G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers vol. III
The Avatar of Unicron
Plotted by Marshall Dillon
Five years later-
Mindbender is in the Himalayan kingdom of Cobra La with the flesh golem that will become Serpentor. The golem is made up of DNA from all the ethnic groups of Earth, spliced together with DNA from the great leaders of Earth’s past. This DNA has been acquired by Pythona and her Cobra La cronies. Using what he learned from Optimus’ brain, Mindbender has fabricated a similar, albeit cruder version for Serpentor. This allows for intelligence and knowledge to be hardwired into Serpentor.
Serpentor is to be the avatar of Unicron, and will call Unicron to Earth to bring about a new age where his descendants rule. The denizens of Cobra La are those very descendants. They are the byproduct of Unicron’s travels through space over the eons. Some time in our past, he passed through our solar system (either at the formation of Earth, or during the destruction of the planetoid that became the asteroid belt, or later, actually during human history). While in our solar system, Unicron suffered a great injury, and a piece of himself was lost. This piece landed in the Himalayan Mountains. Over time, a small human community settled need the crashed remains, and became infected by nanites from the Unicron debris. These nanites changed their physiology, making them stronger than normal humans, and some significantly smarter by giving them the ability to leech Energon from their environment (biological, solar, wind), and to redirect that energy into other areas. The general citizenry of Cobra La direct their energies towards creating and maintaining their tropical Shangri La in the mountains, while their elite have become super powered defenders of their way, and crusaders for Unicron, their only god.
Since the Joes and Cobras returned to Earth (JTFvII), Cobra has been perpetually on the run from GI JOE. While the activities of Pythona and her Cobra La compatriots are of greater consequence, their attack patterns seem random and without direction. In fact it takes months/years for their individual attacks to be connected.
In the last five years, the Joes have become Earth’s mightiest heroes; they are at a celebrity level. New recruits have joined the Joes, including a whole crop of Ninjas lead by Snake Eyes, that train daily in highly responsive battle mechs that have yet to be tested in battle. Similarly, the Autobots have been back on Cybertron for five years without conflict, and they’ve begun reestablishing contact with the other robotic races in their galaxy. Old friends are reunited as the Autobots lay the foundation for a galactic union.
With the rise of Serpentor, Cobra La takes the fight to the streets, expecting that it’s only a matter of time before their God arrives; it’s their mission to prepare the Earth to receive him.
Faced with a real enemy, GI JOE pulls out the big guns (the mechs from series I & the Arashikage ninja mechs-smaller/faster—able to combat troops and vehicles). The fledgling Serpentor is mortally wounded in the battle, and is taken back the Cobra La’s Himalayan stronghold to die. The Crusade appears to be over. In a last ditch attempt, Pythona gives Serpentor a transfusion of her own blood. The blood of the people of Cobra La is in fact infused with the nanites that Unicron deposited all those years ago. The presence of these nanites in Serpentor’s body actually makes him the avatar he was meant to be. As the nanites race through his system, he is healed, and imparted with the historical knowledge of Cobra La. The nanites begin metabolizing Energon at an alarming rate, absorbing it from the atmosphere around him, nearly destroying Cobra La, and killing its inhabitants. This rapid absorbing of Energon culminates with a gigantic burst of energy that shoots off into space, a beacon for Unicron.
As Serpentor gains control of his new abilities, Cobra La returns to its tropical state, and the citizens cheer for Serpentor who rallies them, knowing Unicron comes. Serpentor, now able to direct Energon like the others, quickly uses that ability to generate/grow an organic metal armor, a living robotic exoskeleton, one that starts off like coiled muscles (snake like), and as it grows, becomes more plate like. Over then coming months Serpentor grows in size, dedicating all his Energon to the development of his new form. Soon he’ll be able to fight the GI JOE Mechs, and transformers alike.
In deep space, Unicron receives the beacon, and begins rapid travel to Earth. He has been unaware of Cobra La until now, but their history was communicated to him in the beacon, and he knows that Earth is a great source of Energon. Having loyal subjects there is a bonus.
The Autobots also detect the burst of energy from earth, although they do not receive it directly. They call Earth, and the Joes answer, not knowing the exact origin of the burst, yet, but fearing it is Cobra tinkering with leftover Cybertronian technology. Expecting this to be a reconnaissance mission, and being that everything is at peace on Cybertron, the mission is headed up by Optimus Prime himself, with Ultra Magnus, Bumble Bee, Hotrod and Wheel Jack, and a few others. They leave for Earth in a faster than light ship called ARC III (the journey takes about 1.5 weeks).
In the few short time it takes the Autobots to get to Earth, Serpentor has turned the entire planet into a war zone. Many of the warriors of Cobra La are now armored with an exo-robotic armor, similar to Serpentor’s. Cobra La is constantly attacking global defenses, weakening them to aid Unicron upon his arrival. The Joes are running all over the globe trying to stop them. The Arashikage Mechs being their elite strike unit, which is constantly ready for action, and dropped into the hot zones to clear the way for the more traditional Joes.
The Autobots arrive before Unicron and they begin to battle on the side of the Joes. Faced with unexpected resistance, and weapons that employ energy leeching nanites, The Autobots take a beating, and Optimus Prime is seriously wounded, as are most of the other Autobots. Only Ultra Magnus, the largest and strongest of the Autobots on Earth, is battle worthy. Seizing the opportunity, Serpentor is even more powerful (and larger) than before, and he uses the nanites that have infected Optimus Prime to leech Energy from Optimus, as he begins to beat Optimus senseless.
Unicron appears in the sky and the mood gets grim. Serpentor is made more powerful by the presence of his God, and uses this power boost to create snake-like cables that wrench open Optimus’ chest in an attempt to steel the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
At that moment we see the return of Decepticons long thought to be dead; Megatron, Soundwave, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak, and Ratbat, along with the Dreadnoks. The ‘Noks are sporting high tech weapons derived from the Cybertronian technology. While the Decepticons battle against GI JOE and Autobots, The Dreadnoks focus on Serpentor. Zartan uses an energy bow to shoot Serpentor, causing him to falter.
Optimus calls out for Ultra Magnus, who swats the Dreadnoks and Serpentor from Optimus’ body. Optimus is near death and asks Ultra Magnus to carry the Matrix, as the other Autobots swarm Megatron to keep him from getting his hands on the Matrix.
The grim scene spells the destruction of Earth, and the decimation of the Autobots.
As Optimus lay dying, the Autobots begin to loose their tenacity, giving Megatron the opportunity he needs. He begins shaking loose of the dog pile, sending Autobots flying. Hot Rod is thrown directly into Ultra Magnus, knocking him away from Optimus, just as the Matrix was to change hands. Optimus is dead, and it looks like Hot Rod will get the Matrix by default. Serpentor has recovered however, and he’s fixed on claiming the matrix in the name of Unicron. He knocks Hot Rod away and rips the matrix from Optimus’ dead hands.
At that moment Optimus’ spark leaves his body and goes into the Matrix. While this happens, Optimus has an out of body experience, lit in ghostly blue. He hears the voice of the Autobot God, Primus--the soul of Cybertron. In the sky we see astral versions of both Unicron and Primus. Optimus questions Primus on the way events are unfolding. He pleads to be returned to his body, but Primus declines. The time of Optimus is over. History must take its own course. There is a grander scheme, and Optimus can best serve the Universe by going on peacefully.
Simultaneously, Serpentor has a similar vision with Unicron, although Primus and Optimus are not a part of it. This is lit in blacks and reds. Unicron tells Serpentor to finish the battle and bring the Matrix to him. Unicron begins to lower a small elevator type appendage to Earth. Fearing the end, Megatron flees with the Dreadnoks in tow. They’re heading for any spacecraft they can find. Most likely a NASA ship, or a GI JOE prototype.
The battle is over. The bad guys have won. The Autobots, and Joes are rounded up and taken to Unicron (missing Hot Rod and Bumblebee). The Joes and Autobots are made to bow before Serpentor who sits on a thrown positioned in Unicron’s head. After they bow, Serpentor ceremoniously interfaces directly with Unicron through the Matrix. There is a surge of energy, and everyone trembles in fear, realizing that Unicron is unstoppable if he possesses the Matrix. Even Pythona realizes that the God she’s been worshipping her whole life is a crazed monster who’s only agenda is the destruction of the universe.
What they didn’t count on was that Primus would actually have a plan to save the day. Primus himself resides in the Matrix, and now that he and Unicron are interfaced, there is no way to stop Primus from attacking Unicron from within. Neither Serpentor nor Cobra La have any ability to stop the events as they unfold. We hear the dialog of Primus and Unicron as they battle against each other at the atomic level.
Unicron is torn apart by the struggle. The Autobots and Joes are separated from Serpentor and Cobra La (still in the head). The Matrix, seemingly under its own power, floats in the air and Primus talks to the Autobots. Just then the Arc III (piloted by Hot Rod and Bumble Bee) rescues the good guys, and the Matrix. The bad guys float away inside Unicron’s head.
Epilog I-
Back on Earth, Primus (the Matrix) makes a vow to the Joes that they will no longer be alone and unprotected. Just then Omega Supreme arrives with other Autobots to set up a permanent Autobots city on Earth. The remaining Autobots leave for Cybertron to return Primus to his body, to truly resurrect the Autobot God Primus.
Epilog-II
The Decepticons and the Dreadnoks are heading to the unprotected Cybertron when they encounter the Quintesons and Junkions.
© 2010 Marshall Dillon. All rights reserved.
