Void Rivals issue 17

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Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment}}
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First published	March 12, 2025}}
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Cover date	February 2025}}
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Written by	Robert Kirkman}}
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Art by	Lorenzo De Felici}}
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Colors by	Patricio Delpeche}}
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Letters by	Rus Wooton}}
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Editor	Ben Abernathy}}
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{{#if: Void Rivals 17 Cover A.jpg | {{#if: Image Comics
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{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

The origins of the Sacred Ring are finally revealed to Solila, but will the truth be enough to end the war between Agorria and Zertonia?

Synopsis

At long last, Solila has found Zerta Trion! Though in a weakened state, she recognizes Solila. Connecting with Solila's mind eye, Zerta reveals the origin of the Sacred Ring:

Long ago, on the planet Cybertron, in a time that would come to be known as the Age of Wrath, Zerta was born as a slave named "Beta" under the oppressive regime of the Quintessons. Alongside her companion, A-3, she would lead a rebellion of her people against the Quintessons. A-3 and Beta eventually became known as "Alpha Trion" and "Zerta Trion", titles given due to the wisdom they had acquired over the years of conflict. Just as they believed they had finally achieved victory over their oppressors, the Quintessons sent their ultimate weapon: Goliant, a beast the size of a planet. Zerta elected to leave Cybertron alone in a bid to draw Goliant away from their home, leading him to a distant star around which orbited the two planets that would become Agorria and Zertonia. As Goliant consumed the star, Zerta influenced the two planets to build the Sacred Ring both as a way to trap Goliant in the resulting black hole, and use his essence to generate Energon for her home planet. She also divided Goliant's essence into the races that would become the Agorrians and Zertonians. However, in her final conflict she was injured, forcing her to retreat deep within the Sacred Ring. She would use her abilities to influence the two races, though found that Zertonians were more receptive to her calls (hence them taking her name).

Zerta reveals that while they were divided in order to maintain Goliant's slumber, they must now reunite and free the beast while at his weakest, so that they might permanently destroy him, lest he regain his strength and free himself anyway. Zerta tasks Solila with a new mission: spread the word and unite her people. Solila accepts, but fears she lacks the power to complete the task. Zerta assures her that she will give her the power.

Meanwhile, Darak has been brought before Minister Dulin, who tells him that he and the Unifiers have no idea what they’re dealing with: Goliant must be contained at all costs! Faced with the possibility of his own father executing him, Darak begs Dulin to tell him whatever he knows about Goliant, so that he might understand the dangers, to which Dulin reluctantly agrees. Elsewhere, Hot Rod and Springer catch up as the Agorrians work to complete construction of an energon well.

In space, the forces of Cobra-La continue their search for Cybertron, though they are interrupted when they come across the Quintesson Cruiser. Taking notice of its speed, Pythona orders Vipria to follow it.

In Zertonia, Proximus and Ultum are beset by three platoons of Zertonian soldiers after trying to find information about Ultum’s mother. Proximus easily dispatches them, but grows concerned that such few forces were sent to retrieve him. Suspicious, he asks one of the soldiers where Premier Zalilak is, who reveals that the Premier has been missing for months. Zalilak is in fact undergoing a trial in the Caverns of Rall under the watch of Mistress Vill, who believes that if he survives this trial, he could be the first true chosen one.

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
{{#if: ||(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)}}

{{#if:* Hot Rod (12)

Springer (13)|

{{#if:* Hot Rod (12)

Springer (13)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Hot Rod (12)
Springer (13) }}{{#if:* Pythona (14)
Vipria (15)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Pythona (14)

Vipria (15)|

Cobra-La }}{{#if:|

Humans }}{{#if:* Darak (9)

Dulin (10)
Guards (11)|

Agorrians }}{{#if:* Solila (1)

Proximus (16)
Zertonian soldiers (17)
Ultum (18)
Zalilak (19)
Vill (20)|

Zertonians }}{{#if:* Handroid (2)

Zerta Trion (3)
Alpha Trion (4)
Quintesson Judges (5)
Sharkticons (6)
Orion Pax (7)
Goliant (8)|

Others }}

Pythona (14)
Vipria (15) }}{{#if:|

}}{{#if:* Darak (9)

Dulin (10)
Guards (11)|

Darak (9)
Dulin (10)
Guards (11) }}{{#if:* Solila (1)
Proximus (16)
Zertonian soldiers (17)
Ultum (18)
Zalilak (19)
Vill (20)|

Solila (1)
Proximus (16)
Zertonian soldiers (17)
Ultum (18)
Zalilak (19)
Vill (20) }}{{#if:* Handroid (2)
Zerta Trion (3)
Alpha Trion (4)
Quintesson Judges (5)
Sharkticons (6)
Orion Pax (7)
Goliant (8)|

Handroid (2)
Zerta Trion (3)
Alpha Trion (4)
Quintesson Judges (5)
Sharkticons (6)
Orion Pax (7)
Goliant (8) }}

Quotes

"So... not the most exciting place I’ve been."
"Ha! Try spending thousands of years in the wasteland. This is a Prysmosian wedding by comparison."
"Heh. I’ll take your word for it."

—Hot Rod and Springer

Notes

Continuity notes

The Age of Wrath, first mentioned by the Quintesson Prosecutor back in issue #3, is finally seen in more detail this issue. Like the Dreamwave miniseries that introduced the term, the Age of Wrath is shown to be a period during which the Quintessons occupied Cybertron. The portrayal here conforms more closely to the Quintesson occupation from the Generation 1 cartoon — i.e. further back in Cybertronian history..
- Seen in the flashback to the Age of Wrath is Orion Pax, the younger form of Optimus Prime, giving us our earliest look at the Autobot leader.
Zerta's flashback also retells the origins of Sacred Ring, first glimpsed all the way back in issue #2.
Zerta's dialogue implies that Cybertron's energy problems, first mentioned by the Decepticon Shockwave in issue #4, had at least begun to appear when she left the planet.
Zalilak agreed to walk the Path of Light under Vill's guidance in issue #14.
Goliant being trapped in the black hole was first hinted at in the final pages of issue #12, where he was briefly roused by Darak and Solila touching mind eyes.

Transformers (and other Hasbro franchise) references

Zerta's original identity of "Beta" comes from the Generation 1 cartoon episode "Forever Is a Long Time Coming".
- In retrospect, Zerta’s true identity as Beta is an obvious connection given how the Zertonians share her green color scheme.
Zerta references Cybertron’s "Golden Age," a name used in a variety of past Transformers media for the period right before the Great War.
Springer references the Prysmosians, the race of humanoid beings from the Visionaries franchise, which previously crossed over with the Transformers in the Hasbro Universe title Transformers vs. Visionaries.

Real-world references

The huge shadow-monster Goliant is a reference to [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Ungoliant|{{#if:||Ungoliant}}]] from [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}The Silmarillion|{{#if:||The Silmarillion}}]].

Errors

Zerta says that Goliant consumed the star over "a millennia." However, "millennia" is the plural form of "millennium".

Other notes

This issue was originally solicited for a February 26 release.

Covers (5)

Cover A: Darak kneels before Dulin, by Lorenzo De Felici.
Cover B: Pythona attacks, by Nikola Čižmešija.
Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover, by Conor Hughes.
Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Springer in the wastelands, by Joey Vazquez.
Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Hot Rod and Darak, by Frédéric Pham Chuong.

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

Void Rivals issue 17

Contents

Synopsis

Featured characters

Quotes