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TheTransformersmovie franchise began way back in 2007, and the latest entry,Rise of the Beasts, has only just confirmed a future, cinematic crossover with the G.I. Joe IP 14 years later — even though both franchises have an entangled history together.
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The Autobots have transitioned out of their Michael Bay era and are now looking to provide fan service with a long-anticipated reunion, but the uninitiated may be wondering why these two properties are joining forces in the first place. Here’s how G.I. Joe and Transformers are connected.
Spoilers Ahead For Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
Rise Of The Beasts Confirms Future G.I. Joe Crossover
Rise of the Beasts not only introduced theMaximalsfrom the days of theBeast Wars: Transformers animated series, but the movie also confirmed a future, live-action crossover between Transformers and the G.I. Joe franchise.
During the feature’s conclusion, we’re introduced to Michael Kelly’s Agent Burke, who pretends to be the interviewer for Noah’s security gig. Burke ends up applauding Noah’s help in saving the world against the Terrorconswith the Autobotsand proposes another cause for him to join.
Burke hands Noah a card and explains that a separate group needs some help in navigating another war. The card reads “G.I. Joe,” which confirms the future crossover between the franchises.
How Are Transformers & G.I. Joe Connected?
Even though both IPs originate from a Hasbro toy line, the G.I. Joe figures were released in 1964, twenty years before the Transformers’ debut in 1984.
Therefore, it wasn’t until 1987 when the IPs first met within a four-issue limited comic book series published by Marvel Comics and written by Michael Higgins, titledG.I. Joe and the Transformers. This crossover put the Joe squad and the Autobots together in order to defeat Cobra and the Decepticons, accompanied by the return of Optimus Prime and Megatron after their downfall in the main comic run.
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Another crossover took place years later within the main G.I. Joe run that also served as the beginning of the Transformers: Generation 2 line and paved the way for regular unions between the two IPs in the future.
In Europe, the G.I. Joe brand was regionalized into Action Force, and Marvel’s Transformers comic featured a crossover with this variant during the 80s. IDW Publishing later ran with this idea to establish a Hasbro universe beginning in 2005 that saw several properties collaborate, including Transformers, G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Action Man, and more.
TV Show & Toy Line Collaboration
Marissa Faireborn — the daughter of G.I. Joe Chief Warrant Officer, Flint — debuted in the third season of the Transformers animated series in 1986, within a plot line that followed Cobra Commander’s involvement in turning Autobots into humans. Faireborn also showed up in IDW’s 2005 comic run beginning with Robots in Disguise #28.
It wasn’t until 2004 when the Transformers toy line eventually crossed over with G.I. Joe, where the Transformers: Energon figure, Snow Cat, sported the same title and vehicle design as its G.I. Joe counterpart. More recent crossover figures include an A.W.E. Striker that can change into Bumblebee and a H.I.S.S. Tank that shifts into Megatron.
Staying on the topic of Energon, Skybound Entertainment, helmed by Robert Kirkman, recently announced a new Transformers comic run by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, which will establish a new “Energon Universe.” A four-issue G.I. Joe limited series was also announced that will begin with Duke #1 by Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly this December.
