G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers: Black Horizon #1

Hawk and Prime investigate a strange civilization hidden in the Himalayas as the chaos bringer approaches Earth...

Issue summary[]

In 1978 the Adventure Team - consisting of Joe Colton (the original G.I. Joe), Atomic Man and Chok-Pa - were in the Himalayas on a mission when they were attacked by a Chinese fighter plan. However they were saved by the sudden arrival of several strange organic planes, together with Nemesis Enforce and Bludgeon. Chok-Pa recognized the new arrivals as being "the men under the mountain... Kohbrala!" but there was no time to flee. Bludgeon killed Atomic Man, but the further arrival of Pythona and the Royal Guard saved the other two as she wanted them kept alive.

In the present day Hawk is experiencing nightmares as a result of opening the Creation Matrix. He has visions of an angry god and the destruction of humanity. He is also depressed by having pushed away Carolee and news reports of people doubting his statements about the robot invasion and questioning if he is insane or a traitor. Later he gives an interview to a journalist but is interrupted by a telepathic message from Skids needing help. Cosmos collects Hawk, alien abduction style.

In Cuba Destro is trying to sell his S.N.A.K.E. robots when Eject attacks them, followed by Prowl and Sidewsipe. However a retrieval squad saves Destro and Skids radios Cosmos to order the evacuation of the Autobots before a G.I. Joe squad arrives as Hawk wants to avoid confrontation with them. Firewall picks up a strange signal that says "IIIIIII retuuurrrnnn...." and Hawk recognizes the voice from somewhere so contacts Optimus Prime. On Cybertron Optimus Prime dismisses the concerns of Hot Rod and announces he will go to investigate himself as he has worked with Hawk and the G.I. Joe team many times. He is shaken by Hot Rod's suggestion Prime is concerned about how Bumblebee died.^[1] Prime walks away, leaving Ultra Magnus in charge. In the kingdom of Cobra-Law in the Himalayas, Pythona goes to a cell deep under the royal palace where Joe Colton sits, defiant. She taunts him about the forthcoming destruction of humanity and emergence of the inhabitants of Cobra-La, to no effect. In Cuba Flint receives a call from Hawk who wants help from a Joe he trusts and asks if he wants to come to Tibet.

In the royal palace Dr. Mindbender informs Golobulus that an aircraft is approaching, and the ruler dispatches the Pretenders to deal with it. Out in the mountains Prime drops from the plane carrying Flint and Hawk to the ground and they follow signals and Hawk's Matrix feelings to locate the source.

Deep in space a Lunartaxian ship has spotted Earth and is preparing to fly in and plunder it when suddenly it is swallowed up by the planet mode of Unicron. Meanwhile in the Silent Castle in Trans Carpathia Destro concludes a video call with Pythona and questions why they paid such a high price to carry bags of mushrooms in his ships that were lost when the Autobots attacked, but Pythona cannot give details. After the call is concluded Destro wonders if he has sold out the human race. At the other end Mindbender finds Destro's questioning surprising but Pythona is unconcerned and explains the "mushrooms" are actually Nyarath eggs which will saturate the air with a spore that the mother Nyarath can detect from thousands of miles away and lead them to the robots. Off the coast of California a giant organic Cobra-La ship transports the Pretender Monsters. They attack the Autobot ship on the seabed, rapidly subduing Skids and Sideswipe.

In Tibet the Royal Guards and Bludgeon attack Hawk, Flint and Prime. Prime recognizes Bludgeon, despite his new pretender shell. Rapidly the two Joes overcome the Guardsmen and then Hawk uses the Matrix power to save Prime by uploading millions of Cybertronian songs to Bludgeon at once, overloading him. The three continue further inwards. The presence of a mechanical creature outrages Golobulus, but Mindbender reminds him that the Chaos Bringer is making his way to Earth and the Autobots on Earth are being neutralized. He suggests that if the Yeti don't deal with Hawk, Flint and Prime then the Nemesis Enforcer will.

At sea Cosmos finds Eject and Firewall floating. He takes Firewall aboard to go and help Prime in Tibet, whilst Eject goes to recharge. Meanwhile in the Cobra-La cell Pythona wakes Colton and tells him that according to Mindbender the intruders are members of a team called "G.I. Joe", presumably named in Colton's honor after his disappearance. When she mentions Hawk's name Colton reacts silently. Pythona leaves to get confirmation of Hawk's death but once she is gone Colton picks the locks on his bonds and rises.

At the Pit Mainframe and Duke receive a call from Firewall asking for help and tells them to forget all the past problems. Meanwhile in a tunnel in Cobra La Hawk, Flint and Prime examine wall carvings that tell a story from long ago:

Many millennia ago Unicron, the Chaos Bringer, was banished from his world and so he searched the universe for energy for his huge body, consuming anything he came across, especially planets, and enslaving many to maintain his body. 160,000 years ago he came to Earth and there was nothing humanity could do but at the last moment emerged Cobra La. They were a civilization based on organic technology and had created a spore that devoured metal. They threatened to unleash it upon Unicron. Unicron made a deal with Cobra La - to spare Earth the latter would exile themselves from the rest of the planet, manipulating the human race from afar, until the humans reached enough numbers to be of use to Unicron. Then they would send for him to take away humanity, leaving the planet free for Cobra La.

Hawk, Flint and Prime discuss the consequences. Prime states that Unicron was a legend amongst his people but he never suspected it was the danger coming. He has now repaired himself as best he can, but his communicators don't work. Suddenly Flint is subdued by an organic weapon as Bludgeon and the Royal Guards break through. Hawk declares that they will make their stand there but suddenly Colton emerges from a tunnel and tells them instead they can follow him...

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Items of note[]

• The Decepticon Bristleback is not present with the other five Pretender Monsters.

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