"I'm not honor bound to die on this rock."
"If we work together, we might just survive this."
— Darak
Void Rivals is a 2023 Science Fiction comic by Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo de Felici, and Mattheus Lopes by Skybound Entertainment via Image Comics. The comic tells the story of two members of opposing warring alien races stranded on an unknown, desolate planet, where they must work together to survive. But as they attempt to repair their ship, they soon find that there is more to this planet — and their species' war — than meets the eye…
Void Rivals serves as the first entry in the Energon Universe: A Shared Universe incorporating Transformers and G.I. Joe and by extension serves as the first original IP in the setting.
Void Rivals contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Darak's dad, Dulin, is emotionally distant towards his son at best, a complete asshole at worst. His Establishing Character Moment is telling Darak that his success as a pilot is the only thing sparing him from Dulin's wrath and that if he doesn't succeed in his next mission, he may as well not come back home at all. And when told his son is probably about to be executed, Dulin's response is to pretty much let it happen for the "greater good", even if he's bereaved by the thought.
- Adipose Rex: Both Dulin and Zalilak, the respective leaders of the Agorrians and Zertonians, are heavyset men. Zalilak is more stocky than truly fat like Dulin is, but he's also shown as the only one sitting at a table covered in food.
- Animate Body Parts: Many Agorrians replace one of their hands with Handroids, robotic hands with their own minds that serve as assistants to their wearers.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Jetfire quickly realizes he's been unconscious for millions of years by observing the fungal growth and wind erosion on his own body.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Darak and Salila.Darak: I thought we were friends.
Salila: Friends?! No. I'm sorry, but there's just too much at stake for my people. I will admit I no longer consider us enemies. But friends? No. More like... rivals.
Darak: I like that. Okay. Rivals it is. - The Cameo: Shockwave makes an appearance in issue four. Giving us our first look at Cybertron in the Energon Universe.Shockwave: You dare bring a Quintesson to Cybertron?!
Skuxxoid: To sell! As a prisoner. Am I missing something here? I thought you hated each other.
Shockwave: What currency would you expect me to have that I haven't already spent on resources? I barely have enough Energon to sustain myself! My fellow Decepticons are in stasis.
Skuxxoid: Well, then I expect you to relate to my plight, friend. I've got mouths to feed. Surely such a hated enemy to your kind is of value? Maybe you have something to trade? I'm sure we can work something out. Let's be reasonable.
Shockwave: Remove this foul creature from my sight before I commandeer your vessel and strip it for parts!
Skuxxoid: Fine fine fine. I can tell when my services are not appreciated. - Canon Foreigner: Considering the comic is an original IP that shares a universe with the long-established Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises the entire original cast is this.
- Crystal Dragon Jesus: Zerta, a deity worshipped by the Zertonians (but not the Agorrians) who may or may not be working In Mysterious Ways to help out Darak and Solila.
- Didn't Think This Through: Skuxxoid tries to sell a Quintesson prisoner to Shockwave and the Decepticons for quick cash. An annoyed Shockwave points out Cybertron is so strapped for resources that even if he wanted the prisoner, he'd have nothing to pay for them with, meaning Skuxxoid is wasting his time on Cybertron and should damn well know it.
- The Dreaded: Proximus for the Zertonians. Him simply moving and talking was enough to bring another Zertonian to his knees in tears. Zalilak is more composed with regards to Proximus, but even he's not happy that the situation has come to this. When Solila realizes Proximus is after her and Darak, she manages to convey fear through her helmet.
- Everyone Has Standards: Despite treating his son like shit, when Dulin is confronted with the idea of Darak being executed to keep the conspiracy a secret, he is visibly distressed and heartbroken by the situation. For as awful as their relationship is, Darak is still his son, and Dulin is tormented by the possibility of the greater good costing him his child.
- First-Episode Twist: Two:
- On a meta level, the story takes place within a new Transformers continuity called the "Energon Universe," with the back promising G.I. Joe stories as well.
- More directly related to the story, the Agorrians and Zertonians are actually the same species, and their societies' rules are designed to keep them in the dark on the subject.
- Forever War: The Agorrians and Zertonians have been warring against one another for thousands upon thousands of years, long enough that the fact that they're the same species has been forgotten after being covered up by their governments.
- Foreshadowing: All of the rules Agorrians and Zertonians are told to follow are to prevent them from empathizing with, interacting with, or unmasking in front of each other. This is because they're actually the same species, apparently a high-level government secret.
- Government Conspiracy: Run by the leaders of both sides of the Forever War to both keep the conflict burning and ensure their people never realize they are one species being pitted against one another.
- Government-Exploited Crisis: It quickly becomes apparent that the "war" between the Agorrians and Zertonians is a False Flag Operation of sorts; the leaders of both sides are really allies aware of the shared origins of their people and the true nature of the Sacred Ring and conceal it while pitting their people against one another for unclear reasons, possibly to maintain control.
- He Knows Too Much: The very instant that Zalilak and Dulin realize that Darak and Solila know the big secret about the war, they begin taking steps to kill them both and keep the secret.
- Hope Spot:
- Darak and Solila seem to have gotten the abandoned spaceship up and running... only for it to turn out to be a Transformer who takes off for home shortly after being awoken, leaving the stranded aliens behind.
- In issue four, Solila and Darak seem in the clear after the former turns over the latter to the Zertonian government, who intend to trade him back to Agorra as a war prisoner rather than hurt him, meaning they can put everything that's happened and all they've learned behind them. But then Solila slips up in a conversation with Zalilak and expresses relief that Darak won't be executed, causing him to become immediately suspicious and ask if she saw Darak's face. Her hesitation and panicked expression answers the question and prompts Zalilak to imprison her with Darak in preparation of executing them both.
- Innocently Insensitive: Jetfire barely talks to his rescuers, never mind learns that they are stranded on the mysterious planet, because he is rather understandably more preoccupied with the fact that he's been offline for millions of years, a long time even by Cybertronian standards.Jetfire: Cybertron... After all these years... I'm sorry. I have to get home.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: The variant covers for the second printing of issue 1 feature Jetfire, one of which being a parody of The Monster at the End of This Book, and a special variant from the first printing of that issue featuring the character was withheld from display until after the publication date.
- Mirroring Factions: The Zertonians and Agorrians… because they used to be one faction, and the various rules of warfare between the nations are meant to disguise that fact by hiding how not so different they are.
- Mythology Gag:
- Much like in the original The Transformers cartoon, Jetfire first appears waking up after being buried for millions of years and wearing no faction symbol, implying he is unaware of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons.
- The TPB for the first six issues is titled "More Than Meets The Eye" after the iconic Transformers tagline.
- No Blood for Phlebotinum: Resources are perpetually scarce on the Sacred Ring, and this is suggested to be one of the main reasons for the war embroiling it.
- Not Named in Opening Credits: The legal indicia on page 1 of issue 1 does not include its copyright notice, just that of Image Comics.note The notice appears on page 27, after the book's narrative, and states that "VOID RIVALS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2023 Hasbro... Licensed by Hasbro." alongside the Hasbro logo (most material produced by Skybound is owned by the company). This is, of course, all done to conceal the First-Episode Twist that the comic takes place in a Shared Universe.
- Obviously Evil: Deconstructed. The Quintesson Inquisitor is so blatantly sinister in his behavior and demeanor that Darak and Solila have zero compunctions about turning him over to Skuxxoid at the drop of a hat, since he's blatantly going to turn on them the instant he gets an excuse.Inquisitor: I have many dealings with many civilizations across the cosmos. My kind have made enemies.
- Psychic Dreams for Everyone: The plot is partly kicked off by Darak having a bizarre dream/vision depicting the creation of the Sacred Ring, the beginnings of the war between Agorra and Zertonia, and a warning of an oncoming threat known as "Goliant", all of which is subsequently confirmed when Darak and Solila take off their helms and find they are one race. Solila believes the vision to have been sent by Zerta, the god of the Zertonians. Darak dismisses the idea as superstition, but admits he has no alternative explanations.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Skuxxoid is barely even a villain, being a mere bounty hunter/scrapper who works to support his family and nothing more. He holds Darak and Solila, but only until he finds that they have no bounty, at which point he genially apologizes for any trouble and sends them on their way after they trade the alloy on their trashed ship for a new shuttle.
- Ring World Planet: The Sacred Ring which the Agorrians and Zertonians inhabit is two planets forged together into into one of these around a black hole.
- Rip Van Winkle: The Cybertronian Jetfire quickly realizes he has been asleep for millions of years.
- Scary Scorpions: Darak and Solila fight a scorpion-like alien creature, the Scorpia, in issue 3.
- Servile Snarker: Darak's Handroid.Solila: How much charge does your blaster have?
Darak: Maybe they're not hostile? Let's start with "Hello" or "Have you any food?".
Handroid: I'm with the Zertonian on this one. - Shared Universe: Part of the Energon Universe meaning it shares a setting with Transformers.
- Vagueness Is Coming: Goliant is coming. Who or what Goliant is, or if it is even an entity at all, is unclear. Even how it will come is agreed upon, with Darak's vision saying that the two sides will need to reunite to defend against it, while Zalilak is of the opinion that the Agorrans and Zertonians reuniting will be the catalyst that Goliant needs. All we know is that whatever Goliant is, both Zalilak and Proximus, neither of whom are timid individuals, fear its coming.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Darak struggles endlessly and futilely for the approval of his emotionally distant father Dulin, the ruler of Agorra.Dulin: Darak, in a matter of moments, you will launch as the greatest Agorrian pilot in history. That is the only thing that has spared you from my wrath. Return with the same sterling reputation... or do not return at all.
- Wham Shot:
- The alien ship found by the protagonists makes a familiar whirring and clanking sound effect note and transforms, revealing himself to be Jetfire, and the setting to actually be a Shared Universe.
- A less iconic but still significant wham shot occurs at the end of issue two. Darak and Solila are captured by an unknown ship. Who has captured them? Recurring alien the Skuxxoid from the original Transformers cartoon!
- The ending of issue four has Zalilak amicably meeting with an unseen individual to discuss Darak and Solila's situation and how they've found out the big secret. It turns out the person he's talking to is Dulin, confirming that the conspiracy to keep the Agorrians and Zertonians at war goes all the way to the top.
- You Have Failed Me: In issue 5, the Skuxxoid decides to return the Inquisitor to Quintessa hoping that he can get some compensation for bringing him back. The Imperial Magistrate asks the Inquisitor about the "Scorpia" (the scorpion-like creature that Darak and Solila fought in issue 3) he was transporting on his ship. When told that creature was destroyed, the Magistrate angrily has the Inquisitor taken away for punishment.
