Aw Yeah Revolution! issue 3

Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	August 23, 2017
Cover date	April 2017
Written by	Art Baltazar
Art by	Art Baltazar
Letters by	Art Baltazar
Editor	David Hedgecock
Assistant editor	David Mariotte

Rom battles the Cobra-controlled Optimus Prime, and when the Dire Wraiths enter the fray, it's Destro's time to shine!

Synopsis

While Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow duel, Rom and Acroyear find themselves under attack by the forces of Cobra—including the mind-controlled Optimus Prime! The laserfire of Cobra's human troops poses little danger to the Space Knight; his personal forcefield easily deflects their fire, then surrounds and entraps his attackers. Optimus is a considersably mightier opponent, but after he seizes Rom and blasts Acroyear, the Space Knight's forcefield comes to the rescue again, as Rom surrounds the Autobot leader with it and drags him out into space, beyond the reach of Cobra's control signal. While out in space, however, Rom spots a new threat approaching Earth: an asteroid full of Dire Wraiths!

Back down on Earth, the Micronauts' Space Glider leads G.I. Joe to the battlefield, so they can help their teammate Snake Eyes. The loss of Optimus Prime prompts Destro to emerge from Cobra headquarters to find out what has happened, whereupon Baron Karza reappears and uses the power of the Orbsah Gem to grow to colossal proportions. Bad luck for the Baron, then, that growing to such a height puts his noggin directly in the path of the approaching Dire Wraith asteroid, which crashes into him and knocks him flat on his back. Acting quickly, Acroyear pries the Orbsah Gem free from the fallen Karza's armor, returning the Baron to his normal tiny size—but Karza still has plenty of fight left in him, and takes on Acroyear personally. Rom, meanwhile, is overcome by the Wraiths before he can use his Neutralizer on them, and the evil aliens start taking over the bodies of the Cobra troopers.

The fallen Orbash Gem rolls across the battlefield to stop at Destro's feet, and the arms dealer is quick to seize it and take possession of its power. Rom breaks free of the Wraiths' grip to try and convince Destro to surrender the gem, but Destro merely uses the gem's power to teleport Rom away. Karza also tries to retake the gem, but with a wave of his hand, Destro returns the Baron and the Micronauts to Microspace. It looks like Cobra victory is assured... until Optimus Prime returns, free of Cobra's control, and with a team of Autobots now backing him up!

Galaxies away, Rom materializes in the depths of space. Though he has been hurled unfathomable light years across the universe, the Space Knight is not out of the fight... for the Dire Wraiths still menace Earth, and as long as they do, he can never stop fighting!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	G.I. Joe	Cobra	Others
Optimus Prime (7) Arcee (15) Bumblebee (16) Jazz (17)	Snake Eyes (4) Duke (9) Roadblock (10) Scarlett (11)	Storm Shadow (3) Cobra Commander (5) Cobra troopers (6) Destro (13)	Rom (1) Acroyear (2) Dire Wraiths (8) Space Glider (12) Baron Karza (14)

Notes

Originally solicited for release in April 2017, this issue arrives exceptionally late, in August. It'd be logical to assume this had something to do with the reduction in length of the series from five issues to three... but at the same time, "THE END?" caption not withstanding, it doesn't feel like a tremendous amount of re-writing has happened here, since the story doesn't end, but rather just... stops, with Destro still in control of the Orbsah Gem, ready to face off against the Autobots, and the Dire Wraiths still running amok on Earth.