Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image | Tagged: g.i. joe, gi joe, transformers

Which Secret Transformer Is On The Cover to G.I. Joe #1?

Which Secret Transformer Is On The Cover to G.I. Joe #1 From Skybound and Image Comics? Bleeding Cool takes our best guesses...

We told you first – and then Image/Skybound confirmed – that an all-new G.I. Joe #1 would arrive in November from the team of Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire. While that may not have been a surprise – after all, they did set a G.I. Joe franchise sales record with Duke last year – fans immediately noticed that the cover featured what seemed to be a severely beaten Transformer. (The dead Transformers are usually the purview of Daniel Warren Johnson in his hit – and now two time Eisner winning – Transformers series)

Robert Kirkman's Energon Universe is no stranger to surprise Transformers debuts (including the very stealth launch of this shared universe between Void Rivals, G.I. Joe and the aforementioned robots), fans immediately began guessing which Transformer would debut in the pages of this new series. While we don't have official confirmation, we certainly don't need it for some informed (or irresponsible, If you ask most publishers) speculation on who it might be:

• Hound: this fan-favourite Autobot has been the number one guess due to the colour of the Transformer on the cover and even the seemingly Jeep shape of the character. But would Skybound introduce such a popular character through his corpse on a cover? Then again, remember what happened to Bumblebee: Still, might this be TOO obvious?
• Ironhide: you may think this Autobot is only red and a very old school van, but he has been a jeep before in his Generation 2 Power Master form. While note the traditional Power Master you may remember (though Void Rivals has seen mention of Nebulos, where that upgrade originates) It would be interesting for these G2 elements to bleed into what otherwise feels like a love letter to the original Hasbro cartoons.
• Swindle: the Decepticons also have some jeep-esque vehicles in their ranks, with a Combaticon who has already appeared in the current Transformers comic. But his character is that of a con man who likes to make side deals, so could be aligning himself with the Joes, Cobra, or both?
• Mini-Spies: perhaps the least likely (which means it could be the most likely, knowing Skybound) is this line of Transformers that includes a Jeep. That would give Skybound a blank slate of a character and loads of room to develop the character in new ways, but also would perhaps not have the intended impact outside of hardcore fans or people like me who Googled "Transformers + Jeep."

Whoever the answer might be, I would expect that if the sales on G.I. Joe #1 meet Skybound's lofty expectations (which include the company labeling it "The Biggest Comic Book Launch of the Decade" and unlike Mark Millar telling the truth), then I expect Skybound may see the Energon Universe hit the three or four million units sold mark, much as I predicted. It's also worth keeping an eye out to see if Skybound solicits any more classified Cover Es for G.I. Joe, as those might feature the first full cover appearance of the mystery Transformer and become quite the collectors item, especially if certain speculator trends continue. G.I. Joe #1 is on sale in comic shops on Wednesday, the 13th of November.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!