Summary
Warning! Spoilers forVoid Rivals #11ahead
As the debut title of the Energon Universe,Void Rivalskicked off Skybound’s successfulTransformersrelaunch in the summer of 2023. Now, the flagship title continues adding toTransformerslore, and one recent Easter egg finds the publisherpaying homage to 1986’sTransformers: The Movie, as the Autobot Hot Rod gets his very own lightsaber, right out ofStar Wars.
Void Rivals#11 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Lorenzo De Felici – picks up the story of Darak and Solila, two warriors from opposite sides in a war for dwindling resources on the Sacred Ring.
The first issue ended with the shocking appearance of Jetfire, and recent issues have seen Darak and Solila team up with Autobot Springer.Fellow Autobot Hot Rodrecently debuted in theVoid Rivalsportion of theFree Comic Book Day Energon Universe Special, and now the one-time Autobot leader makes his debut at the end ofVoid Rivals#11.
Transformers Teases the Return of a Fan-Favorite Combiner in the Energon Universe
This Decepticon combiner might be showing up soon in the Energon Universe, which could lead to disaster for Optimus Prime and the Autobots…
Hot Rod Ignites His “Lightsaber” As The Energon Universe’s Debut Series Heats Up
Void Rivals#11 – Written By Robert Kirkman; Art By Lorenzo De Felici, Patricio Delpeche & Rus Wooton
Transformershas proven itself to be just as resilient as theStar Warsfranchise throughout the four decades of its existence.
Fans see Hot Rod travelingthrough space in the Quintesson shiphe previously acquired from Skuxxoid and Slizardo, on a quest to find a missing Autobot. While onboard, Hot Rod is seen training with a robot, making use of a lightsaber-styled weapon during the bout;this is a “laser dagger,” featured in a similar moment from the iconicTransformers: The Moviefrom 1986.Hot Rod makes use of an orange-bladed “dagger” in that movie, while Megatron briefly uses a purple one in his fight with Optimus Prime.
Including the laser dagger in the issue is a fun little Easter egg for die-hardTransformersfans, and it also pays homage to a fellow space opera franchise inStar Wars. It’s hard to believe that a toy-line of repurposed Japanese robots is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year, butTransformershas proven itself to be just as resilient as theStar Warsfranchise throughout the four decades of its existence. Somehow or another,Transformersalways finds a way to reinvent itselfevery couple of years for a whole new generation of fans.
With its additions to theTransformersfranchise, Skybound has turnedVoid Rivalsand the whole of the Energon Universe into the most exciting line in comics today.
Hot Rod’s “Laser Dagger” Repeats A Classic Moment fromTransformers: The Movie
One Of Many Energon Universe Homages
Hot Rod’s appearance inVoid Rivals#11 brings Kirkman and De Felici’s title further into the Energon Universe; with the imminent arrival ofPythona and the forces of Cobra-Lateased in future issues,Void Rivalscontinues to be an important book for fans eager to follow theoverall story of the Energon Universe. With its additions to theTransformersfranchise, Skybound has turnedVoid Rivalsand the whole of the Energon Universe into the most exciting line in comics today.
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.
