G.I. Joe is about to be relaunched in the Energon Universe with the release of Duke #1, the first in a series of miniseries set to bring Hasbro’s Real American Heroes into a brand new continuity. New publisher Skybound Entertainment has already released the Joe and Cobra cast set to appear in both the Duke and Cobra Commander series, and now fans can look forward to two characters throwing down in the near future.
In an interview on the Skybound website, Duke writer Joshua Williamson and artist Tom Reilly discuss the upcoming miniseries. Williamson commends his artist on his ability to bring his scripts to life, which is where he lets slip that Duke and Mercer will be having an epic smackdown.
“I know you’re really good at taking the scenes and adding your own spin to them, adding character moments,” Williamson tells Reilly, before dropping the bombshell: “Especially in the fight scene with Duke and Mercer.”
Duke & Mercer Will Go Head-to-Head In Upcoming Duke Series
It’s an interesting pairing, especially given both characters’ history in past G.I. Joe continuities. Of course, G.I. Joe and Cobra don’t yet exist in the Energon Universe. The Duke series will pick up in the aftermath of Transformers #2, where Conrad “Duke” Hauser made his first appearance and barely survived his encounter with the Decepticon Starscream. This will set up the journey Duke will take in his new self-titled miniseries, as the future Joe leader sets out to uncover what is going on with these transforming alien robots and the mysterious substance that powers them. Given the beard and long hair the character is sporting on some of the upcoming covers, it’s clear that this Duke is on a much different and perhaps even darker journey here.
Conversely, Mercer was revealed to be in the cast of the upcoming Cobra Commander series coming in January from Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana and Annalisa Leoni. In the traditional continuity, Mercer was a Cobra Viper who defected to the G.I. Joe organization, where he joined Sgt. Slaughter’s elite “Renegades” sub-team. Williamson has noted Mercer as a favorite from his childhood, so it seems as if the Cobra turncoat is being set up to be a major character in this new era of G.I. Joe. The revelation that he’ll be coming to blows with Duke further underlines the idea that there are big plans for Mercer going forward.
Duke vs. Mercer: Which Joe Will Be Left Standing In the End?
The upcoming fight sounds like it will be a smackdown of epic proportions, and Williamson goes on to express his admiration for Reilly’s artistic chops in bringing it to life during the Skybound interview. “There’s a gag you put in – one of my favorite things – when he throws Mercer into the window,” Williamson explains, before comparing Reilly’s work to 100 Bullets maestro Eduardo Risso: “That was such a genius way of doing it…Risso would do things with his panels in 100 Bullets, just taking these different angles.” Who will be standing at the end of Duke and Mercer’s fight? Will Mercer eventually defect over to the side of G.I. Joe in the Energon Universe continuity? Fans will have to keep reading to find out.
Duke #1 (2023) | |
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