LOS ANGELES 10/12/2026 — At the official Energon Universe comics panel at New York Comic Con (NYCC) this past weekend, Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading games, IP and toy company Hasbro, revealed highly anticipated news from Transformers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K. and Void Rivals, featuring Robert Kirkman (writer, Void Rivals, Transformers), Jason Howard (artist, Transformers), Tom Reilly (artist, G.I. Joe), Conor Hughes (artist, Void Rivals), Dan Watters (writer, M.A.S.K.), and Ben Abernathy (Executive Editor, Skybound).
Recently celebrating its third anniversary and having sold over 7.6 million copies, the Energon Universe comics continues to bring readers into comic shops, and this year’s panel was packed with new reveals and shocking first appearances of fan-favorite characters and teams!
The world of Transformers has changed over the last year as Robert Kirkman and the industry's top artists introduced us to Elita Prime, Arcee Magnus, a new Superion and more. What's next?
- Megatron becomes Megatronus Rex this Fall.
- Beachcomber – along with guest artist Howard Porter – take the spotlight in January's issue #40.
- And in March, the MOST REQUESTED Energon Universe Comics debut is here, as the Dinobots make their first appearance in issue #42.
Meanwhile, within the pages of Void Rivals, the series that launched the Energon Universe, the surprises continue.
- December's Void Rivals #37 kicks off the "Pit of Destruction" arc as Darak, Solila, and Pythona journey back to Cobra-La on Earth…but new dangers await.
- Lobotomaxx will make their Energon Universe comics debut when Void Rivals #40 arrives in March.
Coming back to Earth with M.A.S.K., series writer Dan Watters discussed the Baron Karza cameo and teased what’s to come.
- Fan-favorite G.I. Joe characters “Battle Force 2000” make their Energon Universe comics debut in M.A.S.K., as revealed on the cover to January’s issue #8.
- This includes an all-new, bionic version of Maverick…but how does this connect to M.A.S.K. and V.E.N.O.M.?
G.I. Joe is in the middle of its biggest arc yet as the war with Night Force rages on. While we can’t tell who wins, we can tease who may look a little different when the dust settles.
- One of the most shocking moments of the panel was the reveal that Baroness will become an agent of Cobra in January's G.I. Joe #30.
- Tom Reilly debuted additional characters designs, as Ben Abernathy revealed that this big change has been the plan since Day One.
The Energon Universe comics are the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE franchises in one shared comic book universe. Energon Universe comics titles include the ongoing series M.A.S.K., Void Rivals, Transformers and G.I. Joe. Fans should expect can’t miss moments from every issue of Energon Universe comics, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today.
Featured image: Megatronus Rex design by Jason Howard.
