Charles Soule Dissects the Villain of ‘Dark Droids’ Comic, Out Today
With Dark Droids issue #1 out today, Charles Soule chatted with StarWars.com about some of the inspirations behind the comic, and the motivations behind the villain, The Scourge. The Dark Droids comic crossover event sees all of the galaxy’s droids being taken over and rising up against their organic masters in a crossover that will take place across the comics Dark Droids, Darth Vader, Bounty Hunters, Doctor Aphra, the mini-series D-Squad, and the mainline Star Wars comic.
When asked what were some of the inspirations for the making of Dark Droids, Charles Soule replied that he looked to many classic horror films:
“Dark Droids draws inspiration from horror masterpieces like Frankenstein, The Thing, and the Evil Dead series, among many more. I often put reference images into my scripts. Usually, they’re things like, ‘Here’s the specific model of stormtrooper I’d like to use’ or ‘This is what Burryaga’s lightsaber hilt looks like.’ For Dark Droids, though, the reference images were key shots from horror films designed to evoke mood or moments — something from Alien, and even things like the music video for Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit.”
The main topic of discussion, however, was Dark Droids’ villain, The Scourge. Alongside a discussion of what makes The Scourge a terrifying villain in Soule’s mind, a new variant cover of Dark Droids issue #4 provides one of the best looks at the villain that fans have seen so far (posted above). Soule also touched upon why The Scourge targets Darth Vader in particular, alongside those who use the Force:
“The Scourge does a lot of nefarious things in the story. He’s possessed by an all-consuming hunger. He must keep eating — minds, really — and is really searching for a way to stop, as strange as that might sound. He’s the sort of monster who knows he’s a monster, and truly doesn’t want to be.
He sees the Force as a way he might be able to become powerful enough to rise above the hunger consuming him. He can only access droids… but droids can’t use the Force. So, as a stopgap, he’s thinking about someone he’s heard of, very powerful in the dark side of the Force, who is, very famously, ‘more machine than man …’
Charles Soule then went on to explain how The Scourge has hacked into many of the droids within the galaxy, causing much of the backbone of the universe to be shaken and creating a sense of suspense:
“You end up with this ‘evil spirit,’ for lack of a better term, working its way into the most secure places in the galaxy, taking the form of some of the most trusted advisors and helpers in the lives of our heroes and villains.
The Star Wars galaxy is built on the backs of droids. It can’t function without them, from astromechs to medical droids. Now, that foundation has been infiltrated by an evil, burrowing, darkness. It’s terrifying.”
Feel free to check out the full interview on StarWars.com, which also has more images and panels from the crossover event. Dark Droids #1 is out today and can be purchased at comic book stores and digital shelves. Also, check out our reviews of some of the comics leading up to Dark Droids, including our review of Darth Vader #36 and our review of Bounty Hunters #36.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jay Goodearl runs the YouTube Gaming channel “Good Games, Dude” His channel aims to open up video games to beginners and immediate players and help them understand what makes games the art form that it is.
