Void Rivals #17: Secrets Revealed

Void Rivals #17 finally answers questions that have been lingering since the start of the series, revealing the series’ true place within the Energon Universe and how this story impacts everything. While other issues in this arc have slowly paced their way through the several core storylines that showcase each of its character’s adventures, Void Rivals #17 dedicates much of its space to the journey Solila is going on to find Zeta Trion, where Zeta reveals the true purpose of the Sacred Ring. This is then married by a conversation Darak has with his father, bringing to light the true stakes of the book.

Major SPOILERS to follow:

As the issue begins, Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici waste no time in getting into the nitty gritty of what this entire story has been about. To quickly summarize:

Long before the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, Cybertron was at war with the Quintessons, with Alpha and Zeta Trion leading the Cybertronians. Zeta learned of the Quintessons final plan to destroy their homeworld for good, the planet sized titan, Goliant. In an effort to save everyone, Zeta led Golaint to a distant star and then trapped him within it when it turned into a black hole. She then separated Goliant’s essence into two factions, the Aggorians and Zertonians, whose constant battle with one another drew energon from Goliant into the Sacred Ring. The end goal of this was to weaken Goliant enough so that when the two factions achieved unity, he would be weak enough to kill for good.

This reveal proposes a lot of exciting things to come with the Energon Universe, especially as it ties so closely with the origin of Cybertron. This is the kind of worldbuilding that Robert Kirkman is known for, setting up stakes for this universe that will have far reaching consequences for everything. Even more so, it is hinted by Darak’s conversation with his father that Unity has been delayed because he and the Zertonian leader learned that it would lead to the total destruction of the Sacred Ring and their homes.

This is definitely the kind of shock that this book needed to make it feel so definitively central to the Energon Universe as a whole. During the flashback, Lorenzo De Felici even includes an Easter Egg of Optimus Prime’s younger form, Orion Pax, fighting alongside Alpha and Zeta. The way this story is evolving is exciting and a joy to read.