WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead forTransformers#14
Starscreamis getting an update thanks toG.I. Joe’s Cobra, andTransformers (2023)fans will likely be drooling at the results. The former Decepticon leader is currently little more than scrap iron in the current series, but a variant cover for the upcomingTransformers#14 shows that Starscream not only survived, but he’s about to be merged with a classic vehicle of theG.I. Joefranchise.
According to the official solicitations,Transformers#14 will conclude the brief two-issue arc that reveals Starscream’s origins, and his “rebirth” in the modern day. The previous issue revealed thatStarscream survived his battle with Soundwave, with his damaged remains picked up by a scrap team from Destro’s MARS Industries. As fans can tell from Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer’s variant cover below,Starscream has not only survived, but he’s apparently replaced his bottom half with a HISS tank. In that way, the feared Decepticon becomes something like a robotic, far-future centaur, ready to take out his wrath on anyone in his way.
November 13th, 2024
END OF STORY ARC
THE FATE OF STARSCREAM REVEALED
Everything has changed for the most conniving Decepticon the universe has even seen.
The Famous Decepticon is on The Warpath in The Energon Universe
“Hell Hath No Fury Like a Starscream Scorned”
Starscream’s new update is a healthy reminder that bothG.I. JoeandTransformersare tied more closely together in the Energon Universe than they ever have been before.It also shows off the cool ways both franchises can come together and create awesome moments that fans could previously only dream of. While Cobra hasn’t done much with the HISS tanks thus far in the new continuity, they were introduced inDuke#1 when the title character infiltrated a MARS warehouse and saw all theexperimental weaponry Destro had been manufacturing in secret.
HISS stands for High Speed Sentry
The HISS tank is the main armored vehicles in Cobra’s arsenal, and has been the backbone of Cobra Commander’s army in pretty much every iteration of the franchise. First appearing with the second wave of action figures in 1983, the HISS quickly became a fan-favorite, even gettinga successful, high-profile crowdfunding campaign in 2022 for the G.I. Joe: Classified series of figures. With thelaunch of Skybound’sG.I. Joe#1only weeks away, hopefully it won’t be long before fans get to see the tank in action in the Energon Universe.
Now that readers know that Starscream will be attached to a HISS tank thanks to Corona’s variant cover, that raises a number of intriguing possibilities in the Energon Universe. The creators so far have found clever ways to mix-and-match pieces of classic TF lore, withOptimus Prime replacing his right armwith Megatron’s cannon-arm being perhaps the most awesome-looking. It will also be very intriguing to see if Starscream can still transform with his new “legs,” as a fighter jet with tank treads would make for a pretty sweet-looking alt-mode.
G.I. Joe & Transformers’ New Continuity Are Deeply Connected
The Energon Universe Continues to Surprise Fans
Starscream being attached to a HISS tank should make for an entertaining comic book, but one can’t help but wonder if this is all somehow a lead-in to something bigger. With all these connections made in the Energon Universe so far,readers also have to wonder how long it will be before Skybound gives fans their first big crossover event.G.I. Joewill officially be the third ongoing series launched for the line, joining bothVoid RivalsandTransformers. Three monthly titles sounds like an ideal number for line-wide crossover
2022 also saw the release of a Megatron toy that transformed into a HISS tank, which came packed in with a Baroness figure.
There are many dangling story threads such a crossover in the Energon Universe could pick up and run with in the current titles. The hidden society of Cobra-La has taken to the stars to declare war on the technological society of Cybertron, which looks to be playing out soon in the pages ofVoid Rivals. There’s alsothe looming threat of Megatron, which has only become more immediate since the true Decepticon leader escaped from his imprisonment by Cobra-La in last summer’sEnergon Universe Special#1. And the end of theDukeminiseries revealed that Codename: G.I. Joe was formed with the express purpose ofdealing with the Transformers on Earth.
With all these potential story-lines, the Energon Universe should have plenty of gas in the tank for all three titles to run for many more years. Ever since Jetfire appeared at the end ofVoid Rivals#1 last year, Skybound and the creative teams assigned to each book have settled for nothing less than surprising fans at every turn. Now thatStarscreamis going to have a HISS tank for his lower half, the worlds ofG.I. JoeandTransformerscontinue to come together in theEnergon Universein exciting new ways.
Transformers#14is available November 13 from Skybound Entertainment.
Transformers (2023)
Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies—the Decepticons. As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity’s only hope of survival is Optimus Prime.
