Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics have formally unveiled Scarlett and Destro — the final two installments in their four-part line of G.I. Joe limited series set within the Energon Universe.
According to Skybound, Scarlett launches on Wednesday, June 5 from writer Kelly Thompson and artist Marco Ferrari. Destro follows suit two weeks later on Wednesday, June 19. That series hails from writer Dan Watters and artist Andrei Bressan.
Starring the eponymous G.I. Joe hero, Thompson and Ferrari’s Scarlett promises to “introduce some of the most anticipated characters to the Energon Universe in ways you’ll never expect.” Meanwhile, Watters and Bressan’s Destro will “change the balance of power in the Energon Universe forever.”
What is Image Comics’ Scarlett about?
An official synopsis for Scarlett reads as follows: “Shana ‘Scarlett’ O’Hara is about to take on the most dangerous black ops mission of her career: infiltrating the mysterious rising power in Japan known as the Arashikage Clan. Her one lead is her former partner — Jinx — turned Arashikage enforcer. Now, Scarlett must use her skills to survive undercover … and discover a shocking weapon that could change the balance of power on Earth.”
Check out the cover variants for Scarlett #1 — plus some fully-lettered preview pages — below:
“I’m fortunate that, thanks to my job, I often get to dig into characters and worlds that I’ve loved for a long time,” Thompson said. “But G.I. JOE’s Scarlett is truly one of my first geek loves as a kid, and I am absolutely thrilled to have a hand in building her for this new, incredibly cool and rich universe at Skybound.”
“I’m very excited to join the Scarlett team and to use every tool in my toolbox to bring her to life in this new series,” Ferrari added. “I can’t wait for everyone to dive into Scarlett’s mission with us!”
What is Image Comics’ Destro about?
An official synopsis for Destro reads as follows: “James McCullen Destro XXIV is the man behind M.A.R.S. Industries, the undisputed leader in providing high-tech weapons to world powers … for the right price. But the emergence of Energon has changed everything. As Destro’s ambitions grow, the ‘Crimson Twins’ Tomax and Xamot Paoli emerge to destroy their competition, and Cobra Commander realizes his current ally could be his future greatest enemy.”
Check out the covers for Destro #1 — plus four fully-lettered preview pages — below:
“I’m incredibly excited to bring Destro to life with Andrei,” Watters said. “This is going to be a visceral, explosive thriller in which he [Destro] isn’t very nice to anyone at all — everything you’d want from your favorite amoral arms trafficker.”
“I just can’t wait to see what Dan has planned for Destro!” Bressan added. “I’m pretty excited because everything going on with the Energon Universe so far has been bonkers and Destro … he is just an absolute bad***, ready to kill and destroy.”
G.I. Joe in the Energon Universe so far
Image and Skybound’s Energon Universe is a shared universe of comics that includes the original property Void Rivals, as well as the Hasbro IPs Transformers and G.I. Joe. The EU began in June 2023 when the Transformer known as Jetfire made a surprise appearance in Void Rivals #1 by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici. Daniel Warren Johnson’s ongoing Transformers series subsequently launched in October.
Early on, Skybound announced that it would introduce G.I. Joe characters to the fold via four limited series. The first of these series, Duke, launched in December 2023 from writer Joshua Williamson and artist Tom Reilly. The second, Cobra Commander, launched one month later from Williamson and artist Andrea Milana.
At the time of writing, Duke has released three of its five issues, while Cobra Commander has released two of its five issues. The two series will conclude on April 24 and May 15, respectively, thus clearing the way for Scarlett and Destro.
Scarlett #1 and Destro #1 go on sale in June 2024 from Image Comics.
