G.I. Joe vs. Transformers #1, variant edition (June, 2003) – autographed

What’s Inside:

In this alternate timeline story, the evil organization Cobra, who were terrorists before terrorists cool, stumble upon the millions-year-old, crashlanded Arc with the Autobots and Decepticons still in stasis inside. Using their technological know-how, Cobra tinkers with the Transformers’ noodles, with the help of a reluctant Megatron who is trapped as a gun strapped to Cobra Commander’s hip, forcing the Robots in Disguise to do their bidding as mindless machines of destruction.

With the Transformers at their side, Cobra is a greater threat than ever, so a new task force is formed to stomp out the evil empire once and for all. This new team will be led by Duke, who had witnessed the recent Transformer attack on a military base, and will be made of the finest soldiers and warriors the world has to offer. So, we witness the birth of the G.I. Joes.

Writer: Josh Blaylock

Artist: Mike S. Miller

Colorist: Lynx Studio

Publisher: Image

Why I Kept This Issue:

I came by this issue when I worked at the comic shop and had it autographed at one of the Ohio Comic Cons. When I was a kid, I could not have given two shits about G.I. Joe, but I loved Transformers because it had dinosaurs and bugs.

The Transformers and G.I. Joe actually have a very long history of crossovers in comic book form. There was even an episode of Transformers where an unnamed and aged Cobra Commander makes an appearance.

Attached Memory:

This comic renewed my interest in Transformers. I went home to my grandmother’s soon after reading this and began looking through my boxes of old toys for any Transformers figures I could find. Lo and behold, I found gold. I found the original release of Grimlock, still in fair condition! That sucker was going for about $500 on Ebay easy, even out of the box.

I was so thrilled to have found Grimlock that I left him at my grandmother’s in my old bedroom where I could easily find him again. I was so excited to be reunited with my old friend.

And then he disappeared.

I came back to Gramma’s house about a week later, and he was gone. Just gone. I have a few cousins and second cousins who were still kids, and they naturally frequent her house, so the most logical explanation is that one of them took Grimlock. But none of them ever fessed up. They all denied it. Even my grandmother denied that any of the kids had even visited her that week.

The case of the missing Grimlock remains a mystery to this day. But it may be time to bring in a cold case unit, because my trust has been destroyed. It’s hard to sleep at night at times, for fear that someone else I love will be taken away, like my He-Man toys. Oh god, not my He-Man toys!

I can never trust again.

Condition of My Copy: Protected and safe from all of you.