NOTICE! Spoilers ahead for GI Joe #1
A beloved GI Joe A team member has just fallen in battle, as Skybound shows once again how no one is safe in the publisher’s new shared Energon Universe. Like this Transformers #1 featured the death of Bumblebee, GI Joe #1 also features a shocking death as Rock ‘N Roll is tragically dispatched, raising the stakes for America’s true heroes in the new continuity.
GI Joe #1 – written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Tom Reilly – ends with the first official battle between the new GI Joe strike team and Cobra’s forces, where both sides come to blows over a fallen piece of Cybertron on Earth.
As Clutch and Cover Girl attempt to take away Cobra’s Cybertronian technology, teammate Rock’N Roll intervenes, confronting Mercer and his Cobra Vipers. Unfortunately for Rock’N Roll, he ends up being the first victim to fall victim to Cobra’s new Energon-based laser rifles.
Skybound’s Joe Ongoing Series Premiere Begins with the Dramatic Death of Rock ‘n Roll
GI Joe #1 – Written by Joshua Williamson; Art by Tom Reilly; Color by Jordie Bellaire; Rus Wooton lyrics
The Death of Rock ‘N Roll Is a Shocking Way to End GI Joe #1, ensuring that readers will return for issue #2 – those who aren’t furious about the death of a beloved character, of course. Much like Bumblebee’s death in the pages of Transformers, the Joe The creative team isn’t just using the death of Rock’N Roll for shock value. These deaths show that the Energon Universe is following an entirely different set of rules than previous continuities; Character deaths like this also raise the stakes for the series’ future immensely, showing that not every exploding plane will be followed by a parachute.
Of course, death in comics isn’t always something permanent, so it could be that the rumors about Rock’N Roll’s death have been greatly exaggerated. However, Cobra’s new laser rifles prove quite devastating at the start of the issue, and given that Rock’N Roll is pierced by the explosions in his final stand against Cobra, it’s difficult to see how classic Joe will survive this encounter. . So far, death has been a permanent thing in the Energon Universe, as most characters who have died in continuity have not returned.
Readers already knew that no one was safe in the Energon universe – but Rock ‘N Roll’s death had fans asking “Who will be next?”
GI Joe #2 – Available December 18, 2024 from Skybound Entertainment
Now that they’ve taken down a soldier, the newly minted Codename: GI Joe You’ll have to bring in some reinforcements. The new member of the Risk team is introduced in GI Joe #1 as well, although it is currently unknown whether or not he is officially working on behalf of the Joes. Readers already know that Hawk has a secret team operating separately from the Duke’s Joes, including Flint and Lady Jaye. Scarlett is also a possible new recruit, although she was shown to still be working undercover in Japan at the end of her self-titled miniseries.
There are hundreds of characters in the franchise ready to make their debut in the Energon Universe, including a black-clad silent warrior who remains missing in Skybound’s shared continuity until now. It’s surprising that Snake Eyes hasn’t appeared in the new continuity yet, so perhaps Rock’N Roll’s death is what finally brings the ninja command into action in the Universe. Whatever happens next, the fact that no one is safe should keep GI Joe fans asking who could be next to enter the Energon Universe.
GI Joe #1 is now available from Skybound Entertainment.