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Sep 27, 2023

G.I. Joe's New Roster Revealed

Meet the line-up of G.I. Joe in the new Energon Universe, which includes the shocking appearance of one infamous Cobra villain! G.I. Joe is set to be relaunched as a part of the new Energon Universe

Meet the line-up of G.I. Joe in the new Energon Universe, which includes the shocking appearance of one infamous Cobra villain!

G.I. Joe is set to be relaunched as a part of the new Energon Universe later this year, and now fans know which characters will show up in the new line-up. Announced at this year’s New York Comic Con, the new team of Joes will make their debut in this December’s Duke #1, and includes the addition of one shocking Cobra villain that no one saw coming.

Revelaed at the Energon Universe panel and since shared to Skybound's Instagram, the line-up for G.I. Joe appearing in the Duke miniseries will be Duke, Hawk, Stalker and... Baroness. With artwork provided by the Duke art team of Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire, check out the announcement below:

Hawk and Stalker are strong additions to the cast, as the two characters have been stalwarts of the franchise since its inception all the way back in 1982. But the inclusion of Baroness has left many fans scratching their heads, as Anastasia DeCobray has traditionally been a member of the villainous Cobra in G.I. Joe history.

Speaking at the panel, Duke writer Joshua Williamson played it coy with the fans in attendance. “Why is Baroness in this group?” Williamson asked, “I guess you’ll have to read the book and find out!” It’s a bold choice, and will certainly lead to much speculation as to when the Baroness might turn heel on her fellow Joes. Of course, in the Energon Universe continuity, neither the G.I. Joe or Cobra factions even exist yet, so Baroness’ role may not be set in stone. Traditionally, Baroness Anastasia Cisarovna/DeCobray is the daughter of wealthy European aristocrats who is seduced by radical terrorism while attending university, so it will be interesting to see how much of that backstory (if any) the creative team retains in the new continuity. After all, this is a world where Transformers and G.I. Joe are in the same universe, so there's a lot of room for new developments.

The rest of the line-up is pretty exciting, if rather slim. General Hawk was previously revealed in the preview to Duke #1, and it’s fitting that the original Joe field leader should appear in his replacement Duke’s self-titled series. Sgt. Stalker is another fitting addition, as the character was among the original line-up of toys released over forty years ago. Williamson hinted that more G.I. Joe characters are yet to be unveiled during the panel, stating that he has "a problem with patience in this book. I love all these characters, and I’m trying to introduce them as quickly as possible." That said, the writer is quick to point out that he wants to give each character enough breathing room so that their introduction feels "badass and important," and not just some throwaway cameo.

Now that fans know the initial line-up of Joes, the question must be asked: which other characters will be appearing? There’s one glaring omission, as there is no mention of the franchise’s most popular character, Snake Eyes. Stalker’s addition could be setting up the debut of the Joes' resident ninja master, as the two served together in a long-range reconnaissance patrol before signing up with the G.I Joe strike force. Whoever debuts in Duke and the other upcoming miniseries, fans definitely won't want to miss a single issue, as the foundations for a new continuity are set. Much like the shocking deaths that took place in the recent Transformers #1, Skybound is committed to surprising the audience with this new Energon Universe era of G.I. Joe.

Duke #1 is on sale December 27 from Skybound Entertainment

Sources: Skybound, Energon Universe Panel, New York Comic Con 2023