Transformersis finally revealing its next big villain in the Energon Universe, as an upcoming issue ofVoid Rivalshints at the first official appearance of Zerta-Trion. The mysterious being hails from ancient Cybertron, an entirely-new character created for Skybound’s shared universe that just might be the new big bad of theTransformersfranchise.
Set to be released in March of next year,Void Rivals#18 continues the story ofDarak and Solila, the two warriors from opposite sides of a conflict on their homeworld, the Sacred Ring. Both find themselves thrown together by fate and have been working to uncover the secrets behind their homeworld and the two races that live upon it: the Agorrians and Zertonians.
VOID RIVALS #18 (2025)
March 26th, 2025
Lorenzo De Felici & Patricio Delpeche
At long last… Zerta!
The solicitation for the upcoming issue is short and to the point, but the tease that Zerta-Trion will make her first full appearance could make ita major milestone for the Energon Universe. Solila has been on a quest to findZerta in the latest arc ofVoid Rivals, and it sounds like the Zertonian warrior has finally found the ancient Cybertronian.
New Transformers Villain Could Completely Re-Write the Lore
Zerta-Trion was first mentioned by name inVoid Rivals#9, and subsequent issues revealed that she was a Cybertronian who left the Transformers' homeworld eons ago. Solila suspects that this is Zerta, the deity that she and the other Zertonians worship. After being grievously wounded in battle, Solila receives a vision from Zerta herself, who tasks the Zertonian warrior with traveling deep into the Sacred Ring to find the ancient deity in order to achieve something called “unity” within the Sacred Ring itself. Looking at that word shouldimmediately getTransformersfans’ attention, calling to mind one villain in particular: Unicron.
This could spell doom for the Energon Universe moving forward.
Unicron himself has been teaseda few times so far in the pages ofVoid Rivals. When Solila left on her quest to find Zerta inVoid Rivals#12, she touched the “energon port” crystal on her forehead with Darak’s before they departed. The issue then shows amassive silhouette deep at the heart of the Sacred Ring, whose glowing green eyes open ominously. Considering the Sacred Ring hovers near a black hole, and that Unicron is typically found near or within black holes in classic Transformers lore, it’s easy for fans to assume that the silhouette with the green eyes is the big boy himself.
If the “unity” between the Agorrians and Zertonians promised by Zerta means the awakening of Unicron, it could spell doom for the Energon Universe moving forward. The mystery is even more intriguing given Zerta-Trion’s name, whichrecalls Alpha-Trion,a classic Cybertronian figure most recently seen in theTransformers Oneanimated film. In the classic lore, Alpha-Trion was responsible for overthrowing the Quintessons and establishing Cybertron’s independence. The Autobot Springer told Darak and Solila that the “Trion” surname denotes “great wisdom and authority” before claiming that only two Cybertronians were given the name.
Will Zerta-Trion Herald the Coming of Unicron in Transformers Lore?
The Mysteries of the Sacred Ring Deepen inVoid Rivals
Somehow or another,Zerta-Trion left Cybertron all those centuries ago and was apparently involved in the creation of the Sacred Ring. It’s also possible that Zerta may have created the Agorrians and Zertonians from Cybertronian tech for some unknown purpose, adding further layers to the mystery of the world at the center ofVoid Rivals. Given the solicit and the main cover forVoid Rivals#18, it sounds like Solila will achieve her goal and find Zerta at the center of the Sacred Ring, bringing the Energon Universe one step closer to “unity” and all it entails.
Whether or not Unicron enters the fray,Void Rivalsstill has plenty of monumental storylines to play outas the Energon Universe barrels into its third year of publication in 2025. Thearrival of Autobot Hot Rodshould give Darak and Solila another ally in their quest, but the coming of the Quintessons could also spell doom for the Sacred Ring. And there is also theimminent arrival of the army of Cobra-La, who sent out a scouting party to declare war on the technological life-forms of Cybertron.
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The Energon Universe started with the shock appearance of Jetfire inVoid Rivals#1, and the line has kept readers on their toes ever since with each latest twist and turn. Recent releases like the ongoingTransformersandG.I. Joehave gotten all the attentiondue to their incredible success, but fans must not overlook the book that started it all, as the debut title is still moving the story forward in intriguing ways.With the coming of the newestTransformersbig bad in Zerta-Trion,Void Rivalsremains another can’t-miss Energon Universe book.
Void Rivals#18is available March 26th, 2025 from Skybound Entertainment.
Transformers (2023)
Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies—the Decepticons. As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity’s only hope of survival is Optimus Prime.
