After months of build-up, the forces of G.I. Joe and Cobra have finally started their war in the Energon Universe. Even though the two forces are destined to be eternal enemies, Cobra Commander still can’t help but express iration for his foe, even going so far as wishing to recruit one Joe to the ranks of Cobra.
Released via Skybound’s Instagram page, the preview for G.I. Joe #2 comes from the creative team of Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire and Rus Wooton. Picking up from the shocking death that closed out the previous issue, G.I. Joe #2 opens with Duke on the warpath, ready to take on the forces of Cobra single-handed.
Watching the battle take place from their hidden base in Springfield, Cobra Commander can’t help but be impressed by Duke’s moxie. He’s so impressed, he tells Destro that perhaps they should try recruiting Duke into the Cobra army.
Hold Up, Is Cobra Commander Turning Into a Transformer? There's More to G.I. Joe Than Meets the Eye.
G.I. Joe #1 seems to hint that Cobra Commander is becoming a more than meets the eye, in a major twist on Transformers and G.I. Joe lore.
Cobra Commander Wants to Recruit Duke Into the Ranks of Cobra
At the Beginning of Their New Continuity, Cobra Commander Respects Duke's Skills
Duke is on a rampage in the preview for G.I. Joe #2, but he has good reason. The last issue ended with Rock’N Roll walking right into a hail of laser blasts, apparently the first casualty in the G.I. Joe/Cobra conflict. Both forces came to blows over a shard of Cybertron that fell to Earth, which immediately caught the attention of Cobra Commander. The tyrannical leader of Cobra has been searching the globe for every last piece of Transformers tech, and the preview for the second issue sees the Commander pulling out all the stops to see that Cobra walks away with the shard.
Cobra has been the main enemy of G.I. Joe since the ARAH franchise started in 1982, so it’s a given that their conflict would continue in the Energon Universe. The creators have found a clever way to bring the two into conflict in the new continuity, entwining the franchise more closely with Transformers than ever before. Both Duke and Cobra Commander were set on their current paths entirely due to their previous encounters with the Robots in Disguise: Duke witnessed the death of his friend at the hands of Starscream, and Cobra Commander derived new weapons from an imprisoned Megatron in the hidden society of Cobra-La.
The G.I. Joe/Cobra War Breaks Out in the Energon Universe
Even though Cobra Commander expresses iration for Duke, it doesn’t seem like either party will be pulling their punches in the war over Energon. Duke goes right for the jugular as he tackles Cobra Viper Mercer in the G.I. Joe #2 preview, setting up a rematch after their epic brawl in Duke #1. Cobra Commander also tells Destro he’s about to send in the “cavalry,” hinting he’ll be sending in the newly-refurbished Cobra B.A.T.s. Whatever happens next, the Energon Universe will never be the same again now that the war between Cobra and G.I. Joe is in full swing.
G.I. Joe #2 is on sale December 18 from Skybound Entertainment
Source: Skybound
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a long-running franchise centered around a line of action figures produced by Hasbro, which has expanded into a wide array of media including comic books, animated series, and films. The franchise is known for its depiction of an elite military unit, G.I. Joe, fighting against the terrorist organization Cobra. Over the decades, G.I. Joe has become a significant cultural icon, particularly in the United States, with its slogan "A Real American Hero."
