G.I. Joe (2024) issue 11

« G.I. Joe #11 »
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	September 17, 2025
Cover date	September 2025
Written by	Joshua Williamson
Art by	Andrea Milana
Colors by	Lee Loughridge
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editors	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

The showdown between Baroness and Major Bludd reaches its climactic point.

Synopsis

In the abandoned M.A.R.S. headquarters, Risk is taken aback by what he sees, but Clutch remains nonchalant, much to the confusion of Mercer... until he turns around and sees a giant green robot towering over him and his Cobra Vipers. He gives the order to open fire, but even with their Energon-powered weapons, Hound simply knocks many of them aside, allowing Clutch and Risk to enter the fray themselves. Needing fuel, Hound takes one of the Vipers' Energon blasters and crushes it in order to drink the Energon inside, but he can tell that this Energon isn't pure. He transforms into his jeep mode while Clutch and Risk grab a number of the Energon blasters to take with them for study. As they pull away from the scene, Clutch asks Risk to not tell Duke about where they were, or his new alien friend.

Under the streets of Paris, Major Bludd and Baroness continue their knife fight, Bludd still obsessed with taking her eye. Meanwhile, Cover Girl moves through the sewers to intercept Raptor, who awaits the order from Bludd to take out the Baroness' parents. As Bludd and Baroness fight, she manages to knock his walkie-talkie off and away. With his last order being to attack if Bludd doesn't respond, Raptor prepares to swoop in on his prey, only to be stopped by Cover Girl leaping onto his flight pack. Bludd taunts Baroness, insisting that Cover Girl has abandoned her, but Baroness knows she hasn't. Cover Girl is a Joe, just like her! The Baroness manages to grab Bludd's knife and stabs him in his remaining eye, blinding him and giving her the opening to escape from the pit. Baroness grabs the walkie-talkie to try and make a deal with Raptor, but Cover Girl answers, revealing she's already clipped Raptor's wings and assuring her that her parents are perfectly safe.

In the depths of Cobra headquarters Destro confronts Cobra Commander about his secret experiments. He monologues, understanding the Commander's need to keep secrets, but ultimately reminding the Commander that he needs Destro. The Commander fires back that he needs no one, refusing to bend to Destro's manipulations and revealing he knows that Destro has been sending Mercer on secret missions. Ultimately, he reveals that his experiments have been to try and create cybernetically enhanced soldiers. The Commander believes that a war between flesh and metal is coming, and that metal is destined to win, unless they can become one with the metal. Destro leaves, but tells the Commander to let him know when he next needs “volunteers” for his experiments, as he can assist in finding the right ones.

Clutch and Risk return to The Pit, where Duke waits for them, wanting to know where they've been. Risk quickly gives him a cover story about going into town for drinks and getting into a bar fight with some locals. He then checks in with the Baroness and Cover Girl as they return from Paris. He becomes concerned upon seeing their injuries, but both women brush them off. As they walk off together, they exchange words affirming their friendship.

Looking on from his office, Hawk informs Flint that he won't need Night Force to retrieve the Baroness after all. However, he does have their next assignment: they're being sent to Darklonia to break their next recruit out of prison.

Featured characters

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

G.I. Joe	Cobra	Others
Risk (1) Clutch (2) Baroness (6) Cover Girl (9) Duke (15) Hawk (16) Flint (17) Lady Jaye (18) Beach Head (19)	Cobra Vipers (4) Mercer (5) Destro (13) Cobra Commander (14)	Hound (3) Major Bludd (7) Raptor (8) Mr. Cisarovna (10) Mrs. Cisarovna (11) Shooter (20, in a photo)

Quotes

"Cover Girl left you to die, you know? You're a war criminal, Baroness. Scum of the Earth in black leather. Why would she... ever... help someone like you?"
"Because she's better than me... She's a Joe! AND SO AM I!"

—Major Bludd taunts Baroness before getting stabbed in the last good eye.

"I understand you like secrets. You want to hide who you really are. And that is fine. I am not one to judge someone for living behind a mask. However. You need me. I know it. And you know it. So, before you attempt and fail to kill me... explain yourself."
"I need no one, Destro."

—Destro and Cobra Commander discuss their partnership.

"And Hawk was worried about my mental well-being. Maybe I'm the one who needs a vacation..."

—Duke

Notes

Continuity notes

• Cobra has been using their diluted blue Energon ever since Cobra Commander found Dr. Laszlo Vandermeer, its creator, in Cobra Commander #4.
• Mercer mentions that Hound changed “just like Starscream”. Mercer learned the name of the Decepticon from M.A.R.S. Agent Martin in issue #9.
• Destro recalls the assassination attempt on Cobra Commander that occurred in issue #3, though he doesn't know that the assassin was sent from Cobra-La.
• Darklonia was last seen in the Destro miniseries, where Destro aided a local revolution and installed his cousin, Darklon, as the country's new ruler. Issue #7 had previously seen Night Force retrieving a Battle Android Trooper that came from the fictional country (presumably one of the ones that appeared in Destro #1).

G.I. Joe references

• The end of this issue teases the appearance of Jodie “Shooter” Craig. Named after Jim Shooter, the character originated as a bit joke in the first issue of the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. Devil's Due Press would later take the throwaway joke and reimagine Shooter as the "fourteenth" member of the original thirteen Joes, a sniper who was killed during her own mission that occurred alongside the plot of ARAH #1. The G.I. Joe: Classified line included Shooter as part of Night Force, hence her inclusion here as a potential member of that team.

Other notes

• Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Brand VP Arune Singh.
  • Character Spotlight: Major Bludd
  • The Eyes Have It: Major Bludd had both of his eyes visible in only eight panels.
  • Creator Q&A: Arune asks Joshua Williamson what his favorite moment from Daniel Warren Johnson's run on Transformers was. Williamson's biased answer is when Duke showed up in Transformers #2, but he also loved the introduction of Shredhead.

Covers

• Cover A: Major Bludd drives his knife towards Baroness’ eye, by Tom Reilly.
• Cover B: Cover Girl takes on Raptor, by Andrea Milana.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover, by Alan Quah.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Raptor on an explosion background, by Lucas Meyer & Adriano Lucas.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Baroness takes on Blood Hounds, by Aka.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Advertisements

• Explore the Energon Universe in Void Rivals #23, Transformers #25, and G.I. Joe #12.
• Danger Girl Artist's Edition Kickstarter
• Robert Kirkman and Dan Mora begin a new era for Transformers in an unlettered, three-page preview of the oversized Transformers #25.

Reprints

• G.I. Joe Volume 2: Bludd's Revenge (November 19, 2025) ISBN 1534329900 / ISBN 978-1534329904
  • Collects issues #7–12 and the G.I. Joe story from the Energon Universe 2025 Special.
  • Trade paperback format.

• 
  Volume 2: Bludd's Revenge – cover art by Tom Reilly