« Void Rivals #15 »
Looks like the Void Rivals can win if they dare!
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	December 26, 2024
Cover date	December 2024
Written by	Robert Kirkman
Art by	Lorenzo De Felici
Colors by	Patricio Delpeche
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

As the Agorrians reluctantly make allies with a pair of strange robotic visitors, Solila discovers a relic from their shared origin.

Synopsis

Having found the Sacred Ring of Zerta Trion, the Quintesson Judge orders his helmsman to return to Quintessa immediately to alert the Council and plan their vengeance.

Aboard the Leviathan, Pythona checks on Grakula after her incident with the green stone outside the ship. Grakula says she feels fine, but does share her fear that the stone affected her armor in some way, and Pythona notices a series of bumps growing from her shoulderpad. She orders Akronus to keep an eye on Grakula and report any adverse effects she may be experiencing. Suddenly, the Leviathan stalls, gripped in the claws of Skuxxoid’s Rockeroid!

Darak’s Jump Jet escorts Hot Rod’s shuttle to the surface of Agorria, where they are greeted by Minister Dulin, Elander, and an armed escort for “security purposes.” Darak is immediately wary of their presence, fearing that his new ally’s size will startle the troops. Sure enough, as Hot Rod steps out, the guards train their guns on him and Darak must talk them down. Hot Rod introduces himself and explains that he is looking for another of his kind; Dulin claims that if there were another creature like him on Agorria, he would know about it… only for Springer to arrive in his helicopter mode. He transforms and greets his old friend, while Dulin gives Darak a stern look for not telling him about the other robot.

Deep within the Sacred Ring, Solila and Handroid continue to fall, not sure when they will hit the bottom, until Solila is saved by a green glow that surrounds her and gently touches her to the ground, an intervention she attributes to Zerta. She pulls out the key, which continues to glow and lead her through the darkness.

Springer catches up Hot Rod on what little he’s learned about Zerta Trion and the Sacred Ring’s function as an energon well. Springer says that while the Ring is too remote from Cybertron for them to extract the energon directly, they could set up a trade route once the Agorrians and Zertonians have built up the infrastructure to extract it themselves. In the meantime, they must ensure the Decepticons never discover the Scared Ring. Dulin is hesitant to trust the Cybertronians, but Darak assures him that whatever his misgivings, they would make for valuable allies against Zertonia. He later asks Elander what happened to his things when he arrived. When Elander hesitates, Darak realizes that he has been Kanela’s counterpart in Agorria. He asks if they’ve made contact with the Unifiers, but Elander urges him to be quiet, as Dulin has eyes and ears everywhere.

Back in Zertonia, Ultum and Proximus have snuck back into the facility Proximus was being held in, using the technology there to rebuild his mechanical body.

Following the trail of her key, Solila continues her journey until she spots a small green light in the distance. The key glows brighter as she approaches, finding it to be a small opening, perfectly sized for the key. She places it in the slot, and her view is consumed with the glowing green image of the supercomputer Vector Theta! The computer has just one question: who reactivated it?

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"So your wild goose chase for Zerta Trion actually did lead you to something worthwhile... but you never found her?"
"There are signs of her everywhere here. From the ground beneath our feet to the energon ports in their heads."
"Shame. If the legends are true... she definitely came all the way out here and built all this for a reason. It'd be nice if we could just ask."

—Hot Rod and Springer discuss Zerta Trion.

"If you do not cease asking me for updates, as soon as I'm done rebuilding my arm and my leg... I may just have to kill you. I am finding you extremely annoying.'"
"Okay, sir. Sorry, sir."

—Proximus and Ultum

Notes

Continuity notes

• Zerta's unspeakable name and the fury the Quintessons have for her were first revealed in issue #9.
• We first learned about Springer’s quest to find Zerta Trion in issue #10.
• Springer says that the Cybertronians’ typical methods for harvesting energon would be too disruptive to the Sacred Ring’s civilizations, calling to mind the horrific process Shockwave was seen using on Earth in the second arc of Transformers.
• Ultum joined up with Proximus after finding him in the streets of Zertonia in issue #12.

Transformers references

• Much like how Zerta Trion references Alpha Trion, Vector Theta calls to mind Vector Sigma, the Cybertronian supercomputer that was responsible for granting life and personalities to new Transformers, which first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1".
  • This would make Solila’s key the Key to Vector Theta, just as there has typically been a Key to Vector Sigma.
  • Vector Theta's first lines also paraphrase the first lines spoken by Vector Sigma when reactivated in the Generation 1 cartoon.

Errors

• On page 7, Hot Rod says "I believe it lead him here", which should be "I believe it led him here".
• On page 17, "Proximus" is misspelled as "Promixus".

Other notes

• The final page reveal of Vector Theta is a massive reveal… though one that was kind of spoiled by early listings of the title for the collected edition of this arc: "The Key to Vector Theta".
• It is perhaps worth noting that the Greek symbol for "Theta" is Θ... which is to say, a ring divided in two. Appropriate!

Covers (5)

• Cover A: Hot Rod, by Lorenzo De Felici.
• Cover B: Dulin holds Darak in his hands, by Chuma Hill.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover, by Leonardo Romero.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Springer and Hot Rod, by E. J. Su.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Pythona, by Andrea Milana.

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• The Energon Universe has arrived in trade paperbacks for Void Rivals, Transformers, Duke, Cobra Commander, Destro, and Scarlett
• Explore the Energon Universe in Transformers #16, G.I. Joe #3, and Void Rivals #16.
• Creepshow deluxe hardcover.
• Universal Monsters: Frankenstein hardcover
• Gasolina Audible series
• The road to G.I. Joe begins in trade paperbacks for Duke, Cobra Commander, Scarlett, and Destro

Reprints

• Void Rivals Volume 3: The Key to Vector Theta (June 11, 2025) ISBN 153432691X / ISBN 978-1534328242
  • Collects issues #13–18.
  • Trade paperback format.

• 

  Volume 3: The Key to Vector Theta – cover art by Lorenzo De Felici

External links

References