Conspiracy theorists have run wild with speculation that Luke Skywalker crosses over to the dark side in the forthcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Noticeably absent from the film's poster, released last week, was Mark Hamill's Skywalker. Other legacy characters like Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2D2, and C-3PO, and the new batch of characters, including Daisy Riley and the franchise's savior Finn, were all included in the artwork.

The curious omission has left fans wondering if it's proof that Skywalker is to become a Sith Lord when the hotly anticipated flick hits theaters on Dec. 18.

Here, a roundup of Internet theories that there's a villain in Skywalker.

#WhereIsLuke

After the poster art for "The Force Awakens" was released, fans reacted en masse - propelling "#WhereIsLuke" as a trending topic on Twitter. Legacy and new characters are seen in the image, and though Mark Hamill is featured in the film, his Luke Skywalker's absence is met as a sign of a foray into the dark side.

Mask Madness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

On Oct. 19, also the day the poster was released, the full trailer for "The Force Awakens" hit the interwebs, revealing a moment that possibly foreshadows the new villain's motive. It shows Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, seemingly mourning the melted remains of Darth Vader's mask and apparently intent on getting revenge.

History Repeating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIJFDGCg_sc

Medium blogger Rob Conery says that fans should look to the trilogy's "Return of the Jedi" as evidence of what's to come. "The emperor was working Luke pretty hard, and intoned in his guttural monotone: 'Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete.' And guess what? Luke tried," he writes.

Family Matters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE1nL4xFOfM

Continuing with his speculation, Conery and fans note that Luke's ill-fated romance with his sister, Leia, could have caused emotional trauma, which is reason enough, they say, to have pushed him to the dark side.

Yoda Knows Best

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=infZSKB5L9I

In the series, as Conery points out, Yoda hesitated to train Luke - knowing his destiny. "Yoda knew the whole time that Luke was on the same path as his dad. He was reluctant to train him."

About Face
After Luke's lightsaber battle with Darth Vader - a victorious one - he sees his reflection in Vader's mask. A sign, Conery says, that means so much more. "I think it’s foreshadowing that Luke will become his father."

Planting the Seed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5EU5kM2pX0

Nearly 10 years earlier, during a roundtable featuring both Mark Hamill and "The Force Awakens" director Abrams, along with Stan Lee, Kevin Smith and Jason Lee, Hamill likely planted the seed when he said he would like Luke to return as a bad guy.