The Energon Universe charged into San Diego Comic-Con 2025 with a panel that brought some of the loudest cheers, biggest surprises, and most heartfelt moments of the weekend.
Daniel Warren Johnson, Robert Kirkman, Joshua Williamson, and editor Sean Mackiewicz came together for a celebration that felt like 100 kids in a candy store–chaotic, joyful, and completely unmissable. Right out the gate, Johnson received a thunderous ovation for his work on Transformers, which is nearing its end. It was a full-circle moment for fans and creators alike, and Johnson embraced it with humility and humor.
“I came, I saw, and I conquered. I had a wonderful time, every aspect of it, and I knew in my heart I have other projects coming out and it was time for someone else to take to wheel. Get it, wheel? Optimus Prime.”
Moderator Arune Singh (VP, Brand, Skybound) kept the chaos in check, asking about favorite memories from working together. Johnson lit up as he recalled early editorial reactions. “I remember Sean, he was the first editor for Transformers, and Hasbro initially did not love Optimus killing a deer, and Sean asked me for a small change, ‘What if he stepped on a squirrel?’”
The room was already laughing when Mackiewicz jumped in with some personal love for the run. “I just adore what Daniel was doing with the book, and I was present when the documents came in. I saw Carly and Spike pushing Optimus, his gun, and I just—it was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. They were the first things I would look at, the Transformers issues, and people would message me and I would tell them to wait, I’m reading Transformers, and I just adored Dan’s run.”
Williamson nodded in approval and chimed in, “I just love Daniel, and I remember when I saw him selling bootleg Star Wars ashcans, and we were just amazed, like this guy is the future. His Transformers are rated-R Pixar.”
Mackiewicz joked that the emotion was too much. Williamson laughed and added, “I’m just sad I’m never going to see him again.” Mackiewicz fired back, “He’s not dying??!!” Kirkman jumped in instantly, “He’s dead to us!!”
That was the vibe of the whole panel. There were very few moments when attendees weren’t laughing or just having fun. It was packed with excitement and full of people proclaiming their love for this emerging universe.
Johnson went on to reminisce about his past work. “I’m still sad to this day I never got to draw Grimlock, however,” he said as he pulled out a commission of Grimlock and held the paper high. The screen lit up with the drawing, a surprise from an attendee specially made for him. Fans finally got a DWJ Grimlock, and the room exploded with cheers.
Kirkman then took the mic to dive into what’s next. A G1 Bulkhead appeared onscreen. “For you long-time Transformers fans! We had to figure out what a G1 Bulkhead would look like and we sure are happy how it came out.” He revealed the wraparound cover for issue #24, the start of his and Dan Mora’s run with issue #25, and gave a peek at issue #26 plus more preview pages.
Williamson jumped in and tried to hype the crowd with a “YO JOE” chant, but someone yelled “COBRA” instead, which sent the room into another wave of laughter. He went on to explain how Free Comic Book Day was a major moment for the Energon Universe, with the introduction of Hound and Matt Trakker. Mackiewicz added more context. “Since he has a unique perspective that nobody else in the cast does, and you will see released elements pop up very soon.”
The announcements kept coming. G.I. Joe #12 will feature the first appearance of Shooter, Night Force’s newest recruit. But Williamson wasn’t done yet. He dropped details on The Dreadnok War, a twice-monthly event starting in November 2025. “I mean look at this,” Williamson said. “Cobra Commander and Duke in the same car, working together because Destro decides to kill Cobra Commander and makes the Dreadnoks come after him. It is a very Mad Max adventure, and Duke is the only one who is there to help him and he wants to bring him in. I love this arc and I couldn’t wait to get to this one.”
Another big announcement followed. Tom Reilly is now exclusive to Skybound Entertainment. “He isn’t going anywhere either,” Williamson joked, taking a lighthearted jab at DWJ.
“He’s a phenomenal talent and we are glad to have him,” Mackiewicz added.
The panel turned its focus to Void Rivals and Kirkman reflected on its place in the Energon Universe. “It’s been amazing to add to the tapestry of the Energon Universe and to bring in new characters. It’s been one of the biggest honors of my life. It’s been so much fun building the world of the Agorrians and Zertonians. It’s a lot of fun, and now that I’m writing both, there’s going to be a lot of interplay between those books, and I’m just having the time of my life writing these books.”
He shouted out the surprise reveal of Dorak and Solila action figures. “We just didn’t expect to have them so fast.” From the crowd, the Hasbro team shouted back, “You guys are killing it!!” Kirkman then announced The Quintesson War, coming this December. “It’s going to be wall-to-wall action and a lot of emotion.”
He explained that upcoming events will dive deeper into individual characters. For example, the Cobra-La guards are being fleshed out with quirks and traits that give them more personality and distinction. Then the lights dimmed and a new Energon Universe trailer played–a loud, crowd-pleasing, absolutely wild teaser that left everyone buzzing.
Before wrapping up, Johnson gave one more heartfelt shoutout. “I’m assuming you’re updated with the comics. Devastator gives Bruticus a cutter, but I didn’t describe how to do it and Jorge [Corona] decided to show it happening in the skyscraper behind Optimus. That book would not be as amazing as it is without him, so give him a round of applause.”
Kirkman closed the panel with one last tease. “If you love Grimlock, you will love my first issue. However, he’s not in it, but there are elements to it that you will love.”
At the end of the panel everyone in attendance got an exclusive Energon Universe ashcan. The Energon Universe panel was genuinely a celebration of what’s been built and a promise of what’s coming next. With laughs, reveals, heartfelt moments, and crowd energy that never dipped, it’s clear that the Energon Universe is only getting bigger, bolder, and more fun. At SDCC’25 it’s clear to see that Skybound is gearing up to make fans lose their minds.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from SDCC ’25.
