Editing Destro issue 2

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' #2
|prev=Destro issue 1
|next=Destro issue 3
|image=Destro 2 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]]<br>[[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[July 17]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=July 2024
|written by=[[Dan Watters]]
|art by=[[Andrei Bressan]]
|colors by=[[Adriano Lucas]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Ben Abernathy]] 
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''M.A.R.S. and Extensive Enterprises go to war! Whoever wins, the world will lose.'''

==Synopsis==
After the devastating attack on [[Darklonia]], [[Destro]] addresses his [[Iron Grenadier]]s, assuring them that though the damage [[Extensive Enterprises]] did was considerable, their retaliation will be far worse, for [[M.A.R.S.]] has the greater firepower. Meanwhile, [[Tomax and Xamot]] address their [[Crimson Guard]] and tell them that Destro's false flag attack on his own fair will not sully their reputation. If Destro wants a war, they will give him one. After all, Extensive has the superior manpower. 

The two companies engage in a series of battles: M.A.R.S. attacks a Crimson Guard training ground in [[Belarus]] to cripple their army. However, their [[Despoiler]]s are quickly eliminated by the Guards' [[Assault System Pod]]s, weapons stolen from M.A.R.S. themselves. In contrast, the Crimson Guard attacks a factory in [[South Carolina]] that is secretly manufacturing [[Battle Android Trooper]]s. However, unbeknownst to them, the facility also contains M.A.R.S.'s primary store of [[Energon]]. Not wanting the fuel to fall into enemy hands, Destro orders all B.A.T.s in the facility to be activated. Though damaged by the destruction of the facility, the android troops crawl out of the flaming rubble and eliminate their targets. Witnessing the destruction their war is causing, both parties decide it’s time for parlay. 

Destro invites the Paolis to the [[Scrapheap of Empires]], a massive landfill in the middle of the [[Pacific Ocean]] where nations across the globe have dumped their old weapons of war and a fitting place to settle their conflict, lest they turn the entire world into a similar wasteland. Tomax balks at Destro calling for a ceasefire when he started this war, prompting the Laird to insist that, unlike the twins, he does not lie. Each side sticks to their story, and when Tomax threatens him again, Destro reveals he has a nuclear warhead aimed at their position. Ultimately, the CEOs agree that they will focus more on corporate warfare than physical combat.

Destro then returns to his ancestral home in the [[Scotland|Scottish Highlands]] to once more seek counsel from his ancestors. As he speaks to them of how only those with Destro blood can know the location of this tomb, [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|a lone assassin]] waits for him in the mountains outside...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in photos.<br>
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[M.A.R.S.]]|c1=
* [[Destro]] (1)
* [[Iron Grenadier]]s (2)
* [[Battle Android Trooper]]s (6)

|h2=[[Extensive Enterprises]]|c2=
* [[Tomax and Xamot]] (3 & 4)
* [[Crimson Guard]]smen (5)
|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Chameleon]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* While the narrative certainly implied Tomax and Xamot to be behind the attack on Darklonia last issue, it was never stated outright. This issue confirms they were not behind the attack… so who was?
* Destro’s possession of Energon, first given to him by [[Cobra Commander]] in [[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]] [[Cobra Commander issue 5|#5]] is still unknown, much like the existence of the B.A.T.s, which were established to be a secret last issue.

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* One of the Crimson Guardsmen shown without his helmet has blond hair, making him resemble the "Fred" operatives from the original ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' comic from [[Marvel Comics]]. 
* The Crimson Guard is shown using the Assault System Pod (A.S.P.), a classic Cobra vehicle from the 1984 range of toys. Fittingly, they are colored red, similar to how the A.S.P. were decoed in the 2004 "Operation Crimson Sabotage" box set. 
** The A.S.P. is also shown being pulled by a V.A.M.P.-esque jeep. 
* Chameleon, introduced in this issue, has an interesting conceptual history. Introduced in 2000 as a trademark replacement for the [[Baroness]], Chameleon was the Baroness’ long-lost, near-identical half-sister who used their resemblance to infiltrate Cobra on behalf of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. She was later used in a similar (though slightly more complicated) manner in [[IDW Publishing]]’s [[Hasbro Universe]], which gave her real name as "Erika Le Tene". Recently, [[Renegade Game Studios]] included her in their "[[Cobra/Con Fusion]]" adventure scenario for the G.I. Joe and [[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]s, now with the real name of Eléa Cisarovna. What will the Energon Universe version look like? Only time will tell.
* Chameleon reports to [[Overkill (G.I. Joe)|Overkill]], the cyborg commander of the B.A.T.s from the ''G.I. Joe vs. Cobra'' incarnation of the franchise.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Destro, Tomax and Xamot, and an army of B.A.T.s engulfed in flame, by Andrei Bressan & Adrian Lucas.
* '''Cover B:''' Tomax and Xamot reflected in Destro’s face, by [[Riley Rossmo]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Nikola Čižmešija]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Tomax on explosion background, by [[Jeff Spokes]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Destro and his accoutrements, by [[Yasmine Putri]].

<gallery>
File:Destro 2 Cover A.jpg|
File:Destro 2 Cover B.jpg|
File:Destro 2 Cover C.jpg|
File:Destro 2 Cover D.jpg|
File:Destro 2 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 11|#11]], ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 2|#2]], and ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 11|#11]].
* Codename: [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] continues in ''Scarlett''!
* The [[Cobra]] threat continues in ''Destro''!
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'', ''Void Rivals'', ''Transformers'', and ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''
* ''Impact Winter''
* Skybound Insiders


===Reprints===
* '''''Destro Volume 1: The Enemy''''' <small> ([[December 4]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534357688 / ISBN 978-1534357686 </small>
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Destro V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: The Enemy''''' – cover art by Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Destro issues]]