Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2

|- {{#if: Black_Horizon_1a.jpg | | colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center" | {{#if: Worse than a rust rash. |
Worse than a rust rash.}}}} |-

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|- {{#if: Devil's Due Press | |Publisher || Devil's Due Press}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: January 3, 2007 | |First published || January 3, 2007}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: January 2007 | |Cover date || January 2007}} |- {{#if: | |Credits || }} |- {{#if: | |By || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story & art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story and color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultants || }} |- {{#if: | |Story concept || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay by || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adapted by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation || }} |- {{#if: | |Based on || }} |- {{#if: Tim Seeley | |Writer || Tim Seeley}} |- {{#if: | |Writers || }} |- {{#if: | |Writing || }} |- {{#if: | |Written by || }} |- {{#if: | |Written & art || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotter || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotters || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot by || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot/Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripter || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripters || }} |- {{#if: | |Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripting || }} |- {{#if: | |Script by || }} |- {{#if: | |Script and art || }} |- {{#if: | |Sript [sic] consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Translation by || }} |- {{#if: Andrew Wildman | |Artist || Andrew Wildman}} |- {{#if: | |Comic artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Artists || }} |- {{#if: | |Art || }} |- {{#if: | |Art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Flashback art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assistant || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciller || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencillers || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencilers || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil art || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciled by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciling || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Layouts || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrator || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrated by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations by || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished art || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Inkers || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks by || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inking || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorist || }} |- {{#if: Wes Dzioba & Art Lyon | |Colorists || Wes Dzioba & Art Lyon}} |- {{#if: | |Colourist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour || }} |- {{#if: | |Colours || }} |- {{#if: | |Colored by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assistance by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour/Computer FX || }} |- {{#if: | |Computer coloring/effects || }} |- {{#if: | |Color Reconstruction || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats by || }} |- {{#if: | |MTMTE Profiles || }} |- {{#if: Brian Crowley | |Letterer || Brian Crowley}} |- {{#if: | |Letterers || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering || }} |- {{#if: | |Letters || }} |- {{#if: | |Letters by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettered by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering|Production || }} |- {{#if: | |Special Thanks{{#if: | To}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Collaborators || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributors || }} |- {{#if: Mike O'Sullivan | |Editor || Mike O'Sullivan}} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: | |Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Compiled and Edited by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original series editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Original Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Deputy editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Assistant editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial assistant{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial Assistance
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Hawk and the Autobots learn that in the caves beneath Himalayas, something evil has been summoned to earth. Earth's only hope lies with a long-vanished hero...

Synopsis

In the late 1970s, Joseph Colton leads the Adventure Team through the Himalayan mountains. The three come under attack from the airborne forces of General Mihai; luckily, one of the Adventure Team is more than man—he's some kind of Atomic Man. The attacking jets are ready to see if their missiles would be more effective, but one is taken down by a strange, organic yellow mass. The pilot of the other jet is pulled from his aircraft by a savage, winged humanoid. From cover, Adventure Team's guide, Chok-Pa, recognizes their saviors as not friends, but the dreaded men under the mountain—Kohbrala. They try to escape, but it's too late, for Bludgeon has already found the tasty Adventure Team. Atomic Man tries to fight against the giant zombie samurai, but the Atomic Punch doesn't stop Bludgeon from cutting the Atomic Man's life away. Joe Colton and Chok-Pa are only saved by Pythona's wish to keep the two captive. And so the original G.I. Joe goes missing in action.

Decades later, in Denver, Hawk violently awakens from dreams haunted by images caused by his contact with the Matrix. Turning on the TV, he sees a conveniently timed news broadcast that recaps how Hawk was forced to resign from G.I. Joe after technology from the attack on Washington was found being exploited in secret by the Government in Area 52.

Later, after Hawk has dressed, he begins an interview with Ms. Allen, the reporter who he was on TV earlier in the morning. But while attempting to explain to her that his claims of alien technology on Earth are honest, Hawk receives a telepathic message from Skids. Cutting his interview short, Hawk goes outside, where Ms. Allen watches him get beamed up into a green UFO.

On the Isla de la Juventud, Cuba, Destro sells some leftover mechs to a Mr. Calandero and explains to him that suspicion of spies inflates the price of the hardware. Right then, validating Destro's paranoia, Eject reveals himself. Destro fights back by activating the dormant S.N.A.K.E.s to cover his own retreat, but Prowl and Sideswipe are ahead of him. Destro's aerial forces arrive to rescue their master, but at least Cosmos is able to save/arrest Mr. Calandero. Eject, apparently a total badass, walks away from the pile of destroyed mechs.

On board Cosmos, Firewall receives a loud radio broadcast claiming "I return..." Hawk remembers the voice from his dreams and states a need for Optimus Prime.

At Capitol City on Cybertron, Optimus Prime prepares for his return to Earth, appointing Ultra Magnus to manage Cybertron in Prime's absence. Hot Rod, not feeling that Prime is needed on Earth, argues that other Autobots are better suited to reinforce the Autobots already aiding in the purging of Cybertron technology from Earth and speculates that Prime still feels guilty over the loss of Bumblebee. Ultra Magnus warns Hot Rod that he should be more sensitive.

In the underground kingdom of Cobra-La, Pythona brings news to her prisoner, an aged Joseph Colton: Dr. Mindbender has been able to activate a beacon to signal Unicron. Joe retains a silent rage.

Cleaning up the leftovers from the Autobots' bust of Destro, members of G.I. Joe regret that the Autobots, while working towards similar goals, aren't actively working in co-operation with G.I. Joe. Flint's flirtation with Lady Jaye is interrupted by a phone call from Hawk, requesting Flint's presence on a trip to Tibet.

Inside of Cobra-La's underground Royal Chambers, Mindbender interrupts Golobulus's bath to report that G.I. Joe has come to the Himalayas. Golobulus, who eats people, orders the Pretender Monsters deployed. Mindbender's report is accurate, as just then, Prime, Flint, and Hawk are dropped on the snowy mountainside.

In space, outside of the Solar System, the alien Lobotomaxx and his two partners plan to plunder Earth, which is beyond the reaches of the United Universe. But their plans are abruptly ended when their ship becomes a snack for Unicron.

Resting in his Silent Castle in the scenic Transcarpathia, Destro communicates with Pythona regarding a suspiciously high payment he receives merely for transporting mushrooms in the bottom of his ships. Because Destro's organization received payment despite the cargo being lost and Pythona refusing to explain the purpose of the mushrooms, Destro confesses to Mistress Armada that he feels he might have "sold out the human race".

On the other side of the communication, Pythona reveals to Mindbender that Destro's services were only a means to get the Autobots exposed to the mushrooms, which are organic devices designed so the Autobots can be located by the Nyarath.

The Nyarath, a large, floating, biological transport, hunts the Autobots to their underwater base, the Arc II off the coast of California. Inside the base, Firewall and Eject are vigorously watching a fashion show when Skids bursts in, claiming the ship is under attack. The Pretender Monsters burst in behind him, having already taken down Sideswipe.

At the same time, on the other side of the world, Bludgeon and a number of Cobra-La soldiers attack Optimus Prime and his human pals. Bludgeon gloats about how he's changed for the better during his time on Earth, learning to love his Pretender shell and mastering Metallikato. The Decepticon also has a special attack—leaking metal-eating slime. Hawk breaks from his inhuman opponents to help Prime—by using Matrix-powers to overload Bludgeon's head with 11 million Cybertronian songs. Prime and the humans escape into another part of the caverns while they can. This escape angers Golobulus, but Dr. Mindbender is unconcerned.

Cosmos searches for the Ark II, passing the Nyarath. But the only survivors he can find are Eject and Firewall floating in the water. Mainframe boards Cosmos, and Eject sends the two to back up Prime and Hawk in Tibet.

Pythona continues to leak information, as a manner of teasing, to the captive Joe Colton. Colton reacts to the news that Hawk is one of the humans involved. After Pythona leaves the jail cell, the original G.I. Joe frees himself and gets ready to kick ass.

At The Pit, Duke and Mainframe receive a transmission from Firewall, who advises G.I. Joe to take action.

We then flash back to several millennia ago, in a sepia era...

The Chaos Bringer arrived at the delicious planet Earth, ready to devour it and its tasty inhabitants. Humans couldn't resist in any fashion. However, the ancestors of Cobra-La had a metal-eating spore ready that could (in theory) devour Unicron. The members of Cobra-La agreed to go into exile, and Unicron agreed not to eat the planet, only to consume human establishment—in thousands of years, when it had developed to the point where it could nourish him.

Flint, Hawk, and Optimus consider the story behind the wall printings they've read; Hawk and Prime know the diagrams are telling the truth. Bludgeon and his forces find the three, but luckily, so does the escaped Joseph Colton, who beckons them to follow...

Featured characters

{{#if:*Cosmos (10)

Eject (13)
Prowl (14)
Sideswipe (15)
Skids (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Ultra Magnus (21)
Optimus Prime (22)|

{{#if:*Cosmos (10)

Eject (13)
Prowl (14)
Sideswipe (15)
Skids (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Ultra Magnus (21)
Optimus Prime (22)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Cosmos (10)
Eject (13)
Prowl (14)
Sideswipe (15)
Skids (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Ultra Magnus (21)
Optimus Prime (22) }}{{#if:*Bludgeon (5)
Icepick (34)
Birdbrain (35)
Wildfly (36)
Slog (37)
Scowl (38)|

Autobots }}{{#if:*Bludgeon (5) Icepick (34) Birdbrain (35) Wildfly (36) Slog (37) Scowl (38)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:*Atomic Man (1) Joseph Colton (3) Hawk (8) Firewall (18) Flint (23) Snake-Eyes (24) Lady Jaye (25) Duke (26) Mainframe (39)\|	G.I. Joe }}{{#if:*Destro (11) Annihilators (16) T.A.R.G.A.T.s (17) Doctor Mindbender (27) Mistress Armada (33)\|	Cobra }}{{#if:*Chok-Pa (2) Nemesis Enforcer (4) Cobra-La Royal Guards (6) Pythona (7) Allen (9) Mr. Calandero (12) Golobulus (28) Predacon (29) Lobotomaxx (30) Carcass (31) Unicron (32)\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Bludgeon (5) Icepick (34) Birdbrain (35) Wildfly (36) Slog (37) Scowl (38) }}{{#if:*Atomic Man (1) Joseph Colton (3) Hawk (8) Firewall (18) Flint (23) Snake-Eyes (24) Lady Jaye (25) Duke (26) Mainframe (39)\|	Atomic Man (1) Joseph Colton (3) Hawk (8) Firewall (18) Flint (23) Snake-Eyes (24) Lady Jaye (25) Duke (26) Mainframe (39) }}{{#if:*Destro (11) Annihilators (16) T.A.R.G.A.T.s (17) Doctor Mindbender (27) Mistress Armada (33)\|	Destro (11) Annihilators (16) T.A.R.G.A.T.s (17) Doctor Mindbender (27) Mistress Armada (33) }}{{#if:*Chok-Pa (2) Nemesis Enforcer (4) Cobra-La Royal Guards (6) Pythona (7) Allen (9) Mr. Calandero (12) Golobulus (28) Predacon (29) Lobotomaxx (30) Carcass (31) Unicron (32)\|	Chok-Pa (2) Nemesis Enforcer (4) Cobra-La Royal Guards (6) Pythona (7) Allen (9) Mr. Calandero (12) Golobulus (28) Predacon (29) Lobotomaxx (30) Carcass (31) Unicron (32) }}{{#if:\|	}}

Quotes

"All right, Atomic Punch... we've got a giant zombie samurai here. Don't fail me now."

—The Atomic Man

"I cannot shake the feeling that I may have just sold out the human race."

—Destro

"Shhh! She's about to guess who picked the spaghetti strap floral print sundress."

—Eject, who is STILL BADASS.

"Ah, you remember me, despite my new body. Though it was originally a form taken out of necessity, I've grown to love it."

—Bludgeon

"I bet you're not so tough without your hockey mask are ya, crab boy!?
Oh... shave my head and call me Harry."

—Flint

"In fact, forget about your date with that redhead you met on myplace.com. Sorry, like I said... I'm a hacker."

—Firewall

Notes

The 1970s Adventure Team line was an often-forgotten era of the G.I. Joe franchise, filling the gap between the original 1960's G.I. Joe line (just one guy with different uniforms) and the 1980s A Real American Hero line (the colorful team of weirdos). In some Joe fiction, it was the Adventure Team that led to the creation of the G.I. Joe team.
Hawk's girlfriend, Carolee, is mentioned, but does not make an appearance until the next issue.
According to the news report, the attack on Washington D.C. in the first volume of the series was "last year," meaning the principal events of all four miniseries occur in a relatively short period of time. This contradicts the second volume, which claimed to take place two years after the first one.
Pythona and Destro discuss the Autobots' conquest of one of Destro's ships—but when Destro was defeated by the Autobots earlier, there was no strong indication they were on a boat.
When the Nyarath hunts down the Autobots, the same photograph of the sky is used in the background three times.
Bludgeon knows Metallikato! Awesome!
The flashback marks the first time in any Transformers media in which Unicron has been to Earth.
This issue marks the only media appearance of the G. I. Joes' oft-overlooked alien nemesis, the Lunartix Empire. The three initially released members Lobotomaxx, Predacon, and Carcass are shown in a spaceship... then promptly eaten by Unicron. Thus ends the illustrious Lunartix Empire. All three members of it.

Covers (3)

Cover A: Optimus Prime attacked by Cobra-La by Tim Seeley, Jeremy Freeman and Jean-Francois Beaulieu.
Cover B: Unicron and Cobra-La by Tim Seeley, Robert Atkins and Rob Ruffolo.
Cover C: Pythona scratching Autobot symbol by Tim Seeley, Clayton Brown and Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Worse than a rust rash.
Plug Uglies.
Manicurist needed IMMEDIATELY!

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