Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Transformers/G.I. Joe #20

Three years later, we’ve finally got the Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover moment we’ve all been waiting for. While the live-action crossover movie is still on the horizon, a major first meeting has occurred all the same, thanks to the incredibly popular Energon Universe from Skybound and Image Comics.

After multiple comic issues of setup across titles, the leaders of the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises have finally come face-to-face, and we also get an exciting promise for the future of the Energon Universe.

After Three Years, Optimus Prime Finally Meets G.I. Joe’s Duke

The historic first meeting between Duke and Optimus Prime in the Energon Universe happens in G.I. Joe #20 from Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana, and the execution lands perfectly. Bringing the two leaders together are none other than Autobot Hound and G.I. Joe Clutch, who’ve been working together for some time, with Hound embedded within the task force in disguise as a classic military jeep.

Finally getting his damaged transponder repaired, Hound contacts Optimus to set up a long-overdue meeting at a neutral location.

When Optimus finally meets Duke, there’s some pretty heavy emotional weight. After all, Duke has been holding a major grudge against all Transformers since Energon Universe’s beginning after Decepticon Starscream killed his wingman.

When Optimus informs Duke that Starscream is dead, Duke is motivated to reshape his perceptions about Transformers, recognizing that the time has come to let go of his vendetta with the new clarity that there’s more than one faction when it comes to the alien robots who’ve come to Earth.

While Duke’s full trust will still need to be earned, the two leaders do find common ground and bond as leaders, eventually agreeing to share intel and support against the Decepticons and/or Cobra when needed. As a result, the issue ends with a brand-new Joe and Autobots alliance, a very exciting new status quo for the Energon Universe’s future stories.

The Energon Universe Is The Perfect Blueprint From The Live-Action Transformers/G.I. Joe Crossover

Overall, this impressively character-driven approach to Duke and Optimus’ first meeting is exactly what the live-action crossover film in development will need, making the Energon Universe a solid blueprint.

Explosions, laser guns, and massive robot battles are always cool, but giving characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron, Duke, Cobra Commander, and more meaningful depth and emotional stakes will be crucial to get audiences truly invested.

Fortunately, we know that there’s more in the works beyond potential live-action films. Skybound is also developing an animated adaptation of the Energon Universe with the same depth, mature tone, and dramatic style as Prime Video’s Invincible. All things considered, an Energon Universe animated series might arguably be the better route to go for a Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover on-screen over live-action.

At any rate, this new official alliance between the Joes and Autobots still operating on Earth couldn’t be happening at a better time. After all, Elita-1 is now Elita Prime following the events of Transformers #30, having been chosen as the Autobots’ new leader.

Now just “Optimus”, the former Prime has a much smaller force of outcast Autobots to face Megatron and his Decepticons on Earth after most returned to continue the war on Cyberton per Elita’s orders.

Since the Energon Universe’s inception, three years of storytelling have finally paid off with this new meeting that feels both earned and full of future potential. It’s a crossover done right. As such, it’s going to be very exciting to see what the future holds for future Transformers/G.I. Joe team-ups in the Energon Universe’s future.

G.I. Joe #20 is available now from Skybound and Image Comics.

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  Created by

  Hasbro

  First Film

  Transformers

  Latest Film

  Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

  Upcoming Films

  Transformers One

  First TV Show

  The Transformers

  Latest TV Show

  Transformers: EarthSpark

  Transformers is a multimedia franchise consisting of movies, TV Shows, video games, and comics. The franchise centers on a race of humanoid robots called the autobots who must protect Earth from the Decepticons. Some of the most popular characters include Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee. In 2007, the first live-action movie in the franchise was released starring Shia Labeouf.

  
  

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  Created by

  Donald Levine

  First Film

  G.I. Joe: The Movie

  Latest Film

  Snake Eyes

  First TV Show

  G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

  Latest TV Show

  G.I. Joe Renegades

  First Episode Air Date

  
  September 12, 1983
  

  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.”