Void Rivals issue 23

	; Looks like the Void Rivals are pissing off mom.
Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment
First published	September 24, 2025
Cover date	September 2025
Written by	Robert Kirkman
Art by	Conor Hughes
Colors by	Patricio Delpeche
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

Solila must make a difficult choice when she learn that the cost of Unity is far greater than she could have possibly imagined.

Synopsis

Aboard the Skuxxoid Asteroid Base, Skuxxoid Beta awakens in strapped to a table, a large menacing machine hanging from the ceiling above him. One of Skuxxoid Alpha's robots, this one damaged and misshapen, explains that he has been brought to the Divider Chamber, where new Skuxxoids are made through the forced vivisection of a chosen subject. The robot activates the Divider and Skuxxoid screams in pain as it begins to cut into him before blacking out. When he awakes, sooner than expected, he finds a new pain: seeing the rest of his body divided into six pieces on the floor while he regenerates, something he's never seen because he usually sleeps through the process. He wails in anger at his captor, promising to dismantle him.

On Quintessa, Pythona, Vipria, and Bola depart from the Leviathan, leaving Grakula on board with her second skin, much to Pythona's dismay, still concerned about the armor's evolution. Their concern for their teammate is momentarily forgotten when they are attacked by a mechanical sea squid! It grabs Pythona, who manages to slice off one of its tentacles with her acid claws but struggles to break free of its grip. Thankfully, they are saved by the timely intervention of Wheelie, using his slingshot to shoot out one of the creature's eyes, forcing it to release Pythona and retreat back into the water. However, Pythona soon spies the insignia on the small robot's chest and realizes he is one of the mechanical monstrosities they were sent to find.

In Agorria, Solila cries out in rapturous joy, praising the name of Zerta as they experience Unity. The Agorrians and Zertonians are overwhelmed and driven to a trancelike state. A blinding light fills the sky. The ground begins to shake, causing buildings to crumble and jump jets to crash. From the black hole which the Sacred Ring encircles, a giant hand begins to emerge. Seeing the destruction, Darak realizes that whatever is happening is tearing the Sacred Ring apart. This manages to snap Solila out of her trance, and she realizes the horrible truth: Zerta has betrayed them. Proximus calls this heresy, but Solila has realized that while Zerta does want to achieve Unity to free Goliant, doing so would destroy the Sacred Ring and all the people on it. Zerta is willing to sacrifice their people for her mission. She begs Proximus to lead the Zertonians back to Zertonia to prevent Unity. Reluctantly, he complies. As the Zertonians leave, things begin to stabilize, and the giant hand retreats back into the black hole.

Seeing the destruction, Darak is overwhelmed and saddened to realize that his father was right about Unity. Springer is shocked that the Zerta Trion he's heard legends of all of his life would be party to such destruction, believing there is more going on than they realize. However, he also decides that it's time for him and Hot Rod to depart (after they help with the cleanup, of course.) As Darak reunites with his jump jet squadron, he notices that Solila is nowhere to be found.

Deep within the depths of the Sacred Ring, Zerta Trion has summoned Solila before her. The ancient Cybertronian tells Solila that not only has she failed her, but she has doomed her people, the people of countless worlds, and all life as they know it!

Featured characters

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

Autobots	Cobra-La	Agorrians	Zertonians	Others
Springer (6) Hot Rod (7) Wheelie (14)	Pythona (11) Vipria (12) Bola (13)	Guardsmen (5) Darak (8) Dulin (9) Manzo (17) Garad (18) Gamut (19) Krint (20)	Solila (3) Soldiers (4) Proximus (15)	Skuxxoid Beta (1) Divider Robot (2) Goliant (10) Zerta Trion (16)

Quotes

"If on this planet you wish to reside, you will have to learn to hide."

—Wheelie

"The Zerta Trion of legend... would never be a party to such destruction. I can't imagine the forces at play here. It's a real mystery."
"Well, if I spent a few millennia trapped on this ring, I think I'd go crazy!"
beat
"What? What'd I say?"

—Springer doesn't appreciate Hot Rod's insensitivity.

Notes

Continuity notes

Wheelie was introduced to the Energon Universe in the Void Rivals segment of the Energon Universe 2025 Special.
Pythona recognizes the Autobot insignia, identifying him as a Cybertronian. Now while she hasn't had any personal experience with the Autobots, it can be assumed that she recognizes the symbol from the footage of the Transformers' war that Cobra Commander pulled from Megatron back in Cobra Commander #1 and which Golobulus had discovered in Cobra Commander #5.
Goliant's awakening was first seen in issue #12 when Darak and Solila touched their mind eyes together. This issue shows that it is indeed the Agorrians and Zertonians coming into physical contact that brings about Unity.
Solila learned Zerta Trion's plans for Unity to release Goliant in issue #17, while Darak learned from Dulin that Unity meant the destruction of all life in issue #18. Evidently, both stories were true.
Hot Rod's casual remark about Zerta Trion going crazy after being stuck on the Sacred Ring for millennia annoys Springer, which makes sense given that he's been trapped on the Sacred Ring for millennia.

Other notes

Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Brand VP Arune Singh
- Character Spotlight: Pythona
- Wheelie Returns: Recaps Wheelie’s appearance in the Energon Universe 2025 Special.
- Creator Q&A: Arune asks Robert Kirkman what his favorite memory from Daniel Warren Johnson’s run on Transformers was. Kirkman shares a number of moments he loved, but felt that the scene in issue #1 where Spike and Carly tried to push Optimus Prime’s Ion blaster toward him was the moment he knew the book would be something special.

Covers (5)

Cover A: Zerta Trion, by Lorenzo De Felici.
Cover B: Pythona and Wheelie, by Conor Hughes.
Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover, by Martín Morazzo and Patricio Delpeche.
Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Solila uses her new powers while Darak watches, by Andrea De Dominicis.
Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Springer and Hot Rod, by John Amor.