed the makings of a true psychopath by mutilating animals when young and growing up to create things that spark fear and pain in anyone who sees it. He would later go one to create art worthy of the dark side. At least until the Jedi interrupt him as he prepares to burn down a city only to trap it in time to stay in a perpetual state of pain and horror. During the act he ends up accidently killing himself. While his physical body is burned to ash Darth Momin still remains possessing the helmet he wore when he lived. It is by possessing anyone who dons the helmet that he helps Darth Vader construct his mighty fortress and the door needed to unlock the dark side of the Force Locus.

To say that the construction of Darth Vader’s fortress had a rocky start would be an understatement. Each failed attempt to open the door to the dark side Force Locus would end in the death of the body that Darth Momin possessed. This, of course, never seemed to bother the architect who merely would pick up where he left off almost immediately after being transferred to a new host. In fact, it would take nine different structures before Darth Vader is successful in opening the door of the dark side Force Locus. This long sought after victory would be delayed when the locals of Mustafar decide to attack. And while Darth Vader leaves to deal with the pestering locals, Lord Momin takes this opportunity to begin his betrayal.

While Vader is away fighting, Darth Momin uses the open door to the dark side Force Locus to resurrect himself. When Darth Vader returns from his battle, he is faced with the living architect. Darth Momin duels against DarthVader while exposing not only Vader but Darth Sidious as well. He claims that Vader has been poorly taught about the dark side whether that is intentional or not. He also calls Darth Vader out for seeing the Force as something that serves him versus serving the Force itself. Lord Momin even goes so far as to call Darth Vader childish and claims that if the Force is truly something for him to control “wouldn’t your wife be alive?”

Darth Momin, as sick and twisted as he was, was able to shine a new light onto Darth Vader. Vader chooses not to listen to Momin’s teaching of the dark side and instead hold’s tight to what he believes and stating, “My destiny is my own.” Before marching in the Force Locus in another desperate attempt to save Padme. By revealing that Vader is unwilling to truly serve the dark side it shows that he is just a man consumed by grief. Dark Momin has also revealed to Vader just how much his master is deceiving him.

Source(s): Screenrant, Wookieepedia

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