One of the most endearing images of comic book creators working with established characters features them getting to play with all of the toys in the toy chest. It's not much of a stretch to think of any writer or artist literally posing an action figure, then pulling another from their collection and making them do battle ... or kiss… or anything, really!
Robert Kirkman and the crew over at Skybound Entertainment are doing exactly that with the Energon Universe umbrella of titles. Revolving around the Transformers and G.I. Joe toy lines owned by Hasbro, the world — more of a cosmos, really — launched in 2023 with Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici's Void Rivals. From there, Skybound kicked off a Transformers ongoing series from Daniel Warren Johnson and then dropped a quartet of limited series leading directly into a G.I. Joe series at the end of 2024.
If you're unfamiliar, the Transformers franchise revolves around the seemingly never-ending battle between the good Autobots and the evil Deceptions, both morphing sentient machines from the planet Cybertron. The war inevitably finds its way to Earth and involves a variety of humans. Equally dualistic, G.I. Joe pits the titular military team against the evil Cobra. Both started out as toy lines before inspiring incredibly influential cartoons in the 80s, animated features, comics and more revivals than I can count.
The Energon Universe books play off of and cross over with each other, yes, but they also offer new takes on characters introduced in those pre-existing mediums. But this isn't just fan service for the old timers. The new titles also weave a cosmic comic tapestry. Given the collective title, a lot of the line's connective tissue revolves around Energon — leftover energy from the Big Bang that Transformers need to live that can also be harnessed for a variety of other applications.
As you might imagine, there's a lot going on in these books from the main plot points to the surprise cameos and mentions. So much, in fact, that we're breaking this exploration into multiple pieces.
Throughout these installments, I'll examine not just the references to existing characters and concepts, but also how the Energon Universe books tie into one another to the best of my abilities. Let's drill down.
Void Rivals vol. 1: "More Than Meets The Eye"
Includes Void Rivals (2023) #1-6
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Cover Dates: Jun.-Nov. 2023
With Void Rivals, Kirkman established the warring Zertonians and Agorrians, two races whose planets long ago collapsed and combined around a black hole, thus creating The Sacred Ring. Though they have been taught to hate and fear one another, Solila (a Zertonian) and Darak (an Agorrian) were forced to work together when stranded on a desolate planetoid. Along the way, they realized that their races were far more similar than they had been told.
This initial offering isn't just about these two star-crossed allies, though. Void Rivals vol. 1 also kick-started the entire Energon Universe story when the duo came across a ship they intended to use for escape — only for the ship to reveal itself as Jetfire, a Cybertronian who had been stuck there unconscious for ages. Instead of helping the humanoids, Jetfire flew off in search of his fellow sentient robots.
We don't see much of Jetfire in Void Rivals, but the original version of Jetfire from Transformers lore was a friend of Starscream's before the war between Autobots and Decepticons even started. As in Void Rivals, the original Jetfire was lost for a great deal of time on Earth before Starscream found him. Jetfire joined the Decepticons, but quickly switched to the Autobots' side to continue his scientific pursuits. We'll see him again in Skybound's new Transformers series.
Meanwhile, Darak and Solila built a ship out of pieces of their crashed ones. It worked, but they were snatched up by Skuxxoid, a shady wheeler-dealer with connections all over the cosmos. In addition to the two survivors, Skuxxoid also captured a spirally Quintesson ship, a Quintesson prosecutor, and the Scorpia robot it was supposed to deliver. Darak and Solila made a deal with Skuxxoid to trade the ship they cobbled together for one of Nebulon origin.
Let's break all that down: Transformers ran for four seasons between 1984 and 1987. Between seasons two and three, Hasbro wanted a clearing of the decks to sell more toys while also coinciding with a major motion picture, 1986's Transformers: The Movie. Set two decades in the future — 2005 to be exact — Transformers: The Movie focused on a whole new batch of Autobots and Decepticons while also revealing a number of new space-based races as Earth became only one of many settings. The third season of Transformers then carried on many of those story elements — like Skuxxoid, who debuted during Season 3's "Five Faces Of Darkness," the Quintesson, and beyond. As for Nebulons, that alien race has shown up in a variety of ways across the myriad Transformers realities, so it's too soon to tell what the deal with this one is.
Anyway, while approaching their home, Solila knocked Darak out and offered him to her leader Premiere Zaliak. Darak was eventually freed by a rebel group called the Unifiers. He had them release Solila after hearing that she had been locked up for working with an Agorrian. Along the way, we learn that the separations between the two groups have been purposefully fostered by those in charge who secretly speak to one another. Void Rivals vol. 1 concludes with the duo wandering the Wasteland, a place between Solila and Darak's homes on the Sacred Ring.
At the same time, Skuxxoid traveled to Cybertron in an attempt to sell the Quintesson to Shockwave, the planet's Decepticon ruler. Shockwave revealed that the war had ravaged his people so badly that most of them were in stasis with barely enough Energon to carry on. From there, Skux attempted to get a reward from the Quintesson judges for returning the one he captured. The multi-faced beings did not care about their wayward member, but they did take great interest in the cobbled-together ship Skux acquired from Solila and Darak upon learning that it contained Zertonian metal. The Quintessons also referenced a wayward individual, but we learn more about that later.
So, who are the Quintessons? In the aforementioned "Five Faces Of Darkness," it was revealed that the Quintessons created the Transformers. They built Cybertron as a factory planet to make two kinds of robots: soldiers and workers. In an attempt to streamline the process, the masters granted the machines artificial intelligence, which eventually granted them sentience. The robots then rebelled against their creators and began warring with one another. The soldiers became Decepticons and the workers, Autobots.
Here's a few more reference worth noting:
- As in the cartoon, Skuxxoid travels through space in his Rockeroid, a ship that looks like an asteroid.
- Skuxxoid also mentions a friend by the name of Slizardo, a character who will appear in the next volume. Slizardo debuted in the 1985 cartoon episode "The Gambler."
- The Quintessons mention their robot bodyguards the Sharkticons, who feature prominently in the cartoon.
- There's also talk of the planet Dominus, which is the home of the Headmasters. These tiny Cybertronians never developed the ability to transform, but they did build giant mech suits that could. The Headmasters were turned into toys and given their own animated series in Japan from 1987-1988.
Transformers vol. 1: "Robots In Disguise"
Includes Transformers (2023) #1-6
Writer/Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Cover Dates: Oct. 2023-Mar. 2024
As revealed in this first volume of Transformers, the Energon Universe's Autobots and Decepticons have been warring for centuries, possibly eons (the math gets a little fuzzy). Megatron attacked Optimus Prime's crew and ship, Teletran 1, leading to a crash on Earth. During the crash, Megatron fell out of a hole in the ship. The others remained undiscovered in the wreckage on the relatively mundane planet. In the present day, a pair of teen hikers — Spike Witwicky and Carly — discovered the ship after a cave-in, a cave-in possibly caused by the arrival of Jetfire directly from Void Rivals vol. 1.
Jetfire rebooted the ship, which began reviving Cybertronians at random. Jetfire had been away from home for so long that he didn't even know about the war — so he was shocked to see Starscream shoot Bumblee in the face. Teletran 1 managed to revive Autobots — Optimus Prime and Ratchet — as well as Decepticons — Skywarp, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak and Thundercracker, although Optimus Prime blasted those last two. Outnumbered, the Autobots tossed their inactive compatriots in Prime's trailer and fled their own ship, leaving it to the Decepticons.
Though both sides need Energon to revive and fill out their ranks, the two sides went about finding it very differently. Optimus got to know not only Earth, but his new friend Spike, whose dad — Sparkplug — would soon don his soldier gear to fight the invading metal allies. Prime and his human allies figured out how to make Energon using hydroelectric power. With their gathered Energon, the Autobots were able to bring back Jazz and Arcee fully, but only about half of Wheeljack.
The Decepticons were able to bring back the Constructicons, a group of Transformers who combine to form a larger robot. Meanwhile, Starscream began making enemies of Soundwave (for not healing his cassette pet Ravage), Carly (for killing her dad Dave) and a soldier by the name of Duke (for blowing up his transport and tearing his friend in half).
During an ensuing attack by a local human mob, Spike got shot. Optimus took him to a hospital, but the Decepticons nearly destroyed the building. To help his new friend, Prime removed the Matrix of Leadership from his chest — an element of the story established in Transformers: The Movie — and used it to power the hospital back up. The Constructicons attacked, but Optimus managed to fight them off — surviving only after Spike's dad Sparkplug sacrificed his life by entering the Matrix of Leadership.
Oh — and during another battle, Optimus beat Skywarp with his own severed arm, and then Optimus replaced his lost limb with ... Megatron's.
This part of the story ended with the ranks a bit more filled out and the Autobots back in Teletran 1, but still facing danger from the Decepticons and humanity.
Duke vol. 1: "Knowing Is Half The Battle"
Includes Duke (2023) #1-5
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tom Reilly
Cover Dates: Dec. 2023-Apr. 2024
Conrad "Duke" Hauser may have survived his run in with Starscream in Transformers vol. 1, but it left deep scars. An erstwhile soldier, Duke began questioning orders and eventually went rogue. Wanting to get out from under the giant robot cover-up, partially overseen by General Hawk, he made contact with Dr. Adele Burkhart, a scientist looking for an alternative energy source based on leftover matter from the Big Bang (a.k.a Energon).
I gotta stop here and dig through these references. First off: Duke is often portrayed as the leader of G.I. Joe, which was overseen by General Hawk. Then we have Dr. Burkhart. She appeared in the very first issue of Marvel's G.I. Joe, back in 1982. She was a nuclear physicist who openly criticized the government after they tricked her into working on a doomsday weapon. G.I. Joe saved her after Cobra kidnapped her in hopes of getting her to finish her work for the terrorist organization.
Marvel's G.I. Joe comic ran for 155 issues from 1982 until 1994. The series, overseen by Lara Hama, was able to get more adult than the cartoon and has become potentially more influential than the animated series. By the way, the machine that Dr. B is building looks an awful lot like the M.A.S.S. Device, which first appeared in the first episode of the animated series, "The Cobra Strikes." It's generally described as a "matter transference machine," which sure would be convenient in the processing of Energon.
Back to the EU, Dr. Burkhart clued Duke into the activities of franchise stalwart and weapons manufacturer Destro as well as his company, M.A.R.S. Industries. Hauser infiltrated one of the facilities before facing off with Destro's right hand man Mercer — originally introduced as an ex-Cobra Viper and one of Sgt. Slaughter's Renegades in 1987's G.I. Joe: The Movie.
During his mission inside M.A.R.S., Duke spotted a number of familiar vehicles including H.I.S.S. Tanks and S.N.A.K.E. Battle Armors. However, it was the robotic B.A.T. that drew his focus and reminded the soldier of the being that killed his friend (a.k.a. Starscream). Destro's forces overwhelmed Duke, but he didn't remain captured for long. He was released — only to learn that he had been framed for the brutal murder of Dr. Burkhart and her friends. This murder and setup was overseen by another Destro agent, Major Bludd.
Needing to clear things up, General Hawk conferred with Krieger — also known as Cover Girl — and called in a pair of soldiers to find Hauser: Rock 'n Roll and Stalker. Both of those characters debuted in the very first G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line in 1982, alongside Duke, Hawk, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Clutch.
Speaking of Clutch, he's also in Skybound's Duke series. Duke reaches out to Clutch for help, but they both end up captured and taken to The Pit, a decommissioned base from the '80s filled with old and experimental tech. The Pit is often used as the Joes' base of operations and houses familiar modes of transport like the Skystriker plane, the Amphibious Personnel Carrier (A.P.C.) and the Multi-Ordinance Battle Tank (M.O.B.A.T.) — all vehicles released in Hasbro's Joe toyline.
In addition to tanks, trucks and planes, the Pit also housed a familiar face: The Baroness. This leather-clad socialite-turned-terrorist is familiar to fans of the series as a member of Cobra, but so far in the Energon Universe, she's been fighting the (relatively) good fight ... sort of. When Destro discovered the location of the Pit, he sent Bludd, the Bloodhounds, and Scrap-Iron to destroy the place. While Duke worked with Stalker, Rock 'n Roll and Clutch to fend them off, Baroness escaped — but only after shooting out Bludd's eye, Ralphie-style.
Duke was captured at the end of the battle and came face to face with Destro, mentioning the encounter with Starscream during their meeting. However, after a fight with a B.A.T. — an unstable, human-shaped robot soldier — Duke managed to escape in a massive explosion. Hawk took the opportunity to clear Hauser's name, but also faked his death. Duke was then asked to lead a new squad — G.I. Joe — from the Pit (presumably the last place anyone would look to find them after the attack). His mission? To take on upcoming threats like Destro and the Transformers.
With Clutch, Rock 'n Roll and Stalker already signed up, Duke wanted to bring in the Baroness. So, Hawk sent two more Joe all-stars Flint and Lady Jaye to flush her out, so Hauser could "save" her and make his pitch. She accepted and, at least for now, joined the heroes. Meanwhile, Hawk was seen keeping tabs on other G.I. Joe all-timers like twin villains Tomax and Xamot as well as Scarlett, the Dreadnoks and, of course, Optimus Prime. By the end of this series we have Autobots, Decepticons and Joes established ... but what about Cobra?
Cobra Commander vol. 1: "Determined To Rule The World"
Includes Cobra Commander (2024) #1-5
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Andrea Milan
Cover Dates: Jan.-May 2024
I'm so glad you asked because the Energon Universe crew decided to follow in the footsteps of 1987's G.I. Joe: The Movie and tie the eventual leader of his own terrorist organization to the mystical land of Cobra-La. The Marvel comic established a different origin, but the Skybound one takes a number of pages out of the film's playbook.
Lead by Lord Golobulus, Cobra-La is a place of nature that lies in direct opposition to Earth's more technological advancements. As such, were downright terrified of beings like Megatron, who was found and brought to Cobra-La after falling out of that hole in Teletran 1 so long ago (as seen in Transformers vol. 1). Through his research, the man eventually known as Cobra Commander learned of Energon and sought to find more on Earth.
After a quashed rebellion and some snake-related treatments, the future Commander was told to wear his iconic helmet by Pythona (more on her next time) before meeting with Golobulus. The scientist was chastised for embracing science and technology, but the snakeman just wanted to protect Cobra-La with machines, ones fueled by Energon. Golobulus agreed, but still sent a disguised Nemesis Enforcer to kill the rabble rouser. Oh and by the way: thanks to one last torture session before leaving for the outside world, Cobra Commander woke Megatron up.
Out amongst humanity, Cobra Commander encountered maniacs — and longtime Joe enemies — the Dreadnoks. Lead by Zarana, the group included her brother Zandar as well as Ripper, Torch and Buzzer who rode around in the Thunder Machine — all nods back to the toy line and cartoon. The hedonistic biker gang found Energon in their swamp and sold some to Destro. Then they saw what Energon could really do when CC used it to kill the monstrously powerful Nemesis Enforcer.
Cobra Commander set up a meeting with Destro, forming a working relationship that would see M.A.R.S. utilizing Energon to more efficiently power weapons like the B.A.T.s. Destro did not fully trust his new comrade, but guessed that the Energon might be related to the giant killer robot Duke mentioned during their initial meeting.
Along the way Cobra Commander rescued and then imprisoned Dr. Laszlo Vandermeer, who created the aforementioned M.A.S.S. Device in the G.I. Joe animated series. He also began building up Springfield, a normal-looking small town run by Cobra as seen in the two part episode "There's No Place Like Springfield." This place will act as Cobra's headquarters moving forward as well as a training ground for the new organization he announced ... as Cobra!
Annnnd, that's where we're stopping this time. This first installment covers the books with cover dates ranging from June 2023 through roughly May 2024. In the second piece, we'll not only see the second volumes of Void Rivals and Transformers — which get pretty crazy — but also another pair of G.I. Joe lead-ins, Destro and Scarlett. Those two limited series go a long way to set up the more human side of this epic drama. Come on back next month to see how that plays out!
